JEE Main 2026 cutoff is most likely to rise compared to last year, given the high number of registrations NTA has received this year. Based on the previous year trends and various other deciding factors, we have provided here the JEE Main 2026 expected cutoff. Also check here minimum marks required in JEE Main 2026 to get scores above the cutoff percentiles.
The cutoff is different every year and largely depends on factors like number of candidates taking the exam, total seats for admission and difficulty level of the JEE Main exam. Expected cutoff for JEE Mains 2026 for all categories provided here has been formulated by experts, considering the past year trends and exam difficulty level. JEE Main previous year cutoff is also provided here to get idea of minimum marks in JEE Main to qualify for JEE Advanced.
As the JEE Main 2026 exam overall difficulty level and number of students applied have been high in comparison to recent past years, this can lead to a rise in the cutoff. JEE Main 2026 cutoff for general category is expected to be in range of 93.3 to 93.4, which was 93.1 in 2025 and 93.2 in 2024. OBC JEE Mains cutoff 2026 will also most likely be in range of 80.5 to 81.5.
Also Check: JEE Main Last 5 Year Question Paper with Solutions
- JEE Mains 2026 Cutoff Percentile
- JEE Mains 2026 Marks vs Percentile
- How is JEE Main Cutoff Calculated?
- JEE Main Cutoff Historical Trends 2021 to 2025
- What Do Historical Trends Say for JEE Main 2026 Cutoff?
- JEE Main 2026 Cutoff for General
- OBC Cutoff for JEE Mains 2026
- EWS Cutoff for JEE Mains 2026
- ST Cutoff for JEE Mains 2026
- SC Cutoff for JEE Mains 2026
- JEE Main 2026 Reservation Policy for Admission in Colleges
- Download JEE Main 2026 Question Paper PDF January Session
JEE Mains 2026 Cutoff Percentile
Considering the past year cutoff trends and highest number of stduents appeared in exam in current session, the JEE Main cutoff 2026 is most likely to increase across all categories. The JEE Mains expected cutoff 2026 percentile is given here. The actual cutoff will be announced along with Session 2 JEE Main result 2026.
JEE Main Cutoff for JEE Advanced 2026
| Category |
Cutoff 2026 (Expected) |
| Unreserved (UR) |
93.3045326 |
| Gen-EWS |
81.4387917 |
| OBC-NCL |
80.7456432 |
| SC |
61.3526948 |
| ST |
48.2456783 |
| UR-PwD |
0.0082349 |
| Want to know what your JEE Main 2026 rank will be based on your score and percentile? Check out the JEE Main rank predictor 2026 by Shiksha.com, which predicts your rank after analysing several years’ percentile/marks vs rank data. JEE Main 2026 Rank Predictor |
JEE Mains 2026 Marks vs Percentile
Candidates can check here shiftwise analysis JEE Main marks vs percentile for all session 1 exam dates.
| JEE Main 2026 Jan Exam Date | Shift 1 Expected Marks vs Percentile | Shift 2 Expected Marks vs Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Jan 2026 | 224+ marks = 99.9 Percentile 158+ marks = 99 Percentile 101+ marks = 95 Percentile 89+ marks = 93.24 Percentile |
230+ marks = 99.9 Percentile 174+ marks = 99 Percentile 123+ marks = 95 Percentile 111+ marks = 93.24 Percentile |
| 22 Jan 2026 | 243+ marks = 99.9 Percentile 186+ marks = 99 Percentile 129+ marks = 95 Percentile 117+ marks = 93.24 Percentile |
219+ marks = 99.9 Percentile 153+ marks = 99 Percentile 99+ marks = 95 Percentile 88+ marks = 93.24 Percentile |
| 23 Jan 2026 | 227+ marks = 99.9 Percentile 166+ marks = 99 Percentile 112+ marks = 95 Percentile 101+ marks = 93.24 Percentile |
224+ marks = 99.9 Percentile 158+ marks = 99 Percentile 101+ marks = 95 Percentile 90+ marks = 93.24 Percentile |
| 24 Jan 2026 | 236+ marks = 99.9 Percentile 178+ marks = 99 Percentile 120+ marks = 95 Percentile 108+ marks = 93.24 Percentile |
230+ marks = 99.9 Percentile 174+ marks = 99 Percentile 123+ marks = 95 Percentile 111+ marks = 93.24 Percentile |
| 28 Jan 2026 | 228+ = 99.9 Percentile 170+ = 99 Percentile 114+ = 95 Percentile 102+ = 93.24 Percentile |
230+ Marks = 99.9 Percentile 174+ Marks = 99 Percentile 123+ Marks = 95 Percentile 111+ Marks = 93.24 Percentile |
How is JEE Main Cutoff Calculated?
There is no definite formula NTA uses to calculate the JEE Main cutoff. However, there are several factors which are considered while deciding the cutoff for JEE Main. Check below for more details related to deciding factors of cutoff.
- Number of aspirants in exam
- Difficulty level of exam
- Total number of seats
Note: While these are not the only factors for determining the cutoff, students must note that the previous year cutoff has been largely dependent on these points.
JEE Main Cutoff Historical Trends 2021 to 2025
The cutoff has varied a lot in the last 5 years due to an increase in the total number of candidates appearing in the exam and varying difficulty levels. The previous year cutoff from 2021 to 2025 is provided here to understand the rising trends.
JEE Main Previous Year Cutoff
| Category |
Cutoff 2025 |
Cutoff 2024 |
Cutoff 2023 |
Cutoff 2022 |
Cutoff 2021 |
| Unreserved (UR) |
93.1023262 |
93.2362181 |
90.7788642 |
88.4121383 |
87.8992241 |
| Gen-EWS |
80.3830119 |
81.3266412 |
75.6229025 |
63.1114141 |
68.0234447 |
| OBC-NCL |
79.4313582 |
79.6757881 |
73.6114227 |
67.0090297 |
46.8825338 |
| SC |
61.1526933 |
60.0923182 |
51.9776027 |
43.0820954 |
34.6728999 |
| ST |
47.9026465 |
46.697584 |
37.2348772 |
26.7771328 |
66.2214845 |
| UR-PwD |
0.0079349 |
0.00187 |
0.0013527 |
0.0031029 |
0.0096375 |
What Do Historical Trends Say for JEE Main 2026 Cutoff?
Although there is no direct correlation in cutoff and other factors, including the number of applicants and the difficulty level of the exam, the analysis of past year cutoffs highlights the following points
Commonly asked questions
Candidates need not have 75 percent marks in class 12 for appearing in JEE Main. As per the official brochure released by the NTA, there is no minimum percentage required for appearing in the JEE Main. The requirement of 75 percent marks need not be associated with appearing in the JEE Main exam.
It is to be understood that 75 percent marks is required for admission to institutes which include NITs, IIITs, GFTIs and IITs. Many institutes offer admission at 60% and even less, along with JEE Main. Candidates must clearly understand that the requirement of 75 percent marks in class 12 is only for taking admission in the institutes.
As per the JEE Main cutoff data released by the NTA, PwD category has the lowest cutoff.
| Year | General (UR) Percentile |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 93.4123549 |
| 2025 | 93.1023262 |
| 2024 | 93.2362181 |
| 2023 | 90.7788642 |
| 2022 | 88.4121383 |
| 2021 | 87.8992241 |
| 2020 | 90.3765335 |
| 2019 | 89.7548849 |
Yes, candidates are required to submit proof of domicile in case availing the home-state quota in NITs. It is only NIT where admission is offered against the Home State quota.
Candidates home state is determined based on the state from which you appear for your 12th board exam and on the basis of the state to which you belong.
- The JEE Main cutoff has increased in the year with the most number of aspirants. As JEE Main 2026 has highest number of applicants, the cutoff will most probably increase. However, due to rise in difficulty level of exam, its almost uncertain to come on a conclusion as the cutoff is lowered by NTA when the difficulty level rises.
- Gen-EWS category for JEE Mains was raised the most along with cutoff for ST category in past years. High number of registration in EWS category will also impact the JEE Main cutoff 2026 for EWS.
- In the year 2025, the JEE Mains cutoff was increased only for ST, and lowered for every other category. Reason- rise in number of applicants from 2024 to 2025. Increase in number of applicants for ST will most likely lead to a high ST category cutoff this year also.
| JEE Main 2026 College Predictor | JEE Main Rank Predictor 2026 |
| JEE Main Marks vs Percentile vs Rank 2026 |
Commonly asked questions
NTA does not release marks vs rank data officially. The data available on the internet is provided by various experts and is subject to changes due to various variables.
Various experts provide the JEE Mains percentile vs rank estimation. Candidates can search "JEE Mains marks vs percentile by Shiksha" on Google to get their estimation.
This year, a total of 18,951 seats are available across all 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
The general and category wise JEE Mains are:
Category | Cutoff from Previous Year |
|---|---|
Unreserved (UR) | 93.1023262 |
Gen-EWS | 80.3830119 |
OBC-NCL | 79.4313582 |
SC | 61.1526933 |
ST | 47.9026465 |
UR-PwD | 0.0079349 |
JEE Main 2026 Cutoff for General
General Cutoff for JEE Mains 2026 will rise considering the past year trends which says cutoff has increased when number of applicants increased. The expected cutoff of JEE Main 2026 for General will most likely be above 93.3 percentile.
Expected General Category Cutoff for JEE Main 2026
| Year |
Cutoff |
| 2026 |
93.3598567 |
| 2025 |
93.1023262 |
| 2024 |
93.2362181 |
| 2023 |
90.7788642 |
| 2022 |
88.4121383 |
| 2021 |
87.8992241 |
OBC Cutoff for JEE Mains 2026
The OBC JEE Mains Cutoff was increased every year from 2021 until 2024 but lowered in 2025. The number of candidates was highest in 2024, and so was the cutoff, and going by that trend considering rise in number of backward class applicants, JEE Mains Cut off 2026 for OBC category will most likely rise. JEE Main Cutoff for OBC is given here
Expected OBC JEE Main Cutoff 2026
| Year |
Cutoff |
| 2026 (expected) |
80.7456432 |
| 2025 |
79.4313582 |
| 2024 |
79.6757881 |
| 2023 |
73.6114227 |
| 2022 |
67.0090297 |
| 2021 |
46.8825338 |
Commonly asked questions
The JEE Main cutoff is the minimum percentile score required to qualify for the JEE Advanced exam. Its is released with the April session result.
CRL (the Common Rank List) in JEE Main. It is the overall merit-based ranking assigned to all candidates irrespective of their category.
Scoring 120 marks in JEE Main 2026 generally corresponds to a percentile range of 95 to 97.5+ and an AIR of roughly 35,000 to 60,000. This is as per previous year trends and expert analysis.
Top-tier IIITs typically require a JEE Mains percentile of 99+, while mid-tier and newer IIITs may accept candidates in the 94 to 97 percentile range.
EWS Cutoff for JEE Mains 2026
The cutoff for economically weaker section (EWS) category has witnessed the highest rise from 63.1114141 percentile in 2022 to 80.3830119 percentile in 2025.
The number of EWS candidates was highest in 2024, so was the Gen-EWS cutoff. The candidates in 2025 decreased marginally and the cutoff was also lowered.
As the number of aspirants in EWS category has increased three-fold from 2022 to 2025 with no noticeable change in seats, it can be anticipated that the JEE Main EWS cutoff might be increased this year.
JEE Main Cutoff 2026 for EWS (Expected)
| Year |
Cutoff |
| 2026 |
81.4387917 (expected) |
| 2025 |
80.3830119 |
| 2024 |
81.3266412 |
| 2023 |
75.6229025 |
| 2022 |
63.1114141 |
| 2021 |
68.0234447 |
ST Cutoff for JEE Mains 2026
The JEE Mains cutoff for ST category was raised every year by a considerable margin between the year 2022 to 2025. However, the cutoff in the year 2025 was still lower than 2021, which is highest till date. In 2021, JEE Main ST cutoff was 66.2214845. Considering the number of applicants this year, JEE Main cutoff for ST category will most probably rise.
Commonly asked questions
Candidates who do not score above JEE Main cutoff marks are eligible to take admissions in NITs, IIITs and GFTIs but not IITs. To appear in the admission process for IITs, candidates need to get marks above than the JEE Main cutoff and appear in JEE Advanced exam.
The JEE Main cutoff for GFTIs is released by the JoSAA after the counselling is over. Candidates can check previous year JEE Main cutoff for GFTIs from the Shiksha page. The cutoff for GFTIs vary for various branches and also category of students.
The cutoff for NITs vary for various branches and also category of students. Specialised branches like computer Science and electronics engineering has higher cutoff in comparison to other branches. Similarly, JEE Main cutoff for general category candidates is higher in comparison to OBC-NCL and SC, ST candidates. Candidates can check the previous year JEE Main cutoff below for some top NITs and branches. For detailed cutoff report, candidates can check Shiksha page.
- MNNIT Allahabad CSE Closing Rank Open Category: 5627 (Home State)
- MNNIT Allahabad CSE Closing Rank Open Category: 4254 (Open)
- MNIT Jaipur CSE Closing Rank Open Category: 5610 (Home State)
- MNIT Jaipur CSE Closing Rank Open Category: 4631 (Open)
No. There is no qualifying percentile in JEE Main. However, the candidates who want to appear in JEE Advanced will have to get a minimum qualifying percentile in JEE Mains. This minimum qualifying percentile is announced with the JEE Main session 2 reult.
Expected JEE Main Cutoff 2026 for ST
| Year |
Cutoff |
| 2026 |
48.8745671 (expected) |
| 2025 |
47.9026465 |
| 2024 |
46.697584 |
| 2023 |
37.2348772 |
| 2022 |
26.7771328 |
| 2021 |
66.2214845 |
SC Cutoff for JEE Mains 2026
The SC category cutoff for JEE Main was raised every year from 2021 to 2025, and so was the number of applicants, increasing every year from 2021 to 2025. As JEE Mains 2026 exam also has the highest number of applicants, it is expected that JEE Main SC cutoff 2026 will also rise. Check below SC cutoff details
Expected JEE Main cutoff for SC
| Year | Cutoff |
| 2026 | 62.8743972 (expected) |
| 2025 | 61.1526933 |
| 2024 | 60.0923182 |
| 2023 | 51.9776027 |
| 2022 | 43.0820954 |
| 2021 | 34.6728999 |
Read More: What is a good score in JEE Main 2026
JEE Main 2026 Reservation Policy for Admission in Colleges
The allotment of seats in all the participating colleges of JEE Main is governed by the reservation policy set by the government. When candidates participates in the counselling and fills hi/her choice for college and course, they are admitted basis their All India Rank and the JEE Main reservation policy. Check here category-wise reservation of seats.
Explore colleges based on JEE Main
JEE Main Reservation 2026
| Categories |
JEE Main Reservation Percentage |
| General Economically Weaker Sections (GEN-EWS) |
10% |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) |
15% |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) |
7.5% |
| Non-Creamy Layer of Other Backward Classes (OBC-NCL) |
27% |
| Persons with Disabilities |
5% in each category |
Download JEE Main 2026 Question Paper PDF January Session
Question papers have been released by coaching institutes for session 1 of JEE Main 2026 exam. Candidates can check JEE Main question paper download link here.
JEE Main Question Paper 2026 with Solutions PDF Session 1
| Shift 1 Papers |
Shift 2 Papers |
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Student Forum
Answered Yesterday
No, a JEE Main score alone is not sufficient for direct entry to UG courses at the TUM. For direct entry to UG courses at TU Munich having a qualifying JEE Advanced score is mandatory.
Students with a JEE Main score and a Class 12th completion certificate will need to take the Studienkolleg (prepar
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
Not always. While most reputed colleges prefer JEE Main scores, some private engineering colleges in Indore also offer direct admission based on Class 12th merit, especially under management quota seats. So, if you haven't cleared JEE Main with a strong rank, you may still get into a decent private
T
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
Yes, JECRC University grants scholarship to BTech students based on JEE Main scores. Check below score-wise scholarship:
- Candidates with JEE Main percentile score of 85 to 89.99 (General Category), shall get 15% scholarship on Tuition Fee.
- Candidates with JEE Main percentile score of more than 90 (Ge
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
No. While there is an overlap, the GUJCET syllabus is more aligned with state-level board books and is less advanced than JEE Main.
V
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a week ago
Adamas University cutoff 2026 is out for Round 3 admission to the BTech courses. The cutoff is based on JEE Main entrance exam scores, followed by WBJEE counselling.
In the General AI category, the third-round cutoff ranks ranged between 395391 and 1180505 for BTech admission. With the lowest closing
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
GL Bajaj Institute of Technology and Management considers JEE Main score for admission in BTech course. The seats are allotted via UPTAC Counselling. Students can also get admission in BTech based on their Class 12 scores. However, preference is given to candidates with JEE Main score. They need to
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered a week ago
BTech admission at GGU is based on JEE Main scores. After seat acceptance at reporting centre student must have to report physically to the institute for final admission as per the timeline given by JoSAA/ CSAB/ Spot counselling.
G
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
According to the Lucknow University Cutoff 2026, the rank needed for getting admission in this university is 629691 for the category of General AI. Therefore, this category of students should obtain the rank of 629691 or less than this rank for being eligible for admission in this university.
It shou
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Lucknow University CSE cutoff 2026 for the General AI category was 131278 in the last round, and for the BTech CSE (AI) course, the cutoff was 149797 in the same round. To know the last round BTech CSE cutoff for other categories, see the table below.
| Category | BTech CSE | BTech CSE (AI) |
|---|---|---|
| General | 131278 | 149797 |
| OBC | 152450 | 168280 |
| SC | 330025 | 365271 |
| ST | 1020632 | 759618 |
| EWS | 145455 | 157942 |
| PWD | 1264633 | 1150097 |
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
No, JEE Main is not mandatory for admission in BTech programme of SOA University. It is optional. Aspirants can also appear for SAAT conducted by deemed-to-be university for admission in BTech.
N
Guide-Level 15

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