The Joint Entrance Examination Main (JEE Main), conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission in undergraduate engineering programmes does not have any qualifying marks. The cut-off marks announced by the NTA with the JEE Main result are for screening students who will be allowed to appear for JEE Advanced for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT). Therefore, every student who appears for JEE Main, including the ones who have got negative marks in any or all three subjects, is assigned a JEE Main rank. Plus, all students assigned ranks are eligible to participate in the seat allocation process of Joint Seat Allocation Authority, or JoSAA counselling . Screening for admissions is based on the Class 12 qualifying status and the JEE Main rank.
This means that a student who has passed Class 12 with the minimum specified marks and who has appeared for JEE Main and secured a rank will be eligible for admissions in the order of their merit, or position on the rank list. This has allowed students with relatively low ranks, such as between two lakh and eight lakh and even below, to secure admission in some of the National Institutes of Technology (NIT). This unique situation is restricted to the NITs where each institute has 50 percent seats reserved for students from the same state in which the NIT is located. This is the home state quota. Here’s a look at the NITs where students with JEE ranks from two lakh to eight lakh and below have secured admissions.
For this analysis, Careers360 has considered only open category seats in the home state quota.
Given below are the ranks at which general category candidates secured admission in NIT Agartala in 2023.
Counselling Course Name | Opening Rank | Closing Rank |
|---|---|---|
Production Engineering | 198832 | 326262 |
Chemistry (5 Years BSc-MSc Dual Degree)) | 250740 | 316556 |
Engineering Physics (5 Years BTech-MTech Dual Degree) | 233128 | 295549 |
Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering | 85416 | 287950 |
Chemical Engineering | 109154 | 280589 |
Civil Engineering | 94302 | 245373 |
Mathematics & Computing (5 Years BSc-MSc Dual Degree)) | 154516 | 242884 |
Physics (5 Years BSc-MSc Dual Degree)) | 45913 | 237897 |
The above table shows that at NIT Agartala, branches like Production Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering (CE) and Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering are not as popular as other branches like Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE), Computer Science Engineering (CSE) or Electrical Engineering(EE).
The dual degree courses like Engineering Physics and Chemistry also are not as popular as the core branches.
NIT Meghalaya has seen allotments to JEE Main ranks below 2 lakh but only for home state quota for three out of five branches, including Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE), ECE and CE.
Counselling Course Name | Opening Rank | Closing Rank |
|---|---|---|
Civil Engineering | 142261 | 257202 |
Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 138346 | 237583 |
Electronics and Communication Engineering | 121773 | 220988 |
CSE and ME are the branches where students under two lakh rank opt for in NIT Meghalaya.
NIT Sikkim admitted students with below two lakhs to all its programmes. In one case, the closing ranking in JoSAA seat allotment dropped to below 10 lakh.
Counselling Course Name | Opening Rank | Closing Rank |
|---|---|---|
Civil Engineering | 527505 | 1005918 |
Mechanical Engineering | 311356 | 817562 |
Electronics and Communication Engineering | 174848 | 713531 |
Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 251666 | 639272 |
Computer Science and Engineering | 78672 | 405836 |
While NIT Sikkim has seen the last seat in Computer Science Engineering, one of the most popular branches, allotted to students with JEE Main ranks around four lakh, other core branches like ME, CE, ECE and EEE have seen allotments to JEE Main ranks below six lakh.
The table below shows that the closing rank was below six lakh to 10 lakh for several courses.
Counselling Course Name | Opening Rank | Closing Rank |
|---|---|---|
Mechanical Engineering | 636017 | 1014892 |
Mathematics and Computing | 834722 | 834722 |
Electronics and Communication Engineering | 589620 | 809789 |
Civil Engineering | 234729 | 678406 |
Electrical Engineering | 560594 | 661107 |
Computer Science and Engineering | 284473 | 516872 |
Seats under the home state quota in NIT Mizoram for all branches including core branches have been allotted to students with JEE Main ranks below 2 lakh. All these courses had their cut-offs dropping to below 2 lakh, even in the first round of JoSAA counselling.
Just one programme admitted at ranks lower than 2 lakh in NIT Puducherry.
Counselling Course Name | Opening Rank | Closing Rank |
|---|---|---|
Civil Engineering | 186956 | 225349 |
The last seat in Civil Engineering at NIT Puducherry in 2023 was allotted to a home state student with a JEE Main rank below 2 lakh. NIT Puducherry is a relatively new NIT compared to NITs in Agartala, Mizoram or Meghalaya.
All branches of NIT Manipur admitted students with rank below two lakh. Core branches like ME and EE had students with ranks above four lakhs too.
Counselling Course Name | Opening Rank | Closing Rank |
|---|---|---|
Electronics and Communication Engineering | 341866 | 749669 |
Mechanical Engineering | 157954 | 667509 |
Electrical Engineering | 101231 | 407152 |
Computer Science and Engineering | 93261 | 364827 |
Civil Engineering | 97608 | 229695 |
On Question asked by student community
Hello aspirant,
If your syllabus is completed with theory , use the next 30 days only for smart revision . Make short notes and revise formulas daily for Physics , Chemistry and Maths . Solve previous year JEE Main questions topic-wise and then full mock tests every 3-4 days. Analyse mistakes properly and revise weak areas again . Avoid new topics and focus on accuracy , speed and confidence building during revision.
FOR REFERENCE : https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/jee-main-revision-strategy
Hope the details will help you.
THANK YOU
Preparing for the JEE Main in just 30 days is a challenging but achievable task if you follow a highly disciplined and strategic approach. According to the Careers360 30-day study plan , the key is to shift your focus from learning everything to mastering high-weightage topics and practicing rigorously.
During the first 15 days, prioritize topics that frequently appear in the exam.
Physics: Modern Physics, Heat & Thermodynamics, Optics, and Current Electricity.
Chemistry: GOC (General Organic Chemistry), Chemical Bonding, p-Block elements, and Solutions.
Maths: Matrices & Determinants, Sequences & Series, Coordinate Geometry, and Vector & 3D Geometry.
Study Strategy: Use NCERT for Chemistry and simplified notes for Physics/Maths. Spend 3-4 hours on each subject daily.
Short Notes: Go through the short notes you made during the first two weeks.
Flashcards: Use flashcards for inorganic chemistry reactions and physics formulas.
Mock Tests: Start giving one full-length mock test every alternate day. Analyze your mistakes immediately to avoid repeating them.
Previous Year Papers (PYQs): Solve the last 3-5 years of JEE Main papers in the actual exam time slot (9 AM–12 PM or 3 PM–6 PM) to sync your body clock.
No New Topics: Stop picking up new chapters. Focus solely on what you already know to build confidence.
Accuracy over Speed: Focus on getting the questions right rather than attempting all of them, as negative marking can significantly lower your percentile.
You can download the comprehensive day-by-day schedule, which includes specific topics to cover each morning and evening, by visiting the link : https://engineering.careers360.com/download/ebooks/jee-main-study-plan-30-days
Hello
I think your question sounds like this: "Can a candidate who passed Class 12 in 2025 and filled JEE Main Session 1 apply for Session 2 as 'Appearing' in 2026 as a fresh board candidate, and will both sessions have the same details? "
So yes, you can fill the JEE Main Session 2 as "Appearing". The information filled in Session 1 will remain exactly as it was and will not change.
Session 1 and Session 2 are treated as separate applications. There is no issue if the qualifying status is different in both sessions. During counselling, the board marks that meet the 75 rule will be considered.
Hello,
If you filled the JEE Main January form with Class 12 passed in 2025 and are planning to appear again for the Class 12 exam through HOS, there is usually no serious issue. You were eligible to apply since you had already passed Class 12. Reappearing through HOS for improvement or requalification is allowed, provided HOS is a recognized board. During counselling, your latest valid Class 12 result will be considered. Make sure you meet the 75% marks or top 20 percentile requirement where applicable. If a correction window opens, update details if needed.
Hope this has solved your query. Thank You.
Good Evening,
Yes, you are eligible for both JEE Mains and Advanced, as you completed your 12th with physics, chemistry and biology. Moreover, you passed mathematics in 2025, which makes you fit the eligibility criteria of both exams.
Aspirant, I would like to inform you that Careers360 recently launched a free mock test series for JEE students. The last date of registration is 8th January, 2026. Enroll and solve chapter wise question papers and improve you concept and assess your learning. The link to the mock test series is attached herewith. https://learn.careers360.com/test-series-jee-main-free-mock-test/
Best regards.
Among top 100 Universities Globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2026
National level exam conducted by VIT University, Vellore | Ranked #16 by NIRF for Engg. | NAAC A++ Accredited
Recognized as Institute of Eminence by Govt. of India | NAAC ‘A++’ Grade | Upto 75% Scholarships
Ranked #43 among Engineering colleges in India by NIRF | Highest Package 1.3 CR , 100% Placements
100% Placement Record | Highest CTC 54 LPA | NAAC A++ Accredited | Ranked #62 in India by NIRF Ranking 2025 | JEE & JET Scores Accepted
NAAC A+ & NBA Accredited | QS I-Gauge Gold rated University | Highest CTC 52 LPA | 300+ Companies | Avail Scholarships Application Deadline: 28th Feb’26