India Post GDS Cut Off 2026, State-wise Qualifying Marks for All Categories

The India Post GDS Cut Off 2026 refers to the minimum Class 10th percentage required to get shortlisted in the Gramin Dak Sevak merit list for the Online Engagement Schedule-I, January 2026. There is no written examination for GDS recruitment; the entire selection is merit-based, based on marks scored in the Class 10 (Matriculation) Board examination.

The GDS cut-off is not pre-decided, but it is the percentage obtained by the last shortlisted candidate in a given postal circle and category in the merit list. The cut-off marks are different for each state and for the cycle 2026, GDS Cut Off marks will be released along with GDS Result 2026 on 28th February 2026.

India Post GDS Cut Off 2026

There is no single national cut-off for India Post GDS recruitment. The cut off is important the lowest Class 10th percentage appearing in the merit list for a given circle, category, and round. It varies significantly from state to state, depending on the number of vacancies and the overall merit pool of applicants.

Based on patterns observed in previous GDS recruitment cycles, here is a general idea of expected cut-off ranges for the 1st Merit List 2026:

Category	Expected Cut Off
General (UR)	85% – 95%
OBC	80% – 90%
EWS	80% – 88%
SC	79% – 85%
ST	75% – 83%
PwD	65% – 80%

India Post GDS Previous Year Cut Off

In the 2025 1st Merit List, cut offs for the General category ranged between 84% and 94%, with top urban and metro zones like Delhi and Maharashtra nearing the upper end. Below we have shared previous year’s cut off marks in percentage (%).

State/Circle	UR(%)	OBC (%)	EWS (%)	SC (%)	ST (%)	PwBD (%)
Andhra Pradesh	95	95	93.4167	93.4167	93.4167	91.8333
Assam	92	89	86.6667	86.3333	86.5	76.3333
Bihar	97.6	97	95	95	95	86.1667
Chhattisgarh	95	95	93.1	91.5	90.25	87.4
Gujarat	92.8	92.2	91.8	92.6	89.2	80.4
Haryana	88	82	–	81	81	79
Himachal Pradesh	98.1667	95.8	95	93.1	93.4167	86.8571
Jammu & Kashmir	97.6667	96.4	95.1667	95	90.65	87.4
Jharkhand	97	97	95	95	95	91.2
Karnataka	95	95.84	90.72	93.92	91.68	89.12
Kerala	95	95	95	95	95	89.3
Madhya Pradesh	95	96	91.5	94	88.1667	87.2
Maharashtra	95.8	94	94	92.6667	93.3333	88
North Eastern	93	93.4286	91.5714	77	77	85.7143
Odisha	88.1667	90.5	88	90	84.1667	85.1667
Punjab	98.4	95	92	95	95	87.6923
Rajasthan	95	95	92.5	93.6667	93.1	87.4
Tamil Nadu	98	97	96.2	97	96	89
Telangana	95	95	93.4167	93.4167	95	91.8333
Uttar Pradesh	97.3333	97.8	93.1	97.3333	97.4667	92
Uttarakhand	95	95	93.1	90.8	94.6667	85.4
West Bengal	96.8333	95.2857	90.8571	93.5714	88.71483	85.1429

Key Factors That Influence the GDS Cut Off

Several variables determine where the cut-off settles each year. Understanding these can help candidates assess their selection chances:

Number of Vacancies: More vacancies in a circle generally bring the cut-off down, while fewer seats for more applicants means a higher cut-off.

Total Applicants Per Circle: The cut-off also depends on the number of candidates who applied for that particular circle.

Category-wise Reservation: Category-wise cut-offs for SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and PwD candidates are always lower than the UR cut-off for the same circle.

Multiple Merit Lists: If vacancies remain unfilled after the 1st merit list (due to candidates dropping out or failing DV), India Post releases a 2nd, 3rd, or even more merit lists for the same cycle.