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    JEE Main 2026 Expected Qualifying Cutoff: Category-Wise Marks & Analysis

    JEE Main 2026 Expected Qualifying Cutoff: Category-Wise Marks & Analysis

    RanjeetaUpdated on 04 Feb 2026, 02:37 PM IST

    JEE Main 2026 Qualifying Cutoff Expected: The National Testing Agency will release the JEE Main qualifying cutoff on the official website, jeemain.nta. The qualifying cutoffs for JEE Main 2026 will be released after session 2 results by April 20. Based on the previous year’s JEE Mains cut off, here we have provided the expected JEE Main 2026 qualifying cutoff, which is likely to be around the 93.5 to 95 percentile. Candidates must score between 185 to 200 to secure an expected percentile of 99.50+ for the JEE Main exam.

    Live | Mar 26, 2026 | 5:00 PM IST

    This Story also Contains

    1. What is JEE Main Qualifying Cutoff?
    2. JEE Main 2026 Expected Qualifying Cutoff
    3. Previous Years’ JEE Main Qualifying Cutoff
    4. Factors Affecting JEE Main 2026 Cutoff
    5. JEE Main Percentile vs Marks Expected
    6. How to Check JEE Main 2026 Qualifying Cutoff
    7. Expected Cutoff for Top NITs
    8. JEE Main cutoff for NITs
    9. JEE Main cut off for IIITs
    JEE Main 2026 Expected Qualifying Cutoff: Category-Wise Marks & Analysis
    JEE Main 2026 Expected Qualifying Cutoff: Category-Wise Marks

    Further, the JEE Main qualifying cutoff varies across the different categories. In 2025, the qualifying cut-off for the General category was 93.1023262, while the JEE Main qualifying cut-off for OBC was 79.4313582. NTA uses a normalisation formula to derive the JEE Main qualifying cutoff score from raw marks. Find more details on the JEE Main 2026 qualifying cutoff expected in the article.
    Also Check: JEE Main 2026 Dates

    What is JEE Main Qualifying Cutoff?

    The JEE Main qualifying cutoff is the minimum percentile score set by NTA after each session, which serves as an eligibility criterion for the JEE Advanced exams and also for admission to the different engineering institutes, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs via JoSAA counselling. Candidates must keep in mind that the JEE Main qualifying cutoff and JoSAA admission cutoff are not similar and serve different purposes. The cutoff is based on the difficulty level of the exam, the number of students participating in the exam, and other factors set by NTA.

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    JEE Main 2026 Expected Qualifying Cutoff

    NTA releases the qualifying cutoff for JEE Main every year after completion of both JEE Main sessions 1 and 2 exams. As per the previous year’s cutoff trends, the JEE Main qualifying cutoff for 2026 is expected to be around 87% to 96%. Find below the expected qualifying cutoff for JEE Main 2026.

    Expected qualifying JEE Main cutoff 2026

    CategoryExpected Percentile

    General (UR)

    93-25

    OBC-NCL

    80-82

    EWS

    80-82

    SC

    60-62

    ST

    47-49

    Previous Years’ JEE Main Qualifying Cutoff

    Since the JEE Main 2026 cutoff is yet to be released, candidates can check out the previous year’s cutoff trends to have an overall idea of what to expect this year. As per the previous year’s JEE Main qualifying cutoff, the cutoff for the General category is 93.1023262, OBC is 79.4313582, EWS, SC and ST are 80.3830119, 61.1526933, and 47.9026465, respectively.

    Candidates must note that the JEE Mains cutoff varies for each category. Candidates can check the cutoff of JEE Main 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, and other years.

    Previous Years’ JEE Main Qualifying Cutoff

    CategoryJEE Mains Cutoff 2025

    General

    93.1023262

    Persons with Disability

    0.0079349

    EWS

    80.3830119

    OBC-NCL

    79.4313582

    SC

    61.1526933

    ST

    47.9026465

    JEE Main 2025 Admission Cutoff

    Candidates can also refer to the JEE Main 2025 cutoff for popular courses below. The table presents the JEE Main 2025 cutoff rank for the open category: Gender-Neutral and Female-only (including Supernumerary.

    Academic Programme NameOpening RankClosing Rank

    Computer Science and Engineering

    559

    4463

    2040

    7644

    Electronics and Communication Engineering

    2232

    6947

    7785

    10277

    Mechanical Engineering

    9004

    13628

    18294

    25413

    Civil Engineering

    10131

    27257

    22905

    33141

    Chemical Engineering

    5865

    17196

    19506


    Related links-

    JEE Mains Cutoff 2024

    CategoryJEE Main Cutoff 2024

    General

    93.2362181

    Gen-PwD

    0.0018700

    EWS

    81.3266412

    OBC-NCL

    79.6757881

    SC

    60.0923182

    ST

    46.6975840

    JEE Main Cutoff 2023

    CategoryJEE Cutoff

    General

    90.7788642

    EWS

    75.6229025

    OBC

    73.6114227

    SC

    51.9776027

    ST

    37.2348772

    PwD

    0.0013527

    JEE Main 2022 Cutoff

    CategoryMIN_PS_TOTMAX_PS_TOT

    General

    88.4121383

    100

    Gen-PwD

    0.0031029

    88.3784882

    EWS

    63.1114141

    88.4037478

    OBC-NCL

    67.0090297

    88.4081747

    SC

    43.0820954

    88.4037478

    ST

    26.7771328

    88.4072779

    JEE Main Cutoff 2021

    EWSMIN_PS_TOMAX_PS_TOT

    EWS

    66.2214845

    87.8950071

    OBC-NCL

    68.0234447

    87.8950071

    SC

    46.8825338

    87.8950071

    ST

    34.6728999

    87.8474721

    UR

    87.8992241

    100.0000000

    UR-PH

    0.0096375

    87.8273359

    JEE Mains Cut off 2020 (Qualifying)

    Common Rank ListJEE Main Cutoff

    Common Rank List (CRL)

    90.3765335

    GEN-EWS

    70.2435518

    Other Backward Classes (OBC-NCL)

    72.8887969

    Scheduled Caste (SC)

    50.1760245

    Scheduled Tribe (ST)

    39.0696101

    PwD

    0.0618524

    JEE Main Cutoff 2019

    CategoryTotal NTA score cutoff based on paper 1

    Common Rank List (CRL)

    89.7548849

    GEN-EWS

    78.2174869

    Other Backward Classes (OBC-NCL)

    74.3166557

    Scheduled Caste (SC)

    54.0128155

    Scheduled Tribe (ST)

    44.3345172

    PwD

    0.11371730


    JEE Mains Cutoff- Previous Year Trends

    Year

    General

    OBC-NCL

    SC

    ST

    Gen-EWS

    PwD

    2021

    87.8992241

    68.0234447

    46.8825338

    34.6728999

    66.2214845

    0.0096375

    2020

    90.3765335

    72.8887969

    50.1760245

    39.0696101

    70.2435518

    0.0618524

    2019

    89.7548849

    74.3166557

    54.0128155

    44.3345172

    78.2174869

    0.11371730

    2018

    74

    45

    29

    24

    -

    -35

    2017

    81

    49

    32

    27

    -

    -

    2016

    100

    70

    52

    48

    -

    -

    2015

    105

    70

    50

    44

    -

    -

    2014

    115

    74

    53

    47

    -

    -

    2013

    113

    70

    50

    45

    -

    -

    Factors Affecting JEE Main 2026 Cutoff

    There are several key factors that influence the JEE Main cutoff. The cutoff varies every year because of the factors in place. The JEE Main 2026 cutoff is based on the given factors below.

    • Number of applicants

    • Performance in the entrance examination

    • Difficulty level of the JEE Main 2025

    • Difficulty level of the JEE Main 2025

    • JEE Cutoff trends of the previous years’ examination

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    JEE Main Percentile vs Marks Expected

    JEE Main percentile is the performance of a student in the exam compared to other exam participants. Whereas, JEE Main marks are the raw score obtained in the exam out of 300, which is later converted into a percentage for the running system. Further, to score an expected percentile of 99.50,+ candidates must at least secure a score of 185 to 200 marks in the JEE Main exam. The JEE Main marks vs percentile is mainly affected by the difficulty level of the exam and the overall competition in JEE Main. Candidates can check the expected marks vs percentile of JEE Main 2026.

    JEE Mains Expected Marks vs Percentile 2026

    JEE Main MarksJEE Main Percentile

    300-280

    100-99.99745

    279-260

    99.99417-99.98881

    259-240

    99.97720-99.94664

    239-220

    99.91595-99.90111

    219-200

    99.80777 – 99.79506

    199-170

    99.62402-99.45693

    169-140

    99.06985-98.73238

    139-110

    97.94047-97.14293

    109-80

    95.64338-93.47123

    79-50

    90.41098-82.01606

    49-20

    73.08140-37.69452

    19-0

    20.95045-0.84351

    Also, check how to calculate your JEE Main rank using your percentile scores

    How to Check JEE Main 2026 Qualifying Cutoff

    To check the JEE Main 2026 qualifying cutoff, candidates must visit the official website of NTA. Also, to check the cutoff for NIT/IIIT/GFTI admissions, candidates must check the JoSAA website josaa.admissions.nic.in. Follow the steps below to check the JEE Main 2026 qualifying cutoff.

    • Candidates must first visit the official website of NTA, jeemain.nta.nic.in.

    • Now on the home page, candidates must navigate to the JEE Main cutoff link under the Latest News" or "Archives".

    • Candidates will be directed to the cutoff page.

    • There will be an option to download the JEE Main cutoff category-wise.

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    Expected Cutoff for Top NITs

    Here is the list of top NITs along with their previous years' cutoff closing ranks. Closing rank indicates the lowest rank based on which candidates were offered admission. Based on last year's closing, an expected closing rank has been calculated in the table below.

    NIT Names2025 R6 Closing Rank (CSE Open)Expected 2026 Cutoff Ranks

    NIT Trichy

    4569

    4200-5000

    NIT Surathkal

    2800

    2500-3500

    NIT Warangal

    3530

    3000-4500

    NIT Calicut

    8428

    7000-9000

    NIT Rourkela

    7853

    7000-8000

    MNIT Jaipur

    6013

    6200-6800

    NIT Delhi

    10165

    9000-10500

    JEE Main cutoff for NITs

    Institute NameCutoff Details

    National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kerala

    NIT Calicut JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology Raipur, Chhattisgarh

    NIT Raipur JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh

    NIT Hamirpur JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology, Manipur

    NIT Manipur JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology, Delhi

    NIT Delhi JEE Main cutoff

    Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

    MANIT Bhopal JEE Main Cutoff

    National Institute of Technology Sikkim

    NIT Sikkim JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology, Mizoram

    NIT Mizoram JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology Agartala, Tripura

    NIT Agartala JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology Durgapur, West Bengal

    NIT Durgapur JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology, Goa

    NIT Goa JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology Kurukshetra, Haryana

    NIT Kurukshetra JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology, Uttrakhand

    NIT Uttarakhand JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology Patna, Bihar

    NIT Patna JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology Puducherry

    NIT Puducherry JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology Surathkal, Karnataka

    NIT Surathkal JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology, Andhra Pradesh

    NIT Andhra Pradesh JEE Main cutoff

    Malviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, Rajasthan

    MNIT Jaipur JEE Main cutoff

    Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology Surat, Gujarat

    SVNIT surat JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu

    NIT Tiruchirapalli JEE Main cutoff

    Dr. B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar, Punjab

    NIT Jalandhar JEE Main cutoff

    Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh

    MNIT Allahabad JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology Silchar, Assam

    NIT Silchar JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Odisha

    NIT Rourkela JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology, Nagaland

    NIT Nagaland JEE Main Cutoff

    National Institute of Technology Arunachal Pradesh

    NIT Arunachal Pradesh JEE Main Cutoff

    Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology Nagpur, Maharashtra

    VNIT Nagpur JEE Main Cutoff

    National Institute of Technology Warangal, Telangana

    NIT Telangana JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur, Jharkhand

    NIT Jamshedpur JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology Hazartbal, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir

    NIT Srinagar JEE Main cutoff

    National Institute of Technology, Meghalaya

    NIT Meghalaya JEE Main cutoff

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Q: How is the JEE Main qualifying cutoff calculated?
    A:

    The JEE Main qualifying cutoff is calculated by NTA by the normalisation formula by selecting students from top top 2.5 lakh.

    Q: Is the qualifying cutoff enough for NIT admission?
    A:

    No, candidates will require a high cutoff for NIT admission. Candidates will likely need to secure 95 percentile to be eligible for the top NITs. 

    Q: Can Session 2 improve your cutoff chances?
    A:

    Yes, attempting JEE Main session 2 will definitely improve the cutoff chances if candidates score better compared to their session 1 score. 

    Q: What if two candidates get the same percentile?
    A:

    If two candidates secure the same percentile, the authority applies the tie-breaker rules to assign ranks. For example, among the two candidates, whoever has secured a higher percentile in Mathematics or Physics, or Chemistry will be given priority. 

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    Questions related to JEE Main

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to JEE Main ?

    Hi Manish Saraswat,

    Yes, you can get NIT seat with 84.89 percentile in JEE Mains. Your's JEE Main rank is expected to be 2 lakh 22 thousand plus. See the list of NITs from the link below in which you may get an NIT seat.

    Link 1: https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/jee-main-marks-vs-rank

    Link 2:

    The institute’s cutoff will depend on several factors that affect the chances of admission. Nonetheless, you are advised to apply for admission and participate in the counselling process. You can also contact SASTRA University directly for further information.
    Please refer to this article for relevant information- https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/sastra-btech-admission

    With an 86.28 percentile in JEE Main 2026, an SC candidate is not likely to secure admission into top NITs. They will need more than 90 percentile for admission. However, they will have chances in mid-tier NITs.

    Hi Kumar Ujjwal,

    You need to pass 10+2 or appearing for class 12 at the time of JEE Main registration. Only candidates who passed with aggregate percentage of marks will be allowed for futher process. To know more details click on the link below.

    Link : https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/jee-main-eligibility-criteria

    Yes, it is possible to get a top 100 rank in JEE Advanced in one year (Class 12)—but it’s extremely difficult. It requires near-perfect execution, strong basics, and consistency for the entire year. Most rankers at that level usually prepare for 2+ years, so you’ll need to work smarter +