IBPS has released the IBPS SO IT Officer Prelims Cut Off 2026 for CRP SPL-XVI along with the Prelims scorecard and the Mains admit card on 22 October 2026. For the IT Officer (Scale I) post, the General (UR) overall cut off is 75.5 out of 125, which is the highest IT Officer Prelims cut off in the last five cycles.
In this post you will find the official category-wise and section-wise cut off, a 5-year comparison, why the number jumped so sharply this year, and what qualified candidates should do before the Mains on 1 November 2026.
IBPS SO 2026: Key Dates at a Glance
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Recruitment cycle | CRP SPL-XVI |
| Prelims exam | 29 August 2026 |
| Prelims result (qualified list) | 15 October 2026 |
| Scorecard and cut off released | 22 October 2026 |
| Mains admit card | 22 October 2026 |
| Last date to download scorecard | 31 October 2026 |
| Mains exam | 1 November 2026 |
| Official website | ibps.in |
IBPS SO IT Officer Prelims Cut Off 2026: Category-wise (Official)
The overall cut off is out of 125 marks. A candidate must clear this overall cut off and every sectional cut off to be called for Mains.
| Category | Cut Off (out of 125) |
|---|---|
| General (UR) | 75.50 |
| OBC (NCL) | 74.50 |
| EWS | 70.75 |
| SC | 67.25 |
| ST | 56.50 |
| HI (Hearing Impaired) | 33.25 |
| OC (Orthopaedically Challenged) | 36.25 |
| VI (Visually Impaired) | 37.75 |
| ID (Intellectual Disability) | 44.00 |
IBPS SO IT Officer Prelims Cut Off 2026: Section-wise (Official)
| Section | Max Marks | SC / ST / OBC-NCL / PwBD | EWS / General |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 25 | 9.75 | 12.50 |
| Reasoning | 25 | 3.50 | 6.75 |
| General Awareness (Banking) / Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 5.75 | 8.75 |
| Professional Knowledge | 50 | 9.50 | 13.75 |
| Total | 125 | Overall cut off as per category (table above) | |
Read this carefully: the four sectional cut offs for a General candidate add up to only 41.75. The real filter this year was the overall cut off of 75.5, which is about 34 marks above the sum of the sectional minimums. In other words, clearing sections was easy; scoring high overall was what decided who reached Mains.
IBPS SO IT Officer Prelims Cut Off: 5-Year Trend
| Year | UR | OBC | EWS | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 75.50 | 74.50 | 70.75 | 67.25 | 56.50 |
| 2025 | 58.25 | 58.25 | 55.00 | 58.25 | 48.63 |
| 2024 | 36.00 | 36.00 | 16.75 | 36.00 | 32.63 |
| 2023 | 54.38 | 54.38 | 49.75 | 52.75 | 42.25 |
| 2022 | 65.00 | 65.00 | 65.00 | 61.88 | 55.88 |
Why did the cut off jump by 17.25 marks?
The UR cut off went from 58.25 in 2025 to 75.5 in 2026. The biggest reason is not just tougher competition, it is a change in the Prelims pattern:
- Up to 2025: Prelims had English (25), Reasoning (50) and GA/Quant (50). There was no technical section, so IT aspirants were tested only on aptitude.
- In 2026: Reasoning and GA/Quant were cut to 25 marks each, and a 50-mark Professional Knowledge section was added to Prelims itself.
Professional Knowledge is the home ground for a CS/IT graduate. Serious IT aspirants score far more in DBMS, networking, OS and data structures than in a 50-mark reasoning section, which pushed totals (and therefore the cut off) up. So the 2026 number is not directly comparable with earlier years. For future cycles, treat 2026 as the new baseline, not 2025.
Other observations
- OBC is just 1 mark below UR (74.5 vs 75.5). Reserved-category candidates should not plan on a big relaxation at the Prelims stage.
- English had the highest sectional bar for General (12.5 out of 25, i.e. 50 percent). This is the section where strong technical candidates most often get stuck.
- Reasoning was the lowest bar (6.75 out of 25), which suggests the reasoning section was on the tougher side this year.
Target Score for IBPS SO IT Officer 2027
Based on the 2026 pattern and cut off, a safe target for the next cycle looks like this:
| Section | Max Marks | Safe Target (General) |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 25 | 16 to 18 |
| Reasoning | 25 | 12 to 14 |
| GA (Banking) / Quant | 25 | 12 to 14 |
| Professional Knowledge | 50 | 38 to 42 |
| Total | 125 | 80 to 85+ |
Professional Knowledge alone now carries 40 percent of the Prelims marks. If your technical base is strong, Prelims becomes very manageable; if it is weak, no amount of aptitude practice will cover the gap.
Previous Year IT Officer Mains Cut Off (for reference)
Mains decides your rank (Mains 80 percent plus Interview 20 percent), and Prelims marks are not counted in the final merit. For context, the IT Officer Mains cut off (out of 60) in recent years was:
| Year | UR | OBC | EWS | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 23.25 | 21.50 | 21.00 | 14.75 | 15.25 |
| 2024 | 16.50 | 15.50 | 14.75 | 13.00 | 10.25 |
| 2023 | 14.75 | 13.50 | 14.00 | 9.50 | 7.75 |
The low Mains cut offs show how tough the IT Officer Professional Knowledge paper usually is. Accuracy matters more than attempts because of negative marking.
Cleared Prelims? A 7-Day Plan Before Mains (1 November 2026)
- Download your scorecard and Mains admit card today. The scorecard link closes on 31 October 2026.
- Revise the high-weightage subjects first: DBMS and SQL, Computer Networks, Operating Systems, Data Structures, and Information Security.
- Do one full-length IT Officer Mains mock every day and spend equal time analysing it.
- Cover the newer topics that IBPS and SBI have been asking more often: cloud computing, AI/ML basics, cyber security frameworks and digital banking technology.
- Control negative marking. With a 0.25 penalty, guessing on 5 doubtful questions can wipe out more than a full mark.
If you are comparing bank IT exams for your next attempt, read SBI SO IT Officer vs IBPS SO IT Officer 2026. For structured preparation with mocks covering Professional Knowledge, see our SBI, IBPS and Bank IT Officer Course and Test Series.
How to Check the IBPS SO Cut Off and Scorecard
- Go to ibps.in.
- Open the CRP Specialist Officers (CRP SPL-XVI) section.
- Click the Preliminary Examination Score Card link.
- Log in with your Registration Number and Password or Date of Birth.
- Your section-wise marks, total and the applicable cut off appear on the scorecard. Save it as a PDF.
FAQs on IBPS SO IT Officer Prelims Cut Off 2026
What is the IBPS SO IT Officer Prelims cut off 2026 for General category?
The General (UR) overall cut off is 75.5 out of 125.
What is the IBPS SO IT Officer cut off 2026 for OBC, EWS, SC and ST?
OBC 74.5, EWS 70.75, SC 67.25 and ST 56.5, all out of 125.
Why is the 2026 cut off so much higher than 2025?
Mainly because the 2026 Prelims included a 50-mark Professional Knowledge section for the first time, replacing part of the Reasoning and GA/Quant marks. IT graduates score well in this section, which raised overall totals.
Is there a sectional cut off in IBPS SO Prelims?
Yes. For General candidates it was 12.5 in English, 6.75 in Reasoning, 8.75 in GA/Quant and 13.75 in Professional Knowledge. You must clear every section and the overall cut off.
Are Prelims marks counted in the final selection?
No. Prelims is qualifying only. The final merit is based on Mains and Interview.
When is the IBPS SO Mains 2026?
The Mains exam is on 1 November 2026. The admit card was released on 22 October 2026.
Note: Cut off figures are as released by IBPS on 22 October 2026 for CRP SPL-XVI and cross-checked against published reports. Always verify your own applicable cut off on your scorecard at ibps.in.
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