Cut-Off Marks for UPSC Civil Services Exam: Trend Analysis

The ‘cut-off’ percentage of marks of other categories like OBC, SC and ST were 1-3 % lower than the general category.

It should also be specially noted that the percentage of marks for All India Topper was 53% in 2019!

Also read: Till Which Rank Can An Aspirant Get Into IAS, IPS or IFS?

Minimum Qualifying Marks in Prelims and Mains

Quoting from Civil Services Exam Rules:

Candidates who obtain such minimum qualifying marks in the Preliminary Examination as may be fixed by the Commission at their discretion shall be admitted to the Main Examination; and candidates who obtain such minimum qualifying marks in the Main Examination (Written) as may be fixed by the Commission at their discretion shall be summoned by them for an interview for personality test : Provided that candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes or Other Backward Classes may be summoned for an interview for a personality test by the Commission by applying relaxed standards in the Preliminary Examination as well as Main Examination (Written) if the Commission is of the opinion that sufficient number of candidates from these communities are not likely to be summoned for interview for a personality test on the basis of the general standard in order to fill up vacancies reserved for them.

UPSC uses the term ‘minimum qualifying mark’ instead of cut-off.

This minimum qualifying mark is the mark of the last candidate (in the descending order of marks) who made it to the list, be it Mains list, Interview list or Final Rank list.

As per our understanding, the figure just depends on the number of vacancies each year and nothing else. So if there are 313 vacancies under the OBC category this year, the mark of the last rank candidate in the OBC category becomes the cut-off mark under the OBC category. Hope the point is now clear!

How will UPSC determine the numbers, ie. Calls for Mains and Interview?

It should be noted that UPSC normally calls for Civil Services Mains Exam, 12-13 times the number of actual vacancies reported for the corresponding year.

For example, if the number of vacancies reported is 1200, UPSC will call 1000*12.5=approx.12,500 candidates for the mains exam from the lakhs of candidates who write the Prelims.

Again, for the interview, UPSC will call about twice the number of candidates than the reported vacancies. In the above example, UPSC called about 2500 candidates for interviews, which was 2.5 times the number of vacancies. UPSC selects only about 1000 candidates among the top 2500 in the final list.

Toppers’ Percentage range between 40 per cent and 55 per cent

Percentage of All India Topper in UPSC Civil Services Exam was around 60 per cent some five-six years back – when there were 2 optional subjects.

But it began to fall down later, obviously due to tougher questions, tougher evaluations, reduction in optional subject marks, and obviously due to lack of right resources to study General studies!

In 2013, the Topper’s percentage (AIR 1) was around 48% and the last recommended candidate in the general category scored 38%. In 2018, the toppers percentage is 55% while that of the last recommended general category candidate is 49%.

If we observe the trend from 2013 to 2019, one can see an overall increase in mains marks and a tighter competition. Also, now, there is more cluttering per mark.

Will there be an increase in cut-off marks in the coming years?

If questions are easy, and evaluation is liberal, the cut-offs may increase.

However, if UPSC follows the same valuation standards, Civil Services Exam may still remain low scoring – with minor fluctuations.

As students in the online age of WhatsApp, telegram, and test-prep websites are now fully equipped with a lot of resources, they are better prepared to deal with the requirements of IAS exam.