JEE Main Cutoff 2026 (OUT): Category-Wise Qualifying Marks & Percentile, Previous Year Trends

JEE Main Admission Cutoff for NITs: There are 31 NITs, and admission to each one of them is based on JEE Main ranks and through JoSAA counselling.

• To secure a seat in top-tier NITs (Trichy, Surathkal, Warangal), candidates generally need higher percentiles and ranks.
• Computer Science & Engineering is the most competitive branch, typically requiring a rank under 5,000 (99.2+ percentile) for top NITs.
• Core Branches (ECE, Mechanical, Electrical) require ranks between 10,000 to 25,000 (98.0 to 99.0 percentile), which are usually required for top institutes.
• Mid to Lower Tier NITs often require ranks between 30,000 to 60,000 (95.0 to 97.0 percentile).

JEE Main Admission Cutoff for IIITs: For 2026, admission to IIITs is based on JEE Main ranks through JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) and CSAB (Central Seat Allocation Board) counselling.

• Top tier IIITs (Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Allahabad) are very competitive, especially for Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) branches.
• Computer Science & Engineering in top IIITs generally requires a percentile of 99.3 to 99.9+ (rank under 10,000 for General).

Check below JEE Mains 2026 opening and closing ranks for NITs and IIITs

The JEE Main 2026 cutoff to qualify for JEE Advanced is dependent on various factors. Usually, the cutoff increases each year by 1 to 3 percentiles in JEE Main for the general category. This year, the JEE Main cutoff for the general category has reached its peak over the last 4 years.

JEE Mains 2026 Cutoff for General Candidates

The JEE Main 2026 cutoff for general category candidates is the highest this year compared to past years. Check the trends of JEE Main General category qualifying marks for JEE Advanced below:

JEE Mains 2026 Cutoff for SC & ST Candidates

The JEE Main 2026 SC cutoff sits at 63.91. This is higher than any other previous year's cutoff, whereas the JEE Mains cutoff for ST candidates is 52.01 percentile. Check the trends below for SC and ST category JEE Main cutoffs.

JEE Mains 2026 Cutoff for OBC Candidates

Candidates can check the year-wise OBC cutoff for JEE Mains over the past years.

JEE Mains 2026 Cutoff for EWS Candidates

The Gen-EWS category cutoff for JEE Main 2026 has peaked this year in comparison to the past several years. Take a look at the year-wise cutoffs below.

JEE Mains 2026 Cutoff for PwD Candidates

Check the JEE Main UR-PWD cutoff trends from previous years below:

The set percentage of candidates that will qualify from JEE Mains for JEE Advanced in each category is pre-determined.

The top 2.5 lakh JEE Mains candidates across categories will be eligible for JEE Advanced 2026.

Also check:

Check the factors below that influence the JEE Main cutoffs:

• Overall Attendance: A larger number of test-takers usually pushes the minimum qualifying benchmark upward.
• Exam Difficulty Level: When test papers are exceptionally challenging, average scores drop, which typically lowers the cutoff percentile.
• Fixed Intake Cap: The final cutoff is heavily influenced by the strict limit on JEE Advanced qualifiers, which is capped at approximately 2.5 lakh candidates.
• Applications Received: A rise in the total number of registered applicants generally increases competition and elevates the required passing score.
• Category Quotas: Benchmarks are tailored to specific student categories, resulting in distinct thresholds for General (CRL), EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PwD applicants.

Check below how the JEE Main qualifying cutoff for JEE Advanced has been in the past 5 years:

Check the category wise cutoff trends analysis below:

Overall Pattern

• Qualifying scores surged across nearly all categories between 2021 and 2025.
• The most dramatic upward spikes occurred immediately after 2022.

General & EWS Categories

• General: Percentiles climbed steadily through 2024 before flattening out slightly in 2025.
• EWS: Requirements dropped in 2022 but spiked sharply afterwards, crossing the 80-percentile mark by 2024.

OBC-NCL, SC, & ST Categories

• OBC-NCL: Competition intensified rapidly, marked by an aggressive initial jump between 2021 and 2022.
• SC: The minimum score required to qualify effectively doubled over the four years.
• ST: Scores bottomed out in 2022 before launching into a steady, continuous recovery

PwD Category

• PwD: Admission thresholds remained near zero each year with only marginal variations.\

JEE Main Cutoff 2019-2020 (Percentile Started)

JEE Main Cutoff 2018-2016 (Raw Marks)

Know how the JEE Main qualifying cutoff differs from the admission cutoffs below:

1. Type 1: The qualifying cut-off of JEE Main 2026 comprises the minimum score that JEE Main exam aspirants need to secure to be eligible for JEE Advanced. To be eligible for JEE Advanced 2026 candidates have to get more than or equal to the category-wise cutoff of JEE Main 2026. Only those candidates who meet JEE Main qualifying cutoffs become eligible to appear in JEE Advanced for admission to IITs in India. 
2. Type 2: The admission cutoff of JEE Main 2026 is the opening and closing ranks for each institute and is released by JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority). Candidates must get a minimum rank (closing ranks) for admission to JEE Main participating institutes. JoSAA releases admission cutoffs for all the participating institutes.

Check the table below for a better understanding:

Check below the JEE Main marks vs percentile data for the JEE Main 2026 exam based on previous year trends. This will help you know what percentile you may get based on your JEE Main 2026 marks. Further, you can check what your rank is based on the JEE Mains marks and percentile.