UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 Results: Will cut-off go low this year? Previous years' cut-offs trends

Indian Express

14 hours ago

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination (CSE) Preliminary 2025 was conducted on May 25 this year. The exam was held in two shifts: General Studies Paper I from 9:30 am to 11:30 am and the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Based on past trends, the results are anticipated to be released 15 days after the exam.
Once it is declared, the results will be uploaded in the form of a PDF containing a shortlist of roll numbers which have qualified for the UPSC CSE Main exam 2025. It can be accessed on the official website at upsc.gov.in.
UPSC CSE 2025 Prelims Cut-off: How was previous session cut-off?
In the previous session, last year, the prelims examination witnessed a significant rise in cut-off marks across all categories compared to the year prior to that. The general category cut-off increased to 87.98, while the OBC and EWS categories saw cut-offs of 87.28 and 85.92, respectively.
UPSC CSE Prelims 2023 saw a sharp decline in cut offs due to challenging CSAT paper
In stark contrast, the 2023 Prelims experienced a substantial drop in cut-off marks. The General category cut-off plummeted to 75.41, marking one of the lowest in recent years.
Experts attributed this decline primarily to the increased difficulty level of the CSAT paper, which was considered exceptionally challenging and time-consuming. Many aspirants found it difficult to clear the qualifying threshold, leading to lower overall cut-offs. Alongside the General category, cut-offs for other categories also reflected this dip—OBC dropped to 74.75, SC to 59.25, ST to 47.82, and EWS to 68.02. The PwBD category was especially impacted, with the cut-off for PwBD 1 candidates falling sharply to just 40.40.
How was the cut off in UPSC Civil Services prelims 2022?
The 2022 examination maintained a stable trend in cut-off marks. The general category cut-off was 88.22, closely aligning with the previous year's figures. This consistency indicates a balanced difficulty level of both GS Paper I and the CSAT, allowing a predictable performance outcome for candidates. In the same year, OBC candidates required 87.54, SC 74.08, ST 69.35, EWS 82.83, and PwBD 49.84 to qualify—showing minimal fluctuations across categories.
UPSC CSE 2021 cut-off trends
In 2021, the general category cut-off stood at 87.54, showing a slight decrease from the previous year. While the overall difficulty level remained moderate, minor variations in question patterns and topics may have influenced the marginal dip in cut-off marks. For other categories, OBC was at 84.85, SC at 75.41, ST at 70.71, and EWS at 80.14, while the PwBD category stood at 68.02.
Highest cut off in the past five years in 2020
The 2020 Prelims recorded the highest General category cut-off in the past five years at 92.51. This peak suggests that the examination was relatively easier, enabling a higher number of candidates to score above the qualifying threshold. Similarly, for OBC, SC, ST, EWS and PwBD 1, it was 89.12, 74.84, 68.71, 77.55, and 70.06 respectively.
Comparative overview of UPSC CSE prelims cut-offs (2020–2024)
UPSC CSE Prelims Result 2025: Will cut-off go low this year?
The 2025 Preliminary Examination, held on May 25, was reported by experts and aspirants to be one of the most challenging in recent memory. Both the General Studies Paper I and the CSAT were considered tough, with the CSAT, in particular, posing significant difficulties for many candidates.
This heightened difficulty level is expected to influence the cut-off marks, potentially leading to lower thresholds similar to those observed in 2023.