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The UPSC Prelims Exam 2025 was held on May 25, 2025, and the UPSC Prelims Result 2025 (roll number-wise list of successful candidates) was officially published on June 11, 2025. But the official UPSC Prelims Cut off 2025 marks are normally declared only when the final results of the Civil Services Examination are announced, that is, typically in March-April 2026. Read this article to get the expected UPSC Cut Off 2025 for Prelims Exam and also the Previous Year Cut Off marks.
These cutoff marks are very important for every candidate, whether you have cleared the test or not, because they assist in gauging your performance, knowing how the competition fares, and planning better for the next attempts.
Check here: UPSC Prelims 2025 Result
UPSC Cut Off 2025 for Prelims (Expected)
The UPSC Prelims 2025 results were officially announced on June 11, 2025, after the May 25, 2025, exam. But the UPSC Prelims Cut off 2025 has not been declared yet. The official UPSC Cut Off 2025 will be announced only after the complete UPSC CSE 2025 cycle (generally March-April 2026). Candidates who have cleared the UPSC Prelims Exam 2025 must now focus on preparations for the Mains exam, which will be held in September 2025.
Based on expert analysis, the General category UPSC Cut Off 2025 for Prelims is expected to be between 85 and 90 marks (out of a total of 200 for GS Paper I). The challenging CSAT and longer GS Paper will probably maintain cut-offs modestly below last year’s 87.98 (General). This is due to the apparent higher difficulty of both the General Studies Paper I and, particularly, the CSAT (Paper II), which, although qualifying, has a major effect on the overall success rate as a result of its demanding nature. Official final numbers will be released with the Prelims results on the UPSC website in due course.
| Category | Cut-off Marks |
|---|---|
| General | 85-90 marks |
| EWS | 77-82 |
| OBC | 84-89 |
| SC | 70-75 |
| ST | 66-71 |
UPSC Cut Off 2024 Out: Key Highlights
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially released the UPSC Cut Off 2024 for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2024. The much-awaited news comes after the final result announcement on 22nd April 2025 and involves category-wise cut-off marks at the Preliminary, Mains, and Final Interview levels. The Commission has made the UPSC cut-off 2024 public for all exam stages. For the Preliminary exam, the cut-off stood at 75.41, while for the Mains, it was 741. The final cut-off, based on the combined scores of the Mains and Interview stages, is 947.
- Topper’s Perspective: AIR 1, Shakti Dubey, Banaras Hindu University biochemistry graduate, secured the highest marks, demonstrating perseverance after repeated attempts.
- Gender Diversity: Following the trend, women have taken leading positions, with three of the top five ranks being occupied by female candidates.
- Category-Wise Break-Up: The cut-off marks indicate the competitive level across categories, highlighting the significance of strategic preparation.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially declared category-wise UPSC cut-off 2024 marks for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2025, i.e., marks for Prelims, Mains, and Final. The cut-off PDF can be downloaded by candidates now and assessed to judge their performance.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Conducted For | IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, and other Group A & B Services |
| Exam Cycle | UPSC CSE 2025 (Results Declared in April 2025) |
| Total Vacancies | 1056 |
| Total Candidates Applied | Approx. 12 lakh |
| Candidates Qualified for Mains | ~13,000 |
| Candidates Qualified for Interview | ~2,600 |
| Final Selections | 1,016 |
| Official Website | upsc.gov.in |
UPSC Cut Off 2024 PDF
Aspirants can directly download the official PDF of the UPSC cut off 2024 from the website of UPSC. The report gives precise information about the minimum qualifying marks in terms of categories and stages of examination.
How to Download UPSC Cut Off 2025 PDF
Follow these steps to access the official document of UPSC cut off 2025 PDF:
Step 1: Visit upsc.gov.in
Step 2: Click on the “Cut Off Marks – CSE 2025” link under “What’s New.”
Step 3: Download the PDF and check the marks category-wise and stage-wise
UPSC Civil Services Final Result 2024
UPSC Prelims 2024 Cut off Marks (Based on GS Paper-I)
The UPSC Prelims exam is divided into two papers – General Studies Paper I (GS I) and General Studies Paper II (CSAT). Whereas GS I is employed to prepare the merit list, CSAT is a qualifying paper. In order to clear CSAT, candidates must score at least 33%. The Prelims cut-off also differs from year to year based on various parameters such as the level of difficulty of the papers, the number of aspirants, and the number of vacancies available.
| Category | Cut-off Marks |
|---|---|
| General | 87.98 |
| EWS | 85.92 |
| OBC | 87.28 |
| SC | 79.03 |
| ST | 74.23 |
| PwBD-1 | 69.42 |
| PwBD-2 | 65.30 |
| PwBD-3 | 40.56 |
| PwBD-5 | 40.56 |
UPSC Mains 2024 Cut-off Marks
The UPSC Mains exam comprises nine papers, out of which only seven are taken into consideration for merit ranking. The other two papers, namely the English Language Paper and the Indian Language Paper, are qualifying in nature. Candidates have to clear the cut-off in the Mains to qualify for the Interview stage. The cut-off is marked based on the aggregate performance in the Mains papers.
| Category | Cut-off Marks |
|---|---|
| General | 729 |
| EWS | 696 |
| OBC | 702 |
| SC | 685 |
| ST | 684 |
| PwBD-1 | 663 |
| PwBD-2 | 696 |
| PwBD-3 | 307 |
| PwBD-5 | 361 |
Check here: UPSC IAS Topper List 2024
UPSC Final 2024 Cut-off Marks (After Interview)
The UPSC final cut-off 2025 marks are decided after the Interview (Personality Test). The marks indicate the overall performance of the candidate in all the stages of the examination, and it is the ultimate deciding factor for selection in different civil services.
| Category | Final Cut-off |
|---|---|
| General | 947 |
| EWS | 917 |
| OBC | 910 |
| SC | 880 |
| ST | 884 |
| PwBD-1 | 876 |
| PwBD-2 | 913 |
| PwBD-3 | 701 |
| PwBD-5 | 461 |
Last 5 Years UPSC Cut Off Trend
Year by year, the cut-off marks in UPSC Prelims have seen a declining trend. For instance, the general category cut-off went down from 98 in 2018 and 2019 to 75.41 in 2023. The reason for the fall could be due to an increase in competition, shifting difficulty levels in the examination, and changing question patterns. Aspirants must understand that the cut-off marks change every year depending on the overall performance of the candidates and the number of vacancies.
Previous Year UPSC Cut Off Trend (General Category)
| Year | Prelims | Mains | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 87.98 | 729 | 947 |
| 2023 | 75.41 (Significantly lower due to very tough CSAT) | 741 | 947 |
| 2022 | 88.22 | 748 | 960 |
| 2021 | 87.54 | 745 | 953 |
| 2020 | 92.51 | 736 | 944 |
| 2019 | 98.00 | 751 | 961 |
Previous Year UPSC Prelims Cut Off Category-wise
| Last 5 Years UPSC Prelims Cut Off Marks | |||||||||
| Year | Gen | OBC | SC | ST | EWS | PwBD 1 | PwBD 2 | PwBD 3 | PwBD 5 |
| 2024 | 87.98 | 87.28 | 79.03 | 74.23 | 85.92 | 69.42 | 65.3 | 40.56 | 40.56 |
| 2023 | 75.41 | 74.75 | 59.25 | 47.82 | 68.02 | 40.4 | 47.13 | 40.4 | 33.68 |
| 2022 | 88.22 | 87.54 | 74.08 | 69.35 | 82.83 | 49.84 | 58.59 | 40.4 | 41.76 |
| 2021 | 87.54 | 84.85 | 75.41 | 70.71 | 80.14 | 68.02 | 67.33 | 40.03 | 45.8 |
| 2020 | 92.51 | 89.12 | 74.84 | 68.71 | 77.55 | 70.06 | 63.94 | 40.82 | 42.86 |
UPSC CSE Cut off: Analysis of the Trend
- Prelims Cut Off: Fluctuates based on paper difficulty and vacancies. The GS Paper-I is the deciding factor (CSAT is qualifying).
- Mains Cut Off: Remains in the 740-750 range for the General Category in recent years.
- Final Cut Off: Around 950 for General candidates. A slight downward trend since 2018-2019, indicating increased competition.
Understanding the UPSC Cut Off 2025 Determination Process
The UPSC fixes cut-off marks considering several factors:
- Number of Vacancies: Fewer vacancies may cause more competition and, in turn, higher cut-offs.
- Exam Difficulty: A difficult paper might produce lower average scores, which would impact the cut-off.
- Candidate Performance: Overall trends in performance guide the fixing of cut-off marks.
- Normalization Process: To make the process fair, UPSC may normalize scores, particularly when there are multiple sessions.
It is important that the candidates try to score way above the cut-offs of earlier years to ensure their selection.
Factors Influencing the UPSC Cut Off Marks
All the candidates wait anxiously for the UPSC Prelims Cut Off—the cutoff marks to be eligible for the next round: the Mains exam. In the year 2025, the UPSC Prelims paper difficulty level was on a medium to challenging level. UPSC Cut Off Marks are dynamic rather than static and can change every year in all three phases of Prelims, Mains, and Final selection. These changes depend on a dynamic mix of several important factors:
Difficulty Level of the Examination
Perhaps the most important factor among these. If the question papers, particularly that for GS Paper I in Prelims or General Studies/Optional papers for Mains, are tougher or conceptual in nature, the candidates find it more difficult to obtain high marks. This helps to bring down the cut-off. On the other hand, a simpler paper can help in higher average scores and therefore a higher cut-off. The difficulty of the CSAT paper in Prelims, while only qualifying (requiring 33% marks), also plays a crucial indirect role. A tougher CSAT can lead to a significant number of aspirants failing to qualify, even if they score well in GS Paper I, thereby affecting the overall cut-off.
Number of Vacancies
The total number of vacancies announced by UPSC for a particular year directly impacts the cut-off.
- Greater vacancies usually result in a reduced cut-off because UPSC must recommend a greater number of candidates to the next round or for final selection.
- Fewer vacancies heighten competition, usually causing the cut-off to rise.
Number of Candidates Appearing and Their Overall Performance
Although millions submit applications for the CSE, approximately 5-6 lakh candidates will appear for the Prelims. The overall performance of this group of candidates is crucial. If a greater number of candidates perform very well, then the average marks will increase, and thus the cut-off will rise based on increased competition.
Reservation Policy and Category-wise Distribution
UPSC follows a reservation policy for different categories (General, EWS, OBC, SC, ST, and PwBD). That is, different cut-offs are established for different categories. The number of reserved seats for each category and the performance of candidates belonging to those categories result in different cut-offs for them, with reserved categories generally having lower cut-offs than the General category.
Changes of Exam Pattern or Syllabus
Though less common, any drastic alteration in the exam pattern, marking scheme, or syllabus can impact how candidates prepare and respond, thereby indirectly affecting the cut-off. For example, an increased focus on a specific area of study or a movement away from factual to analytic questions can change average marks.
UPSC Moderation/Normalization Policy
Particularly in the event of exams possibly being held in more than one set or session (albeit less applicable for UPSC CSE Prelims/Mains these days), a process of normalization would be employed in order to level the playing field and correct for any minor differences in difficulty in the various question papers.
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