A safe score in DUAT 2026 for MA programs is expected to be around 55–65 out of 100, while for MCom, students should aim for 58–68 marks to secure admission at Dibrugarh University.
The Dibrugarh University Admission Test (DUAT) 2026 is scheduled for June 29–30, 2026, and is the gateway to PG programs in Arts and Commerce streams at Dibrugarh University, Assam. With 100 MCQ-based questions, negative marking of –0.25 per wrong answer, and a total of 100 marks, knowing a realistic safe score before the exam helps you plan your attempt strategy. The figures below are based on 2025 DUPGET/DUAT trends and are labelled as expected — Dibrugarh University publishes the official merit list on dibru.ac.in after results are declared.
- DUAT 2026 is conducted by Dibrugarh University for PG admission across Arts, Commerce, and Science programs.
- The exam carries 100 marks with 100 MCQs, 2-hour duration, and –0.25 negative marking per wrong answer.
- For MA programs, an expected safe score for General category students is 55–65 out of 100.
- For MCom, students should aim for at least 58–68 marks to be in a safe zone, based on 2025 trends.
- SC, ST, and OBC/MOBC students benefit from reservation norms and can expect the effective cutoff to be 8–15 marks lower than the General category threshold.
| Direct Link — DUAT 2026 Official Portal: dibru.ac.in |
DUAT 2026 Exam Pattern and Total Marks
Before mapping scores to admission chances, it is important to understand how the exam is structured. DUAT 2026 for MA and MCom programs is a 100-mark paper with 100 objective-type MCQs. Unlike many state PG entrance tests, DUAT carries negative marking, which means careless attempts can reduce your raw score significantly.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Marks | 100 |
| Number of Questions | 100 MCQs |
| Marks per Question | 1 mark |
| Negative Marking | –0.25 per wrong answer |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Mode | Offline (OMR-based) |
| Exam Date | June 29–30, 2026 |
| Conducting Body | Dibrugarh University, Assam |
DUAT 2026 Safe Score for MA Programs
MA programs at Dibrugarh University span a wide range of Arts subjects including English, Assamese, History, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, and more. Competition levels differ across subjects — programs with high enrollment interest (like MA English and MA Economics) tend to see higher effective cutoffs. The table below provides expected safe score ranges for popular MA programs based on 2025 DUAT trends.
| MA Program | Expected Safe Score — General (out of 100) | Expected Safe Score — SC/ST (out of 100) |
|---|---|---|
| MA English | 58–66 | 43–51 |
| MA Economics | 56–64 | 41–49 |
| MA History | 50–58 | 35–43 |
| MA Political Science | 52–60 | 37–45 |
| MA Assamese | 48–56 | 33–41 |
| MA Sociology | 50–58 | 35–43 |
| MA Geography | 50–58 | 35–43 |
All figures above are expected ranges based on 2025 DUAT trends. Actual cutoffs depend on the number of applicants, paper difficulty, and available seats for each program in the 2026 cycle.
DUAT 2026 Safe Score for MCom
MCom at Dibrugarh University is among the more sought-after Commerce PG programs in Assam, making it more competitive than several Arts streams. The syllabus tests students on Accountancy, Business Management, Finance, and Economics. Based on 2025 trends, General category students should aim for 58–68 out of 100 to be in a safe zone for MCom admission through DUAT 2026.
| Program | Expected Safe Score — General | Expected Safe Score — OBC/MOBC | Expected Safe Score — SC/ST |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCom | 58–68 out of 100 | 51–61 out of 100 | 43–53 out of 100 |
Students scoring 65 marks and above in DUAT 2026 for MCom are expected to have a high probability of securing admission in the General category, based on 2025 admission trends at Dibrugarh University.
Category-wise Safe Score in DUAT 2026
Dibrugarh University follows Assam Government reservation norms, which means SC, ST, OBC, and MOBC students benefit from lower effective cutoffs under reserved seats. The table below offers a consolidated view of expected safe score bands across categories for both MA and MCom programs.
| Category | Expected Safe Score — MA (out of 100) | Expected Safe Score — MCom (out of 100) |
|---|---|---|
| General | 55–65 | 58–68 |
| OBC / MOBC | 49–59 | 51–61 |
| SC | 43–53 | 45–55 |
| ST (Plains) / ST (Hills) | 40–50 | 43–53 |
| PwD | 38–48 | 40–50 |
These figures are expected ranges based on 2025 DUAT trends. Dibrugarh University releases the official merit list and program-wise cutoffs on its official portal after results are announced.
How Negative Marking Affects Your Safe Score
DUAT 2026 deducts 0.25 marks for every wrong answer. This means your attempt strategy directly affects your final score. Understanding this is key to interpreting what a "safe" raw score really means on exam day.
| Attempts | Correct | Wrong | Score Formula | Net Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 70 | 30 | 70 – (30 × 0.25) | 62.5 |
| 90 | 65 | 25 | 65 – (25 × 0.25) | 58.75 |
| 80 | 62 | 18 | 62 – (18 × 0.25) | 57.5 |
| 75 | 60 | 15 | 60 – (15 × 0.25) | 56.25 |
The examples above show that attempting fewer questions with higher accuracy yields a better net score than attempting all 100 with a high error rate. Students targeting a safe score of 55–65 for MA or 58–68 for MCom should aim to attempt around 75–85 questions with 80%+ accuracy rather than attempting all 100.
Factors That Affect DUAT 2026 Cutoff
The safe score is not fixed — it shifts each year based on multiple variables. Understanding these helps you gauge where your score stands relative to a given program’s admission threshold.
- Number of applicants per program: Higher applications for the same seats push the effective cutoff upward.
- Paper difficulty level: A tougher question paper generally leads to a lower cutoff as average scores fall across the board.
- Total seats per program: Programs with fewer seats at Dibrugarh University are naturally more competitive.
- Category-wise seat distribution: Reserved seats for SC, ST, OBC/MOBC students lower the effective cutoff for those categories independently of the General merit list.
- Year-on-year trend stability: Based on past DUAT and DUPGET data, cutoffs typically do not shift by more than 5–8 marks from one year to the next for the same program.
DUAT 2026 Safe Score FAQs
Ques. What is the total marks for DUAT 2026 for MA and MCom?
Ans. DUAT 2026 for MA and MCom programs is conducted for 100 marks. The paper consists of 100 objective-type MCQs worth 1 mark each, with a –0.25 penalty for each wrong answer.
Ques. What is a safe score for MA admission through DUAT 2026?
Ans. Based on 2025 trends, a safe score for General category students seeking MA admission through DUAT 2026 is expected to be around 55–65 out of 100. Competitive programs like MA English and MA Economics may require scores closer to the upper end of this range.
Ques. What is a safe score for MCom admission through DUAT 2026?
Ans. For MCom at Dibrugarh University, a score of 58–68 out of 100 is expected to be safe for General category students based on 2025 DUAT trends. Students scoring 65 and above are considered to have a high probability of securing a seat.
Ques. Does DUAT 2026 have negative marking?
Ans. Yes. DUAT 2026 carries a negative marking of –0.25 marks for each wrong answer. Students should attempt only those questions they are reasonably confident about to avoid a reduction in their net score.
Ques. Do SC and ST students have a lower cutoff in DUAT 2026?
Ans. Yes. Dibrugarh University follows Assam Government reservation norms. SC and ST students are expected to secure admission at scores 10–15 marks lower than the General category cutoff, while OBC/MOBC students may need approximately 5–8 marks less than the General cutoff.
Ques. When will the DUAT 2026 merit list and cutoff be published?
Ans. DUAT 2026 is scheduled for June 29–30, 2026. The merit list and program-wise cutoffs are expected to be published on the official Dibrugarh University website at dibru.ac.in within a few weeks of the exam.
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