APPSC Group 1 Cut Off: Qualifying Marks, Shortlisting and Target Score

The APPSC Group 1 cut off for 2026 is not out yet, because the Screening Test for Notification No. 07/2026 is scheduled for 24 January 2027. What the Commission has fixed already are the minimum qualifying marks and the shortlisting ratios for the Mains and the interview. This page explains those official numbers and shows how to set a realistic target.

We have not listed cut-off scores from earlier cycles here, because we could not confirm them against an official Commission document. The Commission publishes marks of selected candidates on its results page, which is the right place to check them.

How the cut-off works in this exam

There is no single cut-off in APPSC Group 1. There are four filters, and each one works differently.

• Screening Test shortlist: candidates equal to 50 times the vacancies are admitted to the Mains. The cut-off is the score of the last shortlisted candidate, so it is known only after the result.

• Minimum qualifying marks: a fixed percentage by category, which you must meet but which does not guarantee selection.

• Language papers in the Mains: Telugu and English each have a minimum percentage and are not added to merit.

• Interview call: candidates are called in the ratio of 1:2 against the vacancies, based on Mains performance.

Official qualifying marks

The marks out of 150 are our calculation from the percentages. The notification states that securing the minimum does not give any right to selection. It also allows the Commission to relax the Screening Test standard for SC, ST, BC and PBD candidates if too few would otherwise qualify.

Shortlisting numbers for this cycle

These figures are indicative. The Commission can change the vacancy count before the Screening Test, and the interview call also follows the special representation rules, so the actual numbers can differ.

What affects the cut-off

• Difficulty of the paper: a harder Screening Test lowers the score of the last shortlisted candidate.

• Number of vacancies: the shortlist is 50 times the vacancies, so more posts mean more candidates are shortlisted and the cut-off score is usually lower.

• Number of applicants: more applicants make the same rank harder to reach.

• Negative marking: one-third deduction pulls scores down, and guessing carelessly can cost you the shortlist.

• Deleted questions: when a question is dropped, the part is scaled to the maximum marks, which changes raw scores.

How to set your target

Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants. Treat last year's figures as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above them rather than a bare pass.

1. Start with the floor: make sure your accuracy is well over the category minimum, using the table above.

2. Track your mock rank: compare your mock score with the strongest scores in the test, not only the average.

3. Protect accuracy: keep a wrong-to-right ratio that makes guessing worth it, since each wrong answer removes one third of a mark.

4. Balance papers: a weak Paper II can drag down a strong Paper I, so aim for a good score in both rather than relying on one.