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

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

RanjeetaUpdated on 09 Dec 2025, 05:33 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.

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
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 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, 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

Category

Expected 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

Category

JEE 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.

Academic Program Name

Seat Type

Gender

Opening Rank

Closing Rank

Computer Science and Engineering

OPEN

Gender-Neutral

559

4463

OPEN

Female-only (including Supernumerary)

2040

7644

Electronics and Communication Engineering

OPEN

Gender-Neutral

2232

6947

OPEN

Female-only (including Supernumerary)

7785

10277

Mechanical Engineering

OPEN

Gender-Neutral

9004

13628

OPEN

Female-only (including Supernumerary)

18294

25413

Civil Engineering

OPEN

Gender-Neutral

10131

27257

OPEN

Female-only (including Supernumerary)

22905

33141

Chemical Engineering

OPEN

Gender-Neutral

5865

17196

OPEN

Female-only (including Supernumerary)

19506


Related links-

JEE Mains Cutoff 2024

Category

JEE 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

Category

JEE Cutoff

General

90.7788642

EWS

75.6229025

OBC

73.6114227

SC

51.9776027

ST

37.2348772

PwD

0.0013527

JEE Main 2022 Cutoff

CATEGORY

MIN_PS_TOT

MAX_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

CATEGORY

MIN_PS_TO

MAX_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)

Category

JEE Mains 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

Category

Total 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 Main 2018 Cutoff (Qualifying)

Category

Qualified

Maximum Marks

Minimum Marks

Common Rank List

111275

350

74

OBC-NCL

65313

73

45

SC

34425

73

29

ST

17256

73

24

PwD

2755

73

-35

Total

231024


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 Marks

JEE 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 Names

2025 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

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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. 

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: 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: 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.

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Questions related to JEE Main

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to JEE Main ?

Hello,

Don't worry even if you give the wrong birthplace address in the JEE Main application, because the NTA provides the correction window. Still, it can affect the domicile/state quota. So, you must correct these mistakes in the correction window.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hello,
Choosing CSBS engineering at Techno Main Salt Lake for the 2026 session can be a good option. The CSBS course focuses on both computer science and business skills, which helps students become job-ready for roles in technology, analytics, and management-related fields.

The placement performance for this branch is generally good. Students usually receive offers from software companies, IT services, product-based companies, and analytics firms. The usual salary range is around four to six lakh per year, and higher packages are possible for skilled students.

The academic fee for the CSBS program, excluding hostel charges, is typically between three to four lakh for the full four-year course, though it may change slightly depending on the year.

If you are unsure about your entrance exam rank, you may still get admission depending on counselling rounds and seat availability. If you are interested in computers, programming, logical thinking, and learning business-related subjects along with technology, CSBS can be a suitable and practical choice for your future.
Hope this helps you.

Hello,

The session 1 of JEE mains exam is starting from January 21 to 30, 2026 and session 2 from April 2 to 9, 2026. The format for this examination is computer based. This prestigious engineering examination conducted by National Testing Agency is a first step towards getting an admission in one the IIT's, later through JEE Advanced.

https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/jee-main-exam-dates

Thank you.

Hello,

You can access the JEE Main 2026 sample papers (Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics) with answer keys from the mentioned link below:

https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/jee-main-sample-papers

Hope it helps.

Hello,
If you mistakenly registered as a General category candidate for JEE Mains 2026, but you actually belong to OBC-NCL, you cannot change the category unless the correction window specifically allows category correction. The National Testing Agency (NTA) sometimes provides the option to edit category during the correction window, but this is not guaranteed every year.

If category correction is allowed, you can upload your valid OBC-NCL certificate and update your category. If the correction window does not allow changing the category, then you will have to appear as a General category candidate for that attempt and will not be able to claim OBC-NCL reservation benefits for that session.

Make sure to keep checking the official correction notice to see which fields can be edited.
Hope this helps you.