BharatNotes For General category in CSE 2024, IAS closed around rank 78, IFS around rank 107, IPS around rank 252, with IRS bands tapering through ranks ~270-420. The last General selection was at rank ~1009. Service preference order in the DAF, medical fitness, and category roster jointly decide your final allotment.
CSE 2024 — Service Allotment Bands (General Category, Verified)
| Service | Vacancies (2024) | Approx. Last Rank (General) | Approx. Marks (/2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| IAS | 180 | ~78 | 1010+ |
| IFS (Foreign Service) | 55 | ~107 | 1000+ |
| IPS | 147 | ~252 | 980+ |
| IRS (Income Tax) | ~150 | ~270-330 | ~975 |
| IRS (Customs & Indirect Taxes) | ~115 | ~330-420 | ~965 |
| IRTS / IAAS / IDAS / IRAS / IPoS | ~250 (combined) | ~450-700 | ~955 |
| ICAS / IDES / IIS / IRPS / Group B | ~150 (combined) | ~700-1009 | ~947-955 |
| Last General Selection | — | ~1009 | 947 (cutoff) |
The gap from rank 1 to last selection (1009) is just ~95 marks total — the entire merit list lives within a 4.7% band of the 2025-mark scale.
The 78-107-252 Numbers — Where They Come From
The last-rank numbers are not officially published as "IAS cutoff rank" by UPSC — they emerge from Cadre Allocation Policy implementation (DoPT) once preferences are matched to vacancies. The verified bands:
- IAS rank 78 (General): The 78th General-category candidate's service preference + medical fitness + cadre availability matched IAS. Below that, IAS quota was exhausted.
- IFS rank 107: IFS has only 55 seats; closes early after IAS-preferring candidates exhaust their slots.
- IPS rank 252: Largest civil service intake (147 General + 50 OBC + 35 SC + 15 ST roughly); closes later.
Year-on-Year Comparison
| Year | IAS Last (Gen) | IFS Last (Gen) | IPS Last (Gen) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSE 2020 | ~92 | ~118 | ~205 |
| CSE 2021 | ~85 | ~111 | ~213 |
| CSE 2022 | ~88 | ~115 | ~244 |
| CSE 2023 | ~92 | ~120 | ~240 |
| CSE 2024 | ~78 | ~107 | ~252 |
The IAS bar has tightened. In 2024, you needed to be in the top 78 General candidates — the tightest band in five cycles. This reflects the 180 IAS seats vs ~775 General-category Mains selections ratio, with a strong cohort preferring IAS uniformly.
What Decides Your Allotment Beyond Marks
- Service Preference Order (DAF): Filled at the application stage; cannot be changed after. If you put IPS above IFS and you're rank 105, you get IPS — not IFS.
- Medical Fitness: IPS and IFS have stricter physical standards. Failing IPS medical drops you to your next preference.
- Cadre Preference Order (for IAS): Home-state quota + zonal rotation. Two IAS allottees at the same rank can land in different cadres.
- Category Roster: SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwBD candidates can be allotted via reserved roster or unreserved merit — whichever gives them the higher-preferred service.
- Female Reservation Overlay: No fixed female quota in UPSC CSE itself, but cadre allocation factors gender for certain state-cadre preferences.
Worked Scenario — Rank 200 General, Targeting IAS
A candidate ranked 200 General with IAS as first preference:
- IAS: Exhausted at rank ~78. Not available.
- IFS: Exhausted at rank ~107. Not available.
- IPS: Open until ~252. You get IPS (medical permitting).
- Marks-to-IAS gap: ~30 marks below the IAS rank-78 candidate. Earnable in interview (+15) + GS-IV (+10) + optional (+15) in a future attempt.
Topper Marksheet Sample — CSE 2024 Top 3
| Rank | Name | Mains-Written | Interview | Total | Optional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIR-1 | Shakti Dubey | 843 | 200 | 1043 | PSIR |
| AIR-2 | Harshita Goyal | 851 | 187 | 1038 | PSIR |
| AIR-3 | Dongre Archit Parag | 848 | 190 | 1038 | Philosophy |
Note: AIR-2 had a HIGHER written score than AIR-1 — but lost the top spot on interview marks (200 vs 187). This is the clearest illustration of interview leverage at the top of the table.
Mentor Note
Three practical implications of the 78-107-252 reality:
- IAS is now a top-1% target. With ~9.3 lakh applicants and ~78 General IAS seats, the IAS conversion is 0.008%. Plan accordingly — don't underestimate the rank you need.
- Service preferences are decisive. Many candidates regret putting IFS below IPS only to find IPS exhausted. Order your DAF preferences with honest expected-rank reasoning, not aspiration.
- A rank in 200-500 still gets you a Group A service — IRS, IRTS, IAAS, IDAS are excellent careers, often with faster promotions and better work-life than IAS. The "only IAS matters" narrative is a coaching-industry myth.
Sources
- UPSC CSE 2024 Final Result PIB: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2123422
- CSE 2024 Final Recommendations List: https://upsconline.gov.in/FR-CSM-2024-Engl-220425.pdf
- DoPT Cadre Allocation Policy: https://dopt.gov.in/
- UPSC Cutoff Marks: https://upsc.gov.in/examinations/cutoff-marks
