The cut-off percentile for qualifying each subject in Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced has decreased over the three years since 2018, the latest available data shows. The overall percentages of marks achieved by the last rank holders has also decreased by more than seven percentage points over the same period. Also, there is no clear trend in the subjects in which JEE Advanced toppers score the most with each candidate performing differently.
The JEE Advanced is conducted for admission to undergraduate Engineering, Science and Architecture courses in Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT). It is held annually and follows the JEE Main which also serves as a screening round. Only the top 2.5 lakh rank-holders in the JEE Main are eligible for IIT JEE Advanced.
Each year, the JEE Advanced is organised by a different IIT and at the end of it, a report is produced. Reports are available in the public domain till 2020.
Careers360 compared three years JEE Advanced scores of the last-ranked students as per the Common Rank List (CRL), General category- Economically Weaker Section (Gen-EWS), Other Backward Classes- Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL), Schedule Castes (SC) and Schedule Tribes (ST).
Since 2018, JEE Advanced has been entirely a computer-based test (CBT) Candidates have the option to toggle between English or Hindi languages and can also modify the answer any time during the examination. To understand and be able to work with the test mode, two mock tests are provided at the website with no limits on the number of attempts.
The JEE Advanced syllabus is based on Class 11 and Class 12 Maths, Physics and Chemistry. It consists of two papers, with equal number of questions and marks for each subject.
The marking scheme involves full, partial or zero marking. One third of the questions in both the papers of JEE Advanced 2020 had partial marking. The total marks – the maximum a candidate can score – has increased in three years. It was 396 marks in 2020, 372 in 2019 and 360 in 2018.
In 2020, Paper 1 consisted of 54 questions divided into three types – Multiple choice question (MCQ), Multiple select question (MSQ)and Numerical Answer Type (NAT), with six questions of each type in each subject. Paper 2 consisted of 54 questions as well with six of each – MSQs, NATs and Integer type questions, in each subject.
JEE Advanced Question Paper Pattern
Paper | Question Type | Number of Questions | Marks |
Paper 1 | Multiple Choice Question | 6 questions for each Subject | -1, 0, 3 |
Multiple Select Question | 6 questions for each Subject | -2, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 | |
NumericalAnswer Type | 6 questions for each Subject | 0, 4 | |
Paper 2 | Integer Type | 6 questions for each Subject | -1, 0, 3 |
Multiple Select Question | 6 questions for each Subject | -2, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 | |
Numerical Answer Type | 6 questions for each Subject | 0, 4 |
Get expert advice on college selection, admission chances, and career path in a personalized counselling session.
In 2020, the lowest-ranked candidate in the CRL to gain admission in one of the 23 IITs was 30,919. Out of the 396 total score, they had secured 69, for which they would have had to answer approximately 23 – out of the total 108 – correctly. Every category of candidates found Maths the hardest to score in with the EWS category student getting the highest cut-off in the subject – 15.91 percent. The corresponding score on the CRL was 7.58 percent.
JEE Advanced CRL: Score At The Lowest Rank (In %)
Year | Physics | Chemistry | Mathematics | Total Marks |
2020 | 18.18 | 26.52 | 7.58 | 17.42 |
2019 | 18.55 | 42.74 | 13.71 | 25 |
2018 | 27.5 | 18.33 | 29.17 | 25 |
JEE Advanced General EWS: Score At The Lowest Rank (In %)
GEN-EWS | Physics | Chemistry | Mathematics | Total Marks |
2020 | 13.64 | 17.42 | 15.91 | 15.66 |
2019 | 16.13 | 41.94 | 8.87 | 22.31 |
JEE Advanced OBC-NCL: Score At The Lowest Rank (In %)
OBC-NCL | Physics | Chemistry | Mathematics | Total Marks |
2020 | 10.61 | 23.48 | 12.88 | 15.66 |
2019 | 12.90 | 39.52 | 14.52 | 22.31 |
2018 | 15 | 22.5 | 30 | 22.5 |
JEE Advanced SC: Score At The Lowest Rank (In %)
SC | Physics | Chemistry | Mathematics | Total Marks |
2020 | 7.58 | 12.88 | 5.30 | 8.59 |
2019 | 12.90 | 12.90 | 11.29 | 12.37 |
2018 | 14.17 | 5 | 18.3 | 12.5 |
JEE Advanced ST: Score At The Lowest Rank (In %)
SC | Physics | Chemistry | Mathematics | Total Marks |
2020 | 9.09 | 14.39 | 2.27 | 8.59 |
2019 | 7.26 | 22.58 | 7.26 | 12.37 |
2018 | 22.5 | 5.83 | 9.17 | 12.5 |
Even though the total score has increased in three years, the top score percentage has decreased, from around 93.6 percent to 89 percent. Plus, it is clear the toppers as a group do not find one section more “scoring” than others as the subject a topper performed best in has changed every year.
JEE Advanced Topper Scores (In %)
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
Overall | 88.89 | 93.01 | 93.61 |
Physics | 83.33 | 91.13 | 97.5 |
Chemistry | 89.39 | 90.32 | 95 |
Maths | 93.94 | 97.58 | 88.33 |
Among the toppers, there was no fixed subject that was a high scorer. In 2020, the topper had the maximum score of 94 percent in Mathematics, while the female topper with All India Rank (AIR)17 had the highest score in Chemistry with 84.8 percent.
The organising institute also ranks women candidates separately and the IITs have reserved supernumerary seats to improve the gender ratio in their BTech classrooms.
JEE Advanced Female Toppers’ Scores (In %)
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
Overall | 79.55 | 82.80 | 88.33 |
Physics | 75 | 83.87 | 97.5 |
Chemistry | 84.85 | 83.87 | 90.83 |
Maths | 78.79 | 80.65 | 76.67 |
Percentages in the above table have been worked out of the total score that the JEE Advanced paper carried for that year. Once again, there’s no one subject that toppers tend to score better in although in 2018 and 2019, women toppers scored the highest in Physics. The overall score dropped in 2019 but rose again the next year.
On Question asked by student community
Hello Student,
Yes your candidature is valid. The primary eligibility criterion here is that JEE Advanced can be taken in two consecutive years, which is satisfied in your case.
Hello Student,
Can you please tell us which year you passed your 12th class? The reason why I am asking this is that JEE Advanced (If you are interested in pursuing a course from IITs) is allowed for two consecutive years. The year of passing your 12th and the next
Hello Student, due to the two-year consecutive attempt rule, you are not eligible to appear for JEE Advanced . You can appear for JEE Main , State-level entrance exams, and entrance exams for private universities.
Hi Nith, admission to IITs is offered based on the score of JEE Advanced entrance exam through the counselling process. Please refer the link to know in details about the eligibility criteria of JEE Advanced https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/jee-advanced-eligibility-criteria
Hello, to prepare for JEE Advanced 2027, start with a proper study plan, focus on NCERT concepts, practise previous year questions regularly, and revise topics consistently. It is important to build strong concepts in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, along with regular mock tests and time management practice.
You can check
Among top 100 Universities Globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2026
Last Date to Apply: 18th May | Ranked #43 among Engineering colleges in India by NIRF | Highest Package 1.3 CR , 100% Placements
Recognized as Institute of Eminence by Govt. of India | NAAC ‘A++’ Grade | Upto 75% Scholarships
NAAC A+ Accredited | Among top 2% Universities Globally (QS World University Rankings 2026)
Highest CTC 26 LPA | Top Recruiters: Accenture, TCS, Tech Mahindra, Capgemini, Microsoft
NAAC A+ Accredited | Highest CTC 27.25| Average CTC 7.75 LPA | 400+ Recruiters