The Union Public Service Commission has released the official cut-off marks for the Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2018. Candidates who appeared for the exam, as well as engineering aspirants preparing for future attempts, can now check and download the category-wise cut-off marks PDF. These cut-offs indicate the minimum scores required to qualify for the next stage of the selection process and give a clear picture of the competition level across engineering branches.
I am writing about this update because cut-off data is one of the most reliable tools for serious IES aspirants. From what I have seen over the years, many candidates focus only on syllabus and test series, but ignore past cut-off trends. The 2018 cut-off marks still hold strong relevance, especially for those trying to understand how UPSC evaluates performance in the Engineering Services Examination. Analysing these numbers helps aspirants set realistic score targets, fine-tune preparation strategies, and understand how category-wise competition actually plays out in the real exam.
About Engineering Services (Main) Examination
The Engineering Services Examination is conducted by UPSC to recruit officers for key technical posts under various central government departments. It is considered one of the toughest engineering exams in the country due to its depth, analytical nature, and limited vacancies.
The selection process includes:
- Preliminary Examination
- Main Examination
- Personality Test (Interview)
Only candidates clearing the Mains cut-off are shortlisted for the interview stage.
Why the IES Mains 2018 Cut-off Matters
Even though the exam was held in 2018, the cut-off marks remain highly relevant. UPSC’s evaluation pattern, difficulty level, and relative scoring trends do not change drastically year to year.
By studying the 2018 cut-off, aspirants can:
- Understand the minimum safe score range
- Compare performance across engineering streams
- Analyse category-wise competition
- Set realistic preparation benchmarks
This data is especially useful for first-time aspirants.
Category-wise Cut-off Marks Overview
The official cut-off marks are released separately for different categories such as:
- General
- OBC
- SC
- ST
- PwBD
Each category has a different qualifying threshold based on vacancies and overall performance levels.
Candidates are advised to refer only to the official PDF released by UPSC for accurate figures.
How to Download IES Mains 2018 Cut-off Marks PDF
Candidates can download the official cut-off marks PDF by following these steps:
- Visit the official UPSC website
- Go to the “Examination” section
- Select the link for cut-off marks
- Click on Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2018
- Download the PDF and save it for reference
Keeping a copy helps in long-term preparation planning.
