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 |
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,
In 2025, IIT Madras JEE Advanced, closing ranks are around 171 for CSE, 306 for AI & Data Analytics, 849 for Electrical, about 1300 for Computational Engineering, around 1440 for Engineering Physics, 2468 for Mechanical, and about 6112 for Civil.
To know more access below mentioned link:
https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/jee-advanced-cutoff-for-iit-madras
Hope it helps.
Hello,
JEE Advanced College Predictor 2026 is an AI driven tool created by Careers360.
This JEE Adv college predictor tool uses the latest rank vs college details to give the most accurate information on best available colleges based on JEE Advanced ranks.
Here is the link where you can access the tool : JEE Advanced College Predictor 2026
Hope it helps !
Hello,
If you appeared for the NIOS October 2024 exam, your passing year will be 2024 (because NIOS counts the year in which the exam is held).
For
JEE Advanced eligibility
:
You can appear in
JEE Advanced only in the year you pass Class 12 and the following year
.
So, since your passing year is 2024 , you are eligible for:
JEE Advanced 2024
JEE Advanced 2025
You will not be eligible for JEE Advanced 2026 , as it will be your third attempt after passing Class 12.
Hope it helps !
Hey,
If you take an additional exam in mathematics from an open board, as you want to pursue engineering, you will have two mark sheets which is not acceptable for JEE Mains or Advanced or JOSSA. NTA and IIT require single 10+2 certificate with the subjects Physics, Chemistry and Maths.
Hi,
JEE Advanced me qualify karne ke liye JEE Main me kisi fixed percentage ki requirement nahi hoti. Percentile aur rank ke basis par cutoff decide hoti hai. JEE Advanced ke liye eligible hone ke liye aapko JEE Main ke Top 2,50,000 rank holders ke andar aane chahiye, sab category mila kar.
Har saal cutoff percentile thoda alag hota hai, par approximate range general (UR) ke liye hoti hai 90–92 percentile tak, EWS ke liye 78–80 percentile tak, OBC-NCL ke liye 73-75 percentile tak, SC ke liye 55-60 percentile tak aur ST ke liye 45-50 percentile tak.
Iska matlab hai ki agar aap SC category se hai, to lagbhag 55 se 60 percentile JEE Main me lana par aap JEE Advanced ke liye qualify kar sakte hai.
Hope it helps!!!
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