IBPS PO 2026 Expected Cut Off (Prelims + Mains) – Detailed Trend Analysis (Based on Last 5 Years)
If you’re searching “IBPS PO 2026 expected cut off”, you’re not looking for guesswork—you want a data-backed range using official past cut-offs + trend logic so you can set a safe target and crack the next stage.
What is “Expected Cut Off” and why it matters?
The expected cut off is a predicted qualifying score range based on:
- Previous year official cut-offs
- Exam difficulty level (paper shift-level changes)
- Vacancies (more seats → cut-off may drop)
- Attempt levels + accuracy patterns
- Normalization (IBPS uses normalization in many cycles)
IBPS releases the final cut-off along with/after scorecards (officially), and coaching sites typically reproduce those official values. Recent official cut-off values are widely published for 2024/2025 and match across major portals.
IBPS PO Prelims Cut Off Trend (Category-wise): 2023–2025
Here’s what the trend shows recently (Out of 100). These numbers are reported as official cut-offs released by IBPS along with scorecard cycles.
Year | GEN | OBC | EWS | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2025 | 49.21 | 49.21 | 49.21 | 45.96 | 40.96 |
2024 | 48.50 | 48.50 | 48.50 | 48.00 | 41.00 |
2023 | 54.25 | 54.25 | 54.25 | 49.50 | 43.00 |
✅ Big insight (most students miss this):
2023 was higher; 2024–2025 dropped ~5–6 marks for GEN because the overall balance of difficulty/vacancies/attempt patterns shifted. That’s why blindly copying one year’s cut-off is risky.
IBPS PO Mains Cut Off Trend (Category-wise): 2023–2025
Mains is (commonly shown) out of 225 for objective sections; coaching portals publish the category cut-offs as per IBPS scorecard release.
Year | GEN | OBC | EWS | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2025 | 75.75 | 75.75 | 72.50 | 59.00 | 51.75 |
2024 | 66.50 | 66.00 | 64.75 | 54.25 | 47.50 |
2023 | 63.00 | 62.25 | 61.00 | 50.25 | 41.00 |
✅ Big insight: Mains cut-off can jump sharply (example: 2025 vs 2024) because mains difficulty, vacancies, and candidate performance distribution changes.
IBPS PO 2026 Expected Cut Off (Predicted Ranges)
These are prediction ranges, not official. Use them to set targets with a buffer.
A) IBPS PO 2026 Expected Cut Off – Prelims (Out of 100)
Expected range based on 2023–2025 movement
Scenario-based prediction (most accurate way)
Scenario | GEN/OBC/EWS | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|
Paper Tough | 46–49 | 42–45 | 37–41 |
Paper Moderate | 49–53 | 45–49 | 40–44 |
Paper Easy | 53–56 | 49–52 | 43–46 |
Best safe target (to “qualify comfortably”):
- GEN/OBC/EWS: 55+
- SC: 50+
- ST: 45+
B) IBPS PO 2026 Expected Cut Off – Mains (Out of 225)
Derived from recent mains behavior (2023–2025)
Scenario | GEN | OBC | EWS | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tough Mains | 62–68 | 61–67 | 60–66 | 50–56 | 42–48 |
Moderate Mains | 68–76 | 67–75 | 65–73 | 54–61 | 46–53 |
Easy Mains | 76–82 | 75–81 | 73–80 | 60–66 | 52–58 |
Best safe target (to stay ahead of cut-off swings):
- GEN: 80+
- OBC: 78+
- EWS: 76+
- SC: 65+
- ST: 58+
Why IBPS PO cut-off changes so much (real reasons)
Cut-offs aren’t just “paper easy/tough”. The biggest drivers are:
- Vacancies vs Applicants ratio (more vacancies usually lowers cut-off)
- Shift-wise difficulty + normalization
- Sectional cut-offs (one weak section can sink the overall)
- Mains scoring pattern (GA/DI can spike variation year-to-year)
- Competition quality (more repeat candidates → higher efficiency)
(That’s why 2023 prelims looked higher than 2024/2025 in GEN.)
How to use this expected cut-off to actually qualify
Step 1: Stop chasing “attempts”, chase “net score”
Prelims is speed-based, but accuracy is the cut-off killer. A realistic rule:
- If your accuracy is 85%, you can qualify with fewer attempts than someone at 65%.
Step 2: Build a 3-layer target
- Qualifying target = expected cut-off + 2 marks
- Safe target = expected cut-off + 5 marks
- Top-tier target = expected cut-off + 10 marks
Example (Moderate Prelims GEN expected 49–53):
- Qualify: 52–55
- Safe: 56–58
- Top-tier: 60+
FAQs
Q1. What is the expected cut off for IBPS PO 2026 Prelims?
For GEN/OBC/EWS, expect 49–53 in a moderate paper; SC 45–49, ST 40–44.
Q2. Can IBPS PO 2026 cut off go above 55 for GEN?
Yes—if the paper is easy and attempts rise, it can push towards 53–56+ (like 2023 trend).
Q3. Is Mains cut off out of 225?
Major portals report mains category cut-offs out of 225 and reflect IBPS scorecard cycle releases.
Q4. What score is “safe” for final selection?
Final selection depends on mains + interview and category-wise merit. Your safest approach is: maximize mains and treat interview as bonus.