CGPSC Cut-off: Previous Year Prelims and Mains Cut-off Marks
The CGPSC cut-off is the minimum score a candidate needed in a category to move to the next stage of the State Service Examination. CGPSC applies it at two points: Prelims Paper I marks decide the Mains shortlist, and Mains marks decide the interview list. On top of these, there is a fixed minimum qualifying percentage in each Prelims paper.
The tables below give previous cut-offs as reported from the Commission's notices. Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants, so treat these figures as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above them rather than a bare pass.
Table of Contents
CGPSC Minimum Qualifying Marks
CGPSC Prelims Cut-off
CGPSC Mains Cut-off
What Affects the CGPSC Cut-off
How to Set Your Target Score
CGPSC Minimum Qualifying Marks
Category | Minimum per Prelims paper | Marks out of 200 |
|---|---|---|
Unreserved | 33% | 66 |
SC, ST, OBC and PwBD | 23% | 46 |
These minimums apply to both Paper I and Paper II. Clearing them only makes you eligible; the actual Mains shortlist is set much higher by Paper I merit.
CGPSC Prelims Cut-off
Category (SSE 2023, Paper I out of 200) | Minimum marks (as reported) |
|---|---|
Unreserved (Other) | 136.92 |
Unreserved (Female) | 135.48 |
OBC (Other) | 132.61 |
SC (Other) | 120.43 |
ST (Other) | 106.81 |
Prelims scores are shown with decimals because of the one-third negative marking. As a rough guide, an unreserved candidate needed close to 70% of Paper I marks to reach Mains in that cycle.
CGPSC Mains Cut-off
Category (SSE 2024, Mains out of 1,400) | Minimum marks | Maximum marks |
|---|---|---|
Unreserved (Other) | 550 | 713 |
Unreserved (Female) | 552.5 | 700.5 |
OBC (Other) | 607.5 | 671.5 |
OBC (Female) | 624.5 | 664 |
SC (Other) | 542.5 | 647 |
SC (Female) | 576.5 | 647 |
ST (Other) | 483.5 | 603.5 |
ST (Female) | 505.5 | 600 |
These figures were published by CGPSC in early 2026, after the SSE 2024 final result. The OBC minimum was higher than the unreserved minimum in this cycle, which can happen when a category has few posts. Category-wise cut-offs for SSE 2025 had not been reported at the time of writing.
What Affects the CGPSC Cut-off
Number of posts: More posts in a category usually lower its cut-off.
Paper difficulty: A tough Paper I pulls the Prelims cut-off down for everyone.
Applicants and attendance: More serious candidates push merit higher.
Minimum marks in Mains papers: In SSE 2025, the Commission said fewer candidates reached the interview because many did not meet the per-paper minimum.
Category and sub-category: Female, PwBD and ex-servicemen sub-categories have their own cut-offs.
How to Set Your Target Score
Prelims: Aim for 145 or more out of 200 in Paper I in full-length mocks if you are unreserved, which gives a margin above recent cut-offs. Keep Paper II comfortably above 66.
Mains: Aim for at least 600 out of 1,400 in practice evaluations, with no paper far below the others.
Track accuracy: In Prelims, an accuracy of 80% or more keeps negative marking under control.
Official cut-off notices are published with results on the official website: https://psc.cg.gov.in/
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