UPSC Mains Qualifying Marks 2026: English & Language Paper Criteria

UPSC Mains Qualifying Marks 2026 are the minimum marks candidates must secure in the compulsory Indian Language and English papers to have their merit papers evaluated. Keep reading to know the qualifying criteria, minimum marks required, and important UPSC rules.

Prahaar 2026 (Mains Wallah) for UPSC Mains Current 

UPSC Mains Minimum Qualifying Marks

For UPSC CSE Mains 2025, the minimum qualifying marks are:

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UPSC MAINS 2026 Selection Criteria: 

• The Commission will draw a list of candidates to be qualified for the Civil Services (Main) Examination based on the criterion of minimum qualifying marks of 33% in General Studies Paper-II of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination and total qualifying marks of General Studies Paper-I of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination as may be determined by the Commission. 

• The Civil Services (Main) Examination will consist of a Written Examination and an Interview/Personality Test. The Written Examination will consist of 9 papers of conventional type, out of which two papers will be of qualifying in nature. 

The Written Examination will consist of the following papers:

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UPSC Mains Qualifying Papers: 

The qualifying papers are as follows:

Papers to be Counted for Merit:

The following papers will be counted for merit:

• Marks thus obtained by the candidates in the Civil Services (Main) Examination (Written part as well as Interview/Personality Test) would determine their final ranking. Candidates will be allotted to the various Services keeping in view their ranks in the examination and the preferences expressed by them for the various Services and posts.

• Tie Breaking Principle: 

1. If the marks in aggregate (Final Marks) are equal, the Candidate securing more marks in the Compulsory (Common) Papers of written examination (“Paper-I: Essay”, Paper-II: GS-I”, “Paper-III: GS-II”, “Paper-IV: GS-III”, “Paper-V: GS-IV”) and the Personality Test put together will be ranked higher

2. If the marks at (1) above are equal, then the candidate securing more marks in the Compulsory (Common) Papers of the written examination (“Paper-I: Essay”, “Paper-II: GS-I”, “Paper-III: GS-II”, “Paper-IV : GS-III:, “Paper-V: GS-IV” put together will be ranked higher.

3. If the marks at (1) & (2) above are also equal, the candidate Senior in age will be ranked higher; and in cases where a tie persists even after applying the above tie-breaking principles, it will be resolved at the discretion of the Commission. 

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UPSC Mains Qualifying Papers on Indian Languages and English 

The aim of the paper is to test the candidates' ability to read and understand serious discursive prose, and to express ideas clearly and correctly, in English and the Indian language concerned. The pattern of questions would be broadly as follows: 

1. Comprehension of given passages. 

2. Precis Writing. 

3. Usage and Vocabulary. 

4. Short Essays. 

Indian Languages:

1. Comprehension of given passages. 

2. Precis Writing. 

3. Usage and Vocabulary. 

4. Short Essays. 

5. Translation from English to the Indian Language and vice versa. 

• The papers on Indian Languages and English will be of Matriculation or equivalent standard and will be of a qualifying nature only. 

• The marks obtained in these papers will not be counted for ranking. 

• Evaluation of the papers, namely, 'Essay', 'General Studies', and Optional Subject of all the candidates, would be done simultaneously along with evaluation of their qualifying papers on ‘Indian Languages’ and ‘English’. 

• However, the papers on Éssay', General Studies, and Optional Subject of only such candidates will be taken cognizance of who attain 25% marks in ‘Indian Language’ and 25% in English as minimum qualifying standards in these qualifying papers. 

• Marks obtained by the candidates for Papers I-VII only will be counted for merit ranking. However, the Commission will have the discretion to fix qualifying marks in any or all of these papers. 

• The candidates will have to answer the English and Indian Languages papers in English and the respective Indian language (except where translation is involved)