SSB Head Constable Cut-off: Previous Year Marks and Target Score

The SSB Head Constable cut-off is the lowest written examination score at which candidates were finally selected in each trade and category. The Sashastra Seema Bal prepares merit trade-wise and category-wise, so a Communication cut-off tells you nothing about Electrician. Separately, the advertisement sets minimum qualifying marks, which only decide who stays in the race.

SSB does not publish a consolidated cut-off table for every Head Constable cycle on its portal. The figures below come from the HC (Communication) 2023 final result as reported, and should be used as a benchmark only. The 2025 cycle written examination has not been held yet, so no cut-off exists for it.

Table of Contents

• Minimum Qualifying Marks

• Previous Year Cut-off

• What Affects the SSB HC Cut-off

• How to Set Your Target Score

Minimum Qualifying Marks

These are the reported floor marks for the 2025 cycle. Scoring them makes you eligible for merit, but final selection has historically needed far more.

Previous Year Cut-off

These figures are as reported with the final result under Advt. 338/RC/SSB/Combined Advertisement/Head Constable (Non-GD)/2023; the reports did not state the total marks they are counted out of, so confirm against the official result PDF before comparing them with your own scores. Category-wise cut-offs for HC Electrician, Veterinary and Steward 2023 were not found in published form. Head Constable (Ministerial) 2020 CBT marks were released on 14 October 2026, but no cut-off had been published at the time of writing.

What Affects the SSB HC Cut-off

• Number of vacancies: The 2023 cycle had 578 Communication posts; the 2025 cycle has 197. Fewer seats per category usually push the cut-off up.

• Paper difficulty: A harder Part II lowers scores across the board, and the cut-off falls with them.

• Number of candidates after PET and PST: Only candidates who clear the physical stage sit the written test, so a strict PET reduces competition.

• Negative marking: Where a penalty applies, careless attempts reduce scores and the final cut-off.

• Category and trade size: Trades with only a handful of posts, such as Steward and Veterinary, can see cut-offs swing sharply between cycles.

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.

• Pick a safe total: Assuming the 2023 figures are out of the same 150-mark paper, a Communication candidate aiming about 10 marks above the last cut-off for their category (for example, 105 or more for UR) has a buffer for a tougher cycle.

• Split it by part: A realistic plan is about 38 to 40 out of 50 in Part I and 65 to 70 out of 100 in Part II.

• Protect Part II: Higher Part II marks are reported as the first tie-breaker, so a strong technical score helps both your total and your rank.

• Track it in mocks: Measure your score against the target in every full-length test and watch whether it rises over four to six weeks.

Official website: https://recruitment.ssb.gov.in/