IBPS PO Prelims Cutoff (Overall — General Category)
| Year |
English |
Quant |
Reasoning |
Overall Cutoff |
| 2024 |
8.50 |
8.75 |
9.50 |
52.50 |
| 2023 |
7.75 |
8.25 |
8.75 |
49.25 |
| 2022 |
9.00 |
8.00 |
9.25 |
53.25 |
| 2021 |
7.00 |
7.50 |
8.00 |
46.75 |
| 2020 |
7.50 |
8.00 |
8.50 |
48.25 |
Analysis:
- Overall cutoff has been rising — from ~47 to ~53 over 5 years
- Sectional cutoffs are typically 7-10 marks (out of 30-35)
- Even scoring 60+ doesn't guarantee clearing if you fail one section
- Target: 65-72 marks in Prelims for comfortable clearance
IBPS PO Mains Cutoff (Overall — General Category)
| Year |
Total Cutoff (out of 225) |
Approx. Percentage |
| 2024 |
98.75 |
43.9% |
| 2023 |
93.50 |
41.6% |
| 2022 |
101.25 |
45.0% |
| 2021 |
88.00 |
39.1% |
| 2020 |
91.50 |
40.7% |
Analysis:
- Mains cutoff fluctuates between 88-101 marks out of 225
- This means you need ~40-45% marks to clear Mains
- Sounds easy, but remember — 200 marks are objective MCQ with negative marking
- The 25-mark descriptive paper can be a differentiator
- Target: 110-120 marks for a safe Mains score
SBI PO Prelims Cutoff (Overall — General Category)
| Year |
English |
Quant |
Reasoning |
Overall Cutoff |
| 2024 |
9.25 |
10.50 |
11.00 |
61.75 |
| 2023 |
8.75 |
9.25 |
10.25 |
57.50 |
| 2022 |
10.00 |
10.75 |
11.50 |
63.25 |
| 2021 |
8.00 |
8.50 |
9.75 |
53.00 |
| 2020 |
8.25 |
9.00 |
10.00 |
55.25 |
Analysis:
- SBI PO cutoff is significantly higher than IBPS PO (55-63 vs 47-53)
- Fewer vacancies + more applicants = higher competition
- Reasoning section consistently has the highest sectional cutoff
- Target: 70-78 marks for safe clearance
SBI PO Mains Cutoff (Overall — General Category)
| Year |
Total Cutoff (out of 250) |
Approx. Percentage |
| 2024 |
112.50 |
45.0% |
| 2023 |
107.25 |
42.9% |
| 2022 |
118.00 |
47.2% |
| 2021 |
99.50 |
39.8% |
| 2020 |
103.75 |
41.5% |
Analysis:
- SBI PO Mains cutoff: 100-118 out of 250
- Descriptive paper (50 marks) carries significant weight
- Good letter + essay can add 35-40 marks easily
- Target: 125-140 marks for a comfortable clearance
Category-Wise Cutoff Comparison (Prelims)
IBPS PO Prelims 2024
| Category |
Overall Cutoff |
| General |
52.50 |
| OBC |
48.75 |
| SC |
39.00 |
| ST |
31.50 |
| EWS |
47.25 |
| PwD |
22.00 |
SBI PO Prelims 2024
| Category |
Overall Cutoff |
| General |
61.75 |
| OBC |
56.50 |
| SC |
44.25 |
| ST |
36.00 |
| EWS |
55.00 |
Target Scores for 2026
Based on the trend analysis, here are recommended target scores:
IBPS PO 2026
| Stage |
Safe Target |
Competitive Target |
| Prelims |
65+ / 100 |
72+ / 100 |
| Mains (Objective) |
95+ / 200 |
110+ / 200 |
| Mains (Descriptive) |
18+ / 25 |
22+ / 25 |
| Interview |
45+ / 100 |
60+ / 100 |
SBI PO 2026
| Stage |
Safe Target |
Competitive Target |
| Prelims |
72+ / 100 |
78+ / 100 |
| Mains (Objective) |
105+ / 200 |
120+ / 200 |
| Mains (Descriptive) |
35+ / 50 |
42+ / 50 |
| GE + Interview |
25+ / 50 |
35+ / 50 |
Factors Affecting Cutoff
- Number of vacancies — More vacancies = lower cutoff (generally)
- Difficulty level — Harder paper = lower cutoff
- Number of applicants — More applicants = higher cutoff
- Category distribution — Reserved category cutoffs are always lower
- State-wise distribution — Some states have higher competition (UP, Bihar, MP)
How to Clear Cutoff — Strategy
Clearing Sectional Cutoff
- Don't ignore ANY section — even 8/35 in one section can eliminate you
- Identify 10-15 "sure shot" questions in each section — attempt them first
- Accuracy > Attempts — 20 correct out of 25 attempted is better than 25 correct out of 35
Maximizing Overall Score
- Quant: DI sets + Number Series + Quadratic = 20+ marks with high accuracy
- Reasoning: Inequality + Syllogism + Blood Relations = 10+ easy marks, then do puzzles
- English: Error Detection + Cloze = 10+ marks, then RC
- GA (Mains): Attempt ALL 40 — factual recall, don't overthink
For Descriptive Paper
- Practice letter format (date, address, subject, body, closing)
- Keep essay structured: Introduction → Body (3-4 points) → Conclusion
- Grammar and spelling matter more than ideas
- Write within word limit — quality > quantity