ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 expected cutoff for the General category is likely to range between 262 and 415 marks out of 480, based on an analysis of the provisional answer key released around July 13, 2026 and previous year admission trends.
NTA conducted ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 on July 4, 2026 for admission to M.Sc. programmes at ICAR deemed universities. With the provisional answer key now available at the official NTA portal, students can calculate their estimated scores and compare them against discipline-wise expected cutoff ranges. The official cutoff will be published after the objection window closes and the final result is declared.
- ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 total marks: 480 (120 questions × 4 marks each; −1 for wrong answers)
- General category minimum qualifying marks: 240 out of 480 (50%)
- Expected General category admission cutoff range: 262 to 415 marks, varying by discipline
- Genetics and Plant Breeding and Agronomy are expected to carry the highest cutoffs among all disciplines
- Students can raise objections to the provisional answer key on the official NTA portal before the stated deadline
| Direct Link to ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 Provisional Answer Key (OUT) |
| Click here to access the ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 Provisional Answer Key at the official NTA portal |
ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 Marking Scheme and Score Calculation
Before estimating where your score stands against the expected cutoff, verify your marks using the official marking scheme. ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 follows the structure below:
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Questions | 120 |
| Total Marks | 480 |
| Marks for Correct Answer | +4 |
| Marks Deducted for Wrong Answer | −1 |
| Marks for Unattempted Questions | 0 |
| Minimum Qualifying Marks (General Category) | 240 (50%) |
Use the formula: Score = (Correct Answers × 4) − (Wrong Answers × 1). Tally your responses against the provisional answer key on the NTA portal to get your estimated score before the official result.
ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 Expected General Category Cutoff (Discipline-Wise)
The expected General category admission cutoff for ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 is predicted to range from 262 to 415 marks out of 480, depending on the discipline. Genetics and Plant Breeding and Agronomy traditionally draw the largest applicant pools and the highest cutoffs among all subjects. These are predicted values based on 2024 and 2025 trends; the official cutoff will be declared after the final result.
| Discipline | Expected Cutoff for General Category 2026 (out of 480) |
|---|---|
| Genetics and Plant Breeding | 370 – 415 |
| Agronomy | 358 – 408 |
| Plant Pathology | 335 – 375 |
| Plant Physiology | 330 – 370 |
| Horticulture | 325 – 365 |
| Plant Biotechnology | 318 – 362 |
| Entomology | 318 – 358 |
| Soil Science | 315 – 355 |
| Animal Sciences | 298 – 340 |
| Veterinary Sciences | 296 – 338 |
| Agricultural Engineering | 282 – 322 |
| Forestry | 272 – 310 |
| Community Science | 262 – 298 |
All figures are expected values based on 2024–2025 cutoff trends. The lower end of each range reflects seats at universities with higher intake; the upper end reflects top ICAR institutes with limited seat availability.
ICAR AIEEA PG Previous Year Cutoff Trends for General Category
Tracking year-on-year data helps students gauge how competitive their provisional score is. General category cutoffs for ICAR AIEEA PG have shown a gradual upward shift over the last two cycles, driven by growing applicant numbers in high-demand disciplines.
| Discipline | 2025 Cutoff: General Category (out of 480) | 2024 Cutoff: General Category (out of 480) |
|---|---|---|
| Genetics and Plant Breeding | 355 – 400 | 340 – 385 |
| Agronomy | 344 – 392 | 328 – 378 |
| Plant Pathology | 320 – 362 | 305 – 348 |
| Plant Physiology | 315 – 356 | 300 – 342 |
| Horticulture | 310 – 350 | 295 – 336 |
| Soil Science | 300 – 340 | 285 – 326 |
| Animal Sciences | 285 – 326 | 270 – 312 |
| Agricultural Engineering | 268 – 308 | 255 – 294 |
| Forestry | 258 – 296 | 245 – 282 |
| Community Science | 248 – 285 | 236 – 272 |
The ranges above represent the score band within which General category seats were filled at ICAR deemed universities in those cycles. Variation within each range reflects differences in seat intake across individual institutes.
Factors Affecting ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 General Category Cutoff
The official cutoff after result declaration may differ from these expected figures. Key variables that influence where the cutoff settles include:
- Exam difficulty: A harder paper relative to 2025 lowers raw scores across the cohort and can bring the General category cutoff down for most disciplines.
- Total applicants per discipline: A surge in students attempting a particular subject paper increases competition and pushes the effective cutoff upward.
- Seat intake at ICAR universities: The number of seats approved by ICAR for each discipline determines how far down the merit list admissions extend.
- Outcome of answer key objections: Successful challenges to the provisional answer key change correct-answer mappings and recalibrate scores across all students.
- Score normalisation: If ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 was held across multiple shifts, NTA may apply normalisation before preparing the merit list, altering the effective score distribution.
- Reservation policy: The number of General category seats is set by reservation norms. Any change in total approved seats shifts the absolute number available for General category students.
ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 Expected Cutoff FAQs
Ques. What is the expected cutoff for General category in ICAR AIEEA PG 2026?
Ans. Based on provisional answer key analysis and previous year trends, the expected General category cutoff for ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 ranges from approximately 262 to 415 marks out of 480 depending on the discipline. Genetics and Plant Breeding and Agronomy are expected to carry the highest cutoffs among all subjects.
Ques. What are the total marks for ICAR AIEEA PG 2026?
Ans. ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 is a 480-mark paper with 120 multiple-choice questions. Each correct answer carries 4 marks and each wrong answer results in a deduction of 1 mark. Unattempted questions carry zero marks.
Ques. What is the minimum qualifying score for General category in ICAR AIEEA PG 2026?
Ans. General category students must score at least 50% marks to qualify, which equals 240 out of 480. However, qualifying alone is not sufficient for admission in competitive disciplines, where the actual admission cutoff is significantly higher than this minimum threshold.
Ques. When will NTA release the final ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 cutoff?
Ans. NTA will declare the official cutoff alongside the final result, after the provisional answer key objection window closes and the final answer key is published. Given the provisional answer key was released around July 13, 2026, the result and official cutoff are expected in August 2026.
Ques. How can students challenge the ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 provisional answer key?
Ans. Students can file objections through the official NTA portal by paying the prescribed fee per challenged question. NTA reviews all submissions and incorporates accepted changes into the final answer key, which is then used for score calculation and merit list preparation. Visit the official link above for the objection portal and submission deadline.
Ques. Does the ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 General category cutoff vary across institutes?
Ans. Yes. NTA prepares a single merit list per discipline but individual ICAR deemed universities fill seats based on their approved intake. Institutes with fewer available seats in a discipline admit only the highest-ranked students, while those with larger intake admit further down the merit list, creating a score range rather than a single fixed cutoff point.
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