IB Security Assistant Cut Off: Category-wise Qualifying Marks
The IB Security Assistant cut-off is the minimum score needed to move from one stage of the Intelligence Bureau selection to the next. For the 2025 cycle, the minimum qualifying marks in Tier I (out of 100) are 30 for UR and EWS, 28 for OBC and 25 for SC and ST candidates. Actual shortlisting cut-offs are usually higher than these minimums, because only a fixed number of candidates are called ahead.
Minimum Qualifying Marks (Tier I)
Category | Minimum marks in Tier I (out of 100) |
|---|---|
UR | 30 |
EWS | 30 |
OBC | 28 |
SC and ST | 25 |
Ex-servicemen are considered in their own category. These are minimum thresholds. Scoring the minimum does not guarantee a call for the next stage.
Previous Cut-off: SA/Exe Tier I 2019
Category | Cut-off (out of 100) |
|---|---|
UR and ex-servicemen (UR) | 35 |
OBC and ex-servicemen (OBC) | 34 |
SC/ST and ex-servicemen (SC/ST) | 33 |
Official category-wise cut-offs for the 2025 cycle are published by the Intelligence Bureau at mha.gov.in. Several websites publish expected or estimated figures, but those are predictions and should not be treated as official marks.
Cut-off and Shortlisting by Stage
Stage | Rule |
|---|---|
Tier I | Minimum marks as per the category table above |
Shortlisting for Tier II (SA/Exe) | Ten times the number of vacancies, on normalised Tier I scores, among those who meet the minimum marks |
Tier II (SA/Exe) | Qualifying only, minimum 20 out of 50 |
Shortlisting for Tier III (SA/Exe) | Five times the number of vacancies, among those who qualified Tier II |
Final merit (SA/Exe) | Tier I and Tier III marks combined |
Tier II (SA/MT) | Motor mechanism and driving test cum interview, minimum 20 out of 50 |
What Decides the Cut-off
Number of vacancies: More posts generally allow a lower shortlisting score, since ten times the vacancies are called for Tier II.
Number of applicants: A larger candidate pool pushes the cut-off up.
Difficulty level: A tougher paper lowers the scores and so the cut-off.
Normalisation: Tier I is held in multiple shifts, so raw marks are adjusted before shortlisting.
Category and state: Cut-offs vary by category, and shortlisting is done for each state or circle.
Where to Find the Official Cut-off
The Intelligence Bureau releases result notices, and cut-off details where applicable, on the Ministry of Home Affairs website. Look for the result link under the latest updates section, open the PDF and check the category-wise marks for your state. Save a copy for future reference.
Setting a Target Score
Treat the minimum marks as a floor, not a goal. Aim well above it in mock tests, and keep accuracy high because every wrong answer costs 0.25 marks. After each practice test, check your section-wise scores, since the pattern has five sections of 20 marks each. You can use the IB Security Assistant mock tests and test series on Testkart to track your score trend before the exam.
Frequently Asked Questions
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