Labelled mock paper

SBI PO 2016 Previous Year Question Paper

SBI PO 2016 question paper was never officially released. Practise our labelled 2016 mock: 28 questions with answers, built on the reported pattern.

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No official SBI PO 2016 paper was released.Practise the labelled mock paper built from that year's reported pattern.Open mock

The SBI PO 2016 question paper was not officially published, so this page does not host it. Instead it has a clearly labelled mock paper with original questions modelled on the reported 2016 pattern, plus a timed attempt plan and an error-log routine. The SBI PO exam covers English, Quant, Reasoning, GA and Descriptive.

Explore: SBI PO hub · Syllabus & pattern · SBI PO 2024 · How to use PYQs

No official paper released

SBI did not publish the SBI PO 2016 question paper. Practise the SBI PO 2016 mock paper: original questions modelled on candidate reports, clearly labelled as a mock.

Why this year matters

Older SBI PO papers like 2016 are for mining, not nostalgia. Keep current marking rules, and skip topics the latest brochure dropped. Sectional timing and cut-offs matter as much as raw accuracy. Track attempts per section, not just the total.

Count attempts and accuracy by section. A high raw score with a failed sectional cut-off is still a fail in the real exam.

Paper analysis

Snapshot of SBI PO 2016

Deep archive SBI PO.

2016 may feel differently paced than the newest cycle. Borrow stamina and theme lessons; do not copy obsolete section orders or marking quirks.

What this paper stresses

  • Sectional cut-off failures despite a decent overall.
  • Puzzle / DI sets that should have been abandoned earlier.
  • English error-spotting under speed pressure.
  • Mains vs Prelims difficulty mismatch (especially SBI / RBI).

What to extract before you move on

  • Puzzle / DI patterns that beat you when you overstay.
  • Sectional attempt targets that still clear cut-offs in mocks.
  • English miss taxonomy (grammar vs vocab vs RC).
  • Prelims vs Mains repair queues kept as separate lists.

How 2016 sits next to other years

Use 2016 only after SBI PO 2024, SBI PO 2023, SBI PO 2022 are logged. Archive years are for frequency maps, not for predicting tomorrow’s cut-off.

Analyst note: SBI did not publish the SBI PO 2016 paper. The mock below is original practice in the reported pattern; treat coaching “memory-based” papers as unofficial reconstructions.

SBI PO 2016 Prelims mock paper (modelled on candidate reports)

This is a mock paper we wrote. The official 2016 paper was never released.The conducting body has not published it. These 28 questions are original, written by previousyearquestions.app to match what candidates and exam analyses reported about the 2016 exam: section mix, topics and difficulty. Use it to practise the pattern. The questions themselves are not from the real exam.

SBI does not release the question papers or answer keys of its PO preliminary examination; its careers site publishes only information handbooks with sample questions, so there is no official 2016 paper to host. This is an original mock mini-paper modelled on candidate and coaching analyses of the July 2016 Prelims: English, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning in one composite hour.

What candidates reported about 2016

  • Prelims held over several slots on 2, 3, 9 and 10 July 2016; 100 questions (English 30, Quantitative Aptitude 35, Reasoning 35) in one composite 60-minute clock.
  • 1 mark per question and 0.25 negative marking for each wrong answer.
  • English was rated easy to moderate, led by a reading comprehension of about 10 questions, with cloze test, para jumble, error spotting and fill in the blanks.
  • Reasoning was rated moderate to tough; the puzzles, such as a linear arrangement of eight persons, were the hardest and most time-consuming part.
  • Quantitative Aptitude carried data interpretation along with number series, quadratic equations and arithmetic word problems.
  • Analysts put good attempts at roughly 55–60 questions overall for the first slot on 9 July.

Suggested time: 17 minutes. Practice set of 28 questions (the real Prelims had 100 in 60 minutes). In 2016 there was one composite clock, so you may move between sections freely; allow about 17 minutes. Each correct answer earns 1 mark; 0.25 mark is deducted for each wrong answer; unattempted questions carry no penalty.

English Language

Reading comprehension

Few things worry a farmer more than a monsoon that arrives on time and then falls silent. A dry spell of three weeks after sowing can wither a crop that a late but steady monsoon would have saved, and the farmer who borrowed to buy seed is left with a loan and nothing to sell. Crop insurance is meant to break this chain by paying out when yields fall below a threshold, so that the loan can still be repaid.

For most of its history, however, such insurance reached farmers slowly. Losses were assessed through crop-cutting experiments, in which officials harvested sample plots and weighed the grain, and the results often took a full season to reach the insurer. A claim settled a year after the harvest does little for a family that must buy seed for the next sowing.

Newer schemes try to close this gap with satellite images, rainfall data from automatic weather stations and smartphones that let field staff upload photographs of sample plots on the same day. Technology cannot make the monsoon regular, and it cannot persuade a farmer to insure if he doubts that a claim will ever be paid. But by shortening the wait, it can turn insurance from a distant promise into something a farmer can plan around.

  1. According to the passage, why is a dry spell soon after sowing especially damaging?

    1. It always delays the arrival of the monsoon
    2. It can destroy a crop the farmer has borrowed to grow, leaving him with a debt and no produce
    3. It prevents officials from carrying out crop-cutting experiments
    4. It raises the premium the farmer must pay for insurance
    5. It forces the farmer to switch to a different crop
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (It can destroy a crop the farmer has borrowed to grow, leaving him with a debt and no produce)

    Paragraph 1: a three-week dry spell after sowing 'can wither a crop', and the farmer who borrowed for seed 'is left with a loan and nothing to sell'.

  2. What does the passage identify as the main weakness of crop-cutting experiments?

    1. They overstated the losses suffered by farmers
    2. They were too expensive for insurers to carry out
    3. Their results were slow, so claims were often settled long after the harvest
    4. They ignored rainfall data altogether
    5. Farmers refused to allow officials onto their fields
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (Their results were slow, so claims were often settled long after the harvest)

    Paragraph 2: results 'often took a full season to reach the insurer', and a claim settled a year after the harvest does little for a family that must buy seed. Cost, accuracy and farmer refusal are not mentioned.

  3. Which of the following statements would the author most probably agree with?

    1. Satellite images can make the monsoon more regular
    2. Farmers no longer doubt that insurance claims will be paid
    3. Crop insurance is useless while the monsoon remains erratic
    4. Even though technology cannot control rainfall, faster settlement makes insurance far more useful to farmers
    5. Crop-cutting experiments should be replaced by larger government loans
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: D (Even though technology cannot control rainfall, faster settlement makes insurance far more useful to farmers)

    The last paragraph says technology 'cannot make the monsoon regular' but, 'by shortening the wait', can make insurance something a farmer can plan around. The other options contradict or go beyond the passage.

Cloze test

Read the passage and choose the most suitable word for each numbered blank.

When the district library began lending e-readers, many expected its older members to (1) ______ the change. Instead, retired teachers became its most (2) ______ users, borrowing devices every week and showing others how to enlarge the text.

  1. Which word fits blank (1)?

    1. applaud
    2. finance
    3. resist
    4. design
    5. celebrate
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (resist)

    'Instead' signals that what happened was the opposite of what was expected. Since the older members ended up embracing the e-readers, the expectation must have been that they would resist the change.

  2. Which word fits blank (2)?

    1. reluctant
    2. occasional
    3. indifferent
    4. absent
    5. enthusiastic
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: E (enthusiastic)

    Users who borrow devices every week and teach others are keen ones; 'enthusiastic' fits. Reluctant, occasional, indifferent and absent contradict the description.

Para jumble

Rearrange the sentences into a meaningful paragraph.

A. The panchayat therefore decided to try solar-powered street lights on one road. B. For years the village's streets went dark whenever the grid failed, which was often. C. Encouraged by these results, the panchayat has now asked a bank for a loan to light every lane. D. Within a month, complaints of theft on that road had almost stopped. E. Shopkeepers along the road also began keeping their stalls open after sunset.

  1. Which sentence comes LAST after rearrangement?

    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    5. E
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (C)

    The order is B-A-D-E-C: the problem (B), the trial on one road (A, 'therefore'), the first result (D), a further result introduced by 'also' (E), and the decision to expand that follows from 'these results' (C). The last sentence is C.

Error spotting

  1. Find the part of the sentence that contains an error: The number of customers using (A) / mobile banking have risen (B) / sharply since the bank (C) / launched its new app. (D) / No error (E)

    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    5. E
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (B)

    The subject is 'The number', which is singular, so 'have risen' in part B should be 'has risen'.

Fill in the blank

  1. Choose the word that best fills the blank: The minister's reply was so ______ that listeners could not tell whether she supported the proposal or opposed it.

    1. emphatic
    2. candid
    3. concise
    4. equivocal
    5. eloquent
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: D (equivocal)

    A reply that leaves listeners unsure of the speaker's position is ambiguous; 'equivocal' means exactly that. Emphatic and candid would make her position clear, and concise and eloquent say nothing about ambiguity.

Quantitative Aptitude

Data interpretation (bar chart data shown as a table)

The data below, originally shown as a bar chart, give the production of wheat and rice (in lakh tonnes) in a state over five years.

YearWheat (lakh tonnes)Rice (lakh tonnes)
20114236
20124840
20134550
20145445
20156048

  1. By what percentage did wheat production increase from 2012 to 2015?

    1. 25%
    2. 33%
    3. 30%
    4. 18%
    5. 20%
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: A (25%)

    Increase = 60 − 48 = 12 lakh tonnes. Percentage = 12 ÷ 48 × 100 = 25%.

  2. What is the ratio of total rice production to total wheat production over the five years?

    1. 83 : 73
    2. 73 : 83
    3. 71 : 83
    4. 73 : 81
    5. 9 : 10
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (73 : 83)

    Total rice = 36 + 40 + 50 + 45 + 48 = 219; total wheat = 42 + 48 + 45 + 54 + 60 = 249. Ratio 219 : 249 = 73 : 83.

  3. In which year was the difference between wheat and rice production the smallest?

    1. 2011
    2. 2012
    3. 2014
    4. 2015
    5. 2013
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: E (2013)

    Differences: 2011 = 6, 2012 = 8, 2013 = 5, 2014 = 9, 2015 = 12 lakh tonnes. The smallest is in 2013.

  4. What was the average annual rice production over the five years (in lakh tonnes)?

    1. 44.6
    2. 42.8
    3. 45
    4. 43.8
    5. 43.2
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: D (43.8)

    Average = 219 ÷ 5 = 43.8 lakh tonnes.

Quadratic equations

In each question two equations (I and II) are given. Solve both and mark the correct relationship between x and y.

  1. Solve both equations and choose the correct relationship between x and y. I. x² − 17x + 72 = 0 II. y² − 13y + 42 = 0

    1. x > y
    2. x ≥ y
    3. x < y
    4. x ≤ y
    5. x = y or the relationship cannot be established
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: A (x > y)

    I: x = 8, 9. II: y = 6, 7. Comparing every pair of values gives: x > y.

  2. Solve both equations and choose the correct relationship between x and y. I. 2x² − 11x + 15 = 0 II. y² − 7y + 12 = 0

    1. x > y
    2. x ≥ y
    3. x < y
    4. x ≤ y
    5. x = y or the relationship cannot be established
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: D (x ≤ y)

    I: x = 5/2, 3. II: y = 3, 4. Comparing every pair of values gives: x ≤ y.

Number series

  1. What should come in place of the question mark? 3, 4, 12, 39, 103, ?

    1. 240
    2. 228
    3. 232
    4. 218
    5. 224
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (228)

    Differences are 1³, 2³, 3³, 4³ (1, 8, 27, 64); the next difference is 5³ = 125, so ? = 103 + 125 = 228.

  2. Find the wrong number in the series: 6, 7, 16, 43, 90, 171

    1. 7
    2. 16
    3. 43
    4. 90
    5. 171
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (43)

    Differences should be squares of odd numbers 1, 9, 25, 49, 81. Correct series: 6, 7, 16, 41, 90, 171. The fourth term should be 16 + 25 = 41, not 43; 41 + 49 = 90 confirms it.

Arithmetic

  1. A trader marks an article 40% above its cost price and then allows a discount of 15% on the marked price. If his profit is ₹570, what is the cost price?

    1. ₹2400
    2. ₹3200
    3. ₹3000
    4. ₹2850
    5. ₹3800
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (₹3000)

    Selling price = 1.40 × 0.85 = 1.19 of cost, so profit = 19% of cost. Cost price = 570 ÷ 0.19 = ₹3000.

  2. A can finish a piece of work in 12 days and B in 18 days. They work together for 4 days, after which A leaves and B finishes the rest alone. In how many days in all is the work completed?

    1. 11 days
    2. 10 days
    3. 13 days
    4. 14 days
    5. 12 days
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: E (12 days)

    Together they do 1/12 + 1/18 = 5/36 per day, so in 4 days 5/9 of the work. Remaining 4/9 at B's rate of 1/18 per day takes 8 days. Total = 4 + 8 = 12 days.

Reasoning Ability

Linear arrangement with professions

Eight persons S, T, U, V, W, X, Y and Z sit in a straight row facing north. Each has a different profession: Doctor, Lawyer, Pilot, Teacher, Banker, Chef, Engineer and Writer.

V sits third from the right end. Only two persons sit between V and S. X sits immediately to the right of V. Y sits immediately to the right of T. U does not sit at either end. The Pilot sits immediately to the right of Z. The Writer sits second to the right of the Pilot. The Lawyer sits at one of the extreme ends, and the Doctor sits immediately to the right of the Lawyer. W is the Teacher. The Engineer sits third to the right of the Chef.

  1. Who is the Banker?

    1. S
    2. Y
    3. U
    4. Z
    5. V
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: D (Z)

    Number the seats 1 to 8 from the left. V is 6th, X 7th, and S (two persons between S and V) is 3rd. Z, the Pilot and the Writer occupy seats k, k + 1 and k + 3. Trying each free seat for Z: Z in 1 forces T-Y into 4-5 and U into 2, so U is the Pilot; then the Lawyer must be Z in seat 1 (W, at the other end, is the Teacher) and the Doctor would be U, a clash. Z in 2 makes S the Pilot, T-Y take 4-5 and U has only an end seat left, which is not allowed. Z in 5 makes V the Pilot and the Writer the person in seat 8, which is W, the Teacher: impossible. So Z is 4th, the Pilot 5th and the Writer 7th (X). T-Y take seats 1-2, U (not at an end) is 5th and is the Pilot, and W is 8th. The Lawyer is at an end: W is the Teacher, so T (seat 1) is the Lawyer and Y the Doctor. Of S, Z and V, the Chef and Engineer are three apart: S Chef, V Engineer, Z Banker. Final row from the left: T (Lawyer), Y (Doctor), S (Chef), Z (Banker), U (Pilot), V (Engineer), X (Writer), W (Teacher).

  2. How many persons sit between the Doctor and the Writer?

    1. 5
    2. 2
    3. 4
    4. 6
    5. 3
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (4)

    Number the seats 1 to 8 from the left. V is 6th, X 7th, and S (two persons between S and V) is 3rd. Z, the Pilot and the Writer occupy seats k, k + 1 and k + 3. Trying each free seat for Z: Z in 1 forces T-Y into 4-5 and U into 2, so U is the Pilot; then the Lawyer must be Z in seat 1 (W, at the other end, is the Teacher) and the Doctor would be U, a clash. Z in 2 makes S the Pilot, T-Y take 4-5 and U has only an end seat left, which is not allowed. Z in 5 makes V the Pilot and the Writer the person in seat 8, which is W, the Teacher: impossible. So Z is 4th, the Pilot 5th and the Writer 7th (X). T-Y take seats 1-2, U (not at an end) is 5th and is the Pilot, and W is 8th. The Lawyer is at an end: W is the Teacher, so T (seat 1) is the Lawyer and Y the Doctor. Of S, Z and V, the Chef and Engineer are three apart: S Chef, V Engineer, Z Banker. Final row from the left: T (Lawyer), Y (Doctor), S (Chef), Z (Banker), U (Pilot), V (Engineer), X (Writer), W (Teacher). Between Y (seat 2) and X (seat 7): 4 persons.

  3. What is the profession of the person who sits immediately to the right of U?

    1. Writer
    2. Engineer
    3. Banker
    4. Chef
    5. Teacher
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (Engineer)

    Number the seats 1 to 8 from the left. V is 6th, X 7th, and S (two persons between S and V) is 3rd. Z, the Pilot and the Writer occupy seats k, k + 1 and k + 3. Trying each free seat for Z: Z in 1 forces T-Y into 4-5 and U into 2, so U is the Pilot; then the Lawyer must be Z in seat 1 (W, at the other end, is the Teacher) and the Doctor would be U, a clash. Z in 2 makes S the Pilot, T-Y take 4-5 and U has only an end seat left, which is not allowed. Z in 5 makes V the Pilot and the Writer the person in seat 8, which is W, the Teacher: impossible. So Z is 4th, the Pilot 5th and the Writer 7th (X). T-Y take seats 1-2, U (not at an end) is 5th and is the Pilot, and W is 8th. The Lawyer is at an end: W is the Teacher, so T (seat 1) is the Lawyer and Y the Doctor. Of S, Z and V, the Chef and Engineer are three apart: S Chef, V Engineer, Z Banker. Final row from the left: T (Lawyer), Y (Doctor), S (Chef), Z (Banker), U (Pilot), V (Engineer), X (Writer), W (Teacher). Immediately right of U (seat 5) is V, the Engineer.

  4. Which of the following is true according to the arrangement?

    1. S sits at one of the ends
    2. The Chef sits immediately to the left of Z
    3. X is the Doctor
    4. Only one person sits between T and the Engineer
    5. The Pilot sits second to the left of W
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (The Chef sits immediately to the left of Z)

    Number the seats 1 to 8 from the left. V is 6th, X 7th, and S (two persons between S and V) is 3rd. Z, the Pilot and the Writer occupy seats k, k + 1 and k + 3. Trying each free seat for Z: Z in 1 forces T-Y into 4-5 and U into 2, so U is the Pilot; then the Lawyer must be Z in seat 1 (W, at the other end, is the Teacher) and the Doctor would be U, a clash. Z in 2 makes S the Pilot, T-Y take 4-5 and U has only an end seat left, which is not allowed. Z in 5 makes V the Pilot and the Writer the person in seat 8, which is W, the Teacher: impossible. So Z is 4th, the Pilot 5th and the Writer 7th (X). T-Y take seats 1-2, U (not at an end) is 5th and is the Pilot, and W is 8th. The Lawyer is at an end: W is the Teacher, so T (seat 1) is the Lawyer and Y the Doctor. Of S, Z and V, the Chef and Engineer are three apart: S Chef, V Engineer, Z Banker. Final row from the left: T (Lawyer), Y (Doctor), S (Chef), Z (Banker), U (Pilot), V (Engineer), X (Writer), W (Teacher). S is 3rd (not an end); X is the Writer; four persons sit between T and V (the Engineer); the Pilot (seat 5) is third to the left of W. The Chef, S, sits in seat 3, immediately left of Z in seat 4, so that statement is true.

Syllogism

  1. Statements: All pens are pencils. Some pencils are erasers. No erasers are rulers. Conclusions: I. Some pencils are pens. II. No pens are erasers. Decide which conclusion(s) logically follow from the statements, disregarding commonly known facts.

    1. Only conclusion I follows
    2. Only conclusion II follows
    3. Either conclusion I or II follows
    4. Neither conclusion I nor II follows
    5. Both conclusions I and II follow
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: A (Only conclusion I follows)

    All pens are pencils, so at least some pencils are pens: I follows. Some pencils are erasers, but those pencils may or may not be pens, so 'No pen is an eraser' is not certain. Answer: Only conclusion I follows.

  2. Statements: Some rulers are pens. No pens are erasers. Conclusions: I. No rulers are erasers. II. All erasers are rulers. Decide which conclusion(s) logically follow from the statements, disregarding commonly known facts.

    1. Only conclusion I follows
    2. Only conclusion II follows
    3. Either conclusion I or II follows
    4. Neither conclusion I nor II follows
    5. Both conclusions I and II follow
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: D (Neither conclusion I nor II follows)

    Only the rulers that are pens are kept away from erasers; other rulers may be erasers, so I is not certain. Nothing forces every eraser to be a ruler either, so II does not follow. The two can also be false together (some rulers are erasers while some erasers are not rulers), so this is not an either-or case. Answer: Neither conclusion I nor II follows.

Inequality

  1. Statements: P > Q ≥ R, R = S < T. Conclusions: I. P > T II. Q ≥ S. Which conclusion(s) is/are definitely true?

    1. Only conclusion I is true
    2. Only conclusion II is true
    3. Either conclusion I or II is true
    4. Neither conclusion I nor II is true
    5. Both conclusions I and II are true
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (Only conclusion II is true)

    P > Q ≥ R and T > R give no link between P and T, so I is not definite. Q ≥ R = S gives Q ≥ S, so II is true. Answer: Only conclusion II is true.

  2. Statements: D ≤ E < F, F ≤ G < H. Conclusions: I. H > D II. G > E. Which conclusion(s) is/are definitely true?

    1. Only conclusion I is true
    2. Only conclusion II is true
    3. Either conclusion I or II is true
    4. Neither conclusion I nor II is true
    5. Both conclusions I and II are true
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: E (Both conclusions I and II are true)

    D ≤ E < F ≤ G < H gives H > D (I true) and G > E (II true). Answer: Both conclusions I and II are true.

Blood relation and ranking

  1. Pointing to a man, Kabir said, 'His mother is the only daughter of my father's mother.' How is the man related to Kabir?

    1. Brother
    2. Uncle
    3. Nephew
    4. Cousin
    5. Father
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: D (Cousin)

    The only daughter of Kabir's father's mother is Kabir's father's sister, i.e. Kabir's aunt. The man is that aunt's son, so he is Kabir's cousin.

  2. In a row of students, Ritu is 14th from the left and Sohan is 9th from the right. When they interchange their positions, Ritu becomes 21st from the left. How many students are there in the row?

    1. 29
    2. 22
    3. 28
    4. 30
    5. 34
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: A (29)

    After the swap Ritu stands where Sohan stood, which is 21st from the left and 9th from the right. Total = 21 + 9 − 1 = 29.

Reports this mock is modelled on

How to sit SBI PO 2016

  1. Work through the mock paper above under exam timing. It follows the reported pattern, but the questions are our own.
  2. Sit the paper under current brochure rules (timers, negatives, NAT/MSQ norms), even if 2016’s interface looked different.
  3. When the clock ends, stop. Review should take at least as long as the attempt.
  4. Fill the error log the same day: section, topic, and miss type (concept, silly, time, or misread).
  5. Next session, repair only logged items. Then pick another year from the decade list.

Other years in this decade

FAQ

Where can I download the official SBI PO 2016 question paper?

SBI did not release it publicly. This page has a clearly labelled mock paper modelled on candidate reports instead.

What does the SBI PO 2016 paper analysis include?

A year snapshot, what the paper stresses, what to extract into your error log, and how 2016 compares with neighbouring years on this hub.

How should I practise the SBI PO 2016 previous year paper?

Open the official PDF, sit it timed under current brochure rules, fill an error log the same day, read the paper analysis, then move to another year in the decade list.

Is SBI PO 2016 still useful if I finished newer papers?

Yes, for theme and weightage mining after your newest papers are logged. Skip deleted syllabus pockets.

Are memory-based SBI PO 2016 papers reliable?

Treat memory-based sets as interim. Reconcile contested items with official keys or response sheets when the conducting body publishes them.

Where is the SBI PO syllabus and pattern for this paper?

See the SBI PO syllabus & pattern page on this hub, and always re-check the latest official brochure before exam day.