UPSC Cut Off 2020: Know UPSC Prelims Cut Off, UPSC Mains Cut Off, and UPSC Final Cut Off.
UPSC Cut-off Marks 2020 for Civil Services Examination is now available in the public domain.
The minimum qualifying marks for Prelims, Mains and Final selection of UPSC IAS Exam 2020 is released.
UPSC Cut Off 2020 (General Merit)
- Prelims – 92.51 out of 200 (46.25%)
- Mains – 736 out of 1750 (42.05%)
- Interview – 944 out of 2025 (46.61%)
UPSC Cut Off 2020: Category-wise
Exam |
General |
EWS |
OBC |
SC |
ST |
PwBD-1 |
PwBD-2 |
PwBD-3 |
PwBD-5 |
CS (Prelim) |
92.51 |
77.55 |
89.12 |
74.84 |
68.71 |
70.06 |
63.94 |
40.82 |
42.86 |
CS (Main) |
736 |
687 |
698 |
680 |
682 |
648 |
699 |
425 |
300 |
CS (Final) |
944 |
894 |
907 |
875 |
876 |
867 |
910 |
675 |
465 |
UPSC Prelims Cut Off Marks 2020 (Out of 200)
The Cut-off score of UPSC CSE Prelims 2020 came as a surprise to all. It was only 92.51 out of 200 (46.25 %).
The cut-off dropped as UPSC deleted 2 questions when it prepared the official answer key. Otherwise, the cut-off would have been around 97 out of 200 for the General Category (still less than the 50% mark).
92.51 is the lowest cut-off score recorded since the new pattern is introduced by UPSC in 2011.
In 2019, the Prelims cut-off for the general category was 98 marks out of 200.
The cut-off scores are as below.
- General – 92.51 (in 2019, it was 98.00)
- EWS – 77.55 (in 2019, it was 90.00)
- OBC – 89.12 (in 2019, it was 95.34)
- SC – 74.84 (in 2019, it was 82.00)
- ST – 68.71 (in 2019, it was 77.34)
- PwBD‐1 – 70.06 (in 2019, it was 55.34)
- PwBD‐2 – 63.94 (in 2019, it was 44.66)
- PwBD‐3 – 40.82 (in 2019, it was 40.66)
- PwBD‐5 – 42.86 (in 2019, it was 61.34)
PwBD means – Candidates belonging to Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD)
Note: Cut off marks for UPSC Prelims is on the basis of GS Paper‐I only. However, GS Paper‐II was of qualifying nature with 33% marks as per Rule 15 of Civil Services Examination, 2020.
UPSC Mains Cut Off Marks 2020 (Out of 1750)
- General – 736 (in 2019, the cut-off marks were 751)
- EWS – 687 (in 2019, the cut-off marks were 696)
- OBC – 698 (in 2019 it was 718)
- SC – 680 (against 706 in 2019)
- ST – 682 (against 699 in 2019)
- PwBD‐1 – 648 (in 2019, the cut-off marks were 663)
- PwBD‐2 – 699 (in 2019, the cut-off marks were 698)
- PwBD‐3 – 425 (in 2019, the cut-off marks were 374)
- PwBD‐5 – 300 (in 2019, the cut-off marks were 561)
Note: Subject to 10% marks in each of the seven competitive papers i.e. Essay, GS‐I, GS‐II, GS‐III, GS‐IV, Optional‐I and Optional‐II.
UPSC Final Cut Off Marks 2020 (Out of 2025)
- General – 944 (in 2019 cut-off was 961)
- EWS – 894 (in 2019 cut-off was 909)
- OBC – 907 (in 2019, cut off was 925)
- SC – 875 (in 2019, the respective cut-off was 898)
- ST – 876 (in 2019, the respective cut-off was 893)
- PwBD‐1 – 867 (in 2019, the respective cut-off was 861)
- PwBD‐2 – 910 (in 2019, the respective cut-off was 890)
- PwBD‐3 – 675 (in 2019, the respective cut-off was 653)
- PwBD‐5 – 465 (in 2019, the respective cut-off was 708)
UPSC Cut-off Marks 2020 Analysis
This is the 3rd consecutive year that the cut-off marks has fallen for all stages – Prelims, Mains, and Final Selection.
It is interesting to note to be selected into the prestigious Civil Services, in 2020 a general category candidate had to score just 944 marks out of 2025. In percentage terms, this would be 46.61%. This means if you had just scored 47% marks in the last year’s UPSC Exam, you were safely in!
Of course, this is not easy considering the strict valuation standards of UPSC, but we just wanted aspirants to know that UPSC is always a low scoring game!
Cut-off score variation across categories
The cut-off scores also give crucial insights into other categories.
The OBC category cut-off score was 37 marks less than the general category cut-off (for final selection).
The SC and ST category cut-off was less by 69 and 68 marks, respectively, when compared to the general category cut off (open merit cut-off).
However, the figure which needs major attention is the EWS cut-off (Economic Reservation).
Last year, the EWS cut-off was lower than all categories like OBC, SC, and ST.
However, this year, the EWS cut-off was only lower than the general cut-off and OBC cut-off, but higher than SC and ST cut-off.
Why UPSC CSE Prelims cut-off is so low?
Analysis of the previous year’s cut-off score shows that it is the 3rd time in the last 6 years that the general cut-off came below 100.
A candidate just needed 92.5 marks out of 200 as per the official UPSC key to clear UPSC CSE Prelims 2020 (46.25%).
Only when the official UPSC answer key is out, aspirants will get to know if any ambiguous questions were cancelled by UPSC resulting in a low-cut-off.
The General Cut off for Prelims was 98 in 2019, 98 in 2018, 105.34 in 2017, 116.00 in 2016 and 107.34 in 2015.
PS: To check the previous year’s cut-off mark trends, check this link.
How close were you to the Minimum Qualifying Marks, last year?
Looking at the cut-off score, many of you who missed it by a narrow margin can now realise how close were you.
A few marks could have changed your career, life, and destiny.
What should you do now to improve your performance this year?
The ideal thing to do now is not to repeat past mistakes.
If you do the same thing again and again, and if you expect different results you won’t get.
This year, we have a 60-hour ClearIAS Prelims Marks Booster Online Course – which has been getting great feedback from aspirants.
This is not a traditional program. This is a gap-briding course that heavily focuses on Intelligent Elimination Techniques and Most Repeated Areas.
Even if you spend a few hours on that – we are really hopeful that you will get a lot of value addition from it.
Keep Practising
Along with ClearIAS Prelims Online Mock Test Series, do practise previous year UPSC CSE Re-Take Exams of Paper 1 and Paper 2 in a timed environment.
Conclusion
The cut-off marks for the UPSC Civil Services Exam depends on many factors like the number of candidates in the competition, the number of vacancies, exam difficulty, and valuation standards.
UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) is widely considered as one of the toughest exams to crack, considering the fact that the vacancies are only less than 1000, while the number of applicants is around 10,00,000. However, ‘real competition is much less. Also, UPSC CSE is a low-scoring game.
Any serious aspirant who prepare strategically, combining knowledge with the right techniques, can easily clear the UPSC Civil Services Exam. Testimonials of ClearIAS online students proves this.
All you need to do is to work hard (and smart) to ensure that you score at least above 47 per cent!
EWS Quota cut-off is so much low, even lower than OBC, LOL! I know a boy whose father has 3 jewellery shops, but still he possesses an EWS Certificate! I know many proud Brahmins who make fun of lower caste, but they now enjoy EWS Quota(being from a ‘Brahman’ family myself, i have seen this). LOL, this is real democracy!
Bhai mere pass 1 lakh rupayee bhi nahi ki dukaan tak khol sakun … Tuoition padha raha hun… Shadi koyi nahi karna chahta … Kyunki ji thoda bahut jamin tha wo btech karne me bech diya … abhi mera dost obc category ka hai thora aage peeche kar deta hu kyunki wo amir hai … Pata nahi kab ushke madat ki jarurat pad jaye … Mai bhi EWS category me hun
Ha to tere ko pata nahi hai kya jitne sc, st, obc, category ke neta aur officers hai ya koi bhi gov. Ya acchi private job bhi kar rahe hai sabke ladke phir se ussi reservation ka maja le rahe garib kuch pa hi nahi raha yaha tak ki wo apni taiyaari ka kharcha bhi nahi ekttha kar pata to inko milna cahiye kya reservation ka phayda
Brother, you are correct BUT only partially.
Yes there are many people who get benefits of schemes (actually meant for the deserving candidates)by doing some ‘jugaad’…and the people who really are deprived or the needy ones end up getting no or very little benefits out of such schemes… reasons are many but you could point out only half part of those.
Yes it is democracy and I hope you might be aware that as a part of democratic country it is the people (citizens) of India who have major role to play…you as a citizen, if knew that that particular boy was taking advantage of EWS quota despite being from a wealthy family, it was your duty to try your best to take any action against him or his family and bring this case in front of large public domain with valid proof.
I know many candidates who are in such economic conditions that they don’t even get a chance to prepare for exams as they have no option but to earn money by doing any kind of job they can get to support their family and they are from general category and really need such benefits as one cannot compare the level of preparation such candidates and a candidate who get a proper environment to study can do.
I am giving example from my family itself…we have no home to be claimed as ours… no land…we need to pay rent for a house where we live and buy all the foodgrains from the market there is no other source…my mother is a worker in a milk industry where she get paid 10K per month…my brother who is just a 19 year old boy is working in the same milk industry… so as to make two ends meet…all their hopes are with me…as I have been a brilliant student they have faith that one day I will become an IAS officer…my mother is illiterate and do not even understand what IAS means… luckily there is quota for candidates belonging to EWS category…I have opportunity to get benefit of it.
The point I wanted to highlight is that people will keep on availing benefits of any scheme by making frauds and fake certificates… but it does not mean that government shall stop such schemes which are giving little opportunity to the deprived ones…there must be some check and balances mechanism to avoid such missuse by few corrupts.
As a responsible citizen we should not waste our time in criticizing as it will not change the scenario…we should actively participate in the process of exposing such people who take benefits on the cost of deprivation of real needy.
Merit should be the only criteria for the main and final exam, even though relaxation of score in preliminary is considered.
Final merit list is thus based on overall merit, giving weightage to other factors such as community, specific features, and so on.
Priority should be induction of meritorious persons into the civil service, persons selected on relaxed standards should be at lower levels in the final list.
My sweet dream IAS officer last year’s 2024 and all clear IAS/Ips students your dreams completely so talented everyall
Sir,
Widow quota ki cutting-off kitni gy h Is baar.
Pre qualifie k ley kitny marks chahey.
What can I do… Clear of upcoming 2024 upsc exam. I am ural student sir .. my aim is became an ips officer… Sir plz help me sir..
I am waiting for your reply…sir
My dream is IAS officer .
It needs courage and intellect to say Nishantji… Great!!
I want to qualify upsc cse but preparation not sufficient; which type of strategy of preparation to be? please suggest !!!
Sir I am only 15 years old andi I started preparing for civil service
My future dream IPS officer
One day Insha Allah
My Lifeline Upse Focus Ias
Mera Sapna IPS ka hai
Remember tina dabi, upsc topper, comes from a SC quota. Both father and mother are government officers.
Teri kyu sulag rahi arjun jaise k pas bhi tha reservation 100% lut rahe the tb tu kahan tha
My dream is ias officer
sir iam 12std (PU-2) my dream i will clear the UPSC IN MY LIFE Pls HELP ME SIR. MY MOTHER IS TEACHER I LIVE IN BANGALORE
Sir mere pass OBC ka certificate (central government) vala h . Kisi state vala nhi h . Toa mujee UPSC m reservation mil jayega kya .
I think mil jayega because UPSC center government ki job h . And usme center government vala hi obc ka certificate chalega.
And obc ka center government ka certificate mera Bihar se bna huaa h but m मूल निवासी Rajasthan ka huu .
Toa isse kush फक्र thodii n padega .
Agar kisi ko pta h toa please reply .
I am thankful to you 🤗🙏🙏🙏
E.w.s quota system has eaten away partly the quota of other vulnerable communities of Sc’s / st’s this very unfortunate development, because these sections have been underrepresented in all the organs of our system.