UPSC Mains marks needed for a rank
The UPSC Mains marks needed for a rank depend on the rank you want: in CSE 2025, ranks 51–100 had a median written score of 812 out of 1,750, and ranks 301–600 a median of 777. These are the official marks of all 958 recommended candidates, published by UPSC on 10 March 2026, and below, the papers where top rankers gain their marks.
Written marks by rank, CSE 2025
| Rank band | Candidates | Median written /1750 | Median interview /275 | Median final /2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIR 1–10 | 10 | 842 | 200 | 1,038 |
| AIR 11–50 | 40 | 825 | 192 | 1,020 |
| AIR 51–100 | 50 | 812 | 195 | 1,005 |
| AIR 101–300 | 200 | 793 | 191 | 983 |
| AIR 301–600 | 300 | 777 | 184 | 963 |
| AIR 601–958 | 358 | 748 | 179 | 932 |
All categories together. Single ranks: AIR 1 wrote 867, AIR 10 846, AIR 100 813, AIR 300 808, AIR 500 779. Source: UPSC, marks of recommended candidates, CSE 2025.
UPSC Mains cut-off
The General-category Mains cut-off, the marks of the last candidate called for interview, was 748 (CSE 2022), 741 (CSE 2023), 729 (CSE 2024). Crossing it gets you an interview; the rank comes from written plus interview. In CSE 2024 the last General-category rank scored 947 of 2,025 in total.
Where top rankers pull away, paper by paper
Median marks by rank band, from 236 complete topper marksheets (CSE 2022–25). The gap column shows where top rankers pull away.
| Paper | AIR 1–10 | AIR 301 and below | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 132 | 111 | +21 |
| GS I | 112 | 92 | +20 |
| GS II | 126 | 109 | +17 |
| Optional | 282 | 266 | +16 |
| Interview | 187 | 171 | +16 |
| Ethics | 127 | 112 | +15 |
| GS III | 96 | 84 | +12 |
See how these marks were written
63 handwritten Mains booklets from 27 toppers, each named with the topper and the marks.
See the Answer Copies Compilation · ₹199Frequently asked questions
How many marks are needed in UPSC Mains for a rank?
In CSE 2025 the median written score was 812 out of 1,750 for ranks 51–100, 793 for ranks 101–300 and 777 for ranks 301–600 (all categories, UPSC's official list). AIR 100 wrote 813.
What is the UPSC Mains cut-off?
The General-category Mains cut-off (marks of the last candidate called for interview) was 748 in CSE 2022, 741 in CSE 2023, 729 in CSE 2024, out of 1,750. Reaching the interview is not enough for a rank: the final list is decided on written plus interview marks out of 2,025.
How many marks did AIR 1 get in UPSC Mains 2025?
Anuj Agnihotri wrote 867 of 1,750 and scored 204 in the interview: 1,071 of 2,025.
Which Mains paper decides the rank most?
Comparing the median AIR 1–10 topper with the median AIR 301 and below topper in our 236 marksheets, the biggest gap is in Essay (21 marks), then GS I (20) and GS II (17).
More: highest marks in UPSC · marks of 290 toppers · UPSC Mains 2026 questions