UPSC 2024: Details Notification on Cut Off and Admit Card

UPSC Mains Cut Off

Once candidates secure more than the UPSC Mains Cut Off marks, they are considered eligible for the final round of the selection process, i.e. the Interview.

UPSC Mains consists of nine papers, out of which seven papers are considered for merit ranking. The remaining two papers, namely the English Language Paper and the Indian Language Paper, are of qualifying nature. Candidates must secure a minimum qualifying marks in these language papers as prescribed by the UPSC.

UPSC Mains Cut Off for Previous 5 Years

UPSC Final Cut Off

The UPSC Final Cut Off marks are determined by amalgamating the scores obtained by candidates in the Mains Examination and the Personality Test (Interview) stage. The Mains Examination carries the weightage of seven papers, while the Interview stage contributes the remaining. Each candidate’s performance is evaluated, and the final cut-off is calculated based on their combined scores.

Aspirants who manage to surpass the UPSC Final Cut Off marks are eligible for appointment to the various civil services based on their merit ranking. The allocation of services is done according to the candidate’s rank, preference, and availability of vacancies.

UPSC Final Cut Off for Last 5 Years

Factors Influencing UPSC Cut Off

The UPSC Cut Off is influenced by various factors that play a crucial role in determining the minimum marks required for candidates to qualify for the next stage of the Civil Services Examination. These factors are taken into consideration by officials while calculating the cut off for each stage of the examination, including Prelims, Mains, and the Final UPSC Cut Off. Here are the key factors influencing the Cut Off for UPSC CSE:

• Difficulty Level of the Examination: If the question paper is more challenging, it may lead to a lower cutoff, as candidates might find it difficult to score high marks. Conversely, if the paper is relatively easier, the cut off may increase as more candidates may score higher marks.
• Number of Vacancies: A higher number of vacancies might lead to a lower UPSC cut off, as more candidates can be accommodated based on their performance.
• Reservation Policy: The UPSC follows a reservation policy for different categories like General, OBC, SC, ST, etc. The cut off marks for these categories may vary based on the number of aspirants and the number of seats reserved for each category.
• Performance of Candidates: If the majority of candidates perform exceptionally well, the cut off may increase. On the other hand, if the overall performance is average, the cut off may decrease.
• Normalisation Procedure: For Prelims, UPSC follows a normalisation procedure to ensure fairness when calculating the cut-off. This procedure adjusts the marks of candidates across different sets of question papers with varying difficulty levels.
• Overall Competition: The level of competition and the quality of candidates appearing in a particular year can also influence the UPSC cut off. Higher competition may lead to a higher cut off.

UPSC Cut Off – Tie Breaking Rules

In the UPSC CSE, in situations where two or more candidates achieve the same aggregate marks, the UPSC employs a ‘Tie-breaking’ principle to establish inter-se merit among these candidates:

• First Criterion: The candidate who scores higher marks in the Compulsory Papers and the Personality Test combined will be ranked higher in the merit list.
• Second Criterion: In the event that the marks obtained by the candidates in the aforementioned criteria are still equal, the candidate who is senior in age will be given preference and ranked higher.

By incorporating this ‘Tie-breaking’ principle, the UPSC ensures fairness and transparency in the ranking process, enabling a systematic approach to differentiate between candidates who attain the same overall marks.