What the SSC GD cut-off means
GD has two cut-offs. The CBE cut-off decides who is shortlisted for the Physical Efficiency Test and Physical Standard Test (PET/PST). The final cut-off is the mark of the last candidate selected after PET/PST, the medical exam and document verification. Both are worked out from your normalized CBE score plus any NCC bonus marks, and each one is set separately for every State/UT, area, category and gender.
CBE cut-off for the PET/PST shortlist
To be considered at all, you first need SSC’s minimum qualifying marks in the CBE: 30% for UR, 25% for OBC/EWS and 20% for all other categories, counted without NCC bonus. That is 48, 40 and 32 marks out of 160. Clearing the minimum isn’t enough, though. The real shortlisting cut-off is much higher and depends on your state. As an example, here are the official GD 2025 cut-offs for one state and area.
| GD 2025 · Uttar Pradesh, General area | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| UR | 122.40763 | 124.92487 |
| OBC | 121.59791 | 123.77652 |
| EWS | 116.89074 | 120.28265 |
| SC | 113.01823 | 113.92342 |
| ST | 105.21096 | 108.00262 |
These are the GD 2025 PET/PST shortlisting cut-offs from SSC’s CBE result of 17 June 2025 (normalized marks plus NCC bonus, i.e. out of 160 + bonus). They apply only to Uttar Pradesh, General area. Other states and areas had different figures. For example, male UR in the General area closed at 116.83517 in Bihar and 125.42137 in Rajasthan. Check the annexures of the official result for your own state, area and category.
Final cut-off for SSF (all-India, male)
SSF is the only force filled on an all-India basis, so its final cut-off is the closest thing GD has to a national figure. These are the marks of the last selected male candidate in each category in the GD 2025 final result (15 January 2026), out of 160 plus NCC bonus.
Exact figures from Annexure-III of the GD 2025 final result: UR 150.75218, OBC 149.78594, EWS 148.26714, SC 142.60580, ST 143.01681, ESM 104.50641. State-wise forces (BSF, CISF, CRPF, SSB, ITBP, Assam Rifles) had separate cut-offs for each state, area, category and gender.
How the cut-off trends
GD cut-offs shift from year to year with the number of vacancies and how candidates perform. The SSF male UR final cut-off fell from 159.61592 in GD 2024 to 150.75218 in GD 2025, a year with more vacancies. The 2026 notification lists far fewer vacancies, but SSC sets every cut-off from that year’s actual merit, so nobody can know the 2026 figure in advance.
What decides the cut-off
SSC doesn’t fix a GD cut-off in advance. Each cut-off is simply the mark at which that state’s seats for a given area, category and gender are filled. Four things move it:
Vacancies in your state
Seats are split by State/UT, area, category and gender. More seats in your slot pull the cut-off down.
Competition from your state
You compete mainly with candidates of your own domicile state, so a crowded state closes higher.
Paper difficulty & normalization
The CBE runs over many shifts, so SSC normalizes scores across shifts before it sets any cut-off.
NCC bonus marks
NCC ‘C’, ‘B’ and ‘A’ holders get 8, 4.8 and 3.2 bonus marks, which count towards merit and the cut-off.
How the final merit cut-off works
PET/PST and the medical exam are qualifying only. Your final merit is your normalized CBE score plus NCC bonus. From the candidates who pass PET/PST, SSC calls about 2× the vacancies for the Detailed Medical Exam and Document Verification. Final selection is made category-wise, separately for men and women, for each State/UT and its Border and Naxal/Militancy-affected district areas. SSF is filled on an all-India basis. Your force is then allotted by merit and the order of force preferences you gave in the application form.
Ties are broken in the order set by the 2026 notice: marks in Part-A, then Part-B, then Part-C, then date of birth (older candidates first), then alphabetical order of names. The GD 2025 results used Part-A, Part-B, date of birth and name.
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Daily targets, PYQ-style practice sets & timed mocks — built around the GD pattern.
Turn the cut-off into a target score
A cut-off only helps if you know where you stand against it. JobSafal turns the last official cut-off for your state and category into a target and shows you, after every mock, how far above or below it you are.
Rank & cut-off predictor
Enter your mock score to see your likely standing and how it compares with the last cut-off.
Personal target score
Set a target above the GD 2025 cut-off for your state, area and category.
Timed GD mocks
Practise the CBE format: 80 questions, 160 marks, 60 minutes, −0.25 for a wrong answer.
Percentile after every mock
Compare yourself with other aspirants and check whether you’re staying above the line.
