The upsi cut off works at two levels: you first need 35% in every one of the four sections plus 50% overall (200 of 400) to qualify the written exam, and then the final cut off, meaning the marks where each category's quota fills up, decides who actually gets the job. In the 2021 cycle, the reported final cut off for unreserved candidates was a little above 302 out of 400.
This page sets out the qualifying rules, past final cut offs, why the line moves between cycles, and a walkthrough of the board's own notice. Section topics and the paper format live on the UP SI syllabus and exam pattern page.
Exam at a glance
Conducted by
UP Police Recruitment and Promotion BoardWritten exam
160 questions, 400 marksSectional minimum
35 out of 100 in each sectionAggregate minimum
50%, that is 200 out of 400Merit based on
Written exam marks, after qualifying PST and PETWhere published
Result and cut off notices on uppbpb.gov.in
How the upsi cut off is decided
Only the written exam is scored. PST and PET carry no marks at all. So the board ranks qualified candidates by written marks, applies reservation rules for each category and for women, and the marks of whoever takes the final seat in each quota become that category's final cut off.
Along the way there is also a shortlisting line: the board calls a set number of top scorers, a multiple of the vacancies, to document verification and the PST. That line is usually lower than the final cut off, because some shortlisted candidates fail the physical or medical stages.
Qualifying marks are not the cut off
| Requirement | Marks needed |
|---|---|
| General Hindi | 35 of 100 |
| Basic Law, Constitution and GK | 35 of 100 |
| Numerical and Mental Ability | 35 of 100 |
| Mental Aptitude, Intelligence and Reasoning | 35 of 100 |
| Total | 200 of 400 |
Clearing all five conditions only makes you eligible for the merit list. Because lakhs of graduates chase a few thousand seats, real selection has always needed far more than 200.
UP SI previous year cut off
| Category | Final cut off out of 400 |
|---|---|
| General (UR) | 302.09405 |
| OBC | 287.51425 |
| EWS | 285.56168 |
| SC | 260.14439 |
| ST | 223.33388 |
The decimal places show that the 2021 scores were normalised, since that exam was held online across many shifts. For the 2025 recruitment of 4,543 posts, the written test was taken with pen and OMR sheet over two days, and a cut off marks notice came out together with the final selection list. That document on uppbpb.gov.in carries the exact category wise figures of the latest cycle.
Reading the trend
- UR selections have needed about three quarters of the paper. A score near 300 out of 400 has been the zone where unreserved candidates are selected.
- The gap between categories is wide. In the 2021 cycle, ST closed almost 80 marks below UR, and SC about 42 below.
- OBC and EWS lines sit close together, roughly 15 marks under UR.
- No negative marking pushes scores up, because every candidate attempts all 160 questions.
What will shift the next cut off
- Vacancies: a large recruitment like the 2025 one with 4,543 posts tends to pull the line down a little compared with a small one.
- Applicants and attendance: UP SI draws lakhs of graduates, and more serious candidates raise the line.
- Paper difficulty: a hard Hindi or law section lowers scores across the board.
- Mode and normalisation: online multi shift exams need normalisation; offline papers in different shifts may also be adjusted, as the notice explains.
- Category and women's quota: separate lines close independently.
No one can know the official figure in advance, so plan for a margin above the last published line.
Finding the board's cut off notice yourself
- Visit uppbpb.gov.in, the board's website.
- Open the notices or results section for the Sub Inspector recruitment of your cycle.
- Download the final result PDF and the separate cut off marks notice.
- Find your category and, where given, the post (civil police, PAC platoon commander, SSF or women battalion).
To get an honest estimate of where you stand, sit a few timed past UP SI papers and compare your scores with the lines above. Sitting the constable exam too? Its lines are collected under constable cut offs for UP.
Frequently asked questions
What score just passes the UP SI written test?
35% per section, across all four, plus 50% in total. In marks, that is 35 out of 100 per section and 200 out of 400 overall.
Where did the 2021 UP SI merit list close for UR candidates?
Reported result coverage put the UR final cut off at about 302.09 out of 400. OBC was about 287.5, EWS about 285.6, SC about 260.1 and ST about 223.3.
Where is the upsi cut off for the latest recruitment?
A category wise marks notice accompanied the final list of the 2025 recruitment. Download it from the results area of the board's website to see the exact category wise marks.
Do women get their own UP SI selection line?
Women have a reserved share of posts under UP rules, so their selection can close at a different score. The board's notice lists any separate figures.
Does PET or PST add marks?
No. Both are qualifying only. They decide whether you stay in the list, not your rank, which comes only from the written exam.
Why are some UP SI cut offs in decimals?
When an exam runs in many shifts, raw marks are normalised to make shifts comparable. The 2021 online exam used this, which is why its cut offs have several decimal places.