Loading...
Loading...
MAS · MI · state quotas, decoded
There is no single "NSEB cutoff mark". Selection to INBO runs on two derived thresholds — MAS and MI — plus state-wise proportional representation. Here is the full mechanism, with the last publicly reported figures.
MAS — the floor
50% of the average of the top-10 NSEB scores. At or above MAS = eligible for Stage 2 consideration.
MI — the merit bar
80% of the average of the top-10 scores. At or above MI = qualifies for INBO outright.
State quotas
Seats left after MI-qualifiers are filled state-proportionally from the above-MAS pool, up to about 300 total.
| Average of top-10 scores | 141.2 / 216 |
| Merit Index (MI ≈ 80% of top-10 average) | ≈ 112 |
| Minimum Admissible Score (MAS ≈ 50%) | ≈ 70 |
| Students above MAS | ≈ 1,739 |
| Students above MI | ≈ 138 |
Figures as publicly reported for the 2023-24 cycle; IAPT publishes each season's official statistics on iapt.org.in after results. Cutoffs move with paper difficulty — we update this page each cycle when official numbers release (next: after the 22 Nov 2026paper).
MAS (Minimum Admissible Score) is the eligibility floor: 50% of the average of the top-10 scores in NSEB that year. Scoring at or above MAS makes you eligible for Stage 2 consideration — it does not by itself guarantee an INBO seat, because selection then applies the Merit Index and state quotas.
MI is the higher bar used to fill the INBO list on merit: 80% of the average of the top-10 scores. Everyone at or above MI qualifies outright. Remaining seats up to the target of about 300 are filled through state-wise proportional representation from candidates who cleared MAS.
For NSEB 2023-24, publicly reported figures put the average of the top-10 scores at 141.2 (of 216), giving an MI of about 112 and an MAS of about 70; roughly 1,739 students scored above MAS and 138 above MI. Exact numbers vary each year with paper difficulty — treat these as calibration, not targets.
Cutoffs move with paper difficulty, so target percentile behaviour rather than a fixed mark: strong contenders aim for 70%+ raw score, which has historically sat comfortably above MI. The practical advice is simpler — build for a top-300 national finish and the cutoff takes care of itself.
After MI-qualifiers are seated, the remaining INBO seats are distributed across states proportionally to exam registrations from each state, taken from candidates above MAS. This means a strong score in a lower-registration state can qualify where the same score in a high-registration state might not.