ISRO UDC Cut Off 2026: Previous Year and Category-wise

The ISRO UDC cut off is the minimum written test score a candidate needs to move forward in the recruitment of Upper Division Clerks through the ISRO Centralised Recruitment Board (ICRB). UDC is recruited as Post No. 3 under the common Assistant, JPA, UDC and Stenographer advertisement, and every UDC vacancy sits in the Bengaluru zone. That small, single-zone pool is why UDC cut-offs have historically been higher than those for Assistant posts.

This page explains how the cut-off works in three layers, gives the official previous year cut-off and final selection scores, compares vacancies across cycles, and shows how to set a realistic target for the 2026 cycle. All figures come from documents published on the ISRO website.

Table of Contents

• ISRO UDC Cut Off 2026: Current Status

• How the ISRO UDC Cut-off Works

• Minimum Qualifying Marks (Part-wise)

• ISRO UDC Previous Year Cut Off

• Final Selection Scores from the Last Cycle

• Vacancies Then and Now

• Factors That Affect the ISRO UDC Cut-off

• How to Set Your Target Score

• How to Check the ISRO UDC Cut Off

• Preparing to Clear the Cut-off with a Margin

ISRO UDC Cut Off 2026: Current Status

The 2026 recruitment runs under Advertisement No. ISRO:ICRB:01(A-JPA):2026 dated 27 July 2026. The written test was held as a computer-based test (CBT) on 21 September 2026, and ISRO has listed 25 October 2026 as the tentative date for the skill test.

ISRO usually publishes the written test cut-off along with the list of candidates shortlisted for the skill test. Until that appears, any "2026 cut-off" you see elsewhere is an estimate, not an official figure. Track the official recruitment page on the ISRO ICRB:01(A-JPA):2026 notice page and your registered email.

How the ISRO UDC Cut-off Works

Many candidates treat the cut-off as a single number. In the ISRO UDC selection, there are actually three separate hurdles, and you need to clear all of them.

1. Part-wise qualifying marks: You must score a minimum percentage in each of the four parts of the written test. Missing it in even one part removes you from consideration, whatever your total.

2. Skill test shortlist cut-off: Among those who qualify in every part, ISRO calls candidates for the skill test in a ratio of up to 1:5 against the category-wise vacancies, with a minimum of 10 candidates. The score of the last candidate called in each category becomes that category's written test cut-off.

3. Final selection score: The skill test (Computer Literacy Test) is qualifying only. Final panels are prepared on written test marks alone, among candidates who pass the skill test. So the lowest selected score is higher than the shortlist cut-off.

For reserved vacancies, ISRO shortlists additional candidates in the 1:5 ratio without counting reserved-category candidates who already made the unreserved list. In case of a tie in written test marks, the candidate with higher marks in General Intelligence and Reasoning is placed higher, followed by the older candidate.

Minimum Qualifying Marks (Part-wise)

The 2026 written test for Assistant and UDC has four parts of 50 questions each: General English, Quantitative Aptitude, General Intelligence and Reasoning, and General Knowledge. Each question carries 1 mark with 0.25 deducted for a wrong answer, and the paper runs for 150 minutes. Our ISRO UDC exam pattern guide covers the paper in detail.

The corrigendum dated 11 August 2026 made it explicit that EWS candidates follow the same 50% standard as UR. This matches what happened in the last cycle, when ISRO revised its shortlist after clarifying that relaxed standards do not extend to EWS.

Remember that these are floors, not targets. In the last cycle no category's shortlist cut-off sat anywhere near the 50% or 40% minimum except ST.

ISRO UDC Previous Year Cut Off

The last completed cycle was Advertisement No. ISRO:ICRB:02(A-JPA):2022. Its written test was held on 10 December 2023 on OMR sheets, with a 120-minute paper. After answer key revisions, the paper was evaluated out of 198, with Parts C and D counted out of 49 each.

Minimum qualifying marks applied in 2023

ISRO UDC written test cut-off 2023 (skill test shortlist), Bengaluru zone

These are the figures from ISRO's revised written test cut-off details published in August 2024. The first version listed the EWS cut-off as 123.25; it rose to 124.25 in the revision. Percentages are calculated by Testkart for comparison.

UDC versus Assistant in the same zone

The same 2023 document shows the UR cut-off for Assistant (Post No. 1) in the Bengaluru zone at 105.5, against 128 for UDC. Both posts used the same paper. The difference comes from seats: the 2022 advertisement listed 125 Assistant vacancies in Bengaluru but only 16 UDC vacancies. With so few UDC seats, the 1:5 shortlist reaches only the top scorers.

Final Selection Scores from the Last Cycle

Clearing the shortlist cut-off gets you to the skill test, not into the job. The skill test for the 2022 cycle was held on 22 September 2024, and ISRO published the final UDC panel with written test scores. The table below shows the lowest written test score among candidates selected in each category's own panel.

The highest UR score on the panel was 146.00. The lowest UR wait-listed candidate scored 128.00, which equals the shortlist cut-off, so the UR wait list reached right down to the last candidate called for the skill test. EWS and PwBD entries are shown separately on the official panel; read them directly from the 2022-cycle results page, since some candidates in those groups were selected under general merit.

What this means for you:

• The real UR bar was about 68%: 135 out of 198 is roughly 68%, not the 50% qualifying standard printed in the notification.

• OBC tracked close to UR: The OBC selection score was within one mark of the UR score, so OBC candidates should not plan on a large relaxation.

• One-seat categories are unpredictable: With a single SC and a single ST seat, one strong candidate can move the cut-off by several marks either way.

Vacancies Then and Now

Vacancies directly shape the shortlist size, so compare the two cycles before reading old cut-offs as a forecast.

The last column is Testkart's working from the notified ratio and is an upper limit only; ISRO may call fewer if not enough candidates clear the part-wise qualifying marks. The 2026 advertisement also lists 1 PwBD (Category A) and 3 Ex-servicemen vacancies for UDC.

UR seats are unchanged, while SC, ST and EWS seats have increased. A larger shortlist in those categories could pull their cut-offs down relative to 2023, but this is an expectation, not a certainty.

Factors That Affect the ISRO UDC Cut-off

• Number of vacancies: The 1:5 ratio ties the shortlist directly to seats, so this is the single biggest factor for UDC.

• Paper difficulty and length: The 2026 paper is a 150-minute CBT, up from 120 minutes on OMR in 2023, for the same 200 questions. More time per question could lift scores.

• Number of applicants: ISRO reported a heavy response in 2026, enough that some candidates were allotted CBT centres in nearby states.

• Questions dropped after objections: When questions are removed, as in 2023, the paper's maximum changes and the cut-off is reported on the new total.

• Multiple applications: Many candidates apply for both Assistant and UDC, so strong scorers compete across posts and zones.

How to Set Your Target Score

Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants. Treat the 2023 figures as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above them rather than a bare pass. The targets below are Testkart's guidance for the 200-mark paper, not official figures.

Alongside the total, keep every part comfortably above the qualifying line, ideally 30 or more out of 50 in each. A strong total with 24 in General Knowledge still fails. Because General Intelligence and Reasoning is the first tie-breaker, it is also the section where an extra mark matters most.

Watch out for older cut-off figures

Earlier ISRO Assistant and UDC recruitments used a different paper that included descriptive questions, so older pages quote cut-offs out of 270 or 300. Those numbers cannot be compared with the current 200-mark objective paper. Also check whether a page is quoting the Assistant cut-off, which has been much lower than the UDC figure.

How to Check the ISRO UDC Cut Off

1. Go to the Careers section of the ISRO website at isro.gov.in.

2. Open the recruitment notice for Advertisement No. ISRO:ICRB:01(A-JPA):2026.

3. Look for the written test cut-off details or the list of candidates shortlisted for the skill test.

4. Find the table for Upper Division Clerk, Post No. 3, Bengaluru zone, and note the figure for your category.

5. Compare it with your score from the response sheet, and check each part against the qualifying marks.

Preparing to Clear the Cut-off with a Margin

Since final selection rests entirely on written test marks, every mark in the objective paper counts twice: once for the shortlist and again for your panel position. Focus on accuracy first. With 0.25 deducted per wrong answer, four careless guesses cost a full mark, and in 2023 several UDC candidates were separated by a quarter mark.

Work through the ISRO UDC syllabus part by part, then shift to timed practice. ISRO has published the 2023 Assistant question paper on its recruitment page, and solving it under exam conditions is the best way to judge the real difficulty level. For regular practice in the current pattern.

Do not neglect the skill test. It is qualifying, but you need 60% (UR/EWS) or 50% (reserved) in a 75-minute practical test on MS Word, MS Excel and MS PowerPoint. Clearing the ISRO UDC cut off and then failing the computer test is a common and avoidable way to lose a seat. Testkart's ISRO UDC preparation resources can help you plan both stages together.