JEPBN 2026 SC and ST Expected Cutoff: Minimum Qualifying Marks

JEPBN 2026 expected cutoff for SC students is approximately 240–260 NEET marks and for ST students, 180–220 NEET marks — well below the General category cutoff of around 360–380 marks, based on previous year trends.

JEPBN — Joint Entrance for Pharmacy Based on NEET — is managed by the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board (WBJEEB). It uses your NEET 2026 score to rank you for B.Pharm admissions in government, government-aided, and private unaided colleges across West Bengal. For SC and ST students, the minimum qualifying threshold is set at the 40th NEET percentile. The official JEPBN 2026 cutoff is expected to be announced in July 2026 on the WBJEEB portal.

• JEPBN 2026 SC expected cutoff: 240–260 NEET marks (out of 720), based on 2025 trends.
• JEPBN 2026 ST expected cutoff: 180–220 NEET marks, based on 2025 trends.
• SC and ST students must clear the 40th percentile in NEET 2026 to be eligible for JEPBN counselling.
• Cutoffs typically drop by 20–30 marks in mop-up rounds — do not withdraw after Round 1.
• Official cutoff is expected around July 2, 2026 at the WBJEEB portal.

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JEPBN 2026 Expected Cutoff for SC and ST Students

The official JEPBN 2026 cutoff has not been released yet. The figures below are estimates based on 2024 and 2025 data and should be treated as reference points, not confirmed values. All figures are expected and will be updated once the official rank list is published.

SC students are expected to need approximately 240–260 NEET marks for Round 1 seat allotment. ST students face a lower bar — around 180–220 marks — owing to a smaller competing applicant pool and the wider reservation gap in West Bengal pharmacy admissions. Both figures reflect Round 1 trends; later rounds typically see these thresholds fall further.

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JEPBN Previous Year Cutoff for SC and ST

The table below captures first-round cutoff marks for SC and ST students from JEPBN 2023, 2024, and 2025. These trends form the basis for the 2026 projections above.

SC cutoffs have risen by approximately 8–15 marks per cycle over the last three years. The gap between SC and General category cutoffs has stayed relatively stable at around 110–130 marks. ST cutoffs have also crept upward but at a slower pace — rising by around 5–12 marks annually — reflecting a smaller and more scattered ST applicant pool each year.

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Minimum Qualifying Marks for JEPBN 2026

Minimum qualifying marks set the floor — only students who clear this threshold are eligible for JEPBN counselling. The actual seat cutoff is always higher because more students qualify than there are seats available.

For SC and ST students, the 40th NEET percentile is the entry gate — scoring this low makes you eligible but does not guarantee a seat. The practical JEPBN cutoff for SC and ST is usually 30–60 marks above the minimum qualifying score, driven by the total number of SC and ST students registered for JEPBN 2026 counselling relative to available reserved seats.

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JEPBN 2026 Seat Availability for SC and ST

The total number of reserved seats directly determines how competitive the cutoff becomes. West Bengal follows approximately 22% reservation for SC and 6% for ST in state pharmacy colleges. The approximate seat breakdown below is based on 2025 JEPBN data and may be revised for 2026 by WBJEEB.

The majority of reserved SC and ST seats are in private unaided colleges, which form the largest share of West Bengal’s B.Pharm capacity. Government and aided college seats carry higher preference among students because of lower fees, which is why their effective cutoff can sometimes be marginally higher than cutoffs for private institutions.

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Factors Affecting JEPBN 2026 Cutoff for SC and ST

Several variables can push the cutoff up or pull it down in any given year. Knowing these in advance helps you assess your chances before the official list is out.

• Number of SC/ST applicants: A surge in registered students for reserved seats directly raises the qualifying bar for both categories.
• NEET 2026 paper difficulty: An easier paper lifts average scores across all categories, which raises the JEPBN rank-list cutoff in turn.
• Seat matrix changes: If WBJEEB adds or reduces reserved seats for 2026, the cutoff adjusts proportionally — more seats mean a lower cutoff.
• Number of counselling rounds: More rounds redistribute unfilled seats and typically bring cutoffs down with each iteration.
• Attrition to other state admissions: SC and ST students who secure seats elsewhere reduce competition for JEPBN, pulling the effective cutoff slightly lower.

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JEPBN 2026 Round-Wise Cutoff Trends for SC and ST

JEPBN counselling typically runs across two to three rounds, ending with a mop-up round for vacant seats. Cutoffs fall progressively as unfilled seats are re-offered. The expected round-wise pattern for 2026, based on 2025 trends, is as follows.

SC students who narrowly miss Round 1 should stay in the process — mop-up cutoffs for SC can be 20–30 marks lower than the opening round. ST students, given the smaller applicant pool, often see an even steeper drop in later rounds. Only withdraw after the final round results are declared and you have exhausted all counselling options.