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The SBI PO cutoff is the minimum score a candidate must secure in each stage of the selection process to advance to the next. Understanding historical cutoff data is one of the most practical inputs available to a serious aspirant - it sets a realistic score target, reveals how paper difficulty shifts the threshold each year, and shows where the real battle for selection is fought. Most candidates obsess over Prelims cutoffs. The data consistently shows that the Mains cutoff and the final normalised score are far more important to track.
State Bank of India releases cutoff marks separately for each stage - Prelims, Mains, and Final - along with the result and scorecard for that stage. The cutoffs are not pre-announced and are determined after evaluating all candidates based on exam difficulty, total vacancies, and competition in each category.
For the complete examination guide, visit the SBI PO main page. For the exam pattern that shapes these scores, visit the SBI PO Exam Pattern page.
The Prelims cutoff is calculated out of 100 marks. There is no sectional cutoff in Prelims - only an overall category-wise threshold. Candidates who score above the cutoff in their respective category are shortlisted for Mains, approximately 10 times the total vacancies per category.
The Mains cutoff operates on two levels simultaneously. First, candidates must clear sectional cutoffs in all four sections of the Objective Test. Second, candidates must cross the overall Mains cutoff out of 250 marks. Both conditions must be satisfied together. A high overall score does not compensate for failing a section's minimum. Approximately 3 times the vacancies per category are shortlisted from Mains for Phase III.
This is a separate mandatory threshold. Candidates must score a minimum qualifying mark in the Phase III Group Exercise and Interview combined (out of 50) to be considered for final selection. Failing this threshold eliminates the candidate regardless of Mains score.
The final cutoff is calculated out of 100 marks after normalising Mains marks (out of 250) to 75 marks and Phase III marks (out of 50) to 25 marks. The final merit list is drawn category-wise based on this normalised score, and vacancies are filled from the top of each category's merit list.
| Year General/UR OBC EWS SC ST | |||||
| 2025 | 66.75 | 65.50 | 64.50 | 59.25 | 51.50 |
| 2024 | 61.75 | 60.50 | 60.25 | 55.00 | 49.00 |
| 2023 | 59.25 | 59.25 | 59.25 | 55.00 | 48.75 |
| 2022 | 59.50 | 58.25 | 59.50 | 50.25 | 44.25 |
| 2021 | 71.00 | 69.00 | 68.25 | 62.50 | 52.25 |
| 2019 | 68.00 | 66.00 | N/A | 58.00 | 52.50 |
Source: Official SBI scorecards and result notifications (sbi.co.in).
The Prelims cutoff has fluctuated meaningfully year to year. The 2025 General category cutoff of 66.75 is the highest in the recent 4-year period, reflecting a comparatively more competitive pool or a more manageable paper. The 2021 cutoff of 71.00 was the highest on record in recent years. The 2022-2023 period saw cutoffs in the 59-60 range - among the lowest - suggesting those papers were more difficult or vacancies were higher, reducing the competitive pressure per seat.
The EWS category was introduced from 2019 onwards following the 103rd Constitutional Amendment.
| Year General/EWS OBC SC ST PwBD | |||||
| 2025 | 75.00 | 69.50 | ~63.00 | ~63.00 | ~63.00 |
| 2024 | 87.50 | 75.00 | 75.00 | 75.00 | 75.00 |
| 2023 | 70.00 | 62.25 | 58.25 | 57.50 | 57.50 |
| 2022 | 82.50 | 67.50 | 60.00 | 57.00 | 57.00 |
| 2021 | 90.00 | 82.50 | 72.50 | 67.50 | 70.00 |
All Mains cutoff marks are out of 250. Source: Official SBI scorecards.
The Mains cutoff tells a very different story from the Prelims cutoff. The 2024 General/EWS Mains cutoff of 87.50 was the second highest in the recent period, surpassed only by the 90.00 recorded in 2021. The 2025 Mains cutoff of 75.00 was a significant drop from 2024, suggesting either a more difficult Mains paper or a different candidature pool following revised Prelims shortlisting.
A particularly important observation: in 2024, the Mains cutoff was 87.50 for General/EWS, yet in 2023 it was only 70.00. This 17.5-mark swing in a single year illustrates how much the Mains difficulty level varies, and why targeting well above expected cutoff is essential.
| Year General/UR OBC EWS SC ST | |||||
| 2025 | 46.79 | 41.84 | 41.16 | ~35.00 | ~34.00 |
| 2024 | 46.24 | 40.96 | 36.85 | 32.50 | 33.36 |
| 2023 | 44.60 | 39.73 | ~39.00 | 37.15 | 36.45 |
| 2022 | 51.15 | 43.75 | 48.90 | 37.03 | 34.96 |
| 2021 | 55.12 | 48.10 | 50.16 | 42.17 | 35.30 |
| 2019 | 54.11 | 48.20 | N/A | 41.09 | 34.52 |
Source: Official SBI final result notifications. 2025 SC/ST figures are approximated from expert analysis pending official release confirmation.
The final cutoff is calculated on a normalised 100-mark scale. The pattern here is important to absorb. Despite the wild swings in Prelims and Mains cutoffs, the final cutoff for General category has remained in a tight band between 44.60 and 55.12 across all years from 2019 to 2025. This reflects how the normalisation formula averages out extreme Mains performances when combined with Phase III.
The 2021 and 2022 final cutoffs are the highest on record, driven by unusually high Mains performances in those years. From 2023 onwards, the final cutoff has stabilised in the 44-47 range for the General category.
| Category Qualifying Marks (out of 50) | |
| General / EWS | 20 |
| OBC | 17.50 |
| SC | 17.50 |
| ST | 17.50 |
| PwBD (all categories) | 17.50 |
This threshold has remained consistent across years. A candidate who scores below 20 marks in the Interview/Group Exercise combined (for General/EWS) is not considered for final selection regardless of Mains performance.
The Prelims cutoff fluctuates between approximately 50 and 71 for the General category over the last six years. However, these marks are never counted in the final merit. Candidates who clear Prelims by even 0.25 marks above the cutoff and then perform strongly in Mains and Phase III are equally eligible for selection as those who topped Prelims. Targeting just above Prelims cutoff is a misaligned strategy. The correct target is a score comfortably above the cutoff so that Prelims is treated as a formality, not a pressure point.
For General category aspirants, targeting 75 to 80 marks in Prelims out of 100 provides a margin of approximately 8 to 13 marks above the highest recorded recent cutoff (66.75 in 2025). This ensures qualification even in a competitive year.
The Mains cutoff is far more consequential. The gap between qualifying for Phase III and being eliminated at Mains is a function of how well candidates perform across all four sections including the Descriptive Test. A candidate who scores 80 in Mains (above cutoff) but performs averagely in Phase III has less room for error in the final 100-mark score than one who scored 110 in Mains with a decent Phase III.
The Data Analysis section and Banking Awareness section in Mains are typically the most differentiating sections because aspirants tend to underperform in DI under time pressure and neglect Banking Awareness preparation. Candidates who invest seriously in these two sections typically score significantly higher than the cutoff, which builds a strong normalised base for the final merit.
The final normalised score out of 100 is what determines selection. The General category final cutoff has been in the 44 to 55 range. A candidate who secures 75 in Phase II Mains (just above the 2025 Mains cutoff) would have only 75 x (75/250) = 22.5 marks from Mains in the final score. Adding 20 marks (the minimum qualifying mark) from Phase III gives a final score of 42.5 - below the 2025 final cutoff of 46.79. This arithmetic makes clear why crossing Mains cutoff by the minimum is insufficient. Strong Mains performance is essential.
SBI releases section-wise cutoffs for Mains alongside the overall cutoff. While specific section-wise figures change every year, the principle is consistent - each of the four Objective Test sections has a minimum qualifying mark. Candidates must meet both the sectional threshold in every section and the overall 250-mark cutoff.
Historically, the General/Banking Awareness section cutoff has been relatively easier to clear because the section is knowledge-driven and direct. The Data Analysis and Reasoning sections have typically higher failure rates due to difficulty and time pressure.
Candidates who skip Banking Awareness preparation risk failing the sectional cutoff in a section that, with focused preparation, is among the most manageable in Mains.
Several factors determine where the cutoff lands in any given year:
Number of vacancies is the most direct lever. When vacancies are higher, more candidates qualify from the same pool, reducing cutoff pressure. The 2021 cycle with 2,056 vacancies had a higher absolute cutoff because a larger competition pool competed at higher skill levels, not because the selection standard was lower. With 541 vacancies in 2025, the competition per seat was significantly higher.
Exam difficulty across shifts affects cutoff through normalisation. SBI conducts Prelims across multiple shifts and normalises marks to account for difficulty variation between shifts. A shift where the DI questions are particularly long will produce lower raw scores but the normalisation adjusts for this.
Number of candidates appearing influences the competitive density at each score bracket. Approximately 6.5 lakh candidates applied for SBI PO 2025 across all categories.
Mains paper difficulty has the strongest single-year impact on the Mains and final cutoff. The 2021 Mains was considered one of the most difficult in recent memory, yet the cutoff was the highest - reflecting how strong the overall candidate pool was that year.
Based on the 5-year trend, the following preparation targets are recommended for 2026:
Prelims target: 72 to 80 marks out of 100 for General/EWS category. This provides an 8-mark buffer above the highest recent Prelims cutoff (66.75 in 2025).
Mains target: 100 to 120 marks out of 250 for General/EWS. The 2025 Mains cutoff was 75, and the 2024 cutoff was 87.50. Targeting 100-120 provides meaningful margin and generates a stronger normalised score in the final merit.
Interview/GE target: 25 to 30 out of 50 for General category (well above the qualifying 20). Strong Phase III performance meaningfully lifts the final score.
Final score target: 50 to 55 out of 100 for General category, which historically covers all recent final cutoffs with a 3 to 10-mark buffer.
The SBI PO Prelims Test Series on Aspirant Mitraa is calibrated at UPSC-equivalent difficulty levels. Consistently scoring 72 to 80 on Aspirant Mitraa's full-length Prelims mocks suggests solid Prelims readiness. Scores consistently below 60 indicate preparation gaps that should be addressed before attempting more mock tests.
Use the SBI PO Syllabus Tracker to identify which topic areas are driving errors in mock tests and prioritise targeted revision accordingly.
When does SBI release the official cutoff marks? SBI releases cutoff marks stage by stage - Prelims cutoff along with the Prelims result, Mains cutoff along with the Mains scorecard, and the final cutoff along with the final result. None of these are pre-announced.
Is there a way to check my score along with the cutoff? Yes. SBI releases scorecards on its careers portal after each stage. Candidates can log in to sbi.co.in/careers with their registration number and date of birth to download their scorecard, which shows section-wise and overall marks alongside the applicable cutoff.
Does SBI release state-wise cutoffs? No. SBI PO is a national-level examination and the cutoff is released only category-wise (General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwBD) with no state-level differentiation.
Is the sectional cutoff the same every year in Mains? No. Sectional cutoffs vary year to year based on section difficulty and candidate performance distribution. SBI has not historically published predictable sectional cutoffs, which means every section must be treated as independently important throughout preparation.
Why was the 2024 Mains cutoff so much higher than 2025? The 2024 Mains cutoff for General/EWS was 87.50 compared to 75.00 in 2025. This reflects both the relative difficulty of the two papers and the performance distribution of candidates in each cycle. Paper difficulty is the primary driver.
Stay updated with the latest news and notifications about SBI PO Cutoff 2026 - Year-wise Prelims, Mains, and Final Cutoff Marks with Category-wise Analysis and other exams.
ExamUpdateAspirantMitraa
24 May 2026
ExamAnalysisAspirantMitraa
24 May 2026
