What the IBPS RRB Clerk cut-off means
There are two qualifying bars and no interview. In the prelims you must clear each of the two tests, Reasoning and Numerical Ability, on its own. In the Mains you need a minimum score in every one of the five tests, and your total must rank high enough for the vacancies in your state. Your final merit is based on Mains marks only.
Prelims cut-off (both tests)
The Office Assistant prelims is a screening round of two tests. To move on to the Mains you have to reach the minimum cut-off in both. IBPS then shortlists an adequate number of candidates in each category for the Mains, depending on requirements.
| Test | Questions / marks | Cut-off rule |
|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 / 40 · 25 min | Must clear — minimum set by IBPS |
| Numerical Ability | 40 / 40 · 20 min | Must clear — minimum set by IBPS |
| Total | 80 / 80 · 45 min | Category-wise shortlist for Mains |
Source: clause D of the CRP RRBs-XV notification (01.09.2026). The notification doesn’t state the cut-off marks. Prelims marks only decide who reaches the Mains; they aren’t counted in the final merit list (clause G).
Office Assistant vacancies, by category
For Office Assistants the notification ties the Mains shortlist to the vacancies in each state, so these numbers matter. The updated Annexure I (25.09.2026) lists them bank by bank across 28 RRBs; added up, they come to 8,222.
Source: Annexure I updated 25.09.2026. IBPS prints no national total, so 8,222 is the sum of the bank-wise table. Within these figures: PwBD (HI 99, OC 85, VI 81, ID 90), ex-servicemen 809 and DESM 352. Vacancies are indicative — allotment is made on the actual vacancies the RRBs report. These are vacancy counts, not cut-off marks.
Mains cut-off: every test, plus your rank
Clause F says each Office Assistant candidate must score a minimum in each test of the Main exam to be considered for provisional allotment. Clearing every test may still not be enough: your total also has to be high enough in the order of merit, and the number shortlisted depends on the vacancies in each state.
What decides the cut-off
IBPS doesn’t fix the marks in advance. Going by the notification, these four things shape where the line falls:
Vacancies in your state
You compete for one state’s vacancies, and the allotment shortlist depends on how many that state has. The 2026 table adds up to 8,222 Office Assistant posts; the 2025 cycle (CRP RRBs-XIV) listed 8,022.
Category-wise shortlisting
After the prelims, IBPS shortlists an adequate number of candidates in each category for the Mains, depending on its requirements.
Normalisation
When an exam runs in more than one session, corrected scores are normalised using the equi-percentile method, to two decimal places.
Negative marking
Each wrong answer costs a quarter of that question’s marks, and the cut-off is applied to this corrected score. Blank questions cost nothing.
How the final merit list works
There is no interview for Office Assistants, so only your Mains marks count for the final merit list. If you qualify and rank high enough, you’re provisionally allotted on merit-cum-preference, restricted to the RRBs of the state you opted for, against the actual vacancies those RRBs report.
Close cases follow two rules. If two or more candidates have the same score, the one older by date of birth is placed higher. Reserved-category candidates selected on the General standard are treated as General candidates. IBPS may also prepare a reserve list in each category, to the extent of vacancies as per the rules in force and subject to availability of candidates; it doesn’t guarantee allotment (clause K).
See how the Mains is scoredCrack IBPS RRB Clerk with your own daily plan
Daily targets & concept revision — built around the IBPS RRB Clerk pattern.
Clear every test, not just the total
IBPS RRB Clerk cut-offs apply test by test, so a strong total can’t rescue one weak test. JobSafal helps you work on every test every week, so none of them falls behind before exam day.
Daily plan
Daily targets that cover Reasoning and Numerical Ability first, then the Mains tests.
Balance your tests
Spread your time so no single test drops below the minimum you need.
Accuracy over guessing
Build the habit of skipping when unsure, since every wrong answer costs a quarter of the question’s marks.
Watch the clock
Each test has its own timer in the real exam — 25 and 20 minutes in the prelims — so practise at that pace.
