Checked 29 September 2026. From the CGDA circular of 11.03.2025 (Rules 6, 14, 15, 20 and 22) and the Rule 6 amendment of 10.02.2023. Relaxations are notified for each sitting, and CGDA may allow extra chances or relax a rule.
Three numbers decide how the Defence Accounts SAS examination treats your marks: 45, the pass mark in each paper and in aggregate; 50 or 60, the mark that turns a paper into an exemption you keep; and 4, the chances you get at each part. Each of them has changed at least once since 2019, and the record contains one plain contradiction about the aggregate. This guide sets the rules out as the 2025 text prints them, shows the earlier versions beside them, and gives a checker for your own marks. ProSyllabus is an independent study site, not part of the Controller General of Defence Accounts or the Ministry of Defence. Every rule here is quoted or summarised from CGDA circulars; CGDA headquarters and your PCDA/CDA decide every individual case.
CGDA circular of 11.03.2025, Annexure A. Official.
The rules as the 2025 text prints them
| Rule | What it says (official, summarised) |
|---|---|
| Pass (Rule 14; para 3.3) | At least 45% in each paper as well as in aggregate, in each part |
| Exemption (Rule 15(a)) | 50% in a Part-I paper or 60% in a Part-II paper earns an exemption in that paper |
| Validity (Rule 15(b)) | Exemptions are mandatory and valid for three consecutive examinations, whether the candidate appears or has withdrawn |
| Chances (Rule 6) | Four occasions for each part; CGDA may allow additional chances |
| Relaxation (Rule 22) | SC/ST standards may be relaxed under the DPAR OM of 21.01.1977, PwBD under the DoPT OM of 17.05.2022; the extent is notified for each examination |
| Revaluation (Rule 20) | None for Part-I. Part-II: Rs 500 a paper, only with at least 30% in that paper; not a re-marking |
| Negative marking | A quarter mark per wrong answer in Part-I papers I, II, IV and V; none in Part-II |
The aggregate rule: a conflict in the record
Where other pages get this wrong
The current rules require 45 per cent in aggregate as well as 45 per cent in each paper.
Commonly published instead: "There is no aggregate requirement in SAS", quoting the 2019 restructuring circular.
Both statements come from CGDA. Para 3(g) of the restructuring circular of 22.03.2019 says: "No criteria of aggregate marks in each part are fixed separately." Rule 14 of the SAS Rules 2019, issued the month before, already required 45% "as well as aggregate in each part", and Rule 14 of the 2025 text, with para 3.3 of the 2025 circular, says the same. The 2025 wording is the latest, so we follow it; but the two 2019 documents disagree, and we do not know how the 2023 results applied them.
In practice the conflict matters less than it looks. Our arithmetic: if every paper you write scores at least 45, their average is at least 45 too, so the aggregate test cannot fail you on its own. It bites only when a paper is passed below 45 under a notified relaxation (for example the SC/ST relaxation of up to 5 per cent in an individual paper announced for the May 2023 Part-I, or the 5 per cent for PwBD candidates in its result), or when exempted papers enter the calculation in a way the rules do not spell out.
Passing, banking and sitting again
The pass mark and the exemption mark do different jobs. Scoring 45 in a paper passes it only as part of passing the whole part at that sitting. Scoring 50 (Part-I) or 60 (Part-II) banks the paper as an exemption that you carry into the next three examinations even if you fail the part. A paper between 45 and the exemption mark is the awkward case: on our reading of Rules 14 and 15, if another paper in the same part fails, that paper is not kept and you write it again. Use the checker to see where your marks fall.
Did the part pass, and what have you banked?
Choose the part, then enter your marks out of 100 for each paper you wrote at this sitting. Leave a box empty for a paper you did not write because you hold a valid exemption in it. Add how many chances you have used at this part, counting this one.
Our application of Rules 6, 14 and 15 of the 2025 text. Two things are our reading: the aggregate is taken over the papers you wrote at the sitting (the rules do not say how exempted papers enter it), and a paper between 45 and the exemption mark is not kept when the part as a whole fails. The 2019 restructuring circular said no aggregate criterion was fixed; the rules say there is one. SC/ST and PwBD relaxations are notified per sitting and are not applied. CGDA may allow additional chances.
| Your marks in a paper | Part-I (exemption at 50) | Part-II (exemption at 60) |
|---|---|---|
| Below 45 | Fails; write it again | Fails; write it again |
| 45 to 49 | Passes if the whole part passes; otherwise not kept (our reading) | Passes if the whole part passes; otherwise not kept (our reading) |
| 50 to 59 | Banked as an exemption for 3 examinations | Passes if the whole part passes; otherwise not kept (our reading) |
| 60 or more | Banked as an exemption for 3 examinations | Banked as an exemption for 3 examinations |
Rules 14, 15 and 20 of the 2025 text. Official.
Chances: unlimited, then four
| Period | Chances (official) | Exemption mark (official) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-revised rules | Four for each part | 60%; 50% for Paper VIII (Office Communication) | Annexure C to Para 102, OM Part I (Rule 17(a)) |
| From March 2019 | "No restriction regarding the number of attempts" | 50%, valid for 3 examinations | Restructuring circular, 22.03.2019 |
| From 10.02.2023 | Four occasions for each part; CGDA may allow more | 50% | Rule 6 amendment, 10.02.2023 |
| From 11.03.2025 | Four occasions for each part (Rule 6) | Part-I 50%, Part-II 60% | SAS Rules 2019 (Revised) |
The unlimited period was short. The 2019 restructuring removed the cap along with the Preliminary; the amendment of 10 February 2023 replaced "There is no restriction" in Rule 6 with four occasions per part, just before the first computer-based Part-I. The May 2023 registration circular spelt out how that was to be counted: all five Part-I papers had to be passed within four examinations from the first CBT appearance, an absence counted as a chance unless withdrawal had been approved, and an approved withdrawal did not count. The same circular gave one additional chance to SAS Apprentices who had not passed Part-I under the pre-revised syllabus.
Exemptions: three examinations, appear or not
Rule 15(b) makes exemptions mandatory, which means you cannot choose to rewrite an exempted paper to improve an aggregate, and valid for three consecutive examinations "whether the candidate appears or has withdrawn". The May 2023 circular added that exemptions were forfeited if all five papers were not passed within three successive examinations. What "consecutive examinations" means when no sitting has been held for three years is not addressed anywhere we could find, and it matters to everyone holding a 2023 exemption.
What carries into the 2025 scheme
| Exemption held from before 2025 | Status under the 2025 circular (official) |
|---|---|
| Part-I Paper IV (Information Technology) | Carried forward |
| Part-I Paper III (Language Skills and Office Communications) | Not valid; the paper has been replaced |
| Part-II Papers VI, VII, VIII and IX | Carried forward |
| Part-I passed on CBT | May appear in the revised Part-II |
Relaxation for SC, ST and PwBD candidates
Rule 22 does not fix a number. It says standards for SC and ST candidates may be relaxed under the DPAR OM of 21 January 1977 and for persons with benchmark disabilities under the DoPT OM of 17 May 2022, to an extent notified for each examination. For the May 2023 Part-I, CGDA notified a relaxation of up to 5 per cent in an individual paper for SC and ST candidates, and the result declaration of 9 June 2023 records a relaxation of 5 per cent in each paper for PwBD candidates, citing Para 8 of DoPT OM 36012/1/2020-Estt.(Res-II) of 17 May 2022, with no further relaxation for SC/ST candidates who are also PwBD. Whether the same figures apply next time will be in that sitting's circular.
What is not published
Numbers you will not find
- Pass counts. The May 2023 Part-I result list is numbered to 4,926 rows and the September 2023 Part-II list to 1,290 rows (our count of the last serial numbers; row counts, not pass counts), but CGDA publishes no count of passes, so no pass rate can be given.
- An examination fee. None is printed in the rules or the 2023 circulars. Revaluation (Part-II only) costs Rs 500 a paper.
- The next sitting. None has been notified since September 2023.
- Whether the new Paper III carries negative marking. (Its syllabus and Paper X's were issued on 23.06.2025.)
Checked against the CGDA SAS page on 29 September 2026.
The CAG's own SAS for the Indian Audit and Accounts Department runs on different numbers entirely: up to 12 chances within 8 years under its 2020 scheme (6 normal, plus 6 more only for those who clear five papers within the first six), and a 50/40/60 rule for fresh candidates from 2026. See the CAG SAS pass marks guide for that exam; do not mix the two. ProSyllabus has no CGDA SAS practice quizzes.
What is the pass mark in CGDA SAS?
45 per cent in each paper as well as in aggregate, in each part, under Rule 14 of the 2025 text.
Is there an aggregate requirement in CGDA SAS?
The 2025 rules say yes, 45 per cent. The 2019 restructuring circular said no aggregate criterion was fixed, while the 2019 rules themselves required one. The 2025 wording is the latest.
What marks give an exemption?
50 per cent in a Part-I paper or 60 per cent in a Part-II paper. The exemption stays valid for three consecutive examinations.
How many chances do I get?
Four for each part, under Rule 6 as amended on 10.02.2023. CGDA may allow additional chances. Between March 2019 and February 2023 there was no limit.
Does an absence count as a chance?
For the May 2023 Part-I, yes, unless a withdrawal had been approved. An approved withdrawal was not counted as a chance.
If I score 47 in a Part-I paper but fail another, do I keep the 47?
On our reading of the rules, no: 47 passes only as part of passing the whole part, and an exemption needs 50. Confirm with your office.
Is there relaxation for SC and ST candidates?
Yes, notified for each sitting under Rule 22. For the May 2023 Part-I it was up to 5 per cent in an individual paper.
Can I get my marks revalued?
Not for Part-I. For a Part-II paper, yes, on a fee of Rs 500 a paper if you scored at least 30 per cent in it; it is a re-check, not a re-marking.
What is the CGDA SAS pass percentage?
Not published. CGDA releases result lists but no count of passes.
Sources
- official — CGDA — Circular AN/SAS/16200/ORDERs/2023/Vol. XIII, 11.03.2025: revised SAS scheme and Annexure A "SAS Rules 2019 (Revised)" with the syllabus (scanned PDF)
- official — CGDA — Circular AN/SAS/16200/ORDERs/2023/Vol. XIV, 23.06.2025: syllabus and study material for Part-I Paper III (Office Procedure and Documentation) and Part-II Paper X (Language Skills and Office Management), Annexures A and B (PDF; not linked from the SAS page)
- official — CGDA — SAS Rules 2019 (MoD(Fin) file 26(1)/C/2017, 20.02.2019): the CBT scheme used for the 2023 sittings (PDF)
- official — CGDA — SAS Rules (pre-revised), Annexure C to Para 102, OM Part I: the old Preliminary + Part-I + Part-II scheme (PDF)
- official — CGDA — Restructuring of SAS Examination (CBT), 22.03.2019: Preliminary dispensed with, no limit on attempts, 50% exemption, "No criteria of aggregate marks" (PDF)
- official — CGDA — Revision of Rule 6, 10.02.2023: chances restricted to four per part (PDF)
- official — CGDA — SAS Part-I (CBT) 2023 registration circular, 17.04.2023: cut-off date, four-exam window, withdrawal, bilingual papers, negative marking (PDF)
- official — CGDA — SAS Part-I (CBT) 2023 dates, 12.05.2023: 24-26 May timetable; SC/ST relaxation up to 5% in an individual paper (PDF)
- official — CGDA — SAS Part-I (CBT) May 2023 result declaration and list, 09.06.2023 (PDF)
- official — CGDA — SAS Part-II (CBT) September 2023 result, 26.09.2023 (PDF)
- official — CGDA — SAS Examination page: circulars, rules, previous papers, model answers (live page)
- official — O/o AG (A&E)-I Uttar Pradesh — office order of 18.11.2020 relaying CAG Exam Wing Circulars 10 and 11 of 2020 (12 chances within 8 years) (for comparison only) (PDF)
- official — CAG Exam Wing Circular No. 06 of 2026, 25.05.2026: 8 papers in 2 groups; fresh-candidate pass rule 50/40/60 (for comparison only) (PDF)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
