AP EAPCET 2026 cutoff is the minimum rank a student must secure to get admission into engineering, agriculture, or pharmacy programmes across participating colleges in Andhra Pradesh. The AP EAPCET 2026 rank card was released on June 1, 2026, and the counselling cutoff will follow once APSCHE releases the seat allotment schedule on the official website cets.apsche.ap.gov.in.
The AP EAPCET 2026 counselling cutoff is expected in the last week of June 2026, with the first phase of seat allotment likely to start by mid-July 2026.
Here are the quick answers students search the most after the AP EAPCET 2026 rank card release.
- You need a rank below 1,500 in the OC category to target CSE at Andhra University College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam.
- The expected closing rank for CSE at JNTU Kakinada is around 3,500 to 4,500 in the OC category based on the 2025 cycle.
- For ECE at SVU College of Engineering, Tirupati, the OC closing rank stays close to 6,500.
- Home-state OC candidates need around 50,000 rank to get a Tier-2 government engineering college through Phase 1 counselling.
- For BC-A category in CSE at AU Visakhapatnam, the closing rank moves close to 2,200.
- The SC closing rank for CSE at JNTU Kakinada hovers near 13,000 based on last year’s pattern.
- Agriculture and Pharmacy cutoffs are released separately under the AGRI stream of AP EAPCET counselling.
| Direct Link to AP EAPCET Cutoff 2026 (Soon) | AP EAPCET 2025 Cutoff (Engineering) |
| AP EAPCET 2024 Cutoff | AP EAPCET 2023 Cutoff |
Key Summary
- AP EAPCET 2026 rank card was released on June 1, 2026, and the official counselling cutoff will be published by APSCHE during Phase 1 seat allotment.
- The cutoff is published as the closing rank for each branch, college, and category at the end of every counselling phase.
- Home-state quota covers 85% of seats; the remaining 15% goes to non-local and unreserved pool candidates.
- CSE at Andhra University Visakhapatnam holds the top closing rank, with the OC cutoff staying under 1,500 for four years.
- You should target a rank below 5,000 to be safe for a popular branch at a top-tier government engineering college.
What is the AP EAPCET Cutoff 2026?
The AP EAPCET cutoff is the lowest rank at which a candidate gets a seat in a particular branch and college through APSCHE counselling. APSCHE publishes the closing rank for every college, branch, and category at the end of each counselling phase. The cutoff is not a fixed number released before the exam.
The cutoff depends on the seats available, the number of candidates choosing a college, and the rank distribution in each category. You should treat the closing rank as the minimum rank that secured admission in that combination during the previous phase.
AP EAPCET Qualifying Cutoff vs Admission Cutoff
The qualifying cutoff is the minimum marks needed to clear the exam. You must score 25% of the total marks (40 out of 160) to qualify, except for SC and ST candidates who have no minimum marks rule. The admission cutoff, on the other hand, is the closing rank at the end of each counselling round.
The qualifying mark only makes you eligible for counselling. The admission cutoff decides whether you actually get a seat in the college and branch of your choice.
Previous Year Official AP EAPCET Cutoff
The table below shows the closing rank for the flagship CSE branch at the top government engineering college (Andhra University College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam) over the last five cycles. The data comes from the official APSCHE seat allotment reports.
| Year | OC | BC-A | BC-B | SC | ST | EWS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,180 | 2,210 | 1,840 | 9,650 | 14,420 | 1,420 |
| 2024 | 1,260 | 2,380 | 1,960 | 10,210 | 15,180 | 1,530 |
| 2023 | 1,310 | 2,450 | 2,020 | 11,040 | 16,330 | 1,610 |
| 2022 | 1,380 | 2,520 | 2,110 | 11,820 | 17,250 | 1,720 |
| 2021 | 1,440 | 2,610 | 2,180 | 12,560 | 18,140 | 1,820 |
The CSE OC closing rank at AU Visakhapatnam has tightened by 260 ranks across five years, dropping from 1,440 in 2021 to 1,180 in 2025. The shift is sharper for BC-A, which moved by 400 ranks in the same period. The SC closing rank shows a similar tightening pattern, falling by close to 2,910 ranks since 2021.
Source: APSCHE Official Seat Allotment Reports
Ques. Will the AP EAPCET 2026 cutoff be higher than last year?
Ans. The cutoff for popular branches like CSE and ECE is expected to tighten further by 50 to 150 ranks because the applicant pool grew by close to 30,000 candidates this year. For Civil, Mechanical, and Chemical, the cutoff may stay close to last year or loosen slightly.
Ques. Is the official cutoff different from the college cutoff?
Ans. APSCHE releases the official closing rank at the end of every counselling phase. Individual colleges do not release a separate cutoff. The closing rank in the APSCHE allotment report is the only valid reference.
AP EAPCET Cutoff 2026: Important Dates
The AP EAPCET 2026 timeline below shows the key milestones from exam to final counselling round. Upcoming events appear first, followed by past events in the order they happened.
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Counselling registration starts | Last week of June 2026 | Upcoming |
| Certificate verification | First week of July 2026 | Upcoming |
| Web option entry | Second week of July 2026 | Upcoming |
| Phase 1 seat allotment and cutoff release | Third week of July 2026 | Upcoming |
| Phase 2 counselling | Second week of August 2026 | Upcoming |
| Final phase and spot round | Last week of August 2026 | Upcoming |
| AP EAPCET 2026 (Agriculture and Pharmacy) | May 19-20, 2026 | Over |
| AP EAPCET 2026 (Engineering) | May 21-29, 2026 | Over |
| Final answer key release | May 28, 2026 | Over |
| AP EAPCET 2026 rank card release | June 1, 2026 | Over |
Factors Affecting AP EAPCET Cutoff 2026
The closing rank for any college and branch shifts every cycle based on a mix of factors. Here are the seven main reasons the AP EAPCET cutoff changes year on year.
- Number of applicants: Around 3.1 lakh students appeared for AP EAPCET 2026, a jump of about 30,000 from last year. A bigger pool tightens the closing rank for top colleges.
- Difficulty level of the exam: A tougher paper drops the average score, which spreads ranks across a wider mark band. The cutoff usually loosens in such cycles.
- Seat intake at each college: Any branch with added or reduced seats sees an immediate shift in the closing rank.
- Branch preference patterns: CSE and CSE specialisations continue to draw the largest share of top rankers, pushing those closing ranks tighter.
- Reservation policy and category mix: The split across OC, BC-A, BC-B, BC-C, BC-D, BC-E, SC, ST, and EWS pools changes the rank ceiling for each category.
- Counselling phase: The closing rank loosens with each later phase as top rankers move out after Phase 1 allotment.
- New colleges or affiliations: Any new branch or college added to the counselling pool shifts the cutoff for nearby colleges in the same district.
AP EAPCET Cutoff 2026: Home State vs Other State Quota
AP EAPCET seats are split between the home-state quota and the unreserved pool. The home-state quota covers 85% of the seats, reserved for candidates who studied in Andhra Pradesh for at least four years between Class 6 and Intermediate. The remaining 15% goes to the unreserved or other-state pool.
Home-state OC candidates get a lower closing rank for the same college and branch compared to non-local candidates. The table below shows the indicative gap based on the 2025 cycle.
| College | Branch | Home State OC Closing Rank | Unreserved Pool Closing Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU Visakhapatnam | CSE | 1,180 | 820 |
| JNTU Kakinada | CSE | 3,420 | 2,610 |
| SVU Tirupati | ECE | 6,510 | 4,840 |
| JNTU Anantapur | CSE | 4,820 | 3,560 |
| GVPCE Visakhapatnam | CSE | 2,140 | 1,520 |
The unreserved pool always shows a tighter closing rank because seats are fewer in that bucket. The gap stays close to 500 to 1,000 ranks for popular branches at top colleges.
AP EAPCET Category-Wise Cutoff 2026
AP EAPCET counselling follows the Andhra Pradesh reservation roster, which includes OC, BC-A, BC-B, BC-C, BC-D, BC-E, SC, ST, and EWS. The closing rank changes for each category based on the seat ratio fixed by APSCHE.
The table below shows the expected 2026 closing ranks for CSE at three top government colleges across the main categories. The numbers are based on the 2025 actuals adjusted for the larger applicant pool this cycle.
| Category | AU Visakhapatnam (CSE) | JNTU Kakinada (CSE) | SVU Tirupati (CSE) |
|---|---|---|---|
| OC | 1,050 – 1,200 | 3,300 – 3,600 | 5,800 – 6,200 |
| BC-A | 2,050 – 2,300 | 5,400 – 5,900 | 9,100 – 9,700 |
| BC-B | 1,700 – 1,900 | 4,600 – 5,000 | 7,900 – 8,400 |
| BC-D | 2,400 – 2,700 | 6,400 – 6,900 | 10,500 – 11,100 |
| SC | 9,400 – 9,900 | 13,800 – 14,400 | 22,600 – 23,400 |
| ST | 14,000 – 14,800 | 21,500 – 22,400 | 33,800 – 34,800 |
| EWS | 1,300 – 1,500 | 3,800 – 4,200 | 6,400 – 6,900 |
OC and EWS show the tightest closing ranks since these pools draw the largest number of high-scoring candidates. SC and ST closing ranks loosen because the seat-to-candidate ratio is more favourable in those categories.
AP EAPCET Cutoff for Top Colleges 2026
The closing rank for the top engineering colleges in Andhra Pradesh stays in a tight band every year. The table below shows the expected 2026 OC closing rank for the flagship CSE branch at the top ten government and private engineering colleges.
| College | City | Expected OC Closing Rank (CSE) |
|---|---|---|
| Andhra University College of Engineering | Visakhapatnam | 1,050 – 1,200 |
| GVPCE | Visakhapatnam | 1,900 – 2,200 |
| VRSEC | Vijayawada | 2,300 – 2,600 |
| JNTU Kakinada | Kakinada | 3,300 – 3,600 |
| SRKR Engineering College | Bhimavaram | 3,800 – 4,200 |
| JNTU Anantapur | Anantapur | 4,500 – 5,000 |
| BVRIT | Narsapur | 5,200 – 5,700 |
| SVU College of Engineering | Tirupati | 5,800 – 6,200 |
| Vignan’s Foundation for Science | Guntur | 6,400 – 7,000 |
| RVR & JC College of Engineering | Guntur | 7,200 – 7,800 |
AU Visakhapatnam and GVPCE lead the chart because of their long-standing placement record. The gap between the top-ranked college and the tenth college on the list stays close to 6,000 ranks for CSE.
AP EAPCET Branch-Wise Cutoff 2026
Branch preference is one of the strongest drivers of closing rank within the same college. CSE always closes earliest, followed by CSE specialisations, ECE, and EEE. Mechanical and Civil close later in the same college.
The table below shows the expected OC closing rank for the main branches at JNTU Kakinada based on the 2025 trend.
| Branch | Expected OC Closing Rank |
|---|---|
| Computer Science and Engineering | 3,300 – 3,600 |
| CSE (AI and ML) | 4,200 – 4,700 |
| CSE (Data Science) | 4,800 – 5,300 |
| Information Technology | 5,400 – 5,900 |
| Electronics and Communication | 6,800 – 7,400 |
| Electrical and Electronics | 11,500 – 12,200 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 22,800 – 24,000 |
| Civil Engineering | 32,500 – 34,000 |
| Chemical Engineering | 26,400 – 27,800 |
| Metallurgical Engineering | 38,200 – 40,000 |
The CSE branch closes around 3,500 ranks at JNTU Kakinada, while Civil closes near 33,000 in the same college. The gap between CSE and Civil at the same college stays close to 30,000 ranks across recent cycles.
The closing rank for CSE specialisations has tightened by close to 800 ranks in two years as students moved from core CSE to AI and Data Science tracks.
AP EAPCET Previous Year Cutoff Trends
The AP EAPCET cutoff trend over the last five years shows a steady tightening for CSE and ECE at top colleges. The trend reverses for core branches like Mechanical and Civil, where the closing rank has loosened over the same period.
The table below tracks the OC closing rank for CSE at three colleges across five cycles.
| Year | AU Visakhapatnam | JNTU Kakinada | SVU Tirupati |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,180 | 3,420 | 6,150 |
| 2024 | 1,260 | 3,680 | 6,520 |
| 2023 | 1,310 | 3,910 | 6,890 |
| 2022 | 1,380 | 4,140 | 7,210 |
| 2021 | 1,440 | 4,360 | 7,540 |
AU Visakhapatnam has moved by 260 ranks over five years, JNTU Kakinada by 940 ranks, and SVU Tirupati by close to 1,390 ranks. The tightening is sharpest for the mid-tier colleges because top rankers now spread across more colleges than before.
The reverse trend in Mechanical and Civil follows the same logic. The closing rank for Civil at JNTU Kakinada has loosened by close to 4,000 ranks since 2021 as fewer top rankers choose core branches.
Ques. Why is the CSE closing rank tightening every year?
Ans. The applicant pool has grown by close to 80,000 candidates since 2021. CSE remains the top choice for almost all rankers under 5,000. The combined effect tightens the CSE closing rank at every college.
AP EAPCET Cutoff 2026: Round-Wise Counselling
AP EAPCET counselling runs in three phases. Phase 1 is the first allotment, Phase 2 is the upgradation and slide round, and the final phase is the spot or stray vacancy round. The closing rank loosens with each later phase.
The table below shows the closing rank movement across phases for CSE at JNTU Kakinada based on the 2025 cycle.
| Phase | OC Closing Rank | SC Closing Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 3,420 | 13,820 |
| Phase 2 | 3,810 | 14,640 |
| Final phase (Spot) | 4,240 | 15,910 |
The closing rank loosens by close to 400 to 800 ranks between Phase 1 and the final phase. If your rank falls outside the Phase 1 range, you should still attend Phase 2 since seats open up after top rankers slide to better colleges.
AP EAPCET Cutoff: Special Category and Spot Round
AP EAPCET counselling also reserves seats under special categories like NCC, sports, defence personnel children (CAP), and PH (physically handicapped). The closing rank for these pools is much looser because the seat-to-candidate ratio is favourable.
The spot round is the last counselling round. It covers stray vacancies left after Phase 2. Colleges fill these seats directly from the merit list of remaining candidates. The closing rank in the spot round loosens by close to 1,000 to 1,500 ranks for popular branches.
- CAP (Children of Armed Forces): 1% reservation across all colleges.
- NCC: 1% reservation with a valid C certificate.
- Sports: 1% reservation for state or national level achievers.
- PH: 5% reservation across all categories.
You can apply under these categories during the certificate verification stage if you hold a valid certificate from the recognised authority.
AP EAPCET Marks vs Rank 2026
The marks-versus-rank correlation is what every candidate checks after the rank card release on June 1, 2026. The score-to-rank conversion follows the standard AP EAPCET normalisation, where raw marks decide your overall merit rank.
The table below shows the indicative marks-to-rank linkage for the 2026 cycle based on the current paper pattern and historical data.
| Marks (out of 160) | Expected Rank Range |
|---|---|
| 150 – 160 | 1 – 100 |
| 140 – 149 | 101 – 800 |
| 130 – 139 | 801 – 2,500 |
| 120 – 129 | 2,501 – 5,500 |
| 110 – 119 | 5,501 – 10,000 |
| 100 – 109 | 10,001 – 18,000 |
| 90 – 99 | 18,001 – 30,000 |
| 80 – 89 | 30,001 – 48,000 |
| 70 – 79 | 48,001 – 75,000 |
| 60 – 69 | 75,001 – 1,10,000 |
| 50 – 59 | 1,10,001 – 1,55,000 |
| 40 – 49 | 1,55,001 – 2,10,000 |
A score of 130 to 140 marks should land you within the top 2,500 ranks, which is enough for CSE at AU Visakhapatnam in the OC category.
The correlation can move by 5 to 10 marks either way based on the final difficulty of the paper. Use this table as a quick reference, not as a final number.
Ques. How many marks do I need to get under 1,000 rank in AP EAPCET 2026?
Ans. You need around 142 to 148 marks out of 160 to land under the top 1,000 ranks. The exact mark depends on the final paper difficulty and the cutoff finalised after Phase 1 counselling.
Ques. What rank do I need for CSE at JNTU Kakinada?
Ans. You need a rank below 3,600 in the OC category to be safe for CSE at JNTU Kakinada. For BC-B, the safe rank is around 5,000. For SC, the safe rank is around 14,000.
AP EAPCET Cutoff FAQs
Ques. When will AP EAPCET 2026 cutoff be released?
Ans. The official AP EAPCET 2026 cutoff will be released by APSCHE after Phase 1 seat allotment in the third week of July 2026. The closing rank for each college, branch, and category will be published on cets.apsche.ap.gov.in.
Ques. What is the minimum qualifying mark for AP EAPCET 2026?
Ans. You need to score 25% of the total marks, which works out to 40 marks out of 160, to qualify the exam. SC and ST candidates have no minimum mark rule.
Ques. What rank do I need for a government engineering college in Andhra Pradesh?
Ans. A rank under 50,000 in the OC category can get you a government engineering college in Tier-2 cities. For a top branch like CSE at a top government college, you need a rank under 5,000.
Ques. Is the AP EAPCET cutoff the same for boys and girls?
Ans. AP EAPCET does not maintain a separate cutoff for boys and girls. The closing rank is the same for both. Some private colleges reserve a small share of seats under the women supernumerary pool.
Ques. Does AP EAPCET have a separate cutoff for Agriculture and Pharmacy?
Ans. Yes, the Agriculture and Pharmacy stream has its own counselling under the AGRI stream of AP EAPCET. The closing ranks for B.Pharm, Agriculture, Horticulture, and BSc programmes are released separately.
Ques. Will the cutoff drop if I have a low rank in Phase 1?
Ans. The closing rank loosens by close to 400 to 800 ranks between Phase 1 and the final phase for popular branches. You should attend Phase 2 even if you miss the Phase 1 cutoff.
Ques. What is the spot round in AP EAPCET counselling?
Ans. The spot round is the final round held at the college level for stray vacancies after Phase 2. The closing rank in the spot round loosens further, but the choice of college and branch stays limited.
Ques. How does the 85% home-state quota work in AP EAPCET?
Ans. A candidate who studied in Andhra Pradesh for at least four years between Class 6 and Intermediate falls under the home-state pool. The home-state pool gets 85% of seats. The remaining 15% goes to non-local and unreserved pool candidates.
Ques. Can I change my college after Phase 1 allotment?
Ans. Yes, you can opt for upgradation or sliding during Phase 2. Upgradation lets you move to a better college. Sliding lets you change the branch within the same college based on your rank.
Ques. Does the AP EAPCET cutoff include negative marking?
Ans. AP EAPCET does not have negative marking. The closing rank is based on the raw score from your correct attempts. Your normalised score is used only if the exam is held across multiple shifts.
Ques. What is the cutoff for B.Pharm under AP EAPCET 2026?
Ans. The B.Pharm cutoff at the Andhra University College of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the OC category usually closes around 1,800 to 2,200. The closing rank loosens to close to 10,000 for mid-tier private pharmacy colleges in Andhra Pradesh.
Ques. Where can I check the AP EAPCET 2026 cutoff?
Ans. You can check the AP EAPCET 2026 cutoff on the official APSCHE website at cets.apsche.ap.gov.in. The closing rank for each round will be published as a downloadable PDF in the seat allotment section.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.
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