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UPSC CSE Prelims Cut Off Trend (2015 - 2025)

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UPSC CSE Prelims Cut Off Trend Analysis (2015 - 2025)

11 Years analysis General Studies (Paper I) and CSAT (Paper II) 

UPSC CSE Prelims cut-off—predictable hai ya completely unpredictable? Agar hum 2015 se 2025 tak ka trend dekhen, toh picture kaafi interesting hai.

❇️ UPSC CSE Prelims Cut Off Trend Analysis (2015 - 2025)

Year     GS         CSAT      Change 

2015   107.34    66.66    —
2016   116.00   66.66   +8.66
2017   105.34    66.66   –10.66
2018    98.00    66.66    –7.34
2019    98.00    66.66       0
2020    92.51    66.66     –5.49
2021    87.54    66.66     –4.97
2022    88.22    66.66     +0.68
2023    75.41    66.66     –12.81
2024    87.98    66.66     +12.57
2025    92.66    66.66     +4.68

2015 mein cut-off 107.34 tha, jo 2016 mein peak par 116 tak chala gaya. Phir 2017 mein girkar 105.34 aur 2018–2019 mein stable hote hue 98 par aa gaya.

Iske baad ek consistent decline phase dikhta hai—2020 mein 92.51 aur 2021 mein 87.54. 2022 mein thoda sa recovery hua (88.22), lekin 2023 ne sabko surprise kar diya with a massive drop to 75.41, jo decade ka lowest tha.

Phir trend reverse hota hai—2024 mein strong bounce back 87.98 aur 2025 mein 92.66 tak pahunch gaya. Sabse important insight yeh hai ki cut-off kabhi linear nahi hota—paper difficulty, competition aur attempt strategy sab milkar isse influence karte hain.

CSAT meanwhile constant 66.66 par qualifying hi raha. Conclusion simple hai—cut-off predict karne ke bajaye preparation ko strong karo, kyunki UPSC consistency ko reward karta hai, guesswork ko nahi. 🚀

Observations from the 11-Year Trend

  • CSAT (Paper II) has remained constant at 66.66 marks (out of 200) every year from 2015 to 2025 — this is the minimum qualifying threshold (≈33%).
  • General Studies (Paper I) cut-off (out of 200) shows significant fluctuation:
    • Peaked at 116.00 in 2016 (tougher paper or easier scaling).
    • Declined overall from 2016 to 2023, hitting the lowest at 75.41 in 2023 (likely due to higher difficulty in GS/CSAT).
    • Rebounded in 2024 (87.98) and 2025 (92.66), indicating moderate difficulty and/or fewer vacancies influencing competition.
  • Long-term trend (2015–2025): General cut-off has generally trended downward from the 100–116 range to the 75–93 range in recent years, with notable volatility after 2020.
  • Average Paper I cut-off (2015–2025): ≈ 94.8 marks.

    • Overall message: Increasing unpredictability in recent years — aspirants should aim for 95+ in Paper I for safety in most cycles, while comfortably clearing CSAT (70+ recommended).

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