UPSC Cut Off, Prelims & Mains Cutoff and Past Years Trends

UPSC Cut Off refers to the minimum marks required to clear each stage of the Civil Services Examination. Every year, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) releases category-wise cut-off marks for the Preliminary exam (GS Paper I), the Mains exam, and the final selection (Mains + Interview). These cut-offs vary based on factors like exam difficulty, number of vacancies, and overall candidate performance. In this article, we examine the expected UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2025 and the official cut-offs for recent years, including category-wise trends of the last five years, to help aspirants set informed targets.

UPSC Cut Off

The term UPSC Cut Off denotes the minimum score needed at each stage of the exam to advance or to make it into the final merit list. UPSC cut-offs are determined separately for each stage and for each reservation category. In other words, candidates must meet different cut-off marks in Prelims, Mains, and Final (after Interview) stages, as defined for their category (General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS, etc.). Key points about UPSC cut-offs include:

• Prelims Cut-Off: Based only on General Studies Paper I (out of 200 marks). CSAT (Paper II) is qualifying and not counted. Each category (General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwBD) has its own qualifying threshold in Prelims. Scoring above this mark (e.g., 87.98 for General in 2024) means the candidate qualifies for the Mains.
• Mains Cut-Off: Determined by the aggregate marks of the seven merit papers in the Mains written exam (out of 1750 marks) – excluding the two language papers, which are qualifying only. Candidates must score above this cut-off to be selected for the Interview (Personality Test). For example, the General category Mains cut-off was 729/1750 in 2024.
• Final Cut-Off: This is the combined score of Mains (1750) + Interview (275), totaling out of 2025 marks. The final cut-off is the minimum aggregate required to be recommended for appointment. For instance, the General category final cut-off in 2024 was 947/2025 (about 46.7%).

UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2026 (Expected)

The UPSC Prelims 2026 exam was conducted on May 24, 2025. Based on initial feedback from aspirants and experts, the General Studies Paper I was of moderate to high difficulty, and the CSAT Paper II was considered quite tough. Owing to this, the expected UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2026 is projected to be in the mid-70s (out of 200) for the General category, slightly lower than the previous year’s cut-off. Some analysts predict that if the paper was particularly challenging, the cut-off could even be closer to the low-70s or high-60s, akin to the dip seen in 2023.

Expected Prelims 2026 Cut-Off (Category-wise): Early estimates for 2026 suggest the following range of scores needed in GS Paper I to clear Prelims-

Note: These figures are unofficial predictions based on expert analysis and past trends.

UPSC Cut Off 2025 (Prelims & Mains)

UPSC Cut Off 2025 refers to the minimum marks required by the last recommended candidate of each category in the 2025 Civil Services Exam. The year 2025 witnessed a moderate increase in cut-off marks compared to the steep drop in 2023, indicating the exam was of average difficulty. Below, we detail the category-wise cut-offs for both Prelims and Mains in 2025:

UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2025

The UPSC Cut Off 2024 represents the minimum marks needed to qualify for each stage of the Civil Services Exam — Prelims, Mains, and Final. The cut-off marks differ across categories and depend on paper difficulty, candidate performance, and vacancies.

The 2024 exam saw a moderate level of difficulty, and the cut-off slightly increased compared to the previous year. Below are the category-wise Prelims and Mains cut-off marks.

UPSC Mains Cut Off 2025

The Mains 2024 cut-off was slightly lower than 2022, indicating tougher written papers. Candidates who scored around 42%–44% in Mains qualified for the interview round.

UPSC Prelims Cut Off Last 5 Years (2021–2025)

UPSC Prelims cut-offs fell sharply across all categories in 2023, indicating a comparatively difficult paper. They recovered in 2024 and reached their highest levels in 2025, with General at 92.66 and OBC at 92.00. SC and ST also recorded strong rebounds, rising to 84.00 and 82.66 respectively in 2025. Overall, the trend reflects significant annual variation in paper difficulty, competition and candidate performance.

The table below summarizes the official UPSC Prelims cut-off marks for the last five years (2021–2025) across different categories-

UPSC Mains Cut Off Last 5 Years (2021–2025)

The General category Mains cut-off remained broadly stable, ranging from 729 to 748, with a modest recovery to 739 in 2025. Most categories recorded their lowest cut-offs in 2024, followed by an increase in 2025. OBC showed the strongest 2025 rise to 717, while SC returned to 700 and ST improved to 694.

Below is the Mains cut-off (out of 1750) for the last five years (2021–2025) , category-wise:

UPSC Final Cut Off Last 5 Years (2021–2025)

The final UPSC cut-off remained relatively stable from 2021 to 2024, before rising across all categories in 2025. The General cut-off reached 963 in 2025, the highest in the five-year period, while OBC rose notably to 931. SC and ST cut-offs also improved to 905 and 902 respectively, indicating a broader upward trend in final selection thresholds.

The table below shows the Final (Mains + Interview) cut-off marks for 2021–2025 for the main categories:

Factors Affecting UPSC Cut Off

Several factors influence where the cut-off marks settle for any given year and category. Understanding these can help aspirants plan their strategy:

• Difficulty Level of the Exam: If the Prelims or Mains paper is more difficult, fewer candidates score high marks, resulting in a lower cut-off. For example, the 2023 Prelims cut-off dropped due to a tough CSAT and GS paper. Conversely, an easier paper can raise the cut-off.
• Number of Candidates Appearing: A higher turnout of serious candidates increases competition. When more candidates perform well, the cut-off tends to increase. If fewer candidates or fewer well-prepared candidates appear, cut-offs might be lower.
• Number of Vacancies: UPSC cut-offs are directly related to how many openings are available. In years with more vacancies, the cut-off may be slightly lower since more candidates can be accommodated. Fewer vacancies generally tighten the cut-off.
• Overall Performance of Candidates: If the overall performance (scores) of candidates is better in a particular year, the cut-off will rise. Essentially, cut-off marks represent the score of the “last” candidate who gets through – better average performance pushes that boundary upward.
• Reservation Category: Cut-offs vary by category due to the reservation policy. The General category usually has the highest cut-off. Reserved categories (EWS, OBC, SC, ST, PwBD) have their own lower cut-offs depending on the relaxation and the performance of candidates in those categories. However, the differences are often narrow, especially between General and OBC/EWS, as seen in recent trends.
• CSAT Qualifying Nature: In Prelims, Paper-II (CSAT) is qualifying (33% required) and does not count towards the cut-off. But if CSAT is extremely difficult, many candidates might fail to qualify it, indirectly lowering the effective pool of candidates for GS Paper I cut-off. In such cases, even the GS cut-off could be impacted (like in 2023 when CSAT was a hurdle for many).

These factors collectively determine the UPSC cut-off each year. Aspirants need to note that cut-offs are post-facto figures – one should aim well above the previous cut-off to be safe. For instance, given the unpredictability of paper difficulty and competition, scoring 10–15 marks above the last known cut-off in Prelims and a comfortable margin in Mains is often advised to ensure selection.