(3)A clustering approach should be used for credit risk, whereby the credit risk portfolio is decomposed into sub-portfolios with roughly similar risks across institutions. This allows for a provision of analyses by competent authorities and EBA on comparable exposures and ensures a minimum level of uniformity between the portfolios of different institutions. Having regard to the categories of risk present in most of the internal approaches of institutions and to the categories for defining own funds requirements for credit risk, the clustering for the benchmarking exercise of Article 78 of Directive 2013/36/EU should encompass exposures to corporates, credit institutions, central governments, small and medium-sized enterprises (‘SMEs’) included in the retail category (‘retail SMEs’), SMEs not included in the retail category (‘corporate SMEs’), as well as exposures secured by residential mortgages and exposures to the construction sector, with additional clustering based on the place of residence of the counterparty, the collateralisation characteristics, the default status or the industry sector.