ISRO JPA Cut Off: Previous Year Zone-wise and Category-wise Marks

The ISRO JPA cut off works at two levels. First, you must clear a minimum mark in each part of the written test. Second, ISRO publishes a zone-wise and category-wise cut-off: the lowest written test score that was called for the skill test in each zone. Final selection is then made on written test marks among those who pass the skill test.

The figures below are the official cut-offs from the previous cycle (Advertisement No. ISRO:ICRB:02(A-JPA):2022, written test held on 10 December 2023), as revised by ISRO in August 2024. Cut-offs for the 2026 written test, held on 21 September 2026, had not been published as of 11 October 2026. Treat the old figures as a benchmark only.

ISRO JPA Part-wise Qualifying Marks

To be considered for the skill test in the previous cycle, candidates needed these minimum marks in every part. The part maximums of 99 and 49 reflect the evaluated paper as published by ISRO.

The 2026 advertisement keeps the same rule: 50% in each part for UR and EWS, and 40% in each part for reserved categories against reserved vacancies.

ISRO JPA Previous Year Cut Off (2023 Written Test)

Post No. 6 (JPA, Hyderabad) had a UR cut-off of 136.5. In the revised August 2024 list, ISRO shows a dash for EWS in every zone and does not explain the dashes, so "Not published" above means no figure appears in the official sheet. The Thiruvananthapuram row has only four values for five category columns, so the category of the last figure is not certain. An earlier May 2024 list showed different EWS and Thiruvananthapuram figures; the revised list is used here.

ISRO JPA Cut Off Trend

Only one cycle of zone-wise JPA cut-offs is published, so a year-on-year trend cannot be drawn yet. Within that cycle, the UR cut-off varied by more than 30 marks between zones, from 105.75 in Bengaluru to 136.5 in New Delhi. Zones with very few vacancies, such as New Delhi and Hassan, had the highest UR cut-offs, because only a handful of candidates could be called for each post.

What Affects the ISRO JPA Cut Off

• Vacancies in your zone: The 2026 cycle has 21 JPA vacancies each in Ahmedabad and Thiruvananthapuram but only 2 each in Hassan, Hyderabad and Mahendragiri. Fewer posts usually mean a higher cut-off.

• Paper difficulty: A harder English section pulls cut-offs down, since Part A carries half the marks.

• Number of applicants: More candidates competing for the same posts push cut-offs up.

• Paper time: The 2026 paper allows 150 minutes instead of 120, which may lead to more attempts and higher scores. This is an expectation, not an official forecast.

• Shortlisting ratio: ISRO calls up to five candidates per vacancy for the skill test, so the cut-off is the score of roughly the last candidate in that group.

How to Set Your Target Score

Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants. Treat last cycle's figures as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above them rather than a bare pass.

• Overall target: If you are UR, aim for 140 or more out of 200 in mocks. This is an indicative target based on the highest UR zone cut-off of 136.5 in the last cycle, not an official figure.

• Part-wise floor: Never drop below 30 in Part B or Part C in a mock, so that you stay safely above the 50% minimum.

• English buffer: Aim for 70 or more in Part A, which also helps you in a tie-break.

• Skill test readiness: A high CBT score does not help if you fail the stenography test, so keep your transcription mistakes well under 10%.