IBPS PO Mains Cutoff 2026: Check Category-Wise Expected Qualifying Marks for Probationary Officer

IBPS PO Mains Expected Cutoff Marks 2026: Candidates who appeared for the IBPS PO (Probationary Officer and Management Trainee) Mains exam 2026 can check the category-wise expected qualifying marks and safe scores. The exam is evaluated out of 225 total marks: 200 marks for 170 objective questions and 25 marks for the English Descriptive paper, which includes Letter and Essay Writing. With significant structural adjustments to paper weightage, specifically expanding General and Banking Awareness to 50 questions (60 marks), cutoff marks are influenced directly by how candidates handle the high-weightage sections.

IBPS PO Mains Category-Wise Expected Cutoff Marks 2026

The expected cutoff marks for the IBPS PO Mains will be released along with the IBPS PO Mains scorecard on the official website, i.e., ibps.in. The cutoff marks will be based on various factors like the vacancy distribution, overall difficulty level of the exam, and other factors. Given below are the IBPS PO Mains category-wise expected cutoff marks (which will be updated once the exam is over) and the recommended safe score:-

New Pattern Effect on Mains Cutoff Marks 2026

IBPS made some changes to the IBPS Mains Exam pattern 2026. These changes have been huge as compared to last year's paper pattern. In 2025, the Mains paper had 35 questions of  50 marks in the general awareness section, whereas in 2026, the same section has 50 questions of 60 marks, along with sectional timing increased as well.  These kinds of changes create a huge impact on the IBPS PO Mains cutoff marks. 

• General and Banking Awareness section of the paper now carries 60 marks, as there is no calculation time is required, candidate accuracy is needed, and it directly dictates whether the aggregate scores cross the 75-mark cutoff criteria.
• Objective English has been reduced from 40 to 20 marks. Candidates who traditionally relied on objective English to increase their raw scores will have to rely more heavily on reasoning and data interpretation.

Clearing the Mains cutoff guarantees an interview call, but the final selection of the candidates depends on the combined score, which is normalised under the 80:20 ratio, i.e., 80% Mains Written + 20% Personal Interview.

Also check, IBPS PO Main Previous Year Cutoff

Factors Influencing the IBPS PO Mains Cutoff Marks 2026

There are several important factors that influence the IBPS PO Mains Cutoff marks, such as the accuracy of the answers, participating banks, the normalisation process, etc. Given below are the factors that influence the IBPS PO Mains cutoff marks 2026:-

• The inclusion of the 170 total objective questions, which are to be completed within 160 minutes, demands higher speed attempts. 
• The negative marking of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer also has a major impact on the cutoff marks determination.
• The 25-mark descriptive paper is evaluated based on grammar, formatting, and structural relevance, which maintains a strict baseline qualifying filter of 10 marks for the General and the EWS Candidates. 
• The final state-wise and bank-wise allotment lists adjust according to the total reported positions by the participating public sector banks before the interview shortlisting.

Also check, IBPS Clerk Prelims 2026: What To Do in Last Few Days?