For OBC category students, a PGAT 2026 score of 130 to 190 out of 300 is generally safe for securing a PG seat at the University of Allahabad, depending on your chosen programme.
The University of Allahabad conducts the Post Graduate Admission Test (PGAT) for admission to MA, MSc, MCom and other PG programmes. PGAT 2026 exams were held from June 15 to June 18, 2026, with results expected in July 2026. OBC category students receive 27% seat reservation across all programmes. Based on PGAT 2025 cutoff trends, you can gauge your admission chances well before the official merit list is published.
- PGAT 2026 is a 300-mark exam with 150 MCQs — Section A (50 Qs, 100 marks) and Section B (100 Qs, 200 marks).
- OBC students receive 27% reservation on total seats per programme at the University of Allahabad.
- PGAT 2025 OBC cutoffs ranged from 68 marks (MA Urdu) to 178 marks (MA Sociology) out of 300.
- A safe score is typically 10–15 marks above the previous year OBC cutoff for your target programme.
- The minimum qualifying marks for the PGAT merit list is 99 out of 300 (33%).
| Direct Link to PGAT 2026 PG Admission Portal (ACTIVE) — allduniv.ac.in |
PGAT 2026 Exam Overview and Total Marks
PGAT is conducted by the University of Allahabad for admission to postgraduate programmes in humanities, sciences, and commerce. The exam carries a total of 300 marks across 150 MCQs — understanding this structure is essential before evaluating any safe score figure.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | University of Allahabad |
| Full Form | Post Graduate Admission Test (PGAT) |
| Total Marks | 300 (150 MCQs × 2 marks each) |
| Section A | 50 questions — 100 marks (General Studies, compulsory for all) |
| Section B | 100 questions — 200 marks (subject-specific) |
| Negative Marking | −0.5 marks per wrong answer |
| Minimum Qualifying Marks | 99 out of 300 (33%) |
| OBC Reservation | 27% of total seats per programme |
| PGAT 2026 Exam Dates | June 15–18, 2026 |
Scoring above 99 makes you eligible for the OBC merit list, but securing a seat requires a higher score. The actual cutoff depends on the number of OBC applicants and the seats available per programme.
PGAT 2025 OBC Category Cutoff Marks (Programme-wise)
The table below shows PGAT 2025 OBC category cutoffs from Round 1. These are the actual minimum scores at which OBC seats were allotted last year. Use them as a direct baseline for estimating your 2026 safe score.
| Programme | OBC Cutoff 2025 (out of 300) | General Cutoff 2025 (out of 300) |
|---|---|---|
| MA Sociology | 178 | 182 |
| MSc Zoology | 162 | — |
| MSc Botany | 158 | — |
| MSc Biotechnology | 157 | — |
| MA Economics | 154 | 176 |
| MA Hindi | 150 | 167 |
| MSc Physics | 142 | — |
| MSc Computer Science | 142 | — |
| MCom Commerce | 140 | — |
| MA Modern/Medieval History | 138 | — |
| MA Mass Communication | 124 | — |
| MA Ancient History | 120 | — |
| MA Sanskrit | 120 | 162 |
| MSc Agriculture Botany | 102 | — |
| MA Education | 100 | — |
| MA Urdu | 68 | — |
OBC cutoffs in 2025 were 10–25 marks below the General category cutoff for the same programme. This gap reflects the seat reservation benefit — OBC students compete among themselves for 27% of the seats.
Expected Safe Score for OBC Category in PGAT 2026
A safe score is one that keeps you comfortably above the expected cutoff, absorbing minor year-on-year variation. The estimates below are based on PGAT 2025 trends and will be updated once official 2026 cutoffs are released.
| Programme | 2025 OBC Cutoff (out of 300) | Expected Safe Score 2026 — OBC |
|---|---|---|
| MA Sociology | 178 | 190–200 |
| MSc Zoology | 162 | 175–180 |
| MSc Botany | 158 | 170–175 |
| MSc Biotechnology | 157 | 168–175 |
| MA Economics | 154 | 165–170 |
| MA Hindi | 150 | 162–168 |
| MSc Physics | 142 | 152–158 |
| MSc Computer Science | 142 | 152–158 |
| MCom Commerce | 140 | 152–158 |
| MA Modern/Medieval History | 138 | 148–155 |
| MA Mass Communication | 124 | 135–145 |
| MA Ancient History | 120 | 130–140 |
| MA Sanskrit | 120 | 130–140 |
| MSc Agriculture Botany | 102 | 112–120 |
| MA Education | 100 | 112–120 |
| MA Urdu | 68 | 78–90 |
If you are targeting a competitive programme like MA Sociology or MSc Zoology, aim for 175 marks or above under OBC category. For programmes like MA Education or MSc Agriculture Botany, a score of 112–120 should be sufficient based on 2025 trends.
Factors Affecting PGAT 2026 OBC Cutoff
The OBC cutoff shifts every year based on several factors you should keep in mind while estimating your chances:
- Number of OBC applicants: Higher participation in a programme pushes the cutoff up.
- Available OBC seats: 27% of total intake per programme is reserved for OBC students — seat count varies by course.
- Exam difficulty level: A tougher paper generally lowers the cutoff; an easier paper raises it.
- Counselling rounds: If seats remain unfilled after Round 1, subsequent rounds may have a slightly lower cutoff.
- Programme popularity: High-demand programmes such as MA Sociology and MSc Biotechnology consistently record higher OBC cutoffs than less popular ones.
PGAT 2026 OBC Safe Score FAQs
Ques. What is the total marks for PGAT 2026?
Ans. PGAT 2026 carries a total of 300 marks across 150 multiple choice questions. Section A has 50 General Studies questions worth 100 marks and Section B has 100 subject-specific questions worth 200 marks. Each correct answer earns 2 marks and each wrong answer deducts 0.5 marks.
Ques. What is the minimum score to qualify PGAT 2026?
Ans. You need at least 99 out of 300 marks (33%) to qualify PGAT 2026 and be included in the merit list. However, qualifying alone does not guarantee a seat — the actual programme-wise cutoff is higher than this minimum threshold.
Ques. What was the OBC cutoff for PGAT 2025?
Ans. Based on 2025 data, PGAT OBC cutoffs ranged from 68 marks for MA Urdu to 178 marks for MA Sociology out of 300. Science programmes including MSc Zoology (162), MSc Botany (158), and MSc Biotechnology (157) recorded higher OBC cutoffs than most humanities programmes.
Ques. Is 150 marks a safe score for OBC category in PGAT 2026?
Ans. Based on 2025 trends, 150 marks is a safe score for OBC students targeting programmes like MA Hindi, MA Ancient History, and MA Sanskrit. For more competitive programmes such as MA Sociology or MSc Zoology, you would need 175 marks or above to be safe.
Ques. How much lower is the OBC cutoff compared to General category in PGAT?
Ans. Based on PGAT 2025 data, OBC cutoffs were typically 10–25 marks below the General category cutoff. For example, MA Sociology OBC cutoff was 178 against the General cutoff of 182, while MA Economics OBC cutoff was 154 against the General cutoff of 176.
Ques. When will the PGAT 2026 OBC merit list be released?
Ans. PGAT 2026 results and the OBC category merit list are expected to be released in July 2026. You can check the official University of Allahabad website at allduniv.ac.in once results are declared.
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