The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially released the cutoff marks for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2024, encompassing the preliminary, mains, and final stages. This cutoff list informs candidates of the minimum scores required to advance through each stage. The UPSC annually selects the nation's top civil servants from among lakhs of applicants.
Therefore, understanding the cutoff marks is crucial. Here, we provide a clear explanation of the UPSC CSE 2024 cutoff scores for the preliminary, mains, and final stages.
UPSC CSE 2024 Preliminary Cutoff Marks
The preliminary examination consists of two papers:
- General Studies Paper-I
- CSAT (Paper-II)
The merit list is solely based on the marks obtained in General Studies Paper-I. The CSAT paper is qualifying, requiring a minimum of 33% marks.
Category-wise Preliminary Cutoff
- General - 87.98
- Economically Weaker Section (EWS) - 85.92
- Other Backward Classes (OBC) - 87.28
- Scheduled Caste (SC) - 79.03
- Scheduled Tribe (ST) - 74.23
- PwBD-1 - 69.42
- PwBD-2 - 65.30
- PwBD-3 - 40.56
- PwBD-5 - 40.56
Important: The preliminary examination is a screening test only. Its score does not contribute to the final merit.
UPSC CSE 2024 Mains Cutoff Marks
The mains examination comprises nine papers, but only seven papers' scores are included in the final merit. The English and Indian Language papers are qualifying in nature.
The category-wise cutoff for the mains examination is as follows:
- General - 729
- Economically Weaker Section (EWS) - 696
- Other Backward Classes (OBC) - 702
- Scheduled Caste (SC) - 685
- Scheduled Tribe (ST) - 684
- PwBD-1 - 663
- PwBD-2 - 696
- PwBD-3 - 307
- PwBD-5 - 361
UPSC CSE 2024 Final Cutoff Marks
The final cutoff is determined based on the total marks obtained in the mains examination and the interview (personality test). The UPSC prepares the final merit list based on these total marks.
Final Cutoff
- General - 947
- Economically Weaker Section (EWS) - 917
- Other Backward Classes (OBC) - 910
- Scheduled Caste (SC) - 880
- Scheduled Tribe (ST) - 884
- PwBD-1 - 876
- PwBD-2 - 913
- PwBD-3 - 701
- PwBD-5 - 461
Key Factors Determining the Cutoff
The UPSC determines the cutoff marks each year considering several factors, such as:
- Difficulty level of the examination: A more difficult paper may result in a lower cutoff.
- Number of vacancies: This year, there are 1056 vacancies.
- Number of candidates: A higher number of candidates increases competition.
- Overall performance: If a majority of candidates perform well, the cutoff may increase.
Important Points for Candidates
- The final cutoff for the General category was 947 marks, remaining relatively stable compared to previous years.
- Separate cutoffs were set for PwBD candidates to ensure equitable evaluation for all.
- The preliminary score is not included in the final merit; only the mains and interview scores are considered.
This cutoff analysis can be highly beneficial for candidates planning to take the UPSC CSE in 2025, allowing them to assess their preparation effectively. Regularly visit the official UPSC website for the latest updates and notifications.
