IBPS Clerk Cut-Off: State-Wise and Category-Wise Detailed Analysis

IBPS Clerk is one of the most popular banking exams in India, and for good reason — it offers a stable government bank job with decent pay and benefits, and the eligibility requirement is just a graduation degree. Every year, 15-20 lakh candidates register for IBPS Clerk, competing for 5,000-8,000 vacancies across public sector banks.

What makes IBPS Clerk cut-off analysis uniquely complex is the state-wise allocation system. Unlike most government exams where a single national cut-off determines selection, IBPS Clerk has different effective cut-offs for different states. Two candidates with identical scores can have opposite outcomes depending on their state.

IBPS Clerk Selection Process

1. Prelims: 100 questions, 100 marks, 60 minutes — screening stage
2. Mains: 190 questions, 200 marks, 160 minutes — final merit
3. Provisional Allotment: Based on Mains score, state preference, and bank preference

There is no interview for IBPS Clerk. Selection depends entirely on Mains performance (Prelims marks do not count for final merit).

IBPS Clerk Prelims Cut-Off (Overall, General Category)

Year	General	OBC	SC	ST	EWS
2020	41.75	36.50	28.25	21.00	34.50
2021	45.50	39.75	31.50	24.25	37.75
2022	48.25	42.50	34.00	26.75	40.25
2023	51.00	44.75	36.25	28.50	42.50
2024	53.75	47.00	38.00	30.25	44.75
2025	56.25	49.25	39.75	32.00	47.00

Prelims cut-off has risen by nearly 15 marks for the General category over five years. This mirrors the trend in IBPS PO, though the absolute numbers are lower.

IBPS Clerk Prelims Sectional Cut-Off (General, 2025)

Section	Maximum Marks	Sectional Cut-Off
English Language	30	8.75
Numerical Ability	35	9.50
Reasoning Ability	35	10.75

Sectional cut-offs remain low, but they catch candidates who completely ignore one section. I have seen candidates with 65+ overall scores get rejected because they scored 7 in English. Do not let this happen to you.

IBPS Clerk Mains Cut-Off: State-Wise Analysis (General Category, 2025)

This is the critical data point. The Mains cut-off varies significantly by state:

State	Mains Cut-Off (General)	Competition Level
Uttar Pradesh	97.42	Very High
Rajasthan	94.87	Very High
Bihar	93.56	High
Madhya Pradesh	91.83	High
Maharashtra	89.47	High
Gujarat	87.92	Moderate-High
West Bengal	86.34	Moderate
Tamil Nadu	84.17	Moderate
Karnataka	83.62	Moderate
Andhra Pradesh	82.48	Moderate
Telangana	81.73	Moderate
Kerala	79.84	Moderate-Low
Odisha	78.53	Low-Moderate
Punjab	77.28	Low-Moderate
Jharkhand	76.14	Low
Assam	72.83	Low
Other NE States	68.47	Very Low
J&K	70.56	Low

The gap between Uttar Pradesh (97.42) and North-Eastern states (68.47) is almost 29 marks. This disparity exists because UP has the highest number of banking aspirants relative to available vacancies, while NE states have fewer candidates.

Year-Wise State Cut-Off Trend (UP vs. National Average)

Year	UP (General)	National Avg (General)	Gap
2022	89.73	80.12	9.61
2023	92.48	82.87	9.61
2024	95.14	85.43	9.71
2025	97.42	87.96	9.46

The UP premium has remained steady at about 9-10 marks above the national average. If you are from UP, you need to prepare as if the cut-off is 10 marks higher than what national-level coaching institutes predict.

Why State-Wise Cut-Off Matters So Much

IBPS allocates clerk vacancies to participating banks state-wise. When you register, you choose a state and rank banks in preference order. Your Mains score is compared against other candidates who chose the same state. This means:

• A score of 85 might get you selected in Karnataka but rejected in UP
• Your competition is not the entire country but specifically your state's candidate pool
• States with large populations and fewer bank branches per capita have the highest cut-offs

This system was designed to ensure geographic diversity in bank staffing, but it creates significant disparity in the difficulty of getting selected depending on where you are from.

Section-Wise Mains Target (General Category, High-Competition State)

Section	Questions	Max Marks	Target Score
General/Financial Awareness	50	50	30-35
English Language	40	40	22-27
Reasoning Ability & Computer	50	60	30-38
Quantitative Aptitude	50	50	28-34
Total	190	200	110-120

If you are from a high-competition state like UP or Rajasthan, targeting 110+ in Mains is essential. For moderate-competition states, 95-100 should suffice.

General/Financial Awareness: The Differentiator

In Mains, General and Financial Awareness carries 50 marks and is the section where the gap between well-prepared and poorly-prepared candidates is the widest. A candidate who reads banking awareness material regularly can score 35-40 here. One who does not can struggle to cross 15.

Key topics to cover:

• Banking terminology (CRR, SLR, Repo Rate, MCLR, NPA)


• Recent RBI policies and circulars


• Government schemes related to banking and finance


• Financial inclusion initiatives


• Current affairs of the last 6 months with banking/economy focus

This section requires consistent daily reading for 2-3 months. You cannot cram it in the last week.

Common Mistakes in IBPS Clerk Preparation

Preparing as if it were IBPS PO. The Mains pattern and difficulty level are different. Clerk Mains questions are slightly easier but the time pressure is more severe (190 questions in 160 minutes). Speed matters more here. Ignoring the state-wise cut-off reality. Many candidates from UP or Bihar set generic targets based on national averages and then wonder why they did not get selected despite "good" scores. Know your state's cut-off history. Not practising with the real exam interface. IBPS uses a specific online exam interface with section-switching rules. Familiarise yourself with it through practice tests that simulate the actual interface. Leaving bank preferences incomplete. Fill all available bank preferences. Getting allotted to your 8th preference bank is infinitely better than not getting selected at all.

Predictions for IBPS Clerk 2026

• Prelims Overall (General): 58-61
• Mains (UP, General): 99-103
• Mains (National Average, General): 89-93
• Mains (NE States, General): 70-75

These projections assume vacancy levels similar to 2025 (approximately 6,000-7,000 posts).

For the latest state-wise cut-off data and bank allocation details, check sarkarinaukri.in after results are announced. We provide state-level breakdowns that most other sites skip.

Final Word

IBPS Clerk is a volume game — massive applicants, moderate vacancies, and state-level competition that varies wildly. The candidate from Manipur and the candidate from Lucknow are taking the same exam but facing very different competitive landscapes. Understand where you stand in your state's candidate pool, set targets accordingly, and prepare with the intensity that your state's cut-off demands.