ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 Minimum Score and Rank for IARI Admission

To secure admission to IARI (Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi) through ICAR AIEEA PG 2026, General category students need to score well above the qualifying threshold of 240 marks out of 480 and typically require a subject-group rank within the top 10 for most disciplines at IARI.

IARI is one of India’s four ICAR Deemed Universities and among the most sought-after institutions for agricultural PG education in the country. Unlike State Agricultural Universities — where only 30% of seats are filled through ICAR AIEEA PG — IARI fills 100% of its PG seats through counselling. This means your subject-group rank in ICAR AIEEA PG directly determines whether you secure a seat at IARI. Disciplines like Genetics and Plant Breeding close at ranks as low as 1–2 for General category, while subjects like Microbiology may remain open up to rank 52.

• ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 total marks: 480 (120 questions × 4 marks each; ?1 for incorrect answers)
• Qualifying cutoff: 240 out of 480 (50%) for General/OBC/EWS; 192 out of 480 (40%) for SC/ST/PwD
• IARI fills 100% of its PG seats through ICAR AIEEA PG counselling — no separate institutional quota
• Based on 2025 trends, Genetics and Plant Breeding at IARI closed at rank 1–2 for General category
• Your discipline and category together determine the cutoff — there is no single marks threshold for all IARI programs

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ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 at a Glance

ICAR AIEEA PG is a national-level Computer-Based Test conducted by NTA on behalf of ICAR for admission to M.Sc. and PhD programs at ICAR Deemed Universities and State Agricultural Universities. IARI New Delhi — also known as Pusa Institute — is the most prestigious of the ICAR Deemed Universities and attracts the most competitive applicants each year.

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Total Marks and Qualifying Score

ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 carries a total of 480 marks. The exam has 120 multiple-choice questions, each worth 4 marks. A penalty of 1 mark is deducted for every incorrect response; unattempted questions carry no penalty. Students must cross the qualifying cutoff in their subject group to become eligible for ICAR AIEEA PG counselling.

For IARI, clearing the qualifying cutoff is just the first step. Closing ranks for top IARI disciplines are far above the qualifying threshold — meaning you need to score in the top percentile of your subject group to have a realistic chance.

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Minimum Score Required for IARI Admission

As an ICAR Deemed University, IARI fills 100% of its PG seats through ICAR AIEEA PG counselling. There is no separate institutional route. Your admission depends entirely on your subject-group rank — how you perform relative to other students who appeared in the same discipline paper.

There is no single marks cutoff for IARI. The following score targets serve as benchmarks based on 2025 counselling data. Aim for these ranges to stay competitive for your discipline:

These are expected score benchmarks based on 2025 trends. Actual marks needed in 2026 will vary with exam difficulty, total registrations and any changes to the seat matrix.

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IARI Cutoff Ranks by Discipline (Based on 2025 Trends)

The table below shows expected closing ranks for IARI PG admission by discipline and category, based on 2025 counselling outcomes. Use these as a planning benchmark for 2026. Actual 2026 closing ranks will be released during ICAR AIEEA PG counselling after results are declared.

NA in the table indicates no dedicated reserved seat data available for that discipline and category at IARI in 2025. SC and ST students compete within their own reserved category pools, so their closing ranks are independent of the General category pool.

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Category-wise Expected Closing Ranks for IARI

Your category plays a major role in your IARI admission chances. The table below summarises expected closing rank ranges across all IARI disciplines for each category, based on 2025 counselling data:

Even within reserved categories, IARI seat intake per discipline is limited. OBC students targeting Genetics and Plant Breeding need a subject-group rank of 4 or better — which demands a very high score. SC and ST students benefit from dedicated seat pools but must still aim for strong marks given the limited number of seats available.

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Factors Affecting IARI Admission Cutoff

IARI’s closing rank is not fixed year to year. The following factors shape how competitive admission becomes each cycle:

• Discipline demand: Genetics and Plant Breeding, Plant Pathology and Entomology consistently attract the highest number of applicants at IARI, pushing General category closing ranks to single digits or low double digits.
• Seat matrix: IARI releases its annual seat matrix before counselling. A reduction in seats tightens the cutoff; an increase eases it slightly. Always check the year-specific seat matrix before making predictions.
• Exam difficulty: A harder question paper pulls raw scores down across all students. This shifts the marks-to-rank relationship — a lower score may still yield a competitive rank if the paper was tough.
• Total registrations: Over 45,000 students registered for ICAR AIEEA PG in recent years. Growth in the applicant pool intensifies competition for IARI’s limited seats.
• Multiple counselling rounds: Seats vacated when students decline allotments are reopened in subsequent rounds, occasionally benefiting students in less popular IARI disciplines.

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