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The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) conducts the Specialist Officer (SO) exam annually to recruit experts in fields such as IT, Agriculture, Law, HR, and Marketing. For aspirants targeting the 2025 cycle, analyzing IBPS SO previous year cut-off marks is essential to set realistic score goals and strategies. In recent years, the exam has grown more competitive, resulting in higher cut-off trends—especially for niche posts like Law Officer and IT Officer. IBPS released official cut-off data for both Preliminary and Main exams (and final merit with interview weightage) between 2020 to 2024. This data highlights shifts based on vacancy numbers, candidate performance, and exam difficulty. Understanding these dynamics helps aspirants determine how much to score to clear each stage and eventually rank for final selection. This guide breaks down year-wise cut-off trends, uncovers category differences (UR, OBC, SC, ST, EWS), and offers tips to aim confidently above the threshold. Whether you’re a first-time candidate or repeating, benchmarking against this data puts you on a clearer path toward success in IBPS SO 2025.
How IBPS SO Cut-Offs Work: Exam Stages & Category Influence
Before analyzing past cut-off numbers, it’s essential to understand how the IBPS SO process works and what factors shape the cut-off.
IBPS SO selection consists of:
- Preliminary Exam (for some posts like HR/Marketing): Objective test evaluating reasoning and English.
- Main Exam: Objective test covering professional knowledge, reasoning, English, and general awareness.
- Interview Round: Applicable for many posts with professional/technical emphasis.
Cut-offs are determined based on factors such as:
- Number of vacancies per specialisation
- Exam paper difficulty
- Total applicants appearing
- Category-wise reservation (UR, OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwD)
For multi-stage exams like IBPS SO, both prelim and main cut-offs matter, with merit list based on aggregate weightage (Prelims + Mains + Interview). Understanding this process and how categories affect qualifying marks helps aspirants better set realistic targets and prioritise their preparation time.
IBPS SO Cut-Off Trends (2019–2023)
Analyzing historical data helps you see performance trends and set realistic goals. The following tables display cut-off scores for key posts like Law Officer and IT Officer across recent years (Prelims and Main combined):
IBPS SO Cut-Offs for Law Officer
| Year | UR | OBC | SC | ST | EWS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 61.00 | 57.00 | 54.00 | 50.00 | 59.00 |
| 2020 | 64.25 | 60.50 | 56.75 | 52.00 | 63.00 |
| 2021 | 62.00 | 58.50 | 55.00 | 51.00 | 60.75 |
| 2022 | 65.75 | 62.25 | 58.00 | 54.00 | 64.50 |
| 2023 | 67.50 | 64.00 | 60.50 | 56.00 | 66.25 |
| 2024 | 88.00 | 80.00 | 74.00 | 70.00 | 68.00 |
IBPS SO Cut-Offs for IT Officer
| Year | UR | OBC | SC | ST | EWS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 59.00 | 55.50 | 52.00 | 49.00 | 57.00 |
| 2020 | 62.50 | 59.00 | 55.50 | 51.25 | 61.00 |
| 2021 | 61.00 | 57.50 | 54.00 | 50.00 | 59.75 |
| 2022 | 63.75 | 60.25 | 56.50 | 52.50 | 62.50 |
| 2023 | 65.00 | 61.75 | 58.00 | 54.00 | 64.00 |
| 2024 | 84.00 | 78.00 | 72.00 | 70.00 | 78.00 |
Insights:
- Cut-offs have gradually increased across posts due to rising competition.
- Law and IT show steeper rises, while Agriculture has a slower but steady increase.
- For UR, target above 88 for Law, 85 for IT, and 82 for Agriculture.
Key Factors Influencing Cut-Off in 2025
Several variables influence cut-off shifts, and knowing what to track helps you plan effectively:
- Vacancy Count: Fewer vacancies push cut-offs higher.
- Number of Test-Takers: Stronger candidate pool increases cut-off.
- Exam Difficulty: Easier papers raise marks across board; tough exams drop cut-offs.
- Reservation Impact: Cut-off varies significantly across categories.
- Exam Pattern Changes: Syllabus or marking tweaks affect scoring dynamics.
Keeping these in mind allows aspirants to adjust score targets based on exam environment. For instance, if IBPS signals lower vacancies, aim higher than previous cut-offs by 3–5 marks for a buffer.
Strategy to Beat IBPS SO Cut-Off 2025
Knowing the numbers is just the first step. Here’s how to cross the thresholds confidently:
- Target Scores: Decide based on past trends:
- Law: Aim for 90+, IT: 87+, Agr: 84+
- Mock Test Regimen: Take weekly mocks, simulate time pressure, and track progress.
- Focused Revision: Prioritize weak topics in your specialization and general sections like reasoning and GA.
- Time Management: Plan to complete McQs fast; review time-intensive mock solutions.
- Exam Pattern Updates: Study any official IBPS changes to stay ahead.
The IBPS SO cut-off for 2025 reflects a competitive environment, with UR targets reaching 88+ for Law, 85+ for IT, and 82+ for Agriculture. Trends point upward due to competition and paper consistency. Aim 3–5 marks above the highest past cut-off, adopt a mix of targeted mocks and revision, and stay adaptable to exam pattern shifts. With focused effort and smart tactics, surpassing the cut-off turns from challenge to achievable milestone. Good luck on your IBPS SO 2025 journey!
Important Links
| IBPS SO Recruitment 2025 | Click Here |
| Join Rojgar Result Whatsapp Group | Click Here |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What was the IBPS SO Law Officer UR cut-off in 2024?
Ans: It was 88.00, reflecting strong competition in that stream.
Q2. Are cut-offs same for Prelims and Main?
Ans: No. Preliminary is eliminatory (for certain posts), while Main cut-off determines selection. Final merit uses Main + Interview.
Q3. Which SO post has the highest cut-off trend?
Ans: Law Officer—historically the toughest with highest cut-offs, followed by IT Officer.
Q4. How many safe marks should I target?
Ans: Aim 3–5 marks above state cut-off. For example, Law: target 91+, IT: 88+, Agriculture: 86+.
Q5. Does reservation category affect cut-off?
Ans: Yes. OBC/SC/ST/EWS cut-offs are typically 5–8 marks lower than UR, but competition remains tough.