A cut off is the minimum marks or rank required to get admission to a particular college or course, and it directly decides whether you qualify for a seat, so understanding it helps you apply realistically.
In merit based admissions, the cut off is usually a percentage. For example, a college may announce that admission to a course requires at least 90 percent. If your marks meet or exceed that, you are eligible for that round of admission.
In entrance based admissions, the cut off is often a rank or score in the exam. Only students within that rank or score range are called for the next stage or allotted seats.
An important thing to understand is that cut offs change every year. They depend on how many students applied, how difficult the exam or boards were, and how many seats are available. A high cut off one year does not guarantee the same the next.
Cut offs also differ by category, course, and college, so the same student may clear the cut off for one college but not another.
Example: A student who applied to a range of colleges, some with high cut offs and some with more reachable ones, secured a good seat even though she missed the cut off at her top choice.
One practical tip: Never apply based only on last year’s cut off. Apply to a spread of colleges, some ambitious and some safe, so a rise in cut offs does not leave you without any option.