India Post Cut Off 2026: GDS Merit and Qualifying Marks Explained
The India Post cut off 2026 means different things for different routes. For Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) posts, there is no exam score. The "cut-off" is the Class 10 percentage of the last shortlisted candidate in a circle, division and category. For Postman, Mail Guard, Multi Tasking Staff (MTS), Postal Assistant (PA) and Sorting Assistant (SA), the notification fixes minimum qualifying marks and the final merit is decided among those who qualify.
We have not found a consolidated, official set of previous cut-off figures for the whole India Post recruitment, so this page does not quote any. Instead it explains how selection thresholds work and which official figures exist. Treat last year's figures, wherever you find them, as a benchmark only.
How Cut-Off Works by Route
Route | What acts as the cut-off | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|
GDS | Class 10 percentage of the last shortlisted candidate, by circle, division, category and post | Circle-wise merit list PDFs on the GDS portal |
MTS, Postman, Mail Guard | Minimum qualifying marks in the notified papers, then merit among qualifiers for the divisions chosen | Circle notification and result notice |
PA and SA | Minimum marks in Paper I and the skill test, then ranking by Paper I marks up to the number of vacancies | Circle notification and result notice |
GDS Merit Lists
GDS cut-offs are not declared in advance. They emerge from the merit list, which changes with each schedule, circle and division. In the 2026 cycle, news reports say the first merit list of Schedule-II was released on 12 October 2026, with document verification reported to run till 27 October 2026 and supplementary lists possible later. These dates are from secondary reports, so confirm them on the GDS online engagement portal.
Websites often list state-wise GDS cut-off percentages. We could not match such tables to an official circle-wise document, so we do not reproduce them. Open your own circle's list on the portal to see the real shortlisted percentages for your division and category.
Official Qualifying Marks for Departmental Exams
The Karnataka circle's LDCE notification dated 11 May 2026 for Postal Assistant and Sorting Assistant sets these minimums. These are qualifying thresholds, not the final merit cut-off, which depends on vacancies and how candidates score.
Category | Minimum in Paper I (out of 100) | Minimum in Data Entry Skill Test |
|---|---|---|
General | 40% | 75% |
OBC | 37% | 75% |
EWS | Not listed separately in the notice read; check your circle | 75% |
SC and ST | 33% | 60% |
PwBD | Not listed separately in the notice read; check your circle | 60% |
For Postman, Mail Guard and MTS, the 2026 notices require minimum marks in Papers I and II combined and separately in Paper III, but the notices we read did not list the percentages.
What Affects the Cut-Off
Vacancies in your division: fewer posts mean a higher last-shortlisted score.
Number and quality of applicants: high Class 10 scores in a circle push GDS merit up.
Category and reservation: each category has its own list, including horizontal reservation for PwBD.
Paper difficulty: for departmental exams, a harder paper lowers the practical scoring range.
Preferences: candidates are ranked only for the posts and divisions they chose.
How to Set Your Target
For GDS: your Class 10 marks are fixed, so compare them with the previous merit list of your own circle, division and category to judge your chances realistically.
For departmental exams: aim for a clear margin above the qualifying minimum in every paper, since a strong score in one cannot cover a weak one.
Skill test: practise typing accuracy so that you do not fail a qualifying stage after a good written score.
Final results and notices are on indiapost.gov.in.
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