Expected Cutoff for JEE Mains 2026: Category wise Qualifying Cutoff

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 expected cutoff for JEE Mains 2026.

Expected Cutoff for JEE Mains 2026

What is the expected cutoff for JEE 2026? JEE Main cutoff is the minimum percentile score every candidate must get to qualify for JEE Advanced. It is also called the JEE Main qualifying cutoff and is different from the admission cutoff. NTA JEE Mains cutoff is the deciding factor for admission in top institutes like IITs as only those candidates having scores above the JEE Mains cutoff 2026 percentile can apply for JEE Adv.

While the actual cutoff is released only after the JEE Mains result in April, candidates can check here the expected cutoff for JEE Mains 2026. The cutoff is different for all categories and largely depends on factors like number of seats in colleges and difficulty level of the JEE Main exam.

JEE Main 2026 Expected Cutoff Percentile

Considering the past year cutoff trends and number of applicants, the JEE Main cut off 2026 is most likely to increase across all categories. The tentative JEE Mains cutoff 2026 percentile is given here.

Expected JEE Main 2026 Cutoff

How NTA Determines JEE Main Cutoff?

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 deciding factors of cutoff.

• Number of aspirants in exam
• Difficulty level of exam
• Total number of seats

While these are not the only factors for determining the cutoff, students must note that the previous year cutoff has been largerly varied on these points. 

JEE Main Cutoff Historical Trends 2021 to 2025

What Does Historical Trends Says for JEE Main 2026 Cutoff?

Although there is no direct co-relation in cutoff and other factors including the number of applicants and the difficulty level of exam, the analysis of past year cutoffs highlights the following points

• JEE Main cutoff has increased in the year of most number of aspirants. As JEE Main 2026 has highest number of applicants, the cutoff will most probably increase.
• Gen-EWS category for JEE Mains has been raised the most along with cutoff for ST category. 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, 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 in high ST category cutoff

JEE Main 2026 expected cutoff for general

General Cutoff for JEE Main 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

Expected Cutoff of JEE Main 2026 for OBC

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 2026 Expected Cutoff for OBC is given here

Expected OBC JEE Main Cutoff 2026

EWS Cutoff for JEE Mains 2026

The cutoff for economically weaker section (EWS) category has witnesses 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 cutoff might be increased this year.

JEE Main Cutoff 2026 for EWS (Expected)

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.

Expected JEE Main Cutoff 2026 for ST

JEE Main Expected Cutoff 2026 for SC

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

 Read More: What is a good score in JEE Main 2026