UPSC Cut Off 2025: Category Wise Marks for Prelims, Mains and Final Merit

What a cut off means at each UPSC stage

UPSC draws three separate lines in every cycle. The Prelims line decides who writes Mains, the Mains line decides who gets an interview call, and the final line decides who makes the recommended list. Each one is set per category, so a general and an SC candidate with the same score can have different outcomes.

The Prelims line looks only at General Studies Paper I. CSAT has to be cleared at 33% (66 out of 200), but those marks are never ranked. Mains is judged on the seven merit papers, and the final list adds the 275 mark Personality Test to that Mains total.

UPSC cut off 2025 by category

Notice how close the OBC Prelims figure (92.00) came to the general one. That happens when many reserved category candidates score high enough to clear on merit, which pushes the reserved line up.

UPSC prelims cut off from 2023 to 2025

A swing of more than 17 marks for the general category in two years shows how much the paper itself moves the line. When GS Paper I is tough and scores bunch low, the cut off falls; an easier paper lifts it. That is why a fixed "safe score" for Prelims does not exist.

Mains and final cut offs over three cycles

Mains figures are far steadier than Prelims. The general Mains line has stayed within about 12 marks across these three cycles, roughly 42% of the written total. In practice, written scores around 750 or more have kept general candidates in contention for an interview call.

Pass marks UPSC sets before any ranking

Some minimums apply to everyone and come before any ranking:

• CSAT: at least 33% (66 marks). Miss it and your GS Paper I is not considered, however high it is.
• Mains Paper A and Paper B: at least 25% in each language paper. Fail either and your seven merit papers are not evaluated.
• Merit papers: the notification allows UPSC to fix minimum qualifying marks in any or all papers at its discretion.

Clearing these is the entry ticket. The cut off is a separate, higher bar decided by competition.

What will move the next UPSC cut off

• Vacancies: UPSC calls about 12 to 13 times the vacancies to Mains and about twice to interview, so fewer posts usually mean a higher line.
• Paper difficulty: the biggest single factor for Prelims, as the 2023 to 2024 jump shows.
• Number of serious candidates: more well prepared applicants raise the score needed to stay in the top group.
• Category share: reserved lines rise when the number of seats is small or many candidates score close to the general line.

Never treat a predicted cut off as fact. Aim for a GS Paper I score with a margin of 10 to 15 marks over the last general figure, and use past question papers to check where you stand against the Prelims syllabus.

Finding the official cut off notice

UPSC does not publish stage wise cut offs right after Prelims or Mains. It releases them, along with individual marks, in a single notice issued after that year's recommended list is out, so the Prelims cut off of any year becomes public months after the exam. Look for the cut off notice under the Civil Services section on the UPSC website.

Plan your study with the UPSC syllabus and confirm your attempts and age on the UPSC eligibility page.