CDS Cut-Off: Previous Year Marks for IMA, INA, AFA and OTA
The CDS cut-off is the score UPSC uses to decide who moves ahead, and it changes with every cycle. Treat the figures below as a benchmark for your target, not a promise. This page covers the last officially published CDS cut-off marks for IMA, INA, AFA and OTA, how the numbers have moved and how to set a safe target score.
Table of Contents
What the CDS Cut-Off Means
UPSC publishes two cut-offs for each cycle. The written cut-off is the aggregate marks of the last candidate shortlisted for the SSB. The final cut-off is the marks of the last recommended candidate after the written exam and SSB are added together. Every candidate must also score at least 20 percent in each paper, whatever the aggregate.
UPSC holds each paper in a single sitting, so there is no normalisation and the cut-off is a raw mark you could actually score.
Previous CDS Cut-Off
The table shows the cut-off published by UPSC for CDS I 2025. The written exam is out of 300 for IMA, INA and AFA and out of 200 for OTA. The final merit is out of 600 and 400.
Academy | Written cut-off | Final cut-off |
|---|---|---|
IMA | 120 out of 300 | 243 out of 600 |
INA | 104 out of 300 | 230 out of 600 |
AFA | 128 out of 300 | 253 out of 600 |
OTA (men) | 81 out of 200 | 163 out of 400 |
OTA (women) | 81 out of 200 | 171 out of 400 |
Cut-offs for later cycles appear on the UPSC website only after the final result of that cycle.
Written Cut-Off Trend
Comparing recent cycles shows how much the numbers move. The marks below are out of 300 for IMA, INA and AFA and out of 200 for OTA.
Academy | CDS II 2023 | CDS I 2024 | CDS II 2024 | CDS I 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
IMA | 127 | 120 | 117 | 120 |
INA | 110 | 100 | 90 | 104 |
AFA | 136 | 128 | 126 | 128 |
OTA | 104 | 87 | 81 | 81 |
AFA has stayed the highest and INA the lowest among the three academies that include Mathematics. The swings are large enough to matter, with INA moving by 14 marks between two consecutive cycles.
What Affects the Cut-Off
Paper difficulty: An easier paper pushes scores and the cut-off up.
Vacancies: More seats allow a lower cut-off.
Number of candidates: A larger, stronger pool raises the bar.
Negative marking: One-third is deducted for each wrong answer, so careless guessing lowers real scores.
How to Set Your Target
Aim for a clear margin over the last qualified score, not for the score itself. A margin of 20 to 25 marks above the written cut-off of your academy is a sensible planning target, and it should come with at least 20 marks in every paper. These are practical guidelines, not official numbers.
Confirm any published figure on the official UPSC website.
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