Know UPSC Prelims Qualifying Marks 2026 For GS Paper I And CSAT. Check Category-Wise Cut Off Trends And Expected Cut Off Marks For General, OBC, SC, ST, And EWS.
theIAShub | 15 Jul, 2025 | 46496 | 0 |
The UPSC Prelims Exam consists of two papers: General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II (CSAT). While GS Paper I determines merit ranking, CSAT is qualifying in nature, requiring candidates to score at least 33% (66 marks out of 200) to pass. Understanding the UPSC Prelims Qualifying Marks is essential for aspirants to plan their preparation effectively and ensure they clear the first stage of the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
Also Read: UPSC Prelims Result 2025 Out
The Prelims is the first stage of the Civil Services Examination. It is like a filter that selects candidates who can move to the next stage, the main examination. The Prelims has two papers and both papers have different qualifying Marks for the UPSC Prelims examination.
Detailed Overview of UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern |
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| UPSC Prelims Paper | General Studies Paper I- It Tests the candidate’s knowledge of various subjects and their application to current events. | ||
| General Studies Paper II (CSAT)- It tests the analytical ability, reasoning, and comprehension ability of candidates. | |||
| Duration | 2 hours | ||
| Mode | Offline | ||
| Evaluation Mode | General Studies Paper I | Marks considered for prelims cut-off marks | |
| General Studies Paper II (CSAT) (Qualifying | Qualifying in Nature (need 33% of total marks) | ||
| Marks Distribution | General Studies Paper I | 200 marks | 100 Questions |
| General Studies Paper II (CSAT) | 200 marks | 80 Questions | |
UPSC prelims exam 2026 is scheduled for 24 May 2026, seeing the previous year’s trend exam is going to be moderate to difficult. Notification for the UPSC Prelims 2026 is going to be released on 14 January 2026.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially released the qualifying marks for the Civil Services Examination 2024. These marks help candidates understand the minimum scores required to move ahead in the selection process. The cut-off marks are released category-wise for each stage—Prelims, Mains, and Final. Knowing these qualifying marks is essential for aspirants to assess their performance and set realistic goals for future attempts.
| Examination | General | EWS | OBC | SC | ST | PwBD-1 | PwBD-2 | PwBD-3 | PwBD-5 |
| CS (Prelim) | 87.98 | 85.92 | 87.28 | 79.03 | 74.23 | 69.42 | 65.30 | 40.56 | 40.56 |
| CS (Main) | 729 | 696 | 702 | 685 | 684 | 663 | 696 | 307 | 361 |
| CS (Final) | 947 | 917 | 910 | 880 | 884 | 876 | 913 | 701 | 461 |
The expected qualifying marks for UPSC Prelims 2025 are estimated based on previous year trends, exam difficulty, and expert analysis. For the General category, the cut-off is likely to fall between 85 and 90 marks, as the GS Paper I was moderately difficult and CSAT remained challenging for many candidates. For EWS and OBC categories, the expected cut-off could range from 80 to 88 marks, while for SC and ST candidates, it may be around 70 to 80 marks. The PwBD categories are expected to have lower cut-offs, varying between 40 and 70 marks, depending on the sub-category. These are just estimations and may vary slightly depending on the number of vacancies, candidates’ performance, and normalization. Aspirants should wait for the official cut-off marks released by UPSC after the final result. Meanwhile, candidates qualifying prelims should begin focused preparation for the Mains exam to stay ahead in the selection process.
As mentioned above the UPSC has Qualifying Marks for UPSC Prelims paper 1 and paper 2 (CSAT). The Qualifying Marks for UPSC Prelims Paper I are decided by the UPSC prelims cut-off marks released by the UPSC.
The UPSC Prelims Qualifying Marks depend on the category of the candidate. General category cut-offs are higher, while OBC, SC, and ST candidates benefit from relaxed criteria. UPSC releases the cut-off for different categories.
| Category | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| General | 92.51 | 87.54 | 88.22 | 75.41 |
| EWS | 77.55 | 80.14 | 82.83 | 68.02 |
| OBC | 89.12 | 89.12 | 87.54 | 74.75 |
| SC | 74.84 | 75.41 | 74.08 | 59.25 |
| ST | 68.71 | 70.71 | 69.35 | 47.82 |
The UPSC Prelims qualifying marks play a crucial role in determining an aspirant’s progress toward becoming a civil servant in India. The Preliminary Examination consists of two papers: General Studies I and General Studies II (CSAT). While General Studies I is considered for merit ranking, General Studies II is only qualifying, requiring candidates to score at least 33% to pass.
The expected UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2024 is estimated to be 95 to 100 marks for the General category. Below is the category-wise expected cut-off:
| Category | Expected Cut-Off (2024) |
|---|---|
| General | 95 ± 3 Marks |
| OBC | 92 ± 3 Marks |
| EWS | 85 ± 3 Marks |
| SC | 83 ± 3 Marks |
| ST | 77 ± 3 Marks |
The qualifying marks for UPSC Prelims play a key role in determining results. Candidates must pass CSAT and meet the General Studies Paper I cut-off to qualify for the Mains. After the exam, the UPSC announces a list of candidates who qualify for the Mains. To qualify:
Several factors determine the cut-off marks for General Studies Paper I:
Here are some tips to help you clear the Prelims:
Paper 2 (CSAT) is qualifying in nature, and candidates need to score at least 33% or 66 marks out of 200 to pass.
The total marks required vary as only Paper 1 is considered for merit; Paper 2 is qualifying. Cut-off marks for Paper 1 typically fall between 90 to 120 out of 200 for general category candidates.
The qualifying marks for 2024 will be decided post-exam, depending on difficulty and competition. Paper 2 will still require 33% marks to qualify.
Out of the vast pool of over 13.4 lakh aspirants, around 14,627 candidates qualified for the UPSC Prelims 2024.
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