Introduction

The UP ARO/RO Exam (Assistant Review Officer / Review Officer) conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) is one of the most competitive state-level exams. Every year, lakhs of aspirants apply, but only a small percentage manage to clear Prelims, Mains, and the final selection.

One of the most important aspects of exam preparation is understanding the previous cut-off trends. Cut-off marks act as a benchmark, giving candidates a clear idea about the minimum score required to qualify for the next stage.

This article provides a comprehensive category-wise analysis of UP ARO/RO cut-offs, year-wise trends, and insights into the factors influencing these cut-offs.

1. Importance of Knowing Previous Cut-offs

2. UP ARO/RO Exam Structure

 Cut-offs are declared separately for Prelims, Mains, and Final Selection.

3. Factors Affecting UP ARO/RO Cut-off

4. UP ARO/RO Previous Year Cut-off Analysis

(A) UP ARO/RO 2016 Prelims Cut-off (Approx)

(B) UP ARO/RO 2017 Prelims Cut-off

(C) UP ARO/RO 2021 Prelims Cut-off

(D) UP ARO/RO 2023 (Expected Trends)

 Note: Exact official cut-offs vary, but these trends are based on authentic reports and analysis.

5. Category-Wise Cut-off Analysis

(i) General Category

(ii) OBC Category

(iii) SC/ST Category

(iv) EWS Category

6. Prelims vs. Mains Cut-off

 Example:

7. Year-wise Trend Analysis

8. Lessons from Cut-off Trends

9. Strategy to Beat the Cut-off

10. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Not analyzing previous year papers.

Weak Hindi grammar (a scoring area in Prelims).

Targeting just the cut-off instead of a safe score.

Preparing only for Prelims and ignoring Mains.

Prepare UP current affairs & personal profile.

Work on communication skills.

Interview:

Improve handwriting, clarity, and structure.

Solve previous years’ descriptive papers.

Practice essay writing and drafting daily.

Mains:

Practice mock tests to manage time.

Strong command over General Hindi (grammar, comprehension).

Focus on UP-specific GK (history, culture, geography, schemes).

Prelims:

In Mains, focus on Essay and Drafting sections as they can make or break your selection.

For SC/ST, aim for 110–115+.

For OBC/EWS, safe score = 125+.

For General category, aim for 135+ in Prelims.

Don’t aim for just cut-off; always target 10–15 marks above it.

2025 Expected: With rising competition, General cut-off may cross 132–135 in Prelims.

2021–2023: With increasing applicants and easy-moderate papers, cut-offs touched 130+ for General.

2018–2019: Slightly tougher, cut-offs dipped by 3–5 marks.

2016–2017: Moderate papers, cut-offs ranged between 120–130 for General.

Final cut-off: 420–440/800

Mains cut-off: 340–360/600

Prelims cut-off: 125 (General)

Final Cut-off: Includes Mains + Interview marks.

Mains Cut-off: More decisive, as it includes descriptive answers, essay, and drafting.

Prelims Cut-off: Screening test, only qualifying in nature.

Newly added reservation; cut-offs are usually closer to OBC levels.

Candidates should still aim high as descriptive Mains papers are tough.

Cut-offs are significantly lower (15–25 marks gap from General).

Advantage in Mains selection and final list.

Cut-off usually 4–6 marks lower than General.

Competition is toughest due to no reservation benefits.

Candidates need 130+ safe marks in Prelims.

Always the highest cut-off range.

EWS: 120–124

ST: 94–98

SC: 106–110

OBC: 122–126

General: 128–132

EWS: 118–122

ST: 92–96

SC: 104–108

OBC: 120–124

General: 126–130

ST: 96–100

SC: 108–112

OBC: 120–124

General: 125–130

ST: 94–98

SC: 104–108

OBC: 118–124

General: 122–128

Category Reservation Policy (General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS get different cut-offs).

Normalization Process (if multiple shifts are held).

Number of Applicants (higher competition leads to higher cut-offs).

Number of Vacancies (more seats = lower cut-off, fewer seats = higher cut-off).

Difficulty Level of Paper (easy papers push cut-offs higher, tough papers lower them).

Interview – Final personality assessment.

Mains Exam – Descriptive papers (General Studies, General Hindi, Essay, Drafting).

Prelims Exam – Objective type (General Studies + General Hindi).

Helps aspirants to prioritize subjects and focus on high-scoring areas.

Gives clarity on category-wise advantage (General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS).

Identifies the competition level across years.

Helps in setting realistic score targets.