SBI quant guide
SBI quant: what is on the paper, and how to get fast enough for it
SBI PO prelims is 35 quantitative aptitude questions in a 20-minute sectional window, and SBI mains replaces most of that arithmetic with Data Analysis and Interpretation — long caselets and multi-graph sets that are read as much as calculated. SBI quant is not harder in concept than IBPS quant; it is heavier per question, which makes calculation speed the difference between 18 attempts and 28.
The pattern, stage by stage
SBI revises its mains structure more often than IBPS does. The prelims shape has been stable for years; treat the mains row as the current baseline and confirm it against the notification.
| Paper | Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBI PO Prelims | Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | 20 min (sectional) |
| SBI PO Mains | Data Analysis & Interpretation | 30 | 50 | 45 min |
| SBI Clerk Prelims | Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 min (sectional) |
| SBI Clerk Mains | Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 45 min |
Question counts and timings follow the most recent official notifications. Exam boards do revise the pattern between cycles — confirm every figure against the current year's notification before you plan around it.
Which topics actually carry the marks
SBI prelims quant looks like IBPS prelims quant with the DI weighting pushed up and the pure-simplification weighting pushed down:
- Data interpretation. The centre of gravity, and the whole of mains. Tables, bar and line graphs, pie charts, caselets, missing-data sets and arithmetic DI.
- Simplification and approximation. Still a large block in prelims, and still decided purely by your recall base and shortcuts.
- Number series. Usually 5 questions, missing- or wrong-number. SBI's series lean on layered patterns more than plain differences.
- Quadratic comparison. Around 5 questions when it appears. Automatic once factorising is automatic.
- Arithmetic word problems. Percentages, profit and loss, interest, averages, ratio, time and work, speed–distance, boats and streams, mixtures, permutation and probability.
What to practise daily
- Ten minutes on the recall base. Tables to 20, squares to 30, cubes to 15, fraction–percentage pairs and reciprocals to one-twentieth. DI sets are won here.
- Three timed drills. ComputePrep runs timed daily drills across 23 drill types, including plain DI and caselet DI — the two that matter most for SBI.
- Practise approximation deliberately. SBI DI sets are full of questions where the options are far enough apart that an exact value is wasted effort.
- Review the method, not the answer. Ask "was there a faster route?" every time, including on the ones you got right.
- Time by topic. A per-topic clock turns "I am slow at quant" into a specific, fixable list.
What ComputePrep covers — and what it does not
ComputePrep drills calculation speed — 23 timed drill types plus the vedic shortcuts behind them. It is not a full quant course and it does not teach a topic from scratch. For SBI mains specifically, note the limit: ComputePrep drills the arithmetic inside a DI set, not the reading-and-structuring skill a long caselet demands. Pair it with full DI sets from a question bank.
Free and paid practice PDFs
Free Vedic Speed Kit (PDF) →
The shortcuts worth learning, worked step by step, with practice rows. No email, no sign-up.
The Speed Book →
150 timed speed drills with full working, plus a free 21-drill sample you can read before deciding.
The other section
The other half of the paper has its own daily. Deduce's SBI reasoning guide covers the reasoning section — same makers, same free-daily model — and Deduce's reasoning puzzle book is the printed companion to it.
Frequently asked questions
How many quant questions are in SBI PO prelims?
35 questions carrying 35 marks, with a 20-minute sectional limit. SBI Clerk prelims has 35 Numerical Ability questions in the same window.
Is SBI quant harder than IBPS quant?
Not in concept. SBI sets are typically heavier per question — bigger numbers, longer DI sets, more reading before the first calculation — so the same syllabus consumes more of the clock.
How much of SBI PO mains is data interpretation?
Effectively all of the quantitative section: mains replaces Quantitative Aptitude with Data Analysis and Interpretation. If you are preparing for mains, DI practice is quant practice.
How fast do I need to be for the 20-minute sectional?
About 34 seconds a question to attempt all 35, which is unrealistic. Target 25 to 28 accurate attempts — roughly 45 seconds each including reading the question.
Do vedic shortcuts actually help in SBI?
The five or six that come up constantly do: multiplying near a base, squaring numbers ending in five, squaring near a base, same-tens with units adding to ten, and difference of squares. Learning fifty sutras does not.
Related guides
IBPS quant guide · SSC quant guide · RRB quant guide · All 23 drill types · Data interpretation drills · Caselet DI questions and worked solutions · How to improve calculation speed
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ComputePrep is not affiliated with IBPS, SBI, SSC, RRB or any other examination authority.