UPSC Cut Off: Prelims, Mains, Final and Category-Wise Marks

Your UPSC score may be enough to clear one stage of the Civil Services Examination but not the next. Checking previous years' cut-offs helps you understand how the qualifying marks have changed across Prelims, Mains and the final selection stage, as well as how the cut-offs differ by category.

PW UPSC online batches help you prepare for the Civil Services Examination through lessons, practice questions and mock tests. Compare your mock-test scores with previous years’ cut-offs to set score targets, assess your progress and identify areas that need more practice.

UPSC CSE Cut Off for Prelims, Mains, and Final 

The UPSC Civil Services Examination has three main cut-off stages: Prelims, Mains and the final examination. The cut-off varies by category and examination stage.

• UPSC Prelims cut-off: Based on General Studies Paper I. General Studies Paper II is qualifying in nature, with a minimum requirement of 33%.

• UPSC Mains cut-off: Based on the written examination, subject to the minimum requirement of 10% marks in each of the seven competitive papers.

• UPSC final cut-off: Based on the aggregate marks considered for final ranking, including the written examination and Personality Test.

Prelims is a screening stage, so its marks are not counted towards the final order of merit.

UPSC Prelims Cut Off: Last 5 Years

The UPSC Prelims cut-off is calculated using General Studies Paper I. You must also secure at least 33% in General Studies Paper II to meet its qualifying requirement.

UPSC Prelims Category-Wise Cut Off

The figures show that Prelims cut-offs can vary considerably between years and categories. For example, the General category cut-off was 75.41 in 2023 and 92.66 in 2025. Use these historical figures as a reference rather than as a guarantee of the cut-off for a future examination.

UPSC Mains Cut Off: Last 5 Years

The UPSC Mains cut-off is based on the marks obtained in the written examination and the minimum qualifying requirement in each of the seven competitive papers.

According to the official Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) guidelines, candidates appearing for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) Main Examination must secure at least 10% marks (25 out of 250) in each of the seven competitive papers, subject to the applicable examination rules.

UPSC Mains Category-Wise Cut Off

The Mains cut-off helps you assess the written-examination marks associated with qualifying for the next stage. Along with your overall score, pay attention to the minimum requirement in each of the seven competitive papers.

UPSC Final Cut Off: Last 5 Years

The final cut-off represents the minimum aggregate marks secured by the last recommended candidate in each category. It includes marks from the written examination and the Personality Test.

UPSC Final Category-Wise Cut Off

The final cut-off is based on the aggregate marks used for ranking after the written examination and Personality Test. Comparing these figures across years can help you set a preparation target, but your target should account for the possibility of future cut-off changes.

UPSC Category-Wise Cut Off: Category Details

The category-wise cut-off tables use the following abbreviations:

• General: General category.

• EWS: Economically Weaker Sections.

• OBC: Other Backward Classes.

• SC: Scheduled Castes.

• ST: Scheduled Tribes.

• PwBD-1: Locomotor disability, including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy.

• PwBD-2: Blindness and low vision.

• PwBD-3: Deaf and hard of hearing.

• PwBD-5: Multiple disabilities.

When comparing cut-offs, check the figures for your category and the specific stage of the examination. Prelims, Mains and final cut-offs serve different purposes and should not be compared as though they use the same marks scale.

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UPSC Qualifying Marks vs Cut-Off Marks

Qualifying marks and cut-off marks are related, but they do not mean the same thing.

UPSC Qualifying Marks

Qualifying marks are the minimum marks you must secure in a paper or subject to meet a prescribed requirement.

• In Prelims, General Studies Paper II requires at least 33%.

• In Mains, you must secure at least 10% marks in each of the seven competitive papers listed in the examination rules.

UPSC Cut-Off Marks

The cut-off is the minimum score associated with qualifying at a particular stage or with the last recommended candidate in the final examination.

• The Prelims cut-off is based on General Studies Paper I, subject to the qualifying requirement in Paper II.

• The Mains cut-off relates to the written examination and is subject to the prescribed minimum marks in the seven competitive papers.

• The final cut-off reflects the aggregate marks of the last recommended candidate in each category.

Meeting a paper's qualifying requirement does not automatically mean you have cleared the stage. You must also satisfy the applicable cut-off and other examination requirements.

Reviewing the UPSC Prelims, Mains and final cut-offs helps you set realistic preparation targets and understand the qualifying requirements for each stage. Use the category-wise figures to assess past trends, practise questions by Physics Wallah and work towards improving your performance. Remember that previous years' cut-offs are reference points, not guaranteed thresholds for future examinations.