Candidates think they need to hit a fixed mark… but it’s not that simple. The real game? It’s about how many vacancies are there, how many people show up, and how hard the paper turns out. For example, in 2022, GM category cut-offs jumped from 57.7 to 81.91 across districts; same category, wildly different scores. Why? Because some districts had 100 seats and 10,000 applicants. Others had 10 seats and 1,000 applicants. Your score might be great in one place… and not enough in another. And yes, you need to clear 35% in BOTH papers; no cheating by just cracking Paper 1. If you’re aiming for GPSTR 2026, don’t chase a random number. Chase the district, chase the competition, and chase the vacancy. The real cut-off? It’s not decided by you. It’s decided by how many others showed up… and how many seats are actually open. Plan smart; not lucky.