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SBI PO Cutoff Trends 2026: Prelims & Mains Analysis

The SBI PO cut-off is the minimum score required to qualify each stage of the recruitment process, including Prelims, Mains, and the Final selection. These cut-offs vary every year based on factors like exam difficulty, number of vacancies, and overall candidate performance.

SBI PO last 5 years cutoff

Checking previous year cut-offs helps aspirants understand competition levels and set realistic score targets. A clear idea of cut-offs also guides effective preparation and improves the chances of final selection.

SBI PO Previous Year Prelims Cut-off

Looking at the SBI PO previous year cut-offs is one of the best ways to understand the level of competition and set a realistic target score. Over the past six years, the SBI PO Prelims cut-off has changed noticeably due to variations in exam difficulty, the number of vacancies, and candidate performance. By studying the year-wise and category-wise cut-off trends, candidates can get a clear idea of the score required to stay on the safer side. These cut-offs also help in planning preparation, setting achievable goals, and estimating the likely cut-off for upcoming SBI PO recruitment cycles.

SBI PO Prelims Cut-off: 2025

SBI PO Prelims Cut Off 2025 witnessed a significant rise, reflecting higher competition, improved candidate performance, and changing exam difficulty levels.

Category Cut Off (Out of 100)
UR 66.75
SC 59.25
ST 51.50
OBC 65.50
EWS 64.50

SBI PO Prelims Cut-off: 2024-25

SBI PO Prelims Cut Off 2024 increased moderately compared to previous years, indicating a balanced paper and strong competition.

Category Cut Off (Out of 100)
UR 61.75
SC 55
ST 49
OBC 60.50
EWS 60.25

SBI PO Prelims Cut-off: 2023

SBI PO Prelims Cut Off 2023 remained relatively low, suggesting a tougher examination and offering opportunities to well-prepared candidates.

Category Cut Off (Out of 100)
GEN 59.25
SC 53
ST 47.50
OBC 59.25
EWS 59.25

SBI PO Prelims Cut-off: 2022

SBI PO Prelims Cut Off 2022 stayed around the 60-mark range, reflecting moderate competition and a reasonably challenging paper.

Category Cut Off (Out of 100)
GEN 59.50
SC 52.50
ST 47.75
OBC 58.25
EWS 59.50

SBI PO Prelims Cut-off: 2021

SBI PO Prelims Cut Off 2021 was among the highest in recent years, highlighting intense competition and favourable scoring conditions.

Category Cut Off (Out of 100)
GEN 63
SC 54.75
ST 49.25
OBC 61.25
EWS 62.75

SBI PO Prelims Cut-off: 2020

SBI PO Prelims Cut Off 2020 remained comparatively high, driven by strong candidate performance and a relatively manageable exam level.

Category Cut Off (Out of 100)
GEN 58.5
SC 50
ST 43.75
OBC 56
EWS 56.75

Cut-Off Comparison

  • 2025 recorded the highest cut-off (66.75) in six years, showing a sharp rise in competition and reduced vacancies.
  • 2024 cut-off (61.75) increased notably compared to 2023, party because the exam pattern changed, affecting question distribution and difficulty.
  • 2023 cut-off (59.25) was slightly lower than 2022 despite similar difficulty levels.
  • 2022 cut-off (59.50) remained almost stable compared to 2023, showing minimal variation.
  • 2021 saw a major spike (63) due to easier paper level and higher candidate participation.
  • 2020 had the lowest cut-off (58.5) among all six years, reflecting tougher exam difficulty.
  • Overall, cut-off values show an upward trend, especially after 2024 and 2025.
  • The variation depends mainly on difficulty, vacancies, and normalization, but competition is consistently increasing.

SBI PO Previous Year Mains Cut-off

The SBI PO Mains cut-off changes every year due to factors such as exam difficulty, the number of vacancies, and the overall performance of candidates. Reviewing the cut-off trends from the last six years helps aspirants understand the level of competition and set practical score targets for their preparation. The year-wise SBI PO Mains cut-off data provided below offers a clear picture of how the qualifying benchmark has evolved over time, helping candidates plan their strategy more effectively for upcoming exams.

SBI PO Mains Cut-off: 2025

SBI PO Mains Cut Off 2025 saw a noticeable decline, indicating a tougher paper and lower average scores among candidates.

Category Cut Off Marks (Out of 250)
UR 75
SC 62.75
ST 62.51
OBC 69.50
EWS 75

SBI PO Mains Cut-off: 2024-25

SBI PO Mains Cut Off 2024 reached one of the highest levels in recent years, reflecting easier sections and intense competition.

Category Cut Off Marks (Out of 250)
UR 87.50
SC 75
ST 75
OBC 75
EWS 87.50

SBI PO Mains Cut-off: 2023

SBI PO Mains Cut Off 2023 remained moderate, suggesting a balanced examination with a reasonable qualification benchmark for aspirants.

Category SBI PO Cut-Off Marks (Out of 250)
GEN 70
SC 57.50
ST 57.50
OBC 62.25
EWS 70

SBI PO Mains Cut-off: 2022

SBI PO Mains Cut Off 2022 stayed comparatively high, highlighting a challenging paper and varied performance across different sections.

Category Cut-Off Marks (Out of 250)
GEN 88.93
SC 73.83
ST 66.86
OBC 80.96
EWS 84.60

SBI PO Mains Cut-off: 2021

SBI PO Mains Cut Off 2021 was the highest among recent years, demonstrating strong candidate performance and favourable scoring opportunities.

Category Cut-Off Marks (Out of 250)
GEN 94.85
SC 77.32
ST 75.01
OBC 86.54
EWS 90.01

SBI PO Mains Cut-off: 2020

SBI PO Mains Cut Off 2020 remained relatively high despite a challenging exam, reflecting strong competition and consistent candidate performance nationwide.

Category Cut-Off Marks (Out of 250)
GEN 88.93
SC 73.83
ST 66.86
OBC 80.96
EWS 84.60

Cut-Off Comparison

The SBI PO Mains cut-off has shown significant fluctuations from 2020 to 2025 due to changes in exam difficulty, vacancies, and the major pattern shift introduced in 2024. The highest cut-off was recorded in 2021 (94.85), reflecting a competitive year with moderate difficulty. In 2020, the cut-off stood strong at 88.93, showing stability. A noticeable dip appeared in 2023, where the cut-off dropped to 70, followed by a sharp rise to 87.5 in 2024 after the new pattern was introduced. Interestingly, the cut-off again fell to 75 in 2025, indicating higher difficulty or reduced vacancies. Overall, the trend highlights how exam structure and competition directly shape year-wise cut-off movements.

SBI PO Final Cut-off: Year-wise

The table given below shows the year-wise SBI PO final cut-off, helping candidates understand how the merit list marks have changed over the years. This quick comparison highlights trends in competition, vacancies, and exam difficulty.

SBI PO Final Cut-off - 2025

Category Cut Off Marks (Out of 100)
UR 46.79
SC 37.84
ST 31.59
OBC 41.84
EWS 41.16

SBI PO Final Cut-off - 2024-25

Category Cut Off Marks (Out of 100)
UR 46.24
SC 32.50
ST 33.36
OBC 40.96
EWS 36.85

SBI PO Final Cut-off - 2023

Category Cut-Off Marks (Out of 100)
GEN 44.60
SC 37.15
ST 36.45
OBC 39.73
EWS 36.03

SBI PO Final Cut-off - 2022

Category Cut Off Marks (Out of 100)
UR 48.12
SC 40.41
ST 38.42
OBC 43.37
EWS 43.01

SBI PO Final Cut-off - 2021

Category Cut-Off Marks (Out of 100)
GEN 53.40
SC 44.93
ST 41.55
OBC 47.41
EWS 47.94

SBI PO Final Cut-off - 2020

Category Cut-Off Marks (Out of 100)
GEN 51.23
SC 44.09
ST 41.87
OBC 45.09
EWS 45.35

Factor Affecting SBI PO Cut-off

Difficulty level of the exam: When the question paper is tougher than expected, fewer candidates score high marks, naturally reducing the cut-off for that particular year.

Number of applicants: As more candidates apply for the exam, the competition increases significantly, which often results in a noticeable rise in the final cut-off.

Vacancy count: When SBI announces fewer vacancies, the competition intensifies because more candidates compete for limited seats, ultimately pushing the cut-off higher.

Shift-wise variation: Different shifts may have varying difficulty levels, and the normalization process adjusts scores accordingly, impacting the final cut-off trends.

Overall candidate performance: If a larger portion of candidates perform exceptionally well, it increases the overall score distribution and leads to a higher cut-off.

Reservation policy: Category-wise seat allocation affects cut-off differences, as each category’s competition varies, creating unique cut-off levels for every group.

Changes in exam pattern: Any modification in question distribution, marking scheme, or exam structure directly influences candidate performance and subsequently alters the cut-off.

Normalisation process: Since SBI conducts the exam in multiple shifts, normalization balances score differences, sometimes increasing or decreasing an individual’s final marks.

Previous year trends: SBI often follows recent cut-off patterns and performance trends, making historical results a major indicator for predicting current cut-off levels.

Repeaters or Experienced candidates: When more experienced candidates or previous-year aspirants appear with stronger preparation, their high accuracy raises the overall cut-off.

SBI PO Cut-off Calculation & Normalisation

The State Bank of India Probationary Officer exam is conducted in multiple shifts, and each shift often varies in difficulty. To ensure fairness for all candidates, SBI uses a normalisation system while preparing the final cut-off. Understanding how this process works helps candidates assess their performance more accurately.

1. Why Normalisation Is Needed
Since lakhs of aspirants appear across different shifts, every shift cannot be perfectly equal in difficulty. Some shifts may have tougher reasoning questions, while others may include easier English or Quant sections. Normalisation eliminates this variation so that no candidate is unfairly advantaged or disadvantaged.

2. How the Normalisation Process Works
SBI uses an established statistical method called Equi-percentile normalisation. The process involves: 
Calculating the percentile rank for each candidate within their shift. 
Mapping these percentile ranks across all shifts. 
Assigning normalised scores based on these equivalent percentiles.

3. Shift-Wise Ranking
Within each shift, candidates are ranked based on their raw marks. These ranks are then mapped to a common scale that represents the entire candidate pool. A person scoring 70 marks in a tough shift may receive a higher normalised score than someone scoring 72 in an easier shift, depending on the overall performance distribution.

4. Conversion to a Standardised Score
After ranking, the scores are converted to a uniform scale out of 100. This allows SBI to compare candidates fairly while preparing the category-wise cut-off in the Prelims and Mains examinations.

5. Final Cut-Off Preparation
Once normalised scores are ready, SBI prepares the cut-off by considering:
Total number of vacancies
Category-wise reservation
Overall performance across shifts
This ensures that the final cut-off accurately reflects real competition and difficulty.

6. Impact on Candidates
Normalisation can increase or decrease a candidate’s final score depending on their shift’s difficulty. Therefore, candidates should not panic if their raw marks appear low—normalisation may work in their favour.

Expected Cut-off : 2026 Exam

The State Bank of India Probationary Officer exam is one of the most competitive banking exams in India, and predicting the expected cut-off helps aspirants plan their preparation more strategically. Although the cut-off varies every year, certain fixed factors—such as exam difficulty level, vacancies, and competition—play a major role in shaping the final numbers.

Expected SBI PO Prelims Cut-Off 2026

Based on previous year trends, rising competition, and increasing accuracy levels among candidates, the expected SBI PO Prelims 2026 cut-off may fall in the following range:

Category Expected Cut-Off (Out of 100)
General (GEN) 63 – 67
OBC 59 – 63
EWS 59 – 63
SC 50 – 55
ST 47 – 51

These are estimated ranges and may vary depending on actual exam difficulty and normalisation.

Expected SBI PO Mains Cut-Off 2026

Considering the rising complexity of Mains—especially Reasoning, Quant, and Data Interpretation—the expected range for 2026 could be:

Category Expected Cut-Off (Out of 250)
General (GEN) 88 – 96
OBC 80 – 88
EWS 80 – 88
SC 70 – 78
ST 60 – 72

Why the 2026 Cut-Off May Rise

The cut-off may rise due to:

  • Increasing number of serious repeat aspirants
  • Greater access to online preparation
  • Higher accuracy due to mock test exposure
  • Slight reduction in vacancy numbers (expected but not confirmed)

Why the Cut-Off May Drop

The cut-off may fall if:

  • The exam introduces new, tougher puzzle or DI formats
  • The reasoning section becomes more lengthy
  • SBI increases total vacancies
  • Shift-wise difficulty imbalance leads to favourable normalization

Final Words

The 2026 SBI PO Exam cut-off will depend heavily on the difficulty level, normalization process, and overall competition. Aspirants should aim for higher than expected scores to stay safe in both Prelims and Mains.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the SBI PO 2025 prelims and mains cut-off?

The official General category cut-offs were 66.75 for Prelims (out of 100) and 75 for Mains (out of 250). For other major categories like OBC and EWS, the Prelims cut-offs were 65.50 and 64.50 respectively, while the Mains cut-off stood at 69.50 for OBC and 75 for EWS.

Does SBI PO have sectional cut-off in prelims and mains examination?

No, SBI PO does not have any sectional cut-offs in either the prelims or mains examination. Selection is based purely on your overall aggregate score in each stage. Candidates only need to clear the total cut-off marks to qualify for the next round of the selection process.

What is a safe score for SBI PO Prelims and Mains in 2026?

A safe score for General category candidates is 75+ marks in Prelims and 110+ marks in Mains. For categories like OBC and EWS, aiming for 70+ in Prelims and 100+ in Mains is recommended. Securing these margins above historical cut-offs ensures a buffer against normalization and changing difficulty levels.

Will the SBI PO 2026 cut off increase compared to last year?

Whether the SBI PO 2026 cut-off increases depends entirely on the paper's difficulty level and total vacancies. While rising competition usually pushes trends upward, a tougher exam automatically lowers the threshold. Historically, the Prelims General cut-off fluctuates dynamically between 58 and 72 marks based on these specific shifting variables

Does the normalization process affect SBI PO cut-off?

Yes, the normalization process directly affects the SBI PO cut-off by adjusting scores across different exam shifts. Since the exam happens in multiple slots, normalization equalizes varying difficulty levels using an equi-percentile method. This process directly alters individual scores, which ultimately changes the final qualifying cut-off mark for each category.