UP PCS J: Cut-Off Guide

The UP PCS J cut-off is the minimum score needed to move to the next stage of the Civil Judge (Junior Division) selection. UPPSC publishes cut-off marks with its results, separately for the Prelims and the Mains and category-wise. No cut-off exists yet for the next cycle, because the advertisement has not been published. This page explains the qualifying rule, what past cycles show, and how to set a realistic target.

Table of contents

• Qualifying marks by stage

• What the 2022-23 cycle shows

• What affects the cut-off

• How to set your target

Qualifying Marks by Stage

Under Rule 20 of the UP Judicial Service Rules, the Commission calls for interview those candidates who secure the minimum marks it fixes. Past notifications are reported to set the minimum at 40% for unreserved candidates and 35% for SC and ST candidates. Sources disagree on the exact percentages, so check the advertisement. The figures below are simple arithmetic from those percentages and are not official cut-offs.

Clearing the minimum does not guarantee progress. The Commission calls candidates in merit order after fixing its own cut-off, which is usually higher. Prelims marks are not counted in the final merit, so only the Mains and the Interview decide your rank.

What the 2022-23 Cycle Shows

We could not retrieve the official category-wise cut-off marks for this cycle, so we are not quoting any. The reported selection funnel is still a useful benchmark.

The Prelims therefore let through about ten candidates per post, and the Interview stage about three per post. The Mains is the real filter. Download the official marks and cut-off PDFs from the UPPSC website for the exact figures.

What Affects the Cut-Off

• Number of vacancies: fewer posts push the cut-off up.

• Paper difficulty: a harder Law paper lowers raw scores and the cut-off with them.

• Applicants and attendance: a larger pool of serious candidates raises the competition.

• Reservation: category-wise merit lists give different cut-offs for each group.

• Eligibility rules: the 2026 changes to the practice requirement may change who competes.

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.

• Prelims: aim well above the 40% line, since negative marking punishes guessing.

• Mains: because the Law papers carry 600 of 1,000 marks, a strong and even score across them matters most.

• Mock benchmarks: track your section-wise scores over several full-length tests instead of relying on one result.

Official results are on the UPPSC website.