HPSC AE Cut Off: Qualifying Marks, Merit Cut-Off and Target Score
The HPSC AE cut off is not one number. There are minimum qualifying marks for the screening test, and a separate merit cut-off that emerges only after the Subject Knowledge Test and interview. Knowing the difference helps you aim at the right target for each stage.
At the time of writing, we could not verify an official category-wise merit cut-off for any recent Assistant Engineer cycle from the Haryana Public Service Commission, so this page does not quote one. Only the qualifying percentages reported by secondary sources are given, and they are indicative. Check the result notices on hpsc.gov.in for the official figures.
Qualifying Marks Versus Merit Cut-Off
Stage | What applies | Status |
|---|---|---|
Screening test (100 marks) | Minimum qualifying marks: 25% reported for the general category, with a lower figure for reserved categories in an earlier cycle | Indicative |
Subject Knowledge Test (150 marks) | Minimum qualifying marks: 35% reported by one source | Tentative |
Interview | Weightage of 12.5% in final merit | As per notification |
Final merit | Category-wise merit list prepared from the Subject Knowledge Test and interview | No official figure verified |
A qualifying mark only lets you move to the next stage. It does not mean you are selected. Reports on the 2024 cycle also say that the cut-off was to be announced after the Subject Knowledge Test rather than at the screening stage.
What Affects the Cut-Off
Paper difficulty: A lengthy or tough screening paper lowers the marks that candidates score and the shortlist threshold.
Number of vacancies: More posts in a category usually means a lower merit cut-off for that category.
Number of applicants: A larger candidate pool raises competition for every seat.
Evaluation of descriptive answers: Marks depend on method, diagrams and presentation, so the spread can be wide.
Category reservation: Cut-offs are set category by category under Haryana reservation rules.
How to Set Your Target
Cut-offs change every cycle, so treat any past figure as a benchmark only and aim for a clear margin above it rather than a bare pass. Because no merit cut-off is verified here, build your target from your own practice data.
Screening test: Aim to score well above the qualifying percentage in your mocks, so that one tough paper does not push you below the line. A margin of 20 or more marks is a sensible working goal.
Sectional balance: Do not depend on one section. Keep every section above your personal minimum in each mock.
Subject Knowledge Test: Because it carries 87.5% of merit, practise full-length descriptive papers and score your own answers against a model solution.
Accuracy first: With a one-fourth mark penalty, an accuracy of 80% or more in attempted questions is safer than attempting everything.
These are practice suggestions and not official thresholds. Use them to compare your trend across tests.
Frequently Asked Questions
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