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Official category-wise UPSC CSE cut off marks for Prelims (GS Paper 1), Mains written exam, and Final merit list — compiled from official UPSC sources for all years.
Out of 200 marks. Negative marking: −0.66 per wrong answer. Paper 2 qualifying at 66 marks (not counted for cut off).
| Year | General | OBC | SC | ST | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ~96 | ~90 | ~82 | ~80 | Provisional |
| 2023 | 91.66 | 87.66 | 77.66 | 77.66 | Official |
| 2022 | 95.34 | 88.84 | 81.34 | 74.84 | Official |
| 2021 | 87.54 | 84.07 | 73.28 | 66.08 | Official |
| 2020 | 92.51 | 88.51 | 80.01 | 75.01 | Official |
| 2019 | 98.00 | 94.72 | 82.36 | 77.00 | Official |
| 2018 | 98.00 | 96.00 | 84.00 | 83.61 | Official |
| 2017 | 105.34 | 102.67 | 90.00 | 88.67 | Official |
| 2016 | 116.00 | 110.66 | 99.34 | 96.00 | Official |
| 2015 | 107.34 | 106.00 | 94.00 | 91.34 | Official |
| 2014 | 205.00 | 204.00 | 192.00 | 192.00 | Official (300 marks) |
| 2013 | 241.00 | 222.00 | 207.00 | 202.00 | Official (300 marks) |
* 2013–2014 out of 300 marks (old pattern). 2015 onward — 200 marks.
Marks out of 1750 (7 papers × 250 marks). Determines eligibility for Personality Test (Interview).
| Year | General | OBC | SC | ST | Out of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 745 | 723 | 702 | 696 | 1750 |
| 2022 | 735 | 710 | 686 | 672 | 1750 |
| 2021 | 741 | 721 | 702 | 693 | 1750 |
| 2020 | 723 | 702 | 678 | 656 | 1750 |
| 2019 | 751 | 730 | 706 | 698 | 1750 |
| 2018 | 774 | 757 | 728 | 713 | 1750 |
| 2017 | 809 | 793 | 766 | 759 | 1750 |
| 2016 | 787 | 769 | 748 | 731 | 1750 |
Mains (1750) + Interview (275) = 2025 total. Final cut off determines IAS/IPS/IFS/IRS allocation.
| Year | General | OBC | SC | ST | Out of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1008 | 985 | 955 | 941 | 2025 |
| 2022 | 1012 | 987 | 958 | 942 | 2025 |
| 2021 | 993 | 968 | 940 | 920 | 2025 |
| 2020 | 969 | 945 | 924 | 908 | 2025 |
| 2019 | 1010 | 987 | 961 | 948 | 2025 |
| 2018 | 1010 | 994 | 966 | 941 | 2025 |
| 2017 | 1022 | 1007 | 986 | 974 | 2025 |
| 2016 | 988 | 971 | 946 | 933 | 2025 |
Cut off dropped from 116 (2016) to 91.66 (2023). Harder papers and more strategic guessing by candidates contribute to this trend.
The difference between General and SC/ST cut offs has narrowed over years — from ~40 marks to ~15 marks — indicating broader access to quality preparation.
Prelims gap between categories is large, but Mains cut offs are closer. Strong GS writing and optional subject scores determine final selection.
With Mains cut off at ~745/1750 and Final at ~1008/2025, interview adds ~263 marks on average. High interview scores can offset weak Mains performance.
Cut offs shift based on paper difficulty, number of vacancies, and candidate pool size. Never prepare only to clear cut off — aim for a safe margin of 15-20 marks above.
Targeting 105+ in Prelims (General) gives a safe buffer. For Mains, target 780+ out of 1750 to secure interview call with margin for difficult paper years.
The provisional UPSC Prelims 2024 cut off for General category is approximately 96 marks out of 200 (GS Paper 1). Official cut off is declared after the Mains exam concludes.
UPSC Prelims cut off is based on GS Paper 1 marks only (200 marks). Paper 2 (CSAT) is qualifying at 33% (66 marks). From 2015 onward, each correct answer is 2 marks and each wrong answer carries -0.66 penalty.
UPSC Mains written exam is out of 1750 marks (7 papers × 250 marks). The Mains cut off determines eligibility for the Interview round. Final merit cut off is out of 2025 (Mains 1750 + Interview 275).
UPSC reserves seats for OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwBD candidates under constitutional provisions. Each category has a separate merit list and cut off. Generally, General > OBC > SC > ST in descending cut off order.
Yes, the UPSC Prelims cut off has generally trended downward since 2016-17 (when it was around 105-116 marks). The shift to a 200-mark paper (from 300 marks before 2015) and increasing difficulty accounts for this change.