NORCET Safe Score by Category: Prelims and Mains | NPrep

A safe NORCET score has two parts. For Stage I (Prelims), aim above your category's highest recent percentile cut-off: 95.16 for UR, 86.91 for OBC, 84.19 for SC, 82.24 for EWS and 79.71 for ST. For Stage II (Mains), aim for about 72% or more: in NORCET 8, 9 and 10, no UR candidate (excluding PwBD) got a seat below 58.125%, and in NORCET 10 the lowest UR score that got a seat was 71.458%.

Updated 29 October 2026. Cut-offs are from AIIMS Stage I Result Notifications 50/2025, 168/2025, 138/2026 and 276/2026. Seat scores are NPrep's match of the AIIMS seat allocation results for NORCET 8, 9 and 10 with the Stage II results, roll number by roll number.

NORCET safe score at a glance

Item	Value
Stage I scoring	Percentile; 100 MCQs, minus 1/3 per wrong answer
Stage I minimum	50 percentile UR/EWS, 45 OBC, 40 SC/ST (5 lower for PwBD)
Who reaches Stage II	5 times the seats in each category
Stage II scoring	Percentage of 160 marks; decides your rank
Stage II minimum	50% UR/EWS, 45% OBC, 40% SC/ST (5% lower for PwBD)
Safe Stage II target	About 72% (115 of 160) or more in full-length mocks

What is the difference between qualifying marks, cut-off and safe score?

• Qualifying marks are the minimum AIIMS sets in the notice: 50, 45 and 40 percentile in Stage I, and 50%, 45% and 40% in Stage II, by category.
• Cut-off is the score that actually got candidates through. In Stage I it is far above the minimum, because only 5 times the seats are called to Stage II.
• Safe score is not an AIIMS term. It is a target with a margin above recent cut-offs, so that a harder or easier paper does not push you out.

What is a safe score for NORCET Prelims?

Stage I is scored by percentile, so a safe target is a percentile, not a fixed mark. These are the official Stage I cut-offs for the last four cycles:

Category	NORCET 8	NORCET 9	NORCET 10	NORCET 11	Safe target (above the highest)
UR	93.5335	90.7162	93.5888	95.1589	95.2+
OBC	83.1213	75.9545	84.2077	86.9063	87+
SC	80.1393	73.4418	81.9605	84.1941	84.2+
EWS	78.2854	65.6170	78.9831	82.2408	82.3+
ST	73.6786	66.3211	74.4746	79.7052	79.8+

A percentile compares you with everyone who took the paper. To be above 95 percentile, you need to beat about 95 of every 100 test-takers. The best way to check this before the exam is an all-India mock with a large number of candidates.

What is a safe score for NORCET Mains?

Stage II decides your rank, so the useful question is: what score got a seat? NPrep matched every allotted roll number in the NORCET 8, 9 and 10 seat allocation results with its Stage II percentage. The table shows the lowest and median score among candidates (excluding PwBD) who were allotted any seat.

Category	NORCET 8 lowest / median	NORCET 9 lowest / median	NORCET 10 lowest / median
UR	58.125% / 61.458%	58.125% / 61.667%	71.458% / 74.375%
OBC	56.667% / 60.208%	56.667% / 60.417%	70.625% / 73.333%
EWS	55.625% / 60.000%	55.000% / 58.750%	69.583% / 72.708%
SC	54.583% / 58.542%	55.000% / 58.333%	68.542% / 71.458%
ST	51.875% / 55.208%	50.833% / 53.958%	65.000% / 68.125%

NORCET 10 was a high-scoring paper, so every category needed far more that cycle. A score above the NORCET 10 lowest in your category would have placed you above the lowest seat-holder in your category in all three cycles. That is why we treat about 72% (UR), 71% (OBC), 70% (EWS), 69% (SC) and 65% (ST) as safe Stage II targets in mocks.

These are targets based on past results, not AIIMS figures. Getting a particular institute needs a better rank; see NORCET marks vs rank.

Why is a safe score better than chasing the cut-off?

The paper changes every cycle. The score that got the last UR seat jumped from 58.125% in NORCET 9 to 71.458% in NORCET 10. A candidate who aimed only to clear the previous cut-off would have missed out. Preparing to a margin protects you against an easier paper that pushes every score up.

Which subjects move your score most?

Prioritise the subjects that carry the most questions:

• Medical-Surgical Nursing: cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, renal and endocrine disorders.
• Fundamentals of Nursing: infection control, nursing process, drug calculations, patient safety, documentation.
• Obstetrics and Gynaecological Nursing: labour management, antenatal care, obstetric emergencies, newborn care.
• Community Health Nursing: national health programmes, epidemiology, immunisation.

See the full list in the NORCET syllabus and exam pattern.

How does negative marking affect a safe score?

Each wrong answer costs one third of a mark. A blind guess between four options has an expected value of zero, so it adds risk without adding marks. Guess only after ruling out at least one option. Under the NORCET 11 rules, the first tie-breaker is the number of wrong answers in Stage II, so accuracy also protects your rank.

How do you know if you are on track?

• Your full-length mock scores are above your category's safe target in at least three mocks in a row.
• Your wrong answers per mock are falling.
• You finish each locked section (18 minutes in Stage I, 45 minutes in Stage II) with time to review.

Practise with free NORCET mock tests and track your score against the tables above.

FAQs

What is a safe score in NORCET Prelims for UR?

Aim above 95.2 percentile. The UR Stage I cut-off was 93.53 (NORCET 8), 90.72 (NORCET 9), 93.59 (NORCET 10) and 95.16 (NORCET 11), according to AIIMS result notifications.

What is a safe score in NORCET Mains?

About 72% for UR, 71% for OBC, 70% for EWS, 69% for SC and 65% for ST. These sit above the lowest score that got a seat in each category in NORCET 8, 9 and 10, by NPrep's count of AIIMS results.

Is NORCET Prelims scored out of 200?

No. Stage I has 100 MCQs for 100 marks, and AIIMS publishes the cut-off as a percentile. Stage II has 160 MCQs for 160 marks and uses percentage qualifying marks.

What is the minimum qualifying mark in NORCET Mains?

50% for UR and EWS, 45% for OBC and 40% for SC and ST, with 5% lower for PwBD, per Notice 103/2026. Qualifying does not guarantee a seat.

Does AIIMS publish a safe score?

No. AIIMS publishes qualifying marks, Stage I cut-off percentiles and the merit list. A safe score is a preparation target based on those results.

What to read next

• Up: AIIMS NORCET exam guide
• Across: NORCET cut-off by category and NORCET marks vs rank
• Practice: free NORCET mock tests