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UPSC Mains Total Marks, Minimum Qualifying Marks, & Cutoff Trends!

PWOnlyIAS September 19, 2024 03:44 3409 0

UPSC mains total marks distribution and the minimum qualifying marks from the past few years are provided here. Get more information about UPSC total marks here!

UPSC Mains Total Marks, Minimum Qualifying Marks, & Cutoff Trends!

UPSC mains total marks depend on seven descriptive papers out of the total nine. The marks scored in language papers are not considered while calculating the final score of the candidate, as they are just qualifying in nature. The UPSC mains total mark distribution has remained stable at 1750. Candidates who obtain the cutoff marks determined by the UPSC will qualify for the Personality Test. 

UPSC mains total marks are a reflection of the vastness and toughness of the exam. Candidates have to read a variety of subjects and perform reasonably well in all those subjects to secure a position on the merit list. 

UPSC Mains Total Marks Overview

UPSC mains exam consists of nine papers, out of which two are qualifying in nature and the rest are considered to determine merit ranking. The details about the UPSC mains exam are provided in the table below.

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Exam Name UPSC Civil Services (Main) Exam 2024
Eligibility Qualify Prelims
UPSC Mains Exam Date Between 20th & 29th September 2024
Exam Format Descriptive Paper
Number of Papers 9
Duration 3 hours each
Qualifying Papers Paper A (Indian Language)

Paper B (English)

Papers used for Calculating Merit Essay

General Studies 1

General Studies 2

General Studies 3

General Studies 4

Optional Paper 1

Optional Paper 2

Cutoff marks Varies (741 for General in 2023)

UPSC Mains Total Marks Overview

UPSC mains total marks are pegged at 1750. A total of seven papers, each worth 250 marks, make up the total marks. Evaluation of the ‘Essay’, ‘General Studies, and Optional Subject papers of all candidates will occur concurrently with the assessment of their qualifying papers in ‘Indian Languages’ and ‘English’. 

However, only candidates who achieve at least 25% marks in both ‘Indian Language’ and English in their qualifying papers will have their ‘Essay’, General Studies, and Optional Subject papers considered. 

Marks from Essay, GS 1 to 4, and Optional Papers will be included in the merit ranking, with the Commission having the discretion to set qualifying marks for these papers.  The breakdown of total marks is given below:

Paper Total Marks
Paper A: Indian Language 300 (Only Qualifying)
Paper B: English 300 (Only Qualifying)
Essay 250
General Studies 1 250
General Studies 2 250
General Studies 3 250
General Studies 4 250
Optional Paper 1 250
Optional Paper 2 250
Grand Total 1750

UPSC Mains Total Marks of Language Papers

The marks of language papers are not considered while calculating UPSC mains total marks. A candidate has to just qualify these papers. The details of these papers are provided below.

Paper Marks Nature of Paper Minimum Marks Needed Exam Duration
Paper A: Indian Language 300 Qualifying 75 3 hrs
Paper B: English 300 Qualifying 75 3 hrs

UPSC Mains Total Marks of Essay

Essay paper is considered while calculating UPSC mains total marks. A candidate needs to score at least 10% in this paper to be eligible to be considered for merit ranking. The details are given below.

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Paper Marks Nature of Paper Minimum Marks Required Exam Duration
Essay 250 Considered for Merit Ranking 10% (25 marks) 3 hrs

Also Read: UPSC mains syllabus

UPSC Mains Total Marks of General Studies

General Studies have the highest weightage of 1000 marks out of the UPSC mains total marks. The marks scored in these papers will determine if a candidate qualifies Mains or not. The details of general studies papers are given below.

Paper Marks Nature of Paper Minimum Marks Required Exam Duration
General Studies 1 250 Considered for Merit Ranking 10% (25 marks) 3 hrs
General Studies 2 250 Considered for Merit Ranking 10% (25 marks) 3 hrs
General Studies 3 250 Considered for Merit Ranking 10% (25 marks) 3 hrs
General Studies 4 250 Considered for Merit Ranking 10% (25 marks) 3 hrs

Also Read: UPSC Mains Test Series

UPSC Mains Total Marks of Optional Papers

The optional papers have the second highest weightage at 500 marks in the UPSC mains total marks. A candidate has a great opportunity to score more marks in optional papers. The details are given below.

Paper Marks Nature of Paper Minimum Marks Required Exam Duration
Optional Paper 1 250 Considered for Merit Ranking 10% (25 marks) 3 hrs
Optional Paper 2 250 Considered for Merit Ranking 10% (25 marks) 3 hrs

UPSC Mains Cutoff Marks

Cutoff marks are the minimum marks a candidate has to score to secure qualification for a Personality Interview. The UPSC mains cutoff marks are not fixed and vary every year. The details of the cutoff marks for the last five years are given here.

GM EWS OBC SC ST PWD-1 PWD-2 PWD-3 PWD – 5
2023 741 706 712 694 692 673 718 396 445
2022 748 715 714 699 706 677 706 351 419
2021 745 713 707 700 700 688 712 388 560
2020 736 687 698 680 682 648 699 425 300
2019 751 696 718 706 699 663 698 374 561

Also Read: UPSC Cutoff

Strategy to Clear Mains Cutoff marks

Clearing the cutoff is not an easy task. It is a whole process that needs a proper strategy and sincere dedication. Here are some tips you can follow to clear UPSC mains cutoff marks.

  • Prepare for mains before Prelims Exam: Candidates have to complete mains preparation prior to UPSC prelims exam. This increases their chances of clearing prelims tremendously.
  • Complete Optional Subject: Optional subjects must be completed prior to December of the exam cycle. This gives candidates time to revise the subject prior to mains.
  • Prepare Notes: Mains notes have to be prepared simultaneously during the preparation phase. This will help in revising topics before the exam.
  • Regular Revision: Candidates have to revise mains topics multiple times before exam. This will enable them to interlink topics and write good answers.
  • Write Test Series: Candidates have to write multiple test series of all the papers before the exam. This will help them gain exam-like experience and also address existing flaws.

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Must Read
NCERT Notes For UPSC UPSC Daily Current Affairs
UPSC Blogs UPSC Daily Editorials
Daily Current Affairs Quiz Daily Main Answer Writing
UPSC Mains Previous Year Papers UPSC Test Series 2024

 

UPSC Mains Total Marks FAQs

Yes. The essay paper is a part of UPSC mains total marks.

A candidate has to secure the cutoff marks to secure a place on the merit list. The cutoff marks vary every year.

A total of seven papers are considered to calculate UPSC mains total marks.

A candidate has to score 75 marks each in language papers and 25 marks each in merit papers to be eligible for merit list.

The total mains marks is 1750 and the total interview marks is 275.
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 Final Result – CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION, 2023.   Udaan-Prelims Wallah ( Static ) booklets 2024 released both in english and hindi : Download from Here!     Download UPSC Mains 2023 Question Papers PDF  Free Initiative links -1) Download Prahaar 3.0 for Mains Current Affairs PDF both in English and Hindi 2) Daily Main Answer Writing  , 3) Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis and quiz ,  4) PDF Downloads  UPSC Prelims 2023 Trend Analysis cut-off and answer key

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 Final Result – CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION, 2023.   Udaan-Prelims Wallah ( Static ) booklets 2024 released both in english and hindi : Download from Here!     Download UPSC Mains 2023 Question Papers PDF  Free Initiative links -1) Download Prahaar 3.0 for Mains Current Affairs PDF both in English and Hindi 2) Daily Main Answer Writing  , 3) Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis and quiz ,  4) PDF Downloads  UPSC Prelims 2023 Trend Analysis cut-off and answer key

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UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
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Quick Revise Now !
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

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