BharatNotes The gap is widest at Prelims, compresses through Mains, and is narrowest at Final. In CSE 2022, the General-to-ST Prelims gap was ~19 marks; at Final it shrank to ~60 marks out of 2025 — proportionally just 3% of total. Reserved-category toppers who beat the General cutoff routinely claim unreserved seats.
CSE 2022 — Full Category Snapshot (Verified Official Data)
| Category | Prelims | Mains (Written) | Final (Mains+Interview) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | 88.22 | 748 | 960 |
| EWS | 82.83 | 715 | 926 |
| OBC | 87.54 | 714 | 923 |
| SC | 74.08 | 699 | 893 |
| ST | 69.35 | 706 | 900 |
| PwBD-1 | 49.84 | 677 | 879 |
| PwBD-2 | 58.59 | 706 | 913 |
| PwBD-3 | 40.40 | 351 | 632 |
| PwBD-5 | 41.76 | 419 | 590 |
CSE 2023 — Full Category Snapshot
| Category | Prelims | Mains | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | 75.41 | 741 | 953 |
| EWS | 68.02 | 706 | 923 |
| OBC | 74.75 | 712 | 919 |
| SC | 59.25 | 694 | 890 |
| ST | 47.82 | 692 | 891 |
| PwBD-1 | 40.40 | 673 | 894 |
| PwBD-2 | 47.13 | 718 | 930 |
| PwBD-3 | 40.40 | 396 | 756 |
| PwBD-5 | 33.68 | 445 | 589 |
CSE 2024 — Latest Snapshot (Prelims complete; Mains/Final partial as released)
| Category | Prelims | Mains | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | 87.98 | 729 | 947 |
| EWS | 85.92 | 696 | — |
| OBC | 87.28 | 702 | — |
| SC | 79.03 | 685 | 890 |
| ST | 74.23 | 692 | 891 |
| PwBD-1 | 69.42 | — | — |
| PwBD-2 | 65.30 | — | — |
| PwBD-3 | 40.56 | — | — |
| PwBD-5 | 40.56 | — | — |
Gap Compression — General vs Reserved (CSE 2023, in % of paper total)
| Category Pair | Prelims Gap (% of 200) | Mains Gap (% of 1750) | Final Gap (% of 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen vs OBC | 0.33% | 1.66% | 1.68% |
| Gen vs SC | 8.08% | 2.69% | 3.11% |
| Gen vs ST | 13.80% | 2.80% | 3.06% |
| Gen vs EWS | 3.69% | 2.00% | 1.48% |
The big insight: the proportional gap collapses from Prelims to Final. Reserved-category candidates clearing Prelims with a cushion lose most of that cushion by Mains and almost all by Final. By interview stage, marks differentials are within 60-65 absolute marks out of 2025 — a 3% spread.
Patterns Worth Noting
- OBC cutoff is almost always within 1-2 marks of General at Prelims — the largest category overlap. In 2024, OBC (87.28) was just 0.7 below General (87.98).
- PwBD-1 (blindness/low vision) and PwBD-3 (locomotor) have the steepest concessions because the candidate pool is the smallest.
- ST Prelims cutoff is typically 13-27 marks below General — the largest persistent gap. 2023 saw the widest spread (75.41 vs 47.82 = 27.6 marks).
- PwBD-2 (deaf/hard-of-hearing) sometimes exceeds SC/ST final cutoffs — strong cohort effect on a small population.
- The 2023 anomaly: ST Mains cutoff (692) ended up below SC (694) for the first time in years, attributed to a particularly strong SC cohort that year.
Worked Scenario — Should I Apply Under Reserved Category?
An OBC candidate scoring 90 in Prelims 2023 — should she expect a category advantage at later stages?
- Prelims: cleared both lists comfortably (General 75.41, OBC 74.75).
- Mains: if she scores 745 written, she clears General (741) — competes on unreserved list.
- Final: if total is 950, she clears General (953 cutoff — just barely missed). On OBC list she clears 919 easily.
- Lesson: reserved-category status becomes decisive only in the last 30-40 marks before the cutoff. Beyond that, you're on the General list anyway.
Mentor Note
Reserved-category aspirants who cross the General cutoff are eligible for unreserved seats — and many top-200 IAS/IFS allotments every year come from this group. Train for the General line, not the reserved one — it's where service-allotment leverage lives.
Sources
- CSE 2022 Cutoff: https://upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/CutOff-CSE-22-engl.pdf
- CSE 2023 Cutoff PDF: https://upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/CutOff-CSE-23-engl-180424.pdf
- UPSC Cutoff Page: https://upsc.gov.in/examinations/cutoff-marks
- CSE 2024 Final Result PIB: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2123422
