UPSC CSE · Prelims tools
Prelims Cutoff Checker
Would this score have made it? Put your GS Paper I and CSAT marks next to the officially published Prelims cutoffs from 2018 to 2025, for your category, and see the margin.
Enter your GS Paper I and CSAT marks to see where they stand against recent Prelims cutoffs.
The cutoff table behind this checker
Every comparison above comes from this table: the officially published Prelims cut-off marks for GS Paper I, out of 200. Nothing here is estimated or rounded; where no official figure exists, the cell is left empty.
| Category | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | 98 | 98 | 92.51 | 87.54 | 88.22 | 75.41 | 87.98 | 92.66 |
| EWS | n/a | 90 | 77.55 | 80.14 | 82.83 | 68.02 | 85.92 | 89.34 |
| OBC | 96.66 | 95.34 | 89.12 | 84.85 | 87.54 | 74.75 | 87.28 | 92 |
| SC | 84 | 82 | 74.84 | 75.41 | 74.08 | 59.25 | 79.03 | 84 |
| ST | 83.34 | 77.34 | 68.71 | 70.71 | 69.35 | 47.82 | 74.23 | 82.66 |
Read it as a range, not a target. The General cutoff has swung from 75.41 (2023) to 98 (2018 and 2019) inside eight years, purely on paper difficulty and vacancies. A sensible goal is to sit comfortably above the recent band for your category, with CSAT safely over 66, rather than aiming to just touch a past line.
How to use past cutoffs honestly
Start from your marks. If you are estimating from a mock, get the score first from the Mock Score Analyzer, then bring the number here. Check it against the latest year, then switch to the all years view: a score that clears most years of your category band is a healthy position, while one that clears only the easiest year is a warning, not a comfort. Cutoffs shift with vacancies and paper difficulty, so all of this is guidance for setting targets. It is not a rank prediction, and no honest tool can turn Prelims marks into one.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is the Prelims cutoff?
The cutoff is the GS Paper I score of the last candidate shortlisted for the Mains in that category. UPSC shortlists a multiple of the number of vacancies, so the cutoff is set by competition, not by a fixed pass mark. It is published officially after the examination cycle ends, which is why this checker uses the published figures for 2018 to 2025.
Why does the cutoff differ so much by year?
Three things move it: the difficulty of the GS paper, the number of vacancies that year, and how the field performs. The 2023 paper was widely judged the toughest of the recent set, and the General cutoff fell to 75.41; an easier paper or fewer vacancies pushes the line up. This is also why a margin over one year says little about the next.
My CSAT is below 66 but my GS score is high. Do I qualify?
No. CSAT is a qualifying gate: GS Paper I is not even evaluated unless CSAT reaches 33 percent (66 of 200). The checker therefore reports the CSAT result first. Raising CSAT from the high fifties to the high sixties is often the cheapest score improvement available.
If my marks clear a past cutoff, does that predict my result?
No, and treat any tool that promises that with suspicion. Past cutoffs tell you how competitive a score has been, not where this year line will fall or what rank a score would get. Paper difficulty and vacancies move the line every year. Use the comparison to set a realistic target band with a safety margin, nothing more.
Why is there no EWS cutoff for 2018?
EWS reservation in the Civil Services Examination began with the 2019 cycle, so no EWS cutoff exists for 2018. The table leaves that cell empty rather than filling it with an estimate.
More calculators
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- CSAT Marks CalculatorScore your CSAT paper (Paper II) and see instantly whether you clear the 33 percent qualifying line of 66 marks, and by how much.
- Mock Score AnalyzerTurn a mock result into a plan: final score, marks lost to wrong answers, the blank and correct scenarios, and how many conversions you need for a target.
- Negative Marking Calculator for Any ExamFor SSC, CDS, banking and state PSC papers: set the questions, marks and negative scheme yourself and get your score after the deduction.
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- UPSC Attempts CalculatorFrom your date of birth and category, find the first Prelims you can sit, your last eligible year, and how many attempts you have in hand.