In a recruitment process, the selection of candidates is based on their performance in three components. The weightages of the components 1, 2 and 3 are 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5, respectively. Use the data given below and find the cutoff score if exactly three candidates are to be selected:
| Candidate | Score in component 1 | Score in component 2 | Score in component 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
| 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| 4 | 9 | 4 | 3 |
| 5 | 8 | 8 | 2 |
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) 5.1
Weighted scores are 5·2, 5·1, 5·2, 4·5 and 5·0 for candidates 1 to 5. The top three are 5·2, 5·2 and 5·1, so a cutoff of 5·1 selects exactly three.
- Candidate 1: 0·2 × 5 + 0·3 × 4 + 0·5 × 6 = 1 + 1·2 + 3 = 5·2.
- Candidate 2: 0·8 + 1·8 + 2·5 = 5·1.
- Candidate 3: 0·6 + 0·6 + 4 = 5·2.
- Candidate 4: 1·8 + 1·2 + 1·5 = 4·5.
- Candidate 5: 1·6 + 2·4 + 1 = 5·0.
- Ranked: 5·2, 5·2, 5·1, 5·0, 4·5. For exactly three selections the cutoff is 5·1 (a cutoff of 5·2 would select only two).
Remember · Weighted score = Σ(weight × score). The cutoff is the lowest score among those who must be selected.
Question and answer: UPSC's provisional GS Paper II (2026, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·