A score of 400 out of 480 marks in ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 equals 83.3% of the total and is expected to fetch an overall rank between 50 and 300 for General category students, placing you firmly among top scorers with access to premier ICAR-funded institutes including IARI New Delhi, NDRI Karnal, and IVRI Bareilly.
ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 is conducted by NTA for admission to M.Sc. programs at institutes funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. The exam has 120 multiple-choice questions for a total of 480 marks, with the exam scheduled for June 29, 2026. Knowing how 400 marks translates to a rank and which colleges become accessible helps you make informed choices during counselling.
- ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 exam date: June 29, 2026.
- Total marks: 480 (120 MCQs × 4 marks; ?1 for wrong answers).
- 400 marks equals 83.3% of the total — a highly competitive score.
- Expected rank for 400 marks (General category): 50 to 300, based on 2025 merit list trends.
- General qualifying cutoff: 240 marks (50%); SC/ST qualifying cutoff: 192 marks (40%).
- 400 marks comfortably exceeds published institute cutoff ranges — all top ICAR institutes are accessible at this score.
| Direct Link: ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 Official Portal (Active) — exams.nta.nic.in/icar |
ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 Exam Overview
ICAR AIEEA PG (All India Entrance Examination for Admission to Post Graduate Programs) is managed by NTA on behalf of ICAR. It offers admission to M.Sc. programs at premier ICAR-funded institutes and State Agricultural Universities across India. Ranks are stream-specific — you compete within your chosen subject group, not the entire pool of students.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | NTA (on behalf of ICAR) |
| Exam Date | June 29, 2026 |
| Mode | Computer Based Test (CBT) |
| Total Questions | 120 MCQs |
| Total Marks | 480 |
| Marking Scheme | +4 for correct; ?1 for incorrect |
| Exam Duration | 120 minutes |
| General Qualifying Marks | 240 (50% of 480) |
| SC/ST Qualifying Marks | 192 (40% of 480) |
| 400 Marks as Percentage | 83.3% of total |
Expected Rank for 400 Marks in ICAR AIEEA PG 2026
Based on 2024 and 2025 merit list patterns, a score of 400 out of 480 in ICAR AIEEA PG places you in an expected overall rank of 50 to 300 for General category students. Because ranks are generated separately per subject stream, a score of 400 in a high-competition stream like Agriculture may give a rank closer to 200–300, while the same score in a smaller stream such as Fisheries may yield a rank of 30–80.
| Score Range (out of 480) | Expected Rank (General) | Performance Band |
|---|---|---|
| 440–480 | 1–30 | Outstanding; national top rankers |
| 410–439 | 31–100 | Excellent; IARI New Delhi secured |
| 400–409 | 101–300 | Very good; all top ICAR institutes accessible |
| 360–399 | 301–700 | Good; most ICAR institutes within reach |
| 320–359 | 701–1,500 | Competitive; SAUs and select ICAR institutes |
| 280–319 | 1,501–3,000 | Average; SAU admission likely |
| 240–279 | 3,001–5,500 | Qualifying range; limited ICAR institute options |
All figures are expected estimates based on 2025 merit list trends and may vary in 2026 depending on paper difficulty and the number of students. The minimum qualifying score is 240 marks for General category students to be eligible for counselling.
Category-wise Rank Variation for 400 Marks in ICAR AIEEA PG 2026
NTA prepares separate merit lists for General (UR), OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PwD categories under Government of India reservation norms. A score of 400 places you significantly higher in reserved category ranks, substantially improving seat chances at competitive ICAR institutes.
| Category | Expected Rank for 400 Marks | Qualifying Cutoff (Marks) | Seat Access at Top Institutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| General (UR) | 50–300 | 240 (50%) | Very good; IARI, NDRI, IVRI accessible |
| OBC (NCL) | 20–120 | 216 (45%) | Excellent; all top ICAR institutes |
| SC | 5–40 | 192 (40%) | Outstanding; top choice secured |
| ST | 1–20 | 192 (40%) | Rank 1 contender in ST pool |
| PwD (Horizontal) | 1–30 | 192 (40%) | Excellent; horizontal reservation benefit |
Category seats are filled from separate reservation pools. OBC-NCL students must carry a valid non-creamy layer certificate during ICAR counselling document verification or the category benefit will not apply.
Top College Chances with 400 Marks in ICAR AIEEA PG 2026
With an expected rank of 50–300 for General category students, virtually every ICAR-funded institute is within reach at 400 marks. The table below maps key institutes against expected closing ranks based on 2025 counselling trends. All figures are expected estimates.
| Institute | Location | Expected Closing Rank — General (2025 Trend) | Chances at 400 Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| IARI (Indian Agricultural Research Institute) | New Delhi | 1–200 | Good to Very Good |
| NDRI (National Dairy Research Institute) | Karnal | 50–300 | Very Good to Excellent |
| IVRI (Indian Veterinary Research Institute) | Bareilly | 100–400 | Very Good |
| CIFE (Central Institute of Fisheries Education) | Mumbai | 200–600 | Excellent |
| IASRI (Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute) | New Delhi | 200–700 | Excellent |
| NRRI (National Rice Research Institute) | Cuttack | 300–800 | Excellent |
| IISR (Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research) | Lucknow | 350–900 | Excellent |
| IIOR (Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research) | Hyderabad | 400–1,000 | Excellent |
Stream eligibility is critical. You compete only within your chosen subject group — a student in Plant Pathology is ranked against other Plant Pathology students, not Agriculture students at IARI. A rank of 50–300 within your stream puts most institute-program combinations within reach at 400 marks.
How Rank is Calculated in ICAR AIEEA PG 2026
ICAR AIEEA PG uses raw scores for ranking with no normalisation, since the exam runs in a single session across all centres. Here is how your rank is determined:
- Raw score formula: (Correct answers × 4) ? (Wrong answers × 1). Unattempted questions score zero.
- Stream-specific merit list: Each major subject group generates its own ranked list. You compete only against students in the same stream.
- Tie-breaking: Equal scores — the student with fewer wrong answers gets the higher rank. If still tied, the older student is ranked higher.
- Category merit lists: NTA generates separate UR, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PwD lists from the same raw scores.
- No normalisation: Single-session format means percentile or inter-shift normalisation does not apply — your raw score is your rank score.
ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 Marks vs Rank FAQs
Ques. Is 400 marks a good score in ICAR AIEEA PG 2026?
Ans. Yes, 400 out of 480 (83.3%) is an excellent score in ICAR AIEEA PG 2026. It comfortably exceeds the qualifying cutoff of 240 for General category students and is expected to yield a rank of 50–300, giving you access to top ICAR-funded institutes including IARI New Delhi, NDRI Karnal, and IVRI Bareilly.
Ques. What is the expected rank for 400 marks in ICAR AIEEA PG 2026?
Ans. Based on 2025 merit list patterns, 400 marks is expected to fetch a rank of 50–300 for General category students. OBC-NCL students may rank around 20–120 in the OBC list, SC students around 5–40, and ST students around 1–20 in their respective category merit lists.
Ques. What is the total marks for ICAR AIEEA PG 2026?
Ans. ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 has a total of 480 marks, comprising 120 MCQs worth 4 marks each. A wrong answer deducts 1 mark. Unattempted questions score zero. A score of 400 therefore represents 83.3% of the maximum possible.
Ques. Which ICAR institutes can I get with 400 marks in ICAR AIEEA PG 2026?
Ans. With 400 marks and an expected rank of 50–300, virtually all top ICAR institutes are accessible subject to stream eligibility. This includes IARI New Delhi, NDRI Karnal, IVRI Bareilly, CIFE Mumbai, IASRI New Delhi, NRRI Cuttack, IISR Lucknow, and IIOR Hyderabad.
Ques. What is the qualifying cutoff for ICAR AIEEA PG 2026?
Ans. The minimum qualifying score for ICAR AIEEA PG 2026 counselling is 240 marks (50% of 480) for General and OBC category students, and 192 marks (40%) for SC and ST students. You must meet this threshold to be eligible for seat allotment, regardless of your stream rank.
Ques. Does ICAR AIEEA PG use normalisation for ranking?
Ans. No. ICAR AIEEA PG is conducted in a single session, so no normalisation is applied. Rank is calculated from your raw score directly. In a tie, the student with fewer wrong answers ranks higher; if still tied, the older student gets the better rank.
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