CUET PG 2026 Cut Off: Understanding Minimum Marks for DU, BHU, and JNU Admission

Getting into a top university for your postgraduate studies depends on more than just appearing for the exam. You need to score above the cutoff marks. The CUET PG 2026 cutoff is the minimum score you need to qualify for admission to universities like DU, BHU, and JNU.

Think of cutoff marks as the entry ticket. No matter how well you perform in other areas, if your CUET PG score falls below the cutoff, you cannot proceed with the admission process at these universities.

What Are CUET PG 2026 Cutoff Marks?

The cutoff marks represent the minimum score required to be eligible for admission. The National Testing Agency (NTA) releases these after the CUET PG result declaration, which happened on April 24, 2026.

Different universities set different cutoffs based on their requirements. For example, Delhi University might have a different cutoff for MA English compared to Banaras Hindu University for the same course.

Important Dates You Should Know

Event	Date
CUET PG Result 2026	April 24, 2026
CUET PG 2026 Cutoff Release	From May 2026

Expected Cutoff Marks for Delhi University

Delhi University remains one of the most sought-after institutions for postgraduate studies. Here are the expected cutoff ranges for 2026:

For MA English, General category students might need scores between 205 to 225. If you belong to the OBC category, the range drops to 165 to 205. SC and ST candidates can expect cutoffs between 155 to 185.

MA Hindi shows higher cutoffs for General category at 205 to 235, while ST category sees lower requirements at 85 to 105.

Science courses like MSc Biochemistry demand higher scores. General category students should aim for 267 to 286, while SC category students need around 206 to 228.

Programme	General	OBC	SC	ST
M.A. English	205 - 225	165 - 205	155 - 185	155 - 180
M.A. Hindi	205 - 235	155 - 175	205 - 225	85 - 105
M.Com	192 - 218	153 - 169	143 - 158	98 - 117
M.Sc. Chemistry	223 - 247	185 - 215	142 - 156	105 - 130

JNU Expected Cutoff for 2026

Jawaharlal Nehru University follows a different pattern. Instead of just marks, they also consider ranks.

For MA Economics, the unreserved category cutoff mark sits at 84 with a rank of 49. The OBC category has a cutoff of 74.67 marks at rank 38.

MA Sociology shows the highest cutoffs with 97.67 marks for General category and 93 for OBC category.

If you are interested in language courses like MA French and Francophone Studies, the cutoffs are comparatively lower. General category students need around 68.67 marks, while OBC needs 58.

Programme	UR Cutoff Mark	UR Cutoff Rank	OBC Cutoff Mark	OBC Cutoff Rank
M.A. Economics	84	49	74.67	38
M.A. Sociology	97.67	38	93	36
M.A. English	71	13	62.33	13
M.A. Geography	70	27	63.67	27

BHU Cutoff Expectations

Banaras Hindu University has its own admission criteria. The expected cutoffs for 2026 show interesting patterns across different courses.

MSc Physics requires 189 marks for General category, dropping to 126 for ST category. This shows a significant variation based on reservation categories.

MA English has a range of 148 to 170 for General category, with lower requirements for reserved categories.

MCom shows one of the lower cutoff ranges, starting from 127 to 150 for General category.

Programme	General	OBC	SC	ST
M.Sc. Physics	189	168	145	126
M.A. English	148 - 170	109 - 143	98 - 140	96 - 118
M.Com	127 - 150	114 - 131	86 - 112	70 - 87
M.Sc. Botany	179 - 180	158 - 161	124	128 - 146

How to Check Your CUET PG Cutoff

Checking the cutoff is simple if you follow these steps:

First, visit the official NTA website at exams.nta.ac.in/CUET-PG/. Look for the CUET PG scorecard 2026 link on the homepage.

When the login window opens, enter your CUET PG application number. You will also need to select your date of birth as you entered during registration.

Click the submit button. Your scorecard will appear on the screen, showing both your score and the relevant cutoff information.

You can download this scorecard for future reference. Keep it safe as you will need it during the counselling process.

What Affects the Cutoff Marks?

Several factors determine the cutoff marks each year. Understanding these helps you set realistic expectations.

The total number of students appearing for the exam plays a major role. More students usually means higher cutoffs due to increased competition.

The number of available seats in each course matters too. Limited seats in popular courses push the cutoffs higher.

Your category affects your cutoff requirements. Reserved category students need lower scores compared to General category students.

The difficulty level of the exam impacts everyone. A tough paper might result in lower cutoffs, while an easier exam typically leads to higher cutoffs.

How well students perform overall also determines cutoffs. If most students score high marks, the cutoff naturally goes up.

Making Sense of Cutoff Trends

Looking at previous years helps you understand patterns. Science courses generally have higher cutoffs compared to arts courses.

Popular universities like DU and JNU maintain consistently high cutoffs. This reflects the large number of applications they receive.

Some courses show more variation in cutoffs between categories. For example, MA Hindi at DU shows a wide gap between General and ST category cutoffs.

Regional preferences also play a role. Universities in metro cities tend to have higher cutoffs due to greater demand.

What Happens After Cutoff Release?

Once universities release their cutoffs, the counselling process begins. This usually starts from May 2026.

Universities publish merit lists based on CUET PG scores and their specific cutoffs. If your score meets the cutoff, your name appears in the merit list.

You then need to register for counselling on the respective university websites. Each university has its own counselling schedule and process.

During counselling, you select your preferred courses and colleges. Seat allocation happens based on your rank and choices.

Tips for Future Aspirants

If you are planning to appear for CUET PG in the coming years, use these cutoffs as a benchmark. They give you a clear target to aim for during preparation.

Focus on scoring above the expected cutoff for your chosen course and university. Just meeting the cutoff might not guarantee admission in highly competitive courses.

Consider applying to multiple universities. Different universities have different cutoffs, increasing your chances of securing admission somewhere.

Keep track of previous year cutoff trends. This helps you understand if cutoffs are rising or falling for your desired course.

Remember that these are expected cutoffs based on trends and student reactions. Actual cutoffs might vary when universities officially release them.