UPSC prelims cut-off
UPSC prelims cut-off 2025
92.66
Out of 200 in General Studies Paper I.
Your result
92.66. Out of 200 in General Studies Paper I. General candidates needed 92.66 of 200 in General Studies Paper I to reach the 2025 Mains, and at least 66 (33%) in CSAT, which is qualifying only.
In the 2025 Civil Services prelims, General candidates needed 92.66 of 200 in General Studies Paper I, EWS 89.34, OBC 92.00, SC 84.00 and ST 82.66, and every candidate needed 66 in CSAT.
UPSC prelims cut-off by year
General Studies Paper I, out of 200. UPSC publishes the 2026 prelims cut-off only after the 2026 final result.
| Year | General | EWS | OBC | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 92.66 | 89.34 | 92.00 | 84.00 | 82.66 |
| 2024 | 87.98 | 85.92 | 87.28 | 79.03 | 74.23 |
| 2023 | 75.41 | 68.02 | 74.75 | 59.25 | 47.82 |
| 2022 | 88.22 | 82.83 | 87.54 | 74.08 | 69.35 |
| 2021 | 87.54 | 80.14 | 84.85 | 75.41 | 70.71 |
| 2020 | 92.51 | 77.55 | 89.12 | 74.84 | 68.71 |
| 2019 | 98.00 | 90.00 | 95.34 | 82.00 | 77.34 |
| 2018 | 98.00 | – | 96.66 | 84.00 | 83.34 |
| 2017 | 105.34 | – | 102.66 | 88.66 | 88.66 |
| 2016 | 116.00 | – | 110.66 | 99.34 | 96.00 |
There was no EWS category before 2019.
The CSAT rule
- 66 of 200 in CSAT. General Studies Paper II is qualifying only, at 33%. Below it, a candidate does not qualify, whatever the Paper I marks.
- The cut-off is Paper I alone. CSAT marks are never added to it.
- Negative marking in both papers. One third of a question’s marks comes off for each wrong answer.
Get the next prelims cut-off when UPSC publishes it
One email when UPSC publishes the Civil Services prelims cut-off marks for a new year.
Questions people ask
What was the UPSC prelims cut-off in 2025?
92.66 for General, 89.34 for EWS, 92.00 for OBC, 84.00 for SC and 82.66 for ST, out of 200 in General Studies Paper I.
What was the UPSC prelims cut-off in 2024?
87.98 for General, 85.92 for EWS, 87.28 for OBC, 79.03 for SC and 74.23 for ST.
How many marks do you need in CSAT?
33%, which is 66 of 200. CSAT is qualifying only: its marks do not count towards the cut-off, but a candidate below 66 does not qualify, whatever the General Studies Paper I marks.
When does UPSC publish the prelims cut-off?
Only after the final result of that year's examination. The 2026 prelims cut-off will come with the 2026 final result.
Is there negative marking in UPSC prelims?
Yes. One third of the marks for a question is deducted for each wrong answer.
What was the lowest UPSC prelims cut-off for General candidates?
75.41 in 2023, the lowest since 2016. The highest was 116.00 in 2016.
More free tools
How we work this out
What it does
Choose a year and category to see UPSC's General Studies Paper I cut-off, then add your marks to check them.
UPSC's minimum qualifying marks in the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2016 to 2025, and the CSAT rule in the CSE 2026 notification.
Method
- The cut-off is UPSC's own figure for General Studies Paper I, out of 200.
- CSAT (General Studies Paper II) is qualifying only: a candidate needs 33%, which is 66 of 200.