ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 expected minimum qualifying marks for OBC students are 45% (approximately 216 out of 480), while SC and ST students must secure at least 40% (approximately 192 out of 480) to be eligible for the merit list.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research All India Entrance Examination for Admission to Post Graduate (ICAR AIEEA PG) 2026 is conducted by NTA. The result and merit list are expected in July 2026. The figures below are based on 2024 and 2025 trends and are labelled as expected until NTA releases official data.
- ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 total marks: 480 (120 questions × 4 marks each; -1 for wrong answers)
- OBC (NCL) minimum qualifying marks: 216 out of 480 (45%)
- SC and ST minimum qualifying marks: 192 out of 480 (40%)
- Admission cutoffs are higher than minimum qualifying marks and vary stream-wise
- OBC closing scores are expected to be 15–25 marks below General across most streams
- SC and ST closing scores are expected to be 30–50 marks below General based on past trends
| Direct Link to ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 Official Website (Active) |
ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 Minimum Qualifying Marks by Category
ICAR prescribes category-wise minimum qualifying marks that every student must meet to be eligible for merit list consideration. These thresholds are fixed norms — not the admission cutoff. Actual admission cutoffs are higher and are determined by available seats and stream-wise competition.
| Category | Minimum Qualifying Percentage | Minimum Qualifying Marks (out of 480) |
|---|---|---|
| General / UR | 50% | 240 |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | 45% | 216 |
| SC | 40% | 192 |
| ST | 40% | 192 |
| EWS | 50% | 240 |
| PWD / PH | 40% | 192 |
Students who score below their category minimum are excluded from the merit list. Meeting the minimum qualifying mark only means you are eligible — stream-wise closing ranks decide final admission.
Previous Year Cutoff Trends (2024 and 2025)
Reviewing 2024 and 2025 patterns shows that OBC closing scores were typically 15–25 marks below General across most streams, while SC and ST closing scores were 30–50 marks lower than General. The table below shows indicative closing score ranges (out of 480) based on previous year data.
| Stream | General (approx.) | OBC (approx.) | SC (approx.) | ST (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agronomy | 290–320 | 260–292 | 235–262 | 220–248 |
| Plant Breeding and Genetics | 295–330 | 265–298 | 240–268 | 225–252 |
| Horticulture | 275–310 | 245–278 | 225–252 | 210–238 |
| Agricultural Economics | 265–300 | 235–268 | 215–242 | 200–232 |
| Animal Sciences | 260–300 | 230–262 | 210–240 | 200–230 |
| Fisheries Science | 255–290 | 225–258 | 205–235 | 195–226 |
All figures above are based on 2024 and 2025 trends and are indicative only. Actual 2026 cutoffs will be released with the official merit list.
ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 Expected Cutoff for OBC, SC and ST
Based on 2024 and 2025 trends, the expected overall closing score for OBC students is 225–298 out of 480, and for SC and ST students it is 195–268 and 190–252 out of 480 respectively. These ranges span all streams — highly competitive disciplines sit at the higher end while less-applied streams are lower.
| Category | Expected Closing Score Range (out of 480) | Expected Closing Percentile (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| OBC (NCL) | 225–298 | 75–90 |
| SC | 195–268 | 65–85 |
| ST | 190–252 | 60–82 |
| EWS | 240–308 | 80–92 |
Students targeting popular agricultural universities in a competitive discipline should aim for the higher end of these expected ranges to improve their chances of securing a seat.
Stream-wise Expected Cutoff 2026 by Category
All figures below are expected and based on 2024–2025 trends. Actual closing scores will be published with the ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 merit list in July 2026.
| Stream | Expected OBC Cutoff | Expected SC Cutoff | Expected ST Cutoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agronomy | 260–292 | 235–262 | 220–248 |
| Plant Breeding and Genetics | 265–298 | 240–268 | 225–252 |
| Soil Science | 250–282 | 228–255 | 215–242 |
| Horticulture | 245–278 | 225–252 | 210–238 |
| Plant Pathology | 248–280 | 226–254 | 212–240 |
| Agricultural Economics | 235–268 | 215–242 | 200–232 |
| Animal Sciences | 230–262 | 210–240 | 200–230 |
| Fisheries Science | 225–258 | 205–235 | 195–226 |
| Forestry | 228–260 | 208–236 | 196–228 |
| Agricultural Engineering | 238–270 | 218–245 | 205–235 |
Factors Affecting ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 Cutoff
The final cutoff for each category depends on several variables that shift each year:
- Number of applicants per stream: Higher registration in a discipline increases competition and pushes the closing score upward.
- Exam difficulty level: A tougher paper lowers overall scores, which can reduce the closing cutoff for that cycle.
- Total available seats: More ICAR-funded PG seats in a stream means a lower closing score for that stream.
- Category-wise seat reservation: OBC seats are reserved at 27%, SC at 15% and ST at 7.5% of total intake. A smaller reserved pool means the closing rank within a category can tighten quickly.
- NTA normalization: If the exam is held across multiple shifts, NTA applies normalization. Students in an easier shift may see their raw scores adjusted before final ranking.
- Withdrawal and no-show rate: Students who qualify but do not report for counselling can lower the effective cutoff for remaining rounds.
ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 Cutoff FAQs
Ques. What is the minimum qualifying mark for OBC students in ICAR AIEEA PG 2026?
Ans. OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) students must score at least 45% of total marks — approximately 216 out of 480 — to be eligible for the merit list. Scoring above this minimum does not guarantee admission; stream-wise closing scores determine final selection.
Ques. What is the expected cutoff for SC and ST students in ICAR AIEEA PG 2026?
Ans. Based on 2024 and 2025 trends, SC students are expected to need scores in the range of 195–268 out of 480, and ST students in the range of 190–252 out of 480, depending on the stream. The minimum qualifying mark for both SC and ST is 40% (approximately 192 out of 480).
Ques. When will the official ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 cutoff be released?
Ans. The official cutoff is published along with the merit list, which is expected in July 2026 after the result is declared. You can check it on the official NTA ICAR portal at exams.nta.nic.in/icar/.
Ques. Is the minimum qualifying mark the same as the admission cutoff in ICAR AIEEA PG?
Ans. No. The minimum qualifying mark is the lowest score needed to appear in the merit list. The admission cutoff is the score of the last admitted student in a particular stream and is always higher than the minimum qualifying mark. In competitive streams the gap can be 50–100 marks.
Ques. Does the ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 cutoff vary by university?
Ans. ICAR releases a single centralized merit list based on rank. Each agricultural university fills its seats from this list during counselling. The effective cutoff rank for a specific university depends on its seat intake and the preferences of higher-ranked students, so cutoffs can differ across universities for the same stream.
Ques. How is the ICAR AIEEA PG score calculated?
Ans. The exam has 120 questions worth 4 marks each, giving a total of 480 marks. Each correct answer awards +4 marks and each wrong answer deducts 1 mark. Unattempted questions carry zero marks. NTA applies normalization if the exam is conducted across multiple shifts.
Comments