Editorial note on accuracy: Every cut-off figure in this article was read directly from an official Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) notification. Where an official figure could not be verified, we do not estimate it — we state: "Official cutoff data unavailable." Verified figures are shown only for the cycles where an official APSC cut-off notice could be retrieved and read (CCE 2020 and CCE 2022). Nothing here is guessed or predicted.
Introduction
The APSC Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) is the gateway to Assam's premier administrative, police and allied services. Every serious aspirant eventually asks: "How many marks are actually safe in the Prelims?"
This guide answers that responsibly. It presents official, category-wise APSC CCE preliminary cut-offs for the cycles we could verify directly from APSC notifications, marks every unverifiable year honestly, and turns the verified data into a preparation strategy for 2026 — without predicting any future cut-off.
Table of Contents
- Why APSC CCE Cut-Off Analysis Matters
- How We Verified This Data
- Year-wise Prelims Cut-Off Table
- Cut-Off Trend Analysis
- Vacancies vs Cut-Off Correlation
- Highest Cut-Off Years
- Lowest Cut-Off Years
- What 2026 Aspirants Can Learn From Previous Trends
- Safe Score Strategy for 2026
- Common Mistakes Candidates Make
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Source Verification
Why APSC CCE Cut-Off Analysis Matters
Understanding cut-off behaviour helps an aspirant in four concrete ways:
- Setting a realistic target. A data-informed score target beats a vague "score as much as possible."
- Category-aware planning. Cut-offs differ across General, OBC/MOBC, SC, ST(P) and ST(H), so you can benchmark against the correct reference.
- Reading the exam, not just the syllabus. Cut-off movement reflects paper difficulty and competition in a given cycle.
- Avoiding misinformation. Knowing where the official cut-off lives protects you from inflated or invented figures.
How We Verified This Data
Our process was strict and official-source-first:
- Searched official APSC records — the Commission's notifications, cut-off PDFs and result documents on apsc.nic.in (including archived copies on the Internet Archive when the live site was unreachable).
- Read the figures directly from the official PDF for each cycle — never from coaching or aggregator sites.
- Cross-checked the exam year stated inside each official notification, which resolved a common online error (the CCE 2022 prelims figures are frequently mislabelled as "2023").
- Refused to fill gaps with guesses. Any cycle whose official cut-off could not be read is marked "Official cutoff data unavailable."
Result of verification:
- CCE 2020 and CCE 2022 prelims cut-offs were read directly from their official APSC notifications and are reproduced below.
- CCE 2018's official cut-off notice exists but is a scanned image without a readable text layer, so its figures could not be transcribed (and were not guessed).
- For CCE 2023 and CCE 2024, official prelims results (qualified roll numbers) exist, but a category-wise prelims cut-off marks document could not be verified, so those marks are listed as unavailable.
Year-wise Prelims Cut-Off Table
Figures below are taken verbatim from official APSC notifications (see Source Verification for the document, link and page). Each verified cell shows Male / Female marks.
| CCE Cycle | General (M / F) | OBC/MOBC (M / F) | SC (M / F) | ST(P) (M / F) | ST(H) (M / F) | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 122.50 / 114.50 | 101.50 / 93.50 | 95.00 / 92.50 | 90.00 / 87.00 | 84.50 / 84.50 | Source 1 — page 1 |
| 2022 | 74.5 / 71.0 | 54.5 / 54.5 | 50.5 / 50.5 | 49.5 / 49.5 | 38.5 / 38.5 | Source 2 — page 1 |
Other officially-published categories (CCE 2020, Source 1, page 1): EWS — 75.00 (M) / 62.00 (F); PwBD (Male) — HI 21.50, OH 24.50, VI 45.00.
Basis of the above marks: Both notifications state the prelims cut-off is on the basis of General Studies Paper-I, with General Studies Paper-II being qualifying in nature (minimum 33%).
Important — do not compare the raw numbers across the two years blindly. The maximum marks and marking scheme for GS Paper-I can differ between cycles, so the 2020 and 2022 figures are not necessarily on the same scale. Confirm each cycle's exam structure from its own notification before drawing any comparison.
Years where official prelims cut-off could not be verified
For the following CCE cycles, Official cutoff data unavailable.
- 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2025 — no official category-wise prelims cut-off notice could be located or verified.
- 2016 — the official cut-off document found is the final, service-wise cut-off (ACS, ALRS, etc.), not the prelims category cut-off, so it does not belong in this prelims table.
- 2018 — an official prelims cut-off notice exists (Source 3) but is a scanned image we could not read with available tools; figures were not transcribed.
- 2023 — only the official prelims result (roll numbers, Source 5) could be verified; category-wise cut-off marks could not.
- 2024 — only the official prelims result (roll numbers, Source 4; exam held 08 June 2025) could be verified; category-wise cut-off marks could not.
Cut-Off Trend Analysis
With official figures verified for only two cycles — and on potentially different scales — we deliberately do not draw a multi-year trend line, because that would require comparable, verified data across many years. Instead, here are the forces that move APSC CCE prelims cut-offs, so you can interpret any official figure correctly.
Rising years
A prelims cut-off tends to rise when the paper is comparatively easier (scores cluster higher), when competition increases for similar vacancies, or when the cycle's question mix favours well-prepared candidates.
Falling years
A cut-off tends to fall when the paper is tougher or more unpredictable, when vacancies increase relative to the serious applicant pool, or when a pattern/marking change catches candidates off guard.
Impact of vacancies
More vacancies generally widen the qualifying net (lowering the cut-off); very few vacancies can raise it. This is a tendency, not a rule — paper difficulty can override it in any year.
Impact of paper difficulty
Difficulty is often the single biggest short-term driver. Two cycles with similar vacancies can show very different cut-offs purely because one paper was harder — which is exactly why a fixed "magic number" target is risky.
Vacancies vs Cut-Off Correlation
The relationship between vacancies and cut-off is inverse but noisy: more vacancies usually mean a lower prelims cut-off (a larger pool is shortlisted), and fewer vacancies usually mean a higher one — with paper difficulty as the confounding variable. A rigorous correlation would pair each cycle's official vacancy count with its official category-wise cut-off; until both halves are confirmed officially for each year, we do not chart one here.
Highest Cut-Off Years
Among the two cycles with verified official prelims cut-offs, the CCE 2020 figures are numerically the higher across every category (for example, General 122.50 / 114.50 in 2020 versus 74.5 / 71.0 in 2022). We do not crown an all-time "highest" year, because most cycles could not be verified and the 2020/2022 scales may differ. As a structural point, the General/Open category always carries the highest qualifying mark within any given cycle.
Lowest Cut-Off Years
Of the verified cycles, CCE 2022 shows the numerically lower figures. We do not declare an all-time "lowest" year without verified, comparable data across cycles. Structurally, within any cycle the ST(H) category typically sits at the lower end of the qualifying range (for example, ST(H) 84.50 / 84.50 in 2020 and 38.5 / 38.5 in 2022).
What 2026 Aspirants Can Learn From Previous Trends
- Treat the cut-off as a moving band, not a fixed line. Even the two verified years differ substantially.
- Benchmark against your own category's official figure, not the General mark.
- Build a difficulty margin so a tough paper does not end your attempt.
- Rely only on apsc.nic.in for figures — a habit that also protects you from fake vacancy and result rumours.
Safe Score Strategy for 2026
Preparation strategy and historical tendencies only. This does not predict any 2026 cut-off.
- Aim for a comfortable margin, not the minimum, so an easy-paper spike in the cut-off does not catch you out.
- Maximise the scoring core — Assam-specific GK, polity, geography, economy and current affairs.
- Solve official previous-year papers to calibrate accuracy and speed against the real standard.
- Master negative-marking discipline — intelligent attempt-selection often decides who clears.
- Clear the qualifying paper (GS Paper-II, minimum 33%) so your scoring paper actually counts.
- Take full-length timed mocks and review every mistake; a stable, repeatable score beats one lucky high.
Common Mistakes Candidates Make
- Trusting unofficial cut-off figures — they are frequently wrong or mislabelled by year (the 2022 figures are often shown as "2023").
- Targeting the bare minimum, leaving no buffer for a tougher paper.
- Ignoring category-specific data and using the General cut-off when you belong to a reserved category.
- Over-attempting under negative marking.
- Neglecting the qualifying GS Paper-II.
- Studying without official previous-year papers.
- Chasing predictions instead of building a preparation margin.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What was the official APSC CCE 2020 prelims cut-off? On the basis of General Studies Paper-I (Source 1, page 1): General 122.50 (M) / 114.50 (F), OBC/MOBC 101.50 / 93.50, SC 95.00 / 92.50, ST(P) 90.00 / 87.00, ST(H) 84.50 / 84.50, EWS 75.00 / 62.00.
2. What was the official APSC CCE 2022 prelims cut-off? Per official Notification No. 74PSC/CON/Exam-14/2022-23 (Source 2, page 1): Open 74.5 (M) / 71.0 (F), OBC/MOBC 54.5, SC 50.5, ST(P) 49.5, ST(H) 38.5.
3. Why do some websites show the 2022 figures as "2023"? Many aggregator pages copy figures and mislabel the year. The official APSC notification clearly states these marks are for the Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination, 2022 — so trust only the official PDF.
4. Why are some years marked "Official cutoff data unavailable"? Because we could not read an official category-wise prelims cut-off for those cycles (no notice located, a scanned/unreadable document, or only a roll-number result was published). We do not publish estimated numbers.
5. Where is the official APSC CCE cut-off published? On apsc.nic.in, as a notification PDF or within the result documents after a stage is declared. The Source Verification section links the exact documents.
6. Is the GS Paper-II (CSAT-type) counted in the prelims cut-off? No — the official notifications state the cut-off is on General Studies Paper-I, with Paper-II qualifying in nature (minimum 33%).
7. Do cut-offs change every year? Yes. They move with paper difficulty, vacancies and competition. Even the two verified cycles differ substantially, so treat the cut-off as a band.
8. Can the 2020 and 2022 figures be compared directly? Cautiously. Both are GS Paper-I based, but the maximum marks/marking scheme can differ between cycles, so confirm each year's exam structure before comparing the raw numbers.
9. What is a "safe score" for APSC CCE Prelims 2026? We do not predict exact numbers. Target a comfortable margin above the historical band so a tougher paper or a higher-cut-off year does not affect you.
10. Where can I confirm these cut-offs myself? Open the official APSC PDFs linked in the Source Verification section (live links, plus Internet Archive copies) and read the category-wise figures on page 1.
Source Verification
All cut-off figures above were read directly from these official APSC documents. Where the live apsc.nic.in link was unreachable during research, an Internet Archive (Wayback Machine) copy of the same official document is provided.
- CCE 2020 Prelims cut-off — Official Notification No. 252PSC/CON/Exam-II/2021-2022, dated 12 December 2022, page 1. Official: apsc.nic.in/notif_2022/CutOff_CCE_2020_12122022.pdf · Archived: Wayback copy
- CCE 2022 Prelims cut-off — Official Notification No. 74PSC/CON/Exam-14/2022-23, dated 17 April 2023, page 1. Official: apsc.nic.in/misc_2023/No74PSC_CON_Exam-14_2022-23.pdf · Archived: Wayback copy
- CCE 2018 Prelims cut-off (scanned; figures could not be machine-read) — Official: apsc.nic.in/notif_2019/cut-off_ccep_2018.pdf · Archived: Wayback copy
- CCE 2024 Prelims result (roll numbers; not category cut-off marks) — Official Notification No. 197PSC/CON/Exam-27/2024-2025, dated 17 July 2025: apsc.nic.in/misc_2025/Notif_CCE(Prelim)_Examination-2024_12_2025_17072025.pdf_Examination-2024_12_2025_17072025.pdf)
- CCE 2023 Prelims result (roll numbers; not category cut-off marks) — Official: apsc.nic.in/misc_2024/CCE_P_2023_result.pdf
- CCE 2016 final service-wise cut-off (not prelims category cut-off) — Official: apsc.nic.in/misc_2020/CCE_2016_cutoff_19May2020.pdf · Archived: Wayback copy
- APSC official website — apsc.nic.in and the CCE page apsc.nic.in/cce.html
Verification status: Figures for CCE 2020 and CCE 2022 were transcribed from page 1 of the official notifications cited above. For every other cycle in 2014–2025, official prelims cut-off marks could not be verified and are marked "Official cutoff data unavailable." Always confirm the cited figures against the official APSC PDFs before relying on them.