CGPA Required for Infosys 2026: Eligibility Criteria Explained

If you are a 2026 pass-out targeting Infosys, the single most common disqualifier at the application stage is not a failed interview, it is a CGPA shortfall that gets your profile auto-rejected before a recruiter ever reads your name. This article lays out every eligibility threshold Infosys applies in 2026, role by role, with trend data from the last four hiring cycles so you know exactly where you stand.

What CGPA Does Infosys Require in 2026?

Infosys runs three distinct fresher tracks, and each carries its own academic benchmark:

Track	Minimum CGPA	Percentage Equivalent	Backlog Policy
System Engineer (SE)	6.0 / 10	60% aggregate	No active backlogs at joining
Digital Specialist Engineer (DSE)	6.5 / 10	65% aggregate	Zero backlogs at time of application
Specialist Programmer (SP)	No stated CGPA floor	Competitive (typically 7.5+)	Zero backlogs, strong coding profile mandatory
InfyTQ Power Programmer	6.0 / 10	60% aggregate	Must clear InfyTQ certification exam

The 6.0 cutoff for SE is the headline figure most students know. What fewer know is that Infosys calculates aggregate across all semesters, not just the final year, and applies it to BE/BTech/MCA/MSc (CS/IT) candidates from 2026 batch passing out. Other branches, ECE, EEE, Mechanical, are considered for the SE track only, subject to domain relevance.

Infosys 2026 Eligibility Criteria: Full Breakdown

Beyond CGPA, Infosys validates three other axes before your profile reaches shortlisting:

Academic history: All semesters from semester 1 onwards count. No year-back or gap year without a documented medical/personal reason is accepted at the DSE or SP level. A gap of up to one year is conditionally allowed for SE if adequately explained in the application form.

Degree stream: BE/BTech (all branches), ME/MTech, MCA, MSc (CS/IT/Electronics). BCA, BSc non-CS, BBA, and pure humanities are not eligible for the technical tracks.

Attempt limit: Only one Infosys recruitment attempt per year is permitted. If you appeared in the October 2025 InfyTQ campus drive and did not clear it, you cannot re-apply until the next official window opens (typically July–August 2026 for the 2027 batch).

10th and 12th: No explicit cutoff published, but recruiters at campus drives have reported informally that sub-50% in 10th or 12th raises a flag during the HR interview stage. Aim for 60% or above across all levels.

CGPA Cutoff Trend: 2022–2026

The data below is compiled from verified candidate reports on placement forums and campus placement cell records. Treat the 2026 figures as projections based on the observed trend.

Hiring Cycle	SE Cutoff (Min CGPA)	DSE Cutoff (Min CGPA)	SP Effective CGPA (Avg Selected)	Notes
2022	6.0	6.5	~7.8 (estimated)	Post-pandemic mass hiring; cutoffs lenient
2023	6.0	6.5	~7.6 (estimated)	Offer letter delays; no cutoff relaxation
2024	6.0	6.5	~7.9 (estimated)	Bench size grew; tighter coding filter added
2025	6.0	6.5	~8.0 (based on verified candidate reports)	InfyTQ score weighted heavily for SE track
2026 (projection)	6.0	6.5	~8.0–8.2 (estimated range)	Expect stricter InfyTQ score gate; SP slots reduced

The formal cutoff for SE (6.0) has not changed since at least 2019. DSE has held at 6.5 since the track was formalised. The real competition happens above the cutoff, a 6.0 CGPA gets you eligible, not selected. In the 2025 SE drive, candidates report that shortlisted profiles from off-campus had a median CGPA of approximately 7.1, based on verified candidate reports.

How Infosys Calculates Your CGPA

This is where many candidates get tripped up. Infosys does not accept percentage conversion formulae from individual universities. They calculate CGPA directly if your marksheet shows it, or convert percentage using a flat divider:

• If your university issues CGPA out of 10: submit as-is.
• If your university issues percentage: CGPA = Percentage ÷ 9.5 (Infosys's internal conversion factor as documented in their hiring portal).
• If your university uses a 4.0 scale: multiply by 2.5 to get the approximate 10-point equivalent.

Practically: if you have 63% aggregate on a percentage-based marksheet, your converted CGPA is 63 ÷ 9.5 = 6.63, which clears both SE and DSE thresholds. Do this calculation before applying, the system auto-rejects profiles that enter figures inconsistently.

What If You Have a Backlog?

Infosys's backlog policy in 2026 is stricter than it was in 2022:

• SE track: No active backlogs at the time of joining. Historical cleared backlogs are permitted, provided your CGPA still meets 6.0 after all semesters.
• DSE track: Zero backlogs at the time of application, not just joining. If you apply with a pending arrear, your profile is rejected upfront.
• SP track: Zero tolerance. Any historical backlog, even a cleared one, can disqualify you at the HR stage.

If you are sitting with a cleared backlog and targeting SE, you are eligible. Be upfront in the application form, Infosys cross-checks marksheets during background verification, and a discrepancy found post-offer leads to offer cancellation.

For a parallel view of how another mass recruiter handles backlogs, check the Wipro exam pattern and eligibility breakdown, the contrast is instructive.

Infosys 2026 Recruitment Timeline

Understanding when the hiring windows open helps you plan your InfyTQ certification and test prep.

Month	Activity	Notes (2025 Reference)
July–August 2026	InfyTQ registration opens for 2027 batch	2025 batch: opened July 2024
August–September 2026	Campus drives begin (Tier-1 colleges)	Slot allocation via college TPO
October–November 2026	Off-campus HackWithInfy / InfyTQ exam	Open registration, no college filter
December 2026 – January 2027	SE/DSE offers rolled out	Background verification begins
February–March 2027	SP offers & waitlist clearance	Final batch before March close

The 2026 batch (graduating May–June 2026) should have completed InfyTQ certification by October 2025 at the latest for the best shot at early campus slots. If you missed the early window, the off-campus route in October–November remains open regardless of college tier.

Preparation Strategy: From Eligible to Selected

Meeting the CGPA cutoff is the floor, not the ceiling. Here is how to convert eligibility into an offer:

Step 1, InfyTQ certification first. The InfyTQ exam tests programming fundamentals, data structures, and database concepts. A certification score above 70% significantly improves shortlisting odds for both SE and DSE. Practice on the InfyTQ platform, not just generic aptitude sites.

Step 2, Aptitude is non-negotiable. The Infosys online test (Reasoning Ability, Mathematical Ability, Verbal Ability) uses Mettl. Time management is the primary differentiator, most candidates know the concepts but run out of time. Target 20 minutes per section with two minutes buffer.

Step 3, DSA for DSE/SP. If you are targeting DSE or SP, your coding round expects medium-difficulty problems: arrays, linked lists, trees, dynamic programming basics. Practice 80–100 problems on platforms like LeetCode at the easy-medium boundary before the drive date. The Infosys DSE and SP placement papers section has company-specific patterns with solutions.

Step 4, HR round is a filter, not a formality. Infosys HR interviewers specifically probe: reason for any gaps, explanation of backlogs, relocation willingness, and service agreement acceptance (the 1-year bond). Prepare crisp answers, vague responses at this stage have caused rejections even after a cleared technical round.

Step 5, Background verification readiness. Keep scanned copies of all marksheets, ID proof, and offer documents ready. Infosys uses a third-party BGV vendor, and delays in document submission push your joining date, or kill the offer.

Practice Questions: Infosys Eligibility & Aptitude Style

These reflect the type of reasoning and numerical questions that appear in the Infosys online assessment, tuned to the difficulty level reported by 2025 candidates.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Entering CGPA on a 10-scale when your university uses 4-scale. The Infosys application portal does not auto-convert. A 3.8/4.0 CGPA entered as 3.8 looks like a 3.8/10, which is below cutoff. Use the correct scale selector in the form.

2. Counting only technical subjects in your CGPA. Infosys uses overall aggregate across all subjects, including humanities and mandatory non-credit courses that appear on your consolidated marksheet. Do not self-calculate a trimmed CGPA.

3. Applying for DSE with an active backlog. Unlike SE (where the backlog must be cleared before joining), DSE rejects applications with active backlogs at the time of form submission. Waiting until you clear the paper and then applying in the next window is the only path.

4. Missing the InfyTQ certification window. Many students plan to "do InfyTQ later" and then find the campus registration period has closed. The certification is not mandatory for off-campus, but it is effectively required for campus shortlisting at most Tier-2 and Tier-3 colleges. Treat the certification exam deadline as hard.

5. Assuming repeated applications in the same year are allowed. Infosys's one-attempt-per-year rule is enforced by PAN and email ID matching. Creating a second account to re-attempt the same hiring year cycle leads to permanent blacklisting from Infosys recruitment. The Infosys SP and DSE salary comparison page also covers what is at stake, the pay gap between tracks is significant enough that a one-year wait to meet DSE criteria is often worth it financially.

Related Resources

If you are building your preparation strategy alongside the eligibility check, these are the most relevant resources on PapersAdda:

• Infosys SP and DSE Placement Papers 2026, actual paper patterns with section-wise question distribution
• Infosys Placement Papers 2026, SE track-specific papers with solutions
• Infosys Exam Pattern 2026, section timings, marking scheme, and cut-off score estimates
• Infosys Power Programmer 2026, eligibility, coding difficulty, and InfyTQ certification path
• Infosys Off-Campus 2026, registration windows and documents checklist for non-campus candidates
• Top Skills for IT Freshers 2026, what Infosys interviewers check beyond CGPA
• Probability Questions for Placement, covers a topic that appears in 12–15% of Infosys quantitative sections
• Hexaware Placement Papers 2026, useful as a fallback company with a similar aptitude test format

FAQs

Q: Is 6.0 CGPA enough to get selected in Infosys SE, or just to apply?

6.0 makes you eligible to apply, it does not guarantee a shortlist. In the 2025 off-campus SE drive, the actual shortlisting threshold was effectively higher (estimated 6.8–7.2 based on candidate reports from forums). A 6.0 CGPA with a strong InfyTQ score and a clean aptitude test result can still get you through, but treat 7.0+ as your real competitive target.

Q: Does Infosys consider 10th and 12th marks for eligibility?

There is no published cutoff for 10th or 12th for the technical tracks. However, a consistent academic record is expected. Sub-50% at the secondary level is an informal red flag that can come up during HR interviews. There is no automatic rejection trigger for 10th/12th marks at the application stage.

Q: My college uses a 7-point CGPA scale. How do I convert for Infosys?

Infosys's form allows you to enter your CGPA and select your scale (out of 7, out of 8, out of 10, or percentage). Enter your CGPA as-is and select "out of 7", the portal applies its own conversion. Do not manually convert to a 10-point scale before entering, or you will over-report your CGPA.

Q: Can I apply for both SE and DSE simultaneously?

No. Infosys allows only one active application per hiring cycle. When you apply, you select a track. If you apply for SE and want DSE, you have to withdraw the SE application first, and withdrawal counts as your one attempt for the cycle if the test date has already been assigned.

Q: Is a CGPA of 6.0 acceptable if I have a gap year after graduation?

For SE, a gap of up to one year with a documented reason (health, family, exam preparation) is conditionally accepted. A gap year without documentation or with no productive activity shown (certifications, projects, internships) frequently results in rejection at the HR stage even if the CGPA clears the threshold.

Q: Does Infosys accept diploma holders for the SE track?

No. The minimum qualification is a full-time BE/BTech/MCA/MSc (CS/IT/Electronics) degree from a recognised university. Lateral entry BTech candidates (with diploma background) are eligible provided their BTech is full-time and CGPA meets the cutoff across all BTech semesters.

Q: What happens to my offer if my final semester CGPA drops below 6.0?

Infosys conducts a final marksheet verification before joining. If your aggregate after the final semester falls below the declared CGPA threshold, the offer letter specifies that the offer is void. This has happened in past cycles. Do not let a weak final semester drag your aggregate below cutoff, it can cost you a confirmed offer.