The UPSC ESE cut off decides who moves from Prelims to Mains and then to the Interview. ESE 2026 is waiting for its final result. Moreover, ESE 2027 Prelims is on 31 January 2027. So, every aspirant asks one thing: how many marks are safe for ESE 2027? This article gives branch-wise data from five years sourced from the official upsc.gov.in examinations cutoffs. It also covers the expected marks for ESE 2027.
What is the Expected Cutoff for ESE 2027?
For General Category, the expected UPSC ESE cut off in Prelims for the CE, ME, EE, ETE branches are given below:
| ESE Branches | Expected Cutoff 2027 |
| Civil | 200-235 |
| Mechanical | 210-240 |
| Electrical | 190-220 |
| Electronics &Telecommunication | 150-185 |
Note: These are just estimates based on the 2022-2025 trend. The actual figures will be released on the official website after the final results.
Candidates waiting for the 2026 cut-off can check the official website for updates.
Is the UPSC ESE Cut off 2026 Out?
No, the UPSC has not released the ESE cut off for 2026. The official cutoffs will be released only after the final result, once all interviews are over.
Where ESE 2026 stands:
- Prelims: held 8 February 2026, result declared on 26 February
- Mains: held 21 June 2026, result on 24 July
- Interview: Commenced from 21 September 2026
- ESE final result: awaited
- ESE Vacancies: 474
ESE 2027 At a Glance
Check out the ESE 2027 important dates given below:
| Particulars | Important Dates |
| Notification Released | 16 September 2026 |
| Total Vacancies | 480 |
| Prelims Date | 31 January 2027 |
| Mains Date | 18 June 2027 |
| Application Window Closed | 6 October 2026 |
Preparing for ESE 2027? Read the latest dates, syllabus and strategy on the MADE EASY ESE blog.
How is the ESE Cutoff Calculated Across Stages?
Every UPSC ESE cut in the official PDF follows the same three-stage structure:
| Stage | Max Marks | Cutoff Shown As |
| Prelims | 500 | Out of 500 |
| Mains | 600 | Prelims + Mains (out of 1100) |
| Interview | 200 | Final (out of 1300) |
UPSC ESE Cut off Branch-Wise: Last 5 Years (General)
The UPSC ESE cut off branch-wise last 5 years for General Category are sourced from the official website. Check out the UPSC ESE last 5 years cut offs given below:
ESE Cutoff for Civil Engineering
| Year | Prelims (500) | Mains (1100) | Final (1300) |
| 2021 | 249 | – | – |
| 2022 | 233 | 551 | 756 |
| 2023 | 218 | 590 | 783 |
| 2024 | 174 | 510 | 691 |
| 2025 | 233 | 498 | 719 |
Final marks stayed between 691 and 783 from 2022 to 2025.
Read next: ESE 2027 Civil Engineering syllabus, exam pattern and books.
ESE Cutoff for Mechanical Engineering
| Year | Prelims (500) | Mains (1100) | Final (1300) |
| 2021 | 247 | – | – |
| 2022 | 236 | 581 | 745 |
| 2023 | 173 | 445 | 661 |
| 2024 | 217 | 537 | 725 |
| 2025 | 238 | 570 | 758 |
Mechanical recorded the highest General Prelims and Final Marks in 2025.
ESE Cutoff for Electrical Engineering
| Year | Prelims (500) | Mains (1100) | Final (1300) |
| 2021 | 253 | – | – |
| 2022 | 231 | 552 | 714 |
| 2023 | 173 | 458 | 666 |
| 2024 | 199 | 489 | 655 |
| 2025 | 210 | 484 | 686 |
Final marks ranged from 655 to 714 in the last four years.
Read next: ESE Electrical Engineering syllabus, pattern and books.
ESE Cutoff for Electronics & Telecommunications (E&T)
| Year | Prelims (500) | Mains (1100) | Final (1300) |
| 2021 | 208 | – | – |
| 2022 | 184 | 479 | 651 |
| 2023 | 124 | 372 | 594 |
| 2024 | 129 | 343 | 546 |
| 2025 | 176 | 447 | 661 |
E&T has the lowest cutoff among the four branches. However, it rose in 2025.
ESE Cutoff 2025: Category-Wise
Check out the ESE Cutoff 2025 category-wise given below:
Prelims (out of 500)
| Category | Civil | Mech | EE | E & T |
| General | 233 | 238 | 210 | 176 |
| EWS | 210 | 208 | 169 | 141 |
| OBC | 230 | 236 | 209 | 167 |
| SC | 210 | 197 | 177 | 135 |
| ST | 216 | 211 | 194 | 77 |
Mains (out of 1100)
| Category | Civil | Mech | EE | E & T |
| General | 498 | 570 | 484 | 447 |
| EWS | 443 | 419 | 330 | 327 |
| OBC | 498 | 511 | 475 | 422 |
| SC | 441 | 425 | 359 | 270 |
| ST | 466 | 468 | 404 | 270 |
Final (out of 1300)
| Category | Civil | Mech | EE | E & T |
| General | 719 | 758 | 686 | 661 |
| EWS | 662 | 632 | 527 | 602 |
| OBC | 704 | 709 | 678 | 605 |
| SC | 633 | 662 | 587 | 506 |
| ST | 664 | 698 | 646 | 512 |
What the 2025 number tells us:
- Prelims: Mechanical (238) and Civil (233) led for General. E&T was 62 marks lower at 176. The General-SC gap was 23 in Civil but 41 in Mechanical and E&T.
- Mains: Mechanical General was highest at 570. E&T SC and ST stopped at 270. Civil was the tightest, with only 57 marks between general and SC.
- Final: Mechanical General stood at 758 and E&T General at 661. Electrical EWS (527) sat 159 below General. E&T SC (506) was the lowest in the table.
- Takeaway: Civil and Mechanical have been consistent across categories. While E&T and Electrical show wider category gaps.
| UPSC ESE Cut off 2025 Download PDF | UPSC ESE Cut off 2024 Download PDF |
| UPSC ESE Cut off 2023 Download PDF | UPSC ESE Cut off 2022 Download PDF |
| UPSC ESE Cut off 2021 Download PDF | |
What is the Expected ESE Cutoff 2027 (General)
Check out the expected ESE cutoff 2026-27 for General category given below:
| Branch | Prelims (500) | Mains (1100) | Final (1300) |
| Civil | 200-235 | 490-550 | 690-750 |
| Mechanical | 210-240 | 520-580 | 690-760 |
| Electrical | 190-220 | 460-500 | 650-700 |
| E&T | 150-185 | 350-450 | 560-660 |
Note: Estimates are based on the 2022-25 pattern. The official cutoffs will come only after UPSC.
What Affects the UPSC ESE Cut Off?
Here are some factors that affects the UPSC ESE cut offs as given below:
- Paper difficulty: Prelims cutoffs fell in 2023 and 2024 compared to 2022. However, there was a more stable trend in 2025.
- Vacancies: More posts usually push the cutoff down. Fewer push it up.
- Branch and category: E&T has the lowest cutoff. Mechanical and Civil are usually the highest. Moreover, EWS, SC and ST cutoffs stay below General.
How to Score Above the ESE Cutoff?
You can score well above the ESE cutoff if you prepare smartly. Aim for at least 20-30 marks above the expected UPSC ESE cut off in Prelims for a safe margin as per trend analysis. Solving previous-year papers helps in revising topics and identify similar patterns. You can also check your performance and analyse it with the MADE EASY ESE Prelims answer key and solutions. Build a full plan with MADE EASY ESE & GATE batches. You will get structured guidance exam focused teaching to ease your ESE preparation 2027. Further, MADE EASY offers an Interview Guidance Programme for ESE. The programme helps candidates prepare for a real ESE interview.
Final Thoughts
ESE cutoffs move every year with paper difficulty, vacancies and branches. Therefore, treat this 5-year cut off analysis as a guide and not as a fixed target. For ESE 2027, aim for the upper end of the expected range in your branch and keep a 20-30 mark buffer in Prelims. Always keep checking the official website for the ESE 2026 results and cutoffs. Start early, practice previous year papers and stay consistent.
People Also Ask
What is the cut off for UPSC ESE 2025?
Ans: In 2025, the General Prelims cutoff was 233 (Civil), 238 (Mechanical), 210 (Electrical) and 176 (E&T) out of 500.
What is the UPSC ESE cut off for 2026?
Ans: The UPSC ESE cut off for 2026 has not been declared yet. UPSC will release it with the final result after the interviews.
What are the qualifying marks in ESE Prelims?
Ans: UPSC does have a fixed qualifying mark year-wise. The qualifying marks change every year with vacancies and difficulty.
Which branch has the highest ESE cutoff?
Ans: In 2025, Mechanical branch has the highest General cutoff in Prelims and Final. E&T had the lowest.
How many vacancies are there in ESE 2027?
Ans: UPSC has notified about 480 vacancies for ESE 2027. However the number of vacancies are tentative and liable to change.
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