The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the official cut-off marks for the Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2022. This much-awaited release provides the minimum qualifying marks required for candidates to move from the written examination to the interview stage, as well as the final cut-off after the personality test. Candidates who appeared in the exam or are preparing for future sessions can now download the PDF from the official UPSC website.
I’m writing about this because cut-off marks are not just numbers; they are valuable indicators of competition and performance standards. For aspirants of UPSC Engineering Services (ESE) 2025 or later, the 2022 cut-off data serves as a benchmark to assess how tough the exam can be and how marks are distributed across disciplines. Understanding these marks helps candidates plan better, focus on high-scoring subjects, and align their preparation with the expected level of difficulty. Knowing how previous years’ cut-offs have moved also gives insight into the overall trend of the examination process.
Overview of the UPSC Engineering Services Examination
The Engineering Services Examination (ESE) is one of the most prestigious exams conducted by UPSC for recruiting engineers into various government departments such as Railways, CPWD, MES, and CWC. The selection process includes three stages:
- Preliminary Examination
- Main Examination
- Personality Test (Interview)
Candidates from four major engineering disciplines — Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, and Electronics & Telecommunication — compete in this national-level exam.
The written papers test both technical and general engineering knowledge, while the interview assesses practical understanding and decision-making ability. The final merit list is based on the total marks obtained in the Mains and Interview combined.
Stages of Cut-off Marks
UPSC releases three sets of cut-off marks for ESE every year:
- Preliminary Examination Cut-off: Minimum marks needed to qualify for the Mains
- Main Examination Cut-off: Minimum marks required to qualify for the Interview
- Final Cut-off (Written + Personality Test): Marks needed to be included in the final merit list
Each discipline and category (General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS) has different cut-offs depending on factors like paper difficulty, number of vacancies, and overall candidate performance.
How to Download the Official Cut-off PDF
To download the UPSC Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2022 Cut-off Marks PDF, follow these steps:
- Visit the official UPSC website: https://www.upsc.gov.in
- Click on the Examination tab on the homepage
- Select Cut-off Marks from the dropdown options
- Find the link titled Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2022
- Click on the link to download the official PDF file
You can also save the PDF for future reference and comparison with upcoming cut-offs to understand performance trends.
