UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2025 is expected to remain around 86 marks (±4) for the General category, based on expert analysis and previous year trends. Candidates who appeared for the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025 held on 25 May 2025 are eagerly waiting to know the expected cut-off marks.
The cut-off plays a crucial role in deciding whether a candidate qualifies for the UPSC Mains Examination, which is the second stage of the Civil Services selection process.
Click here–https://www.upsc.gov.in
In this detailed analysis by Vivechna IAS and Judiciary Academy, we will discuss:
- Expected UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2025
- Official UPSC Cut Off 2024
- Previous 5 years cut-off trends
- Mains and Final cut off marks
- Factors affecting the UPSC cut-off
Expected UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2025
The UPSC Preliminary Examination consists of two papers:
- General Studies Paper I – Marks counted for merit and cut off
- General Studies Paper II (CSAT) – Qualifying paper (33% minimum)
Only GS Paper I marks determine the cut-off.
Expected UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2025 (Category Wise)
| Category | Expected Cut Off |
| General | 86 (±4) |
| EWS | 82–86 |
| OBC | 84–88 |
| SC | 75–80 |
| ST | 70–75 |
| PwBD | 40–70 |
These estimates are based on:
- Question paper difficulty
- Candidate feedback
- Previous year trends
The previous year cut off marks are based on the official data released by UPSC after the final results. Candidates can also check the official cut off notice on the UPSC website.
Click here- https://upsc.gov.in/exams-related-info/exam-notification
UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2024 (Official)
The official UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2024 released by the commission shows the minimum marks required to qualify for the Mains examination.
| Category | Cut Off |
| 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 Prelims Cut Off Last 5 Years
Understanding previous trends helps aspirants estimate the likely cut-off for the current year.
| Category | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| General | 87.98 | 75.41 | 88.22 | 87.54 | 92.51 |
| EWS | 85.92 | 68.02 | 82.83 | 80.14 | 77.55 |
| OBC | 87.28 | 74.75 | 87.54 | 89.12 | 89.12 |
| SC | 79.03 | 59.25 | 74.08 | 75.41 | 74.84 |
| ST | 74.23 | 47.82 | 69.35 | 70.71 | 68.71 |
Trend Analysis
From the past five years we can observe:
- Cut-off fluctuates depending on paper difficulty
- General category cut-off usually stays between 75–92 marks
- 2023 had a lower cut-off due to a tougher paper
UPSC Mains Cut Off 2024
Candidates who clear the UPSC Prelims Cut Off qualify for the UPSC Mains Examination.
The Mains exam includes 9 papers, but only 7 papers are counted for merit ranking. English and Indian Language papers are qualifying in nature.
| Category | Cut Off |
| General | 729 |
| EWS | 696 |
| OBC | 702 |
| SC | 685 |
| ST | 684 |
Candidates scoring above these marks were called for the UPSC Personality Test (Interview).
UPSC Final Cut Off 2024
The final UPSC cut off is calculated by combining:
- UPSC Mains marks
- Interview (Personality Test) marks
| Category | Final Cut Off |
| General | 947 |
| EWS | 917 |
| OBC | 910 |
| SC | 880 |
| ST | 884 |
Candidates who score above the final cut off are selected for services such as:
- IAS
- IPS
- IFS
- IRS
UPSC Final Cut Off Trends (Last 5 Years)
| Category | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| General | 947 | 953 | 960 | 953 | 944 |
| EWS | 917 | 923 | 926 | 916 | 894 |
| OBC | 910 | 919 | 923 | 910 | 907 |
| SC | 880 | 890 | 893 | 886 | 875 |
| ST | 884 | 891 | 900 | 883 | 876 |
Factors Affecting UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2025
Several important factors influence the UPSC Prelims Cut Off every year.
1. Difficulty Level of Question Paper
If the exam is difficult, the cut off generally decreases. If the paper is easy, the cut off tends to increase.
2. Number of Vacancies
More vacancies may slightly reduce the cut-off marks.
3. Number of Candidates Appearing
Lakhs of candidates appear every year, increasing competition.
4. Reservation Policy
Different categories such as OBC, SC, ST, EWS and PwBD have separate cut-offs.
5. Candidate Performance
If overall candidate performance is strong, the cut-off increases.
6. Normalisation Process
UPSC uses a normalisation method to balance difficulty across question paper sets.
UPSC Prelims Cut Off Analysis by Vivechna IAS and Judiciary Academy
According to expert analysis by Vivechna IAS and Judiciary Academy, the UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2025 may stay around:
82–90 marks for General category depending on answer key variations.
Aspirants should remember:
- Clearing prelims requires smart preparation + accuracy
- Attempting 85–90 questions with good accuracy is usually safe.
Check this also–UPSC Age Limit 2026
FAQs: UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2025
Q1. What is the expected UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2025?
The expected UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2025 is around 86 marks (±4) for the General category.
Q2. Does CSAT marks affect the UPSC Prelims cut off?
No. CSAT (GS Paper II) is only a qualifying paper and requires 33% marks.
Q3. What was the UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2024?
The official UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2024 for General category was 87.98 marks.
Q4. How is the UPSC Final Cut Off calculated?
The final cut off is calculated by combining UPSC Mains marks and Interview marks.
Q5. How many candidates qualify for UPSC Mains?
Approximately 12–13 times the number of vacancies qualify for the UPSC Mains Examination.
