Safe Attempt for IBPS RRB PO Prelims, How Many Attempts to Qualify Prelims Exam

A safe attempt for IBPS RRB PO Prelims 2026 is 60-64 questions with 90-95% accuracy for moderate cut-off states, giving approximately 52–60 net marks. Candidates targeting high cut-off states such as West Bengal and Haryana should aim for 68-70 attempts with 95%+ accuracy. Negative marking and state-wise cut-offs play an important role in determining the required score.

What Is a Good Attempt for IBPS RRB PO Prelims 2026?

A good attempt refers to the number of questions candidates can solve correctly with high accuracy within the given time. The examination consists of 80 questions carrying 80 marks. Candidates should focus on:

Maintaining at least 90% accuracy.
Avoiding random guesses due to negative marking.
Balancing attempts across both sections.
Practising mock tests to improve speed and question selection.

IBPS RRB PO Prelims Section-Wise Safe Attempts 2026

The examination consists of Reasoning Ability and Quantitative Aptitude, with 40 questions in each section.

Section	Total Questions	Good Attempts
Reasoning Ability	40	32–34
Quantitative Aptitude	40	28–30
Overall	80	60–64

How Many Attempts Are Required According to State-Wise Cut-Offs?

The required attempts vary depending on the state-wise cut-off. Based on the 2025 General-category cut-offs, candidates can follow these approximate targets.

Competition Level	2025 General Cut-Offs	Approx. Safe Attempts
Lower	Karnataka 36, Gujarat 39.25, Chhattisgarh 48.75, Telangana 49	45–55
Moderate	Assam 52, Kerala 54, Madhya Pradesh 55, Rajasthan 55.25, UP 58, Maharashtra 58.50, Odisha 58.25	60–64
High	J&K 61, Uttarakhand 62.25, Punjab 63.25, Himachal Pradesh 63.75, Haryana 64.75, West Bengal 65.75	68–70+

IBPS RRB PO Prelims Cut-Off Trend (2021–2025)

The cut-off is released separately for each state and category. The following table presents the General-category cut-off trends for selected states.

State	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Assam	45.75	49.50	50.00	50.75	52.00
Bihar	56.25	56.75	45.00	47.25	56.75
Haryana	59.50	61.75	54.75	61.75	64.75
Himachal Pradesh	57.50	59.75	55.00	59.25	63.75
Karnataka	44.75	36.00	—	38.50	36.00
Madhya Pradesh	54.25	55.25	50.00	55.25	55.00
Maharashtra	53.75	51.75	46.00	55.75	58.50
Odisha	58.50	60.25	58.00	56.25	58.25
Punjab	60.25	60.50	—	55.50	63.25
Rajasthan	60.75	60.25	54.50	49.00	55.25
Uttar Pradesh	54.50	62.75	53.75	51.00	58.00
Uttarakhand	60.75	62.50	55.50	59.50	62.25
West Bengal	56.50	58.25	53.25	57.75	65.75

Key Observations:

West Bengal recorded a significant increase from 57.75 in 2024 to 65.75 in 2025.
Uttar Pradesh recorded its highest cut-off of 62.75 in 2022.
Bihar’s cut-off dropped to 45 in 2023 before reaching 56.75 in 2025.
Odisha showed relatively stable cut-offs between 56 and 60.25.

How Negative Marking and Normalization Affect Safe Attempts

Negative Marking

For every incorrect answer, 0.25 marks are deducted. No marks are deducted for unanswered questions. Therefore, accuracy is essential while deciding how many questions to attempt.

Attempts	Correct	Wrong	Accuracy	Net Score
60	51	9	85%	48.75
60	54	6	90%	52.50
60	57	3	95%	56.25
65	55	10	84.6%	52.50
65	59	6	90.8%	57.50
65	62	3	95.4%	61.25
70	60	10	85.7%	57.50
70	63	7	90%	61.25
70	67	3	95.7%	66.25

Normalization

IBPS RRB PO Prelims is conducted in multiple shifts. Normalization adjusts scores to account for differences in examination difficulty. Therefore, the final score may differ from the raw score calculated by candidates.

Strategy to Achieve Safe Attempts in IBPS RRB PO Prelims 2026

Improve Accuracy: Focus on easy and moderate questions before increasing your attempts.
Prepare Both Sections: Practise puzzles, seating arrangements, syllogism, simplification, number series and data interpretation.
Follow Sectional Timings: The examination has a total duration of 45 minutes
Analyse Mock Tests: Identify incorrect answers, time-consuming questions and weak topics after every mock.
Practise Regularly: Attempt full-length mocks using the actual sectional time limits to improve speed and accuracy.

Related Posts
IBPS RRB Previous Year Papers	IBPS RRB PO Cut Off
IBPS RRB PO Syllabus	IBPS RRB PO Salary

FAQs

How many attempts are safe in IBPS RRB PO Prelims 2026?

For moderate cut-off states, 60–64 attempts with 90–95% accuracy are a good target. For high cut-off states, aim for 68–70 attempts with 95% or higher accuracy.