What is the HPSC HCS Prelims cut off?

The Prelims cut-off is category-wise and based on Paper I marks. The last General cut-off reported by prep sources was 68.50 in 2021. Check hpsc.gov.in for official figures for the current cycle.

Is there a sectional cut-off in HPSC HCS Prelims?

Paper II (CSAT) is qualifying, and you need 33 marks out of 100. Paper I marks decide the shortlist for Mains.

How many candidates are shortlisted for HCS Mains?

About 12 times the number of vacancies are shortlisted from Prelims, as reported. The exact number depends on the advertisement and category.

Is there a final cut-off for HPSC HCS?

The final result is a rank-based merit list out of 675 marks (Mains plus interview). Selection depends on your rank within your category and the number of vacancies.

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HPSC HCS Cut Off 2026: Prelims, Mains, Final Merit

The HPSC HCS cut off is the minimum score a candidate needs to move to the next stage. For HCS 2026 it matters mainly at Prelims, where Paper I marks decide who is shortlisted for Mains. This page explains how the cut-off works at each stage, what past figures looked like and how to set a realistic target.

How the cut-off works at each stage
Previous cut-off marks
HCS 2026 cut-off status
What affects the cut-off
How to set your target

How the cut-off works at each stage

Stage	What decides progress	Published cut-off
Prelims	Paper I marks, category-wise. CSAT needs 33 out of 100 to qualify.	Shown through the category-wise shortlist and marks lists
Mains	45 percent aggregate and 33 percent each in English and Hindi, then about three times the vacancies	No category-wise cut-off chart reported
Final merit	Mains plus interview, out of 675	Rank-based merit list, no separate cut-off

Previous cut-off marks

Year	Category	Cut-off
2021	General	68.50
2021	Scheduled Castes	54.50
2019	General	130.31
2019	Scheduled Castes	105.15
2019	Ex-servicemen, General	104.82
2019	Ex-servicemen, Scheduled Castes	72.04

These figures are reported by exam-preparation sources, not copied from an official chart, so verify them on the Commission's site. The 2019 marks come from an older marking structure and are not comparable with Paper I marks out of 100.

HCS 2026 cut-off status

HPSC released the 2026 Prelims result in batches and issued a revised result on 1 June 2026. We could not verify a consolidated, official category-wise cut-off for this cycle. Several websites published expected figures soon after the exam, and they differ widely, so treat them as guesses. Watch hpsc.gov.in for official notices.

What affects the cut-off

Difficulty of Paper I: A harder paper lowers the cut-off.
Number of vacancies: About 12 times the vacancies are shortlisted, so more posts mean a lower cut-off.
Number of applicants: More competition raises the score needed in each category.
Category and reservation: The cut-off differs for General, SC, BC-A, BC-B, EWS and other categories.

Why the Mains and final cut-offs are different

After Prelims, there is no marks threshold to chase in the usual sense. The Mains stage has fixed qualifying rules, and the interview call goes to roughly the top three times the vacancies. The final list is a rank list out of 675, so every extra mark in a General Studies paper can move you up, and the interview can change positions between candidates with close Mains scores.

How to set your target

Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants. Treat past figures as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above them rather than a bare pass. In mock tests, try to score at least 5 to 10 marks above the last General cut-off of 68.50 in Paper I, and clear 33 in CSAT every time. Because wrong answers cost 0.25 mark, accuracy matters more than the number of attempts.

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