UPSC Result 2026 covers the Civil Services Examination 2026 cycle — Prelims in May 2026, Mains in August–September 2026, Personality Test in early 2027, and final result in April–May 2027. This page tracks the official UPSC exam calendar for the cycle, the most recent confirmed toppers — Shakti Dubey (AIR 1, CSE 2024) and Aditya Srivastava (AIR 1, CSE 2023) — and the category-wise cut-off marks aspirants should benchmark against.
AnantamIAS updates this page within 24 hours of every official UPSC announcement: the Prelims answer key, Prelims result, Mains result, and the final merit list with category-wise cut-offs.
UPSC CSE 2026 Exam Calendar (Updated)
Official dates published by UPSC for the Civil Services Examination 2026 cycle. Confirmed via the UPSC Annual Calendar 2026 notification (published February 2026).
| Stage | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Prelims (CSE 2026) | 24 May 2026 (Sunday) | GS Paper I (09:30–11:30) + CSAT Paper II (14:30–16:30) |
| Prelims Answer Key (provisional) | Last week of May 2026 | Coaching keys typically Day-1 evening; UPSC official key 2–3 days after |
| Prelims Result | Late June – early July 2026 | Roll numbers of candidates qualified for Mains |
| Mains Application Window (DAF-1) | July 2026 | After Prelims result |
| Mains Exam (CSE 2026) | August / September 2026 (5 days) | 9 written papers including Optional |
| Mains Result | December 2026 – January 2027 | Roll numbers of candidates called for interview |
| Personality Test (Interview) | January – March 2027 | Conducted at UPSC Dholpur House, New Delhi |
| CSE 2026 Final Result | April–May 2027 | Merit list with names, ranks, services allocated |
Subscribe to the UPSC official notification page (upsc.gov.in) and the official UPSC X / Twitter account (@upsc_ind) for real-time announcements. AnantamIAS will mirror every announcement on this page within 24 hours.
UPSC CSE 2024 Toppers — Final Result Declared 22 April 2025
Published by UPSC on 22 April 2025, the CSE 2024 result recommended 1,009 candidates for appointment to the IAS, IPS, IFS and other Group-A central services. Shakti Dubey from Prayagraj (Allahabad) topped the list with Political Science & International Relations as optional, in her fifth attempt — making her one of only a handful of women to top the CSE in the last decade.
Top 10 — UPSC CSE 2024
| AIR | Name | Optional Subject | Home State / Region | Attempt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shakti Dubey | Political Science & International Relations | Uttar Pradesh (Prayagraj) | 5th |
| 2 | Harshita Goyal | Political Science & International Relations | Gujarat (Vadodara) | 3rd |
| 3 | Dongre Archit Parag | Sociology | Maharashtra | 3rd |
| 4 | Shah Margi Chirag | Anthropology | Gujarat | 4th |
| 5 | Aakash Garg | Political Science & International Relations | Delhi | 4th |
| 6 | Komal Punia | History | Haryana | 4th |
| 7 | Aayush Bansal | Mathematics | Punjab | 3rd |
| 8 | Raj Krishna Jha | Anthropology | Bihar | 3rd |
| 9 | Aditya Vikram Agarwal | Sociology | Delhi | 2nd |
| 10 | Mayank Tripathi | Sanskrit | Uttar Pradesh | 3rd |
Source: UPSC Notification on Recommendation of Candidates — Civil Services Examination 2024 (released 22 April 2025).
Quick takeaways from CSE 2024
- 1,009 candidates recommended — General 335, EWS 109, OBC 318, SC 160, ST 87 (rounded; PwBD reservations apply within categories).
- Women candidates in top 10: three (AIR 1 Shakti Dubey, AIR 2 Harshita Goyal, AIR 6 Komal Punia) — the highest representation in five years.
- Political Science & IR dominated the top 5, with three of the top five (AIR 1, 2, 5) choosing it as optional.
- Median attempts of top 10: 3.5 — confirming that CSE is rarely a first-attempt exam at the highest ranks.
- Geographic spread: Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar — pan-India representation, no single-coaching-hub dominance.
CSE 2024 Cut-off Marks (Final, Released 22 April 2025)
Prelims Cut-off (GS Paper I, out of 200):
| Category | Cut-off Marks |
|---|---|
| General (UR) | 87.98 |
| EWS | 85.92 |
| OBC | 87.98 |
| SC | 79.03 |
| ST | 74.23 |
| PwBD-1 (Visual) | 40.40 |
| PwBD-2 (Hearing) | 47.13 |
| PwBD-3 (Loco) | 53.51 |
| PwBD-5 (Multiple) | 40.40 |
Final Cut-off (Mains + Interview, out of 2,025):
| Category | Marks of Last Recommended Candidate (out of 2025) |
|---|---|
| General (UR) | 953 |
| EWS | 913 |
| OBC | 920 |
| SC | 880 |
| ST | 843 |
| PwBD-1 | 788 |
| PwBD-2 | 888 |
| PwBD-3 | 771 |
UPSC CSE 2023 Toppers — Final Result Declared 16 April 2024
Aditya Srivastava from Lucknow (IIT Kanpur alumnus, Electrical Engineering) topped CSE 2023, scoring 1,099 out of 2,025 marks — the second-highest absolute score in over a decade. The list recommended 1,016 candidates against 1,105 advertised vacancies.
Top 10 — UPSC CSE 2023
| AIR | Name | Optional Subject | Home State / Region | Attempt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aditya Srivastava | Electrical Engineering | Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow) | 3rd (in service — IPS, AGMUT 2022) |
| 2 | Animesh Pradhan | Commerce & Accountancy | Odisha (Nayagarh) | 2nd |
| 3 | Donuru Ananya Reddy | Anthropology | Telangana (Mahbubnagar) | 1st |
| 4 | Pal Agarwal Akash | Anthropology | Madhya Pradesh | 3rd |
| 5 | Ruhani | Public Administration | Delhi | 2nd |
| 6 | Sristi Dabas | Public Administration | Delhi | 3rd |
| 7 | Anmol Rathore | Geography | Rajasthan | 3rd |
| 8 | Ashish Kumar | Anthropology | Haryana | 2nd |
| 9 | Nausheen | Anthropology | Karnataka | 3rd |
| 10 | Aishwaryam Prajapati | History | Madhya Pradesh | 2nd |
CSE 2023 Cut-off Marks
| Category | Prelims (GS-I) | Final (out of 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| General (UR) | 75.41 | 953 |
| EWS | 68.02 | 923 |
| OBC | 74.75 | 927 |
| SC | 59.25 | 883 |
| ST | 47.82 | 854 |
Compare 2023 vs 2024: The General-category Prelims cut-off rose from 75.41 (2023) to 87.98 (2024) — a 12.5-mark jump, reflecting a slightly easier Prelims paper or stronger candidate pool. Final cut-offs stayed roughly stable around 950.
Total Vacancies Trend (2020–2025)
| Cycle Year | Vacancies Advertised | Candidates Recommended | Selection Ratio (vs Prelims-takers) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSE 2020 | 796 | 761 | ~0.16% |
| CSE 2021 | 712 | 685 | ~0.14% |
| CSE 2022 | 861 | 933 | ~0.20% |
| CSE 2023 | 1,105 | 1,016 | ~0.19% |
| CSE 2024 | 1,056 | 1,009 | ~0.18% |
| CSE 2025 (cycle) | 979 (advertised Feb 2025) | To be announced | TBA |
CSE 2026 vacancies (979 advertised in February 2026) marks a slight reduction from CSE 2024 — the lowest in three cycles. Vacancy count drives final cut-off pressure; expect General-category cut-off marks to firm up by 5–10 points compared to CSE 2024.
Key Trends from Recent Toppers (CSE 2023 + 2024)
Engineering graduates continue to dominate top ranks. Across CSE 2023 + 2024, half of the top 10 in both years had a technical background (IIT, NIT, premier engineering colleges) — though most then chose Humanities optionals like Anthropology, PSIR, Sociology rather than mathematics.
Anthropology is the single most-chosen optional in the top 10 across both 2023 and 2024 — 4 out of 10 in 2023, 2 out of 10 in 2024. Why: shorter syllabus, predictable answer-writing template, high scoring ceiling. Compare with Political Science & IR (more common at AIR 1 itself: Shakti Dubey, Harshita Goyal, Aakash Garg).
Multiple attempts are the norm. CSE 2024’s top 10 had median attempts of 3.5; CSE 2023’s median was also 2.5. First-attempt clearances at the very top are exceptional (Donuru Ananya Reddy AIR 3 in 2023 was a notable example).
Interview marks compress the merit list. Interview scores out of 275 typically range 130–215; a 50-mark gap on interview is equivalent to ~80 ranks shift in the merit list. Candidates with strong interview scores (180+) jump ranks; weak interviews (below 150) cost them.
State-coverage is increasing. CSE 2024 saw top-10 from Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar — confirming the trend away from Delhi-and-South-India monopoly seen in pre-2020 results.
How to Use Topper Data Productively
Topper interviews are everywhere. Everyone reads them. Most people extract the wrong lessons.
Note from each topper:
- Optional subject choice and the actual reasoning (background + overlap + scoring ceiling).
- Number of attempts and what they changed between attempts — the delta matters more than the total.
- Specific resources they used for weak subjects — not the comfortable subjects.
- Mock test frequency and the review process (not just the count).
Ignore:
- Daily study-hour claims — often inflated or context-bound to their phase.
- ‘I read only these 5 books’ claims — oversimplified post-hoc narratives.
- Picture-perfect schedules that required unusual self-discipline you may not have.
The most consistent pattern across both 2023 and 2024 top 10: early answer-writing practice (from Phase 1, not the final 60 days) and zero reliance on a single coaching institute. The toppers consistently used materials from multiple sources, then standardised their own notes.
Where to Check UPSC Results & Cut-offs
- Official results page: upsc.gov.in → Examinations → Civil Services (Main) Examination & Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination
- Results notification via UPSC portal: Roll-number login shows individual status
- Gazette notification: Final merit list published in the Gazette of India
- UPSC X (Twitter) — @upsc_ind: Official announcements when results drop
- This page: mirrored within 24 hours of every UPSC announcement
UPSC does not send individual result emails or SMS. You must check the website directly. Result PDFs stay accessible on upsc.gov.in for several years — useful for cut-off research.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will the UPSC CSE 2025 result be declared?
UPSC CSE 2025 final result is expected in April–May 2026, following the Personality Test conducted in January–April 2026. The exact date is announced by UPSC roughly 48–72 hours before publication on upsc.gov.in.
Who topped UPSC CSE 2024?
Shakti Dubey from Prayagraj (Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh, topped UPSC CSE 2024 with Political Science & International Relations optional in her fifth attempt. The result was declared on 22 April 2025. She joins a short list of women who have topped CSE in the last decade.
Who topped UPSC CSE 2023?
Aditya Srivastava from Lucknow, an IIT Kanpur Electrical Engineering graduate (IPS, AGMUT batch 2022) topped UPSC CSE 2023 with Electrical Engineering optional in his third attempt. The result was declared on 16 April 2024. His total score was 1,099 out of 2,025.
What is the UPSC Prelims 2026 exam date?
UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026 will be conducted on Sunday, 24 May 2026, in two shifts: GS Paper I (09:30–11:30) and CSAT Paper II (14:30–16:30). It is the first stage of the CSE 2026 cycle.
How many candidates clear UPSC CSE each year?
UPSC recommends roughly 1,000 candidates annually. In CSE 2024, 1,009 candidates were recommended; CSE 2023 had 1,016; CSE 2022 had 933. Selection ratio against Prelims-takers is approximately 0.15–0.20 percent.
How are UPSC final marks calculated?
Final marks = Mains (1,750 marks across 7 merit-counted papers) + Personality Test/Interview (275 marks) = 2,025 total. Prelims marks are NOT included in the final tally — they are only qualifying. Mains qualifying papers (Compulsory Indian Language + English) have a pass/fail criterion only.
What is the cut-off for UPSC Prelims 2025 / 2026?
CSE 2024 General-category Prelims cut-off was 87.98 (out of 200). CSE 2023 was 75.41. CSE 2025 / 2026 cut-offs will be announced with their respective Prelims results — expected July 2026 for CSE 2026.
Which is the most common optional subject among recent toppers?
Anthropology is the most-chosen optional in the top 10 across CSE 2023 (4 of 10) and CSE 2024 (2 of 10). Political Science & International Relations dominates the AIR 1–5 range in CSE 2024 (3 of top 5).
What is the lowest rank that gets IAS allocation?
Roughly the top 90–110 General-category ranks get IAS, depending on cadre and vacancy distribution. IFS and IPS follow, then other Central Services. Exact cut-off varies year-to-year; CSE 2024 IAS cut-off was approximately AIR 100 General.
How long are UPSC results valid?
Result validity is one-time — there is no shelf-life. Once recommended, candidates must complete medical examination and training as per cadre allocation. Reserved-list candidates may be called only if vacancies arise from non-joining.
Archive: UPSC Result 2025 (CSE 2024 historical reference) →
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