Preparation strategy
UPSC Prelims Cut-off Trends: The Last 10 Years, Explained
The General-category Prelims cut-off has ranged from 75.41 to 116.00 in the last decade. Here is the full table, what moved it, and the score you should actually aim at.
Pragnya IAS Academy, Hyderabad · Updated 5 October 2026 · 8 min read
UPSC Prelims cut-off, last 10 years
Cut-offs below are for the General (unreserved) category, GS Paper I only, out of 200. UPSC publishes official cut-offs after each cycle's final results; the figures below are compiled from those official documents.
| Cycle | Prelims GS-I (of 200) | Mains written (of 1750) | Final (of 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 107.34 | 676 | 877 |
| 2016 | 116.00 | 787 | 988 |
| 2017 | 105.34 | 809 | 1006 |
| 2018 | 98.00 | 774 | 982 |
| 2019 | 98.00 | 751 | 961 |
| 2020 | 92.51 | 736 | 944 |
| 2021 | 87.54 | 745 | 953 |
| 2022 | 88.22 | 748 | 960 |
| 2023 | 75.41 | 741 | 953 |
| 2024 | 87.98 | 729 | 947 |
| 2025 | 92.66 | — | — |
Category-wise cut-offs, recent cycles
| Cycle | 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 |
Three patterns in the data
- The paper's difficulty drives the cut-off more than competition does. 2023's dip to 75.41 followed an unusually tough paper; 2016's peak of 116.00 followed a scoring one.
- Since 2020 the normal band has been the high-80s to low-90s. Plan for a cut-off around 90 in a normal year, and treat anything lower as a bonus margin.
- Mains and final cut-offs are far more stable than Prelims — the real selection battle happens in Mains, where the written cut-off has hovered in the 730–810 range for a decade.
Do not forget CSAT
CSAT (Paper II) is qualifying: you need 33%, or 66.67 marks out of 200. It sounds trivial, yet every year strong candidates fail Prelims on CSAT alone as the paper's reasoning and comprehension sections have hardened. Give CSAT one dedicated practice slot every week from the beginning — it is the cheapest insurance in the exam.
What score should you target?
Set your target at the top of the recent band, not at the cut-off: 95–105 in GS Paper I, and 90+ in CSAT practice tests. Aiming at the cut-off is planning to squeak through; aiming 15 marks above it survives a tough paper year. Track yourself with full-length All India test series rather than home mocks — relative rank, not raw score, is what the cut-off measures. The UPSC syllabus and exam pattern page maps how Prelims fits the full examination.
Frequently asked questions
What was the UPSC Prelims cut-off for the General category?
The most recent published cut-offs are 92.66 (2025), 87.98 (2024) and 75.41 (2023), out of 200 in GS Paper I. UPSC publishes official cut-offs after each cycle's final results — always confirm from upsc.gov.in.
Is the cut-off out of 200 or 400?
The cut-off applies to GS Paper I only, which is out of 200. CSAT (Paper II) is qualifying at 33% and does not count towards the cut-off.
Why was the 2023 cut-off so low?
The 2023 GS Paper I was unusually difficult, pulling the General cut-off down to 75.41. Normal-year cut-offs sit in the high-80s to low-90s.
What is a safe score in UPSC Prelims?
Aim for 95–105 marks in GS Paper I and a comfortable CSAT margin. That covers the normal cut-off band with room for a difficult paper.