MGU CAT 2026 ST Category Expected Cutoff: Previous Year Trends

The MGU CAT 2026 ST category expected cutoff is likely to range between 24 and 42 marks out of 80, based on previous year admission trends at Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam.

Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) conducts the Common Admission Test every year for admission to various postgraduate programs at its university departments and affiliated centres. Students from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category benefit from a 2% reservation in seats and a lower qualifying threshold in both the undergraduate degree and the entrance exam. The official cutoff is embedded in the program-wise rank list published on cat.mgu.ac.in after results are declared. The MGU CAT 2026 rank list is expected around June 22, 2026.

• MGU CAT 2026 carries 80 marks for most programs — 80 MCQ questions worth 1 mark each, with no negative marking.
• ST category students are expected to need between 24 and 42 marks in the entrance test to appear on the program rank list.
• Kerala reserves 2% of PG seats for Scheduled Tribe candidates across state universities including MG University.
• The final rank uses index marks out of 1,000, combining CAT score and GD/PI/Descriptive Test marks after conversion.
• ST students need a minimum of 45% marks in the qualifying degree — a 5% relaxation from the general category requirement of 50%.

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What is MGU CAT ST Category Cutoff?

The MGU CAT ST category cutoff is the minimum index mark that an ST student must secure to be eligible for admission to a postgraduate program at Mahatma Gandhi University. It is not announced in advance. The university releases a separate rank list for each program and category after results are declared, and the last rank in the ST list for a given program defines the closing cutoff for that admission cycle. Since ST reservation is limited to 2% of seats, the qualifying threshold is highly dependent on the number of ST students who appear and the exam difficulty in a given year. In programs where very few ST students appear, even a moderate score may suffice to secure a seat.

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ST Category Reservation at MG University

Under Kerala’s reservation policy for state higher education, Scheduled Tribe students are entitled to 2% of seats in government and state-university PG programs. At Mahatma Gandhi University, this applies across all CAT-based programs. ST students also enjoy a 5% relaxation in minimum qualifying marks for the undergraduate degree — 45% instead of the general category requirement of 50%. In the entrance exam itself, ST students need to cross a lower percentage of the average score compared to general category students to qualify for inclusion in the rank list.

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Previous Year MGU CAT ST Category Cutoff Trends

MG University does not release a consolidated category-wise cutoff table in a single public document. The cutoff is embedded in each program’s rank list PDF published on cat.mgu.ac.in after results are declared. Based on available admission data and the general pattern observed across previous cycles, ST category students have cleared the rank list with scores noticeably lower than the general category — typically 20 to 25 marks below the general category closing mark for the same program. The program-wise figures below reflect the pattern observed in previous years and are intended as a reference guide only.

All figures above are based on previous year admission patterns and should be treated as indicative ranges only. Actual cutoffs for each program and college are released in the official rank list at cat.mgu.ac.in.

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MGU CAT 2026 Expected ST Category Cutoff

For 2026, the expected MGU CAT ST category cutoff in the entrance test is projected to remain in the 24–42 mark range out of 80, depending on the specific program. When converted to index marks — which factor in GD/PI/Descriptive Test scores on a scale of 1,000 — the expected qualifying threshold for ST students is around 350–550 index marks. These projections are based on previous year admission patterns. Official figures will be released with the rank list at cat.mgu.ac.in on or after June 22, 2026.

All figures are expected and based on previous year trends. The university will publish official cutoffs with the program-wise rank list after results are declared.

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Factors Affecting MGU CAT 2026 ST Category Cutoff

The ST category cutoff each year is shaped by several variables. Being aware of these helps you interpret where the cutoff may settle for your chosen program:

• Number of ST applicants: A higher number of ST students appearing increases competition within the category and can raise the cutoff slightly even within the reserved pool.
• Available ST seats: Only 2% of total seats per program are reserved for ST. The small seat count means that even one or two extra strong performers can shift the closing cutoff noticeably.
• Exam difficulty: A tougher paper lowers average scores across all categories, which generally pulls the ST cutoff down proportionally.
• Program popularity: High-demand programs like MSc Mathematics and MA English attract more applicants across all categories, which tends to push the cutoff slightly higher even in the reserved category.
• Seat matrix changes: Any revision in the total intake for a program directly affects how many ST seats are available and therefore the qualifying threshold.
• GD/PI performance: Since the final rank uses index marks combining CAT score and interview or GD scores, strong performance in the interview stage can compensate for a lower entrance test score and vice versa.

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How to Check MGU CAT 2026 ST Category Cutoff

Once the official rank list is released at cat.mgu.ac.in, you can check the ST category cutoff by following these steps:

1. Visit the official MGU CAT portal at cat.mgu.ac.in.
2. Click on the Rank List link available on the homepage or the results section.
3. Select your program from the list of available rank lists.
4. Open the rank list PDF for your program and look for the ST category section or sub-list.
5. Note the last rank in the ST category list — this is the closing cutoff for that program and admission cycle.
6. Compare your own rank and index marks against the ST category closing mark to assess your admission chances.