The minimum cut off marks for Paper 2 is 33 percent. The Commission may fix a minimum cut-off mark for Paper 1 too.
There will be negative marking for incorrect answers for all questions except some of the questions where the negative marking will be inbuilt in the form of different marks being awarded to the most appropriate and not so appropriate answers for such questions.
If I apply for the Civil Services Prelims Exam but do not appear in any paper will it be counted as an attempt?
No, an attempt will be counted only if you have appeared in at least one paper.
Can I choose an optional subject (in Mains), which I have not studied at Graduate/PG level?
Yes, you can choose any optional subject from amongst the UPSC's list of optional subjects for Civil Services Main Exam.
Are individual marks secured in various papers or aggregate marks across all papers considered f or merit?
Total marks are considered.