UPSC Prelims Cut Off, Expected Cut Off and Past 5 Years Trends

UPSC Prelims Cut off is released along with final result. Explore trends, analysis, and key insights for a strategic exam preparation approach.

PWOnlyIAS

March 11, 2025

UPSC Prelims Cut Off, Expected Cut Off and Past 5 Years Trends

UPSC Prelims Cut Off: UPSC Prelims Cutoff is the minimum marks that candidates have to score to qualify for the Mains stage of the Civil Services Examination. Over a span of 7-8 years, the cutoff marks have drastically fallen from the early 100s to the 70s. This is an indication that UPSC will not be reducing the toughness of the paper. UPSC prelims cutoff 2024 will be released after the final results of UPSC CSE 2024 are announced. Check out the expected and complete Past 5 years trends here.

UPSC Prelims 2024 Cutoff Analysis – Category-Wise Expected Cutoff

The UPSC Prelims Cutoff Analysis 2024 provides valuable insights into the changing trends of the exam, helping aspirants prepare for the next cycle. The cutoff marks vary for different categories and depend on factors such as the difficulty level of the exam, number of vacancies, and candidate performance.

The UPSC Prelims 2024 category-wise cutoff PDF will be officially released by UPSC, listing the minimum marks required for selection in the General, OBC, SC, ST, and PwBD categories.

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Below is the expected cutoff range based on previous trends and expert analysis.

UPSC Prelims 2024 Expected Cutoff (Category-Wise)
Category Expected Cutoff (Marks)
General 90-95
EWS 80-85
OBC 85-90
SC 70-75
ST 65-70
PwBD 1 60-65
PwBD 2 60-65
PwBD 3 55-60
PwBD 5 50-55

UPSC Prelims Cutoff for Last 5 Years

Analyzing UPSC Prelims cutoff provides valuable insights into the competitiveness of the exam. These patterns and trends can help aspirants gauge the level of competition and strategise their preparation accordingly.

The cutoff marks for different categories in the UPSC exam have shown variations over the years. Generally, candidates from the general category have the highest cutoff, followed by EWS, OBC, SC, and ST categories. Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD) categories also have varying cutoffs. 

However, in the last few years, the prelims cutoff has gone down drastically. The cutoff mark for the general category in 2019 was 98. This has fallen to 75.41 in 2023, owing to an increase in the difficulty level of the examination and the evolving pattern of the questions. 

The cutoff marks have varied in the last five years, reflecting changing trends in the examination’s difficulty level and competition. It’s important for candidates to understand these cutoff trends to gauge their competitiveness and prepare accordingly.

UPSC Prelims Cutoff for Last 5 Years
Year GM EWS OBC SC ST PwBD 1 PwBD 2 PwBD 3 PwBD 5
2023 Cutoff  75.41 68.02 74.75 59.25 47.82 40.40 47.13 40.40 33.68
2022 Cutoff 88.22 82.83 87.54 74.08 69.35 49.84 58.59 40.40 41.76
2021 Cutoff 87.54 80.14 84.85 75.41 70.71 68.02 67.33 43.09 45.80
2020 Cutoff 92.51 77.55 89.12 74.84 68.71 70.06 63.94 40.82 42.86
2019 Cutoff 98 90 95.34 82 77.34 53.34 44.66 61.34 61.34

UPSC Prelims Cut off

Factors Affecting UPSC Prelims Cutoff

UPSC Prelims cutoff is decided based on multiple factors, such as the number of candidates, the difficulty level of the question paper, etc. 

This is the reason why cutoff fluctuates every year and is difficult to predict. 

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Below are some factors that determine UPSC CSE Prelims cutoff:

  • Number of Vacancies: The number of vacancies each year also influences Prelims cutoff. The higher the vacancies, the lower the cutoff for that particular year.
  • Number of Candidates Applying: The number of candidates appearing in a particular year can also influence the UPSC cutoff. The higher the competition, the higher the cutoff.
  • Difficulty of Question Paper: the higher the difficulty level of the question paper, the lower the cutoff. Increasing difficulty will reduce the chances of candidates scoring high marks. 
  • Performance of the Candidates: The cutoff marks will increase if the majority of candidates perform exceptionally well. The marks will decrease if the majority of them do not perform well.
  • Reservation Policy: UPSC’s reservation policy influences cutoff marks. The cutoff marks for categories may vary based on the number of aspirants and the number of seats available.

UPSC CSE Prelims cutoff analysis is important because it will help candidates strategise for the exam. An analysis can help us find the correlation between the difficulty level of questions and the cutoff marks. 

This can also be helpful when deciding the number of questions to attempt to successfully clear the preliminary exam.

 

FAQs for UPSC Prelims Cut-Off

It is the minimum qualifying marks which candidates need to secure to be eligible for the next stage of the examination or to be considered for selection.

The number of candidates appearing, the number of vacancies, and the overall performance are some of the factors influencing UPSC prelims cutoff.

Yes, UPSC has separate cut-offs for the Preliminary examination and the Main examination. Candidates must clear both stages to qualify for the interview round.

Yes, UPSC has separate cut-offs for the Preliminary examination and the Main examination. Candidates must clear both stages to qualify for the interview round.

Yes, UPSC cut-offs are usually categorized based on candidates' categories such as General, OBC, SC, and ST. Each category has its own cut-off marks.

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Quick Revise Now !
AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD SOON
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
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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