JEPBN 2026 Qualifying Criteria: Minimum Marks and Category-Wise Expected Cutoff

JEPBN 2026, held on June 7, 2026, is a 100-mark OMR-based test and students must secure a strong General Merit Rank to qualify for Post Basic BSc Nursing admission across West Bengal colleges.

The West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board (WBJEEB) determines admission through a General Merit Rank (GMR) rather than a fixed qualifying percentage. There is no separately declared minimum qualifying mark — your rank among all test-takers decides whether you appear on the category-wise merit list. Based on the exam pattern and trends from similar WBJEEB nursing entrance tests, General category students targeting a seat in government colleges should aim for at least 50 marks out of 100, while reserved category students benefit from separate merit lists with lower effective cutoffs.

• JEPBN 2026 was held on June 7, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM in OMR mode.
• The paper carries 100 marks across 100 MCQs with a total duration of 90 minutes.
• Part A (40 marks): General Science — Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Sociology, Psychology, Microbiology, Nutrition and Pathology.
• Part B (60 marks): Nursing subjects — Foundation of Nursing, Medical Surgical Nursing, Pediatric Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing, Obstetrical Nursing and Community Health Nursing.
• Negative marking of 0.25 marks applies for every wrong answer; unanswered questions carry no penalty.
• Category-wise merit lists are prepared for General, OBC-A, OBC-B, SC, ST, EWS and PwD students.
• JEPBN 2026 result and official cutoff are expected on wbjeeb.nic.in/jepbn/ approximately 4 to 6 weeks after the exam.

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JEPBN 2026 Exam Pattern and Total Marks

The JEPBN 2026 entrance test carries a maximum of 100 marks across 100 MCQs. Understanding the subject-wise distribution is the first step to estimating where your score stands relative to the expected cutoff.

The paper is divided into two parts based on subject area:

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Educational Qualifying Criteria for JEPBN 2026

WBJEEB prescribes a two-fold qualifying criterion: academic eligibility and merit in the entrance test. Both conditions must be satisfied to be considered for Post Basic BSc Nursing admission.

The academic eligibility requirements are:

• Class 12 (10+2): Must have passed from a recognised board.
• GNM Course: Must have completed the General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) course from an institute recognised by the Indian Nursing Council (INC).
• RNRM Certificate: Must hold a valid Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife (RNRM) certificate from any State Nursing Council in India.
• Domicile: Must be an Indian citizen and a domicile of West Bengal (with specific exceptions for state and central government employees).
• Age: West Bengal State Government employees must be below 53 years of age on the last date of application; no upper age limit applies for others.

Students who do not hold a valid RNRM certificate or have not completed a recognised GNM course are ineligible regardless of their entrance test score.

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Expected Category-Wise Qualifying Score for JEPBN 2026

Since JEPBN 2026 was held on June 7, 2026, the official result and cutoff are yet to be released by WBJEEB. The category-wise qualifying scores below are expected estimates based on trends from similar WBJEEB nursing entrance examinations. Actual figures will be published with the official result on wbjeeb.nic.in/jepbn/.

Note: All figures above are expected estimates. The official JEPBN 2026 cutoff marks will be confirmed once WBJEEB declares the result and publishes category-wise merit lists.

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How WBJEEB Prepares the JEPBN Merit List

WBJEEB follows a transparent merit-based process for JEPBN. There is no separate qualifying threshold — all eligible students who appear in the exam are ranked. Here is how the merit list is compiled:

1. Marks Calculation: Net score = (number of correct answers × 1) − (number of wrong answers × 0.25). Unanswered questions do not affect the score.
2. General Merit Rank (GMR): All eligible students are ranked in descending order of net marks scored. This forms the base GMR list.
3. Category-Wise Merit Lists: Separate merit lists for General, OBC-A, OBC-B, SC, ST, EWS and PwD categories are drawn from the GMR following West Bengal University of Health Sciences reservation guidelines.
4. Tie-Breaking: If two students score identical marks, the student with more correct answers (and therefore fewer wrong answers) is ranked higher. Age is used as a further tiebreaker.
5. Counselling Cutoff: The final qualifying score is the marks of the last student admitted under each category across all participating colleges. This varies by college, programme and round of counselling.

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Factors Affecting JEPBN 2026 Cutoff

The JEPBN 2026 qualifying cutoff is not a fixed number. Several variables determine how high or low it settles for each category:

• Total number of applicants: More test-takers increase competition and push cutoffs upward.
• Total seats available: A larger seat matrix across Post Basic BSc Nursing colleges in West Bengal eases the cutoff.
• Difficulty of the June 7 paper: A tougher paper lowers average scores and naturally brings the cutoff down for all categories.
• Category-wise seat reservation: The percentage of reserved seats for OBC-A, OBC-B, SC, ST and EWS directly determines how competitive each category-wise list becomes.
• Withdrawal by top-ranked students: Students who qualify but opt for other programmes vacate seats, lowering the effective cutoff in subsequent counselling rounds.
• Number of counselling rounds: Additional counselling rounds typically see lower cutoffs as remaining seats are filled.

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What is a Safe Score in JEPBN 2026?

A score of 55 or above out of 100 is generally considered safe for General category students, providing a comfortable buffer over the expected cutoff range. For SC and ST students, a score of 42 and above places you in a strong position across most participating colleges in West Bengal.

When estimating your score, always account for negative marking. For example, attempting 80 questions with 65 correct and 15 wrong gives a net score of 65 − (15 × 0.25) = 61.25 marks — well within the safe zone. On uncertain questions, leaving the answer blank is safer than guessing.

Reserved category students should refer to the category-wise expected cutoff table above and compare their estimated score accordingly before the official result is out.