Civil Services Examination 2026 · Cutoff History
UPSC Prelims Cutoff 2026
Official UPSC Prelims cutoffs from 2015 through 2025 for all categories. The 2025 General Category cutoff was 92.66, the 2024 cutoff was 87.98, and the 2023 cutoff was an anomalous low at 75.41 due to an unusually difficult paper. The official 2026 cutoff is decided by UPSC and announced after the final Civil Services Examination result. This page tracks the historical record and the live submission distribution from candidates who have already used our UPSC Prelims Score Calculator.
UPSC Prelims cutoff history (2015–2025)
Official UPSC Prelims GS Paper 1 cutoff marks by category, published in UPSC's annual recruitment reports. All figures are out of 200.
| Year | General | OBC | EWS | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 92.66 | 92.00 | 89.34 | 84.00 | 82.66 |
| 2024 | 87.98 | 87.28 | 85.92 | 79.03 | 74.23 |
| 2023 | 75.41 | 74.75 | 68.02 | 59.25 | 47.82 |
| 2022 | 88.22 | 87.54 | 82.83 | 74.08 | 69.35 |
| 2021 | 87.54 | 84.85 | 80.14 | 75.41 | 70.71 |
| 2020 | 92.51 | 89.12 | 90.27 | 74.84 | 68.71 |
| 2019 | 98.00 | 95.34 | 90.00 | 82.00 | 77.34 |
| 2018 | 98.00 | 96.66 | 90.00 | 84.00 | 73.34 |
| 2017 | 105.34 | 102.66 | — | 88.66 | 88.66 |
| 2016 | 116.00 | 110.66 | — | 99.34 | 96.00 |
| 2015 | 107.34 | 106.00 | — | 94.00 | 91.34 |
EWS category was introduced in 2019 (Constitution 103rd Amendment). All figures out of 200. Source: UPSC official cutoff announcements (upsc.gov.in).
UPSC Prelims cutoff trend (General Category, 2015–2025)
The General Category cutoff has trended downward overall — from 116 in 2016 to 75.41 in 2023 — before rebounding to 87.98 in 2024 and 92.66 in 2025. The dotted line shows the 11-year average (95.4 marks).
General cutoff · 11-year average (95.4)
Year-by-year UPSC Prelims cutoff analysis
UPSC Prelims Cutoff 2025 — 92.66
The 2025 General Category cutoff was 92.66 marks — a moderate recovery from the 2023 low. OBC 92.00, EWS 89.34, SC 84.00, ST 82.66. UPSC released the official cutoff alongside the CSE 2025 final result. The paper was rated moderately difficult by most coaching institutes.
UPSC Prelims Cutoff 2024 — 87.98
The 2024 General Category cutoff was 87.98 marks, released by UPSC alongside the CSE 2024 final result. OBC 87.28, EWS 85.92, SC 79.03, ST 74.23. The 2024 Prelims saw a notable recovery in cutoff compared to the 2023 anomaly.
UPSC Prelims Cutoff 2023 — 75.41 (anomaly)
The 2023 General Category cutoff was 75.41 marks — the lowest in over a decade. OBC 74.75, EWS 68.02, SC 59.25, ST 47.82. The unusually low cutoff reflected a very difficult paper, particularly in current affairs, Polity and factual recall sections. This year set off public concern about the paper-setting unpredictability of UPSC Prelims.
UPSC Prelims Cutoff 2022 — 88.22
Cutoff was 88.22 marks for General Category. OBC 87.54, EWS 82.83, SC 74.08, ST 69.35. A relatively standard year for paper difficulty.
UPSC Prelims Cutoff 2021 — 87.54
Cutoff was 87.54 marks for General Category. OBC 84.85, EWS 80.14, SC 75.41, ST 70.71. The 2021 paper was held amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
UPSC Prelims Cutoff 2020 — 92.51
Cutoff was 92.51 marks for General Category. OBC 89.12, EWS 90.27, SC 74.84, ST 68.71. Notably, EWS cutoff exceeded OBC that year.
UPSC Prelims Cutoff 2019 — 98.00
Cutoff was 98.00 marks for General Category. OBC 95.34, EWS 90.00 (first year EWS was introduced via the Constitution 103rd Amendment), SC 82.00, ST 77.34.
UPSC Prelims Cutoff 2018 — 98.00
Cutoff was 98.00 marks for General Category — identical to 2019. OBC 96.66, SC 84.00, ST 73.34. EWS was not yet a category.
UPSC Prelims Cutoff 2017 — 105.34
Cutoff was 105.34 marks for General Category. OBC 102.66, SC 88.66, ST 88.66. Notable: SC and ST cutoffs were identical that year.
UPSC Prelims Cutoff 2016 — 116.00 (highest since 2015)
Cutoff was 116.00 marks for General Category — the highest in the modern UPSC era. OBC 110.66, SC 99.34, ST 96.00. The 2016 paper was considered unusually easy, leading to the high cutoff.
UPSC Prelims Cutoff 2015 — 107.34
Cutoff was 107.34 marks for General Category. OBC 106.00, SC 94.00, ST 91.34. The first year of the current CSAT-as-qualifying scheme.
UPSC Prelims cutoff — category-wise (2025 official)
UPSC announces separate Prelims cutoffs for each reservation category. Here are the official 2025 figures — the most recent on record. The 2026 cutoff is announced by UPSC after the final result.
General
92.66
Official 2025. 2024: 87.98.
OBC
92.00
Official 2025. 2024: 87.28.
EWS
89.34
Introduced 2019. 2024: 85.92.
SC
84.00
Official 2025. 2024: 79.03.
ST
82.66
Official 2025. 2024: 74.23.
PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) cutoffs vary widely by disability type and are announced separately by UPSC; historically range from 33-50 marks.
Live data from 2026 Prelims candidates
Verified predictions submitted
15,675
Average GS Paper 1 score
50.1
These numbers update in real time as more candidates submit their predictions. The distribution chart on the result page shows the full histogram of scores.
How the UPSC Prelims cutoff is decided
UPSC determines the Prelims cutoff using three factors:
- Number of vacancies — typically 12-15× the vacancy count clears Prelims for the Mains round.
- Paper difficulty — harder papers produce lower cutoffs (2023's 75.41 vs 2016's 116.00 reflects this).
- Candidate performance — normalization across categories and overall distribution.
Only GS Paper 1 marks are used for the merit cutoff. CSAT (Paper 2) is purely qualifying — candidates must clear 66.67 marks (33% of 200), but those marks do not add to merit. So your GS Paper 1 score is the single most important number you'll look at after the exam.
Frequently asked questions about UPSC Prelims Cutoff
What was the UPSC Prelims 2025 cutoff?
The most recent UPSC Prelims cutoffs were 2025: 92.66, 2024: 87.98, and 2023: 75.41 (an anomaly — the 2023 paper was unusually difficult). The General Category cutoff for 2026 is most likely to fall between 85 and 95 marks out of 200. The exact 2026 cutoff is decided by UPSC after the final result.
When will the UPSC Prelims 2026 cutoff be officially announced?
UPSC announces the official Prelims cutoff alongside the final Civil Services Examination result — typically several months after the Prelims exam. Until then, only the historical record (2015–2025) is on the public record.
What was the lowest UPSC Prelims cutoff in recent years?
The 2023 General Category cutoff was 75.41 marks — the lowest in over a decade, reflecting a particularly difficult Prelims paper that year. The cutoff then recovered to 87.98 in 2024 and 92.66 in 2025. The highest recent cutoff was in 2016 (116.00 marks).
Does CSAT score affect the UPSC Prelims cutoff?
No. CSAT (Paper 2) is a qualifying paper — candidates must score strictly above 66.67 marks (33% of 200) to clear it, but CSAT marks do not contribute to the merit cutoff. Only GS Paper 1 marks determine who clears Prelims.
What was the UPSC Prelims cutoff history for General Category?
Official UPSC Prelims General (Unreserved) cutoffs for GS Paper 1, out of 200: 2025 = 92.66, 2024 = 87.98, 2023 = 75.41 (an anomaly low), 2022 = 88.22, 2021 = 87.54, 2020 = 92.51. The 11-year average is 95.4 and the 5-year average is 86.4. The official 2026 cutoff will be announced by UPSC after the final Civil Services Examination result.
What was the UPSC Prelims cutoff history for OBC?
Official UPSC Prelims OBC cutoffs for GS Paper 1, out of 200: 2025 = 92.00, 2024 = 87.28, 2023 = 74.75, 2022 = 87.54, 2021 = 84.85, 2020 = 89.12. OBC cutoffs typically fall within 1–3 marks below the General Category cutoff.
What was the UPSC Prelims cutoff history for EWS?
Official UPSC Prelims EWS cutoffs for GS Paper 1, out of 200: 2025 = 89.34, 2024 = 85.92, 2023 = 68.02, 2022 = 82.83, 2021 = 80.14, 2020 = 90.27. EWS was introduced in 2019 via the Constitution 103rd Amendment.
What was the UPSC Prelims cutoff history for SC?
Official UPSC Prelims SC cutoffs for GS Paper 1, out of 200: 2025 = 84.00, 2024 = 79.03, 2023 = 59.25 (the lowest in over a decade), 2022 = 74.08, 2021 = 75.41, 2020 = 74.84.
What was the UPSC Prelims cutoff history for ST?
Official UPSC Prelims ST cutoffs for GS Paper 1, out of 200: 2025 = 82.66, 2024 = 74.23, 2023 = 47.82, 2022 = 69.35, 2021 = 70.71, 2020 = 68.71.
How many candidates clear UPSC Prelims each year?
Approximately 12,000–15,000 candidates clear UPSC Prelims each year out of roughly 10 lakh (1 million) who appear — about a 1.5% clearance rate. The exact number is set by UPSC at about 12–15 times the announced vacancies for that recruitment cycle.
Are coaching institutes' cutoff predictions reliable?
Coaching institute answer keys are reasonable approximations but not authoritative. They may differ from UPSC's official key on 5–10 questions. Only the official UPSC cutoff, announced with the final Civil Services Examination result, is definitive. Our calculator aggregates 9 institute keys on a single result page so you can compare across them.
How does this cutoff page help me?
Use the historical UPSC Prelims cutoff data above to understand year-on-year trends. Then use our free UPSC Prelims Score Calculator to compute your 2026 GS Paper 1 score against multiple coaching answer keys with negative marking applied. The official 2026 cutoff is announced by UPSC after the final result.
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