Marks vs Percentile JEE Mains 2026: Shift Wise Analysis & Trends, Category-wise Cutoffs
Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Main 2027 ( JEE Main )
JEE Main 2027 Exam Date Session 1
22 Jan '27 - 24 Jan '27
Candidates can check the updated JEE Main 2026 marks vs percentile. The marks vs percentile JEE Mains 2026 provides a range of percentiles based on the marks obtained. In 2026, 280+ marks corresponded to the 99.99 percentile, while 170 + was approximately the 99 percentile. A 90 percentile was around 95+ marks.
JEE Main Marks Vs Percentile 2026
JEE Main Marks Vs Percentile 2026: NTA releases the JEE Main result as a percentile, and it allots ranks based on this 7-digit percentile, so one must ask what the need for a JEE Main marks vs percentile analysis is. Knowing JEE Mains 2026 marks vs percentile trends is vital for JEE Mains 2027 aspirants for the following key reasons:
- Realistic Goal Setting: It converts score targets into concrete percentile goals during JEE Mains mock tests.
- Shift Difficulty Awareness: It shows how normalisation works, showing that relative performance matters more than absolute marks across tough versus easy shifts.
🔴 LATEST: JEE Mains 2027 Exam Date - NTA has released JEE Mains session 1 dates. Exam will be held on January 22, 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30.
The marks vs percentile for JEE Main 2026 is also shift-specific in a way. This is because not every shift is of the same difficulty level. Sometimes a shift is tougher, and other times it is comparatively easier. This varying level of difficulty is not any candidate’s fault, but it does significantly impact their performance. This is why NTA uses the normalisation process and releases the percentile scores so that no student is at a disadvantage. For an easier shift, candidates have to score more marks to get a higher percentile. This is an inverse relation for a tougher shift, where a higher percentile may be obtained at much lower scores.
🆕 LIVE Now: JEE Main Registration
- Marks vs Percentile JEE Mains 2026
- JEE Main 2026 Marks vs Percentile Shift Wise - January Session
- Marks vs Percentile JEE Mains 2026 Shift Wise - April Session
- Subject-Wise Marks vs Percentile JEE Mains 2026
- Marks vs Ranks JEE Mains 2026: Previous Year Trends
- How was JEE Mains 2026 different from JEE Mains 2025?
- How Do JEE Main Marks vs Percentile vs Rank 2026 Work?
- What Is a Good Score in JEE Mains?
- JEE Main Cutoff 2026
Marks vs Percentile JEE Mains 2026
170+ marks out of 300 were needed to achieve a 99 percentile in JEE Main 2026, depending on the shift's difficulty. The JEE Main 2026 cutoff analysis shows a general an overall overview of the trends. Note that the JEE Mains percentile is dependent on the number of candidates per shift and the highest score of a particular shift. Therefore, more than the overall percentile trend, what matters is the shift-wise JEE Mains marks vs percentile.
The JEE Mains marks vs percentile trends for the year 2026 were as follows:
| Raw Marks (Out of 300) |
NTA Percentile Range |
Approximate All India Rank (AIR) |
|---|---|---|
| 280 - 300 |
99.99 - 100 |
1 - 100 |
| 240 - 279 |
99.85 - 99.98 |
100 - 1,500 |
| 200 - 239 |
99.40 - 99.84 |
1,500 - 7,500 |
| 170 - 199 |
99.00 - 99.39 |
7,500 - 13,000 |
| 150 - 169 |
98.00 - 98.99 |
13,000 - 25,000 |
| 130 - 149 |
96.50 - 97.99 |
25,000 - 45,000 |
| 115 - 129 |
94.50 - 96.49 |
45,000 - 70,000 |
| 95 - 114 |
90.00 - 94.49 |
70,000 - 1,25,000 |
| 75 - 94 |
83.00 - 89.99 |
1,25,000 - 2,10,000 |
| 50 - 74 |
70.00 - 82.99 |
2,10,000 - 3,75,000 |
| < 50 |
< 70.00 |
> 3,75,000 |
💡Shiksha's Insight: Candidates should target at least 170+ marks to breach the 99 percentile and secure premier institute seats under 13,000 AIR. Focus relentlessly on accuracy over blind attempts to curb negative marking; within the dense 95 - 149 score bracket, gaining merely 20 marks propels your rank by 25,000 to 55,000 positions.
JEE Main 2026 Marks vs Percentile Shift Wise - January Session
Candidates can find the JEE Main marks vs percentile 2026 shift-wise below for January. The shift variation clearly shows that JEE Main 2026 marks vs percentile depends on the paper difficulty.
| JEE Main 2026 January Session Day and Shift |
Shift 1 | Shift 2 |
|---|---|---|
| January 21 Shift 1 (Moderate Difficulty) |
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 |
| January 22 Shift 1 (Tougher compared to Jan 21) |
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 |
| January 23 Shift 1 (Difficulty level increases here) |
227+ marks -> 99.9 Percentile 166+ marks -> 99 Percentile 112+ marks -> 95 Percentile 101+ marks -> 93.24 Percentile |
204+ marks -> 99.9 Percentile 148+ marks -> 99 Percentile 91+ marks -> 95 Percentile 82+ marks -> 93.24 Percentile |
| January 24 Shift 1 (Difficulty starts to drop) |
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 |
| January 28 Shift 1 (Continues to be easier) |
228+ -> 99.9 Percentile 170+ -> 99 Percentile 114+ -> 95 Percentile 102+ -> 93.24 Percentile |
227+ -> 99.9 Percentile 166+ -> 99 Percentile 112+ -> 95 Percentile 101+ -> 93.24 Percentile |
Marks vs Percentile JEE Mains 2026 Shift Wise - April Session
Check below the JEE Mains 2026 Marks vs Percentile for April session:
| JEE Main 2026 April Session Exam Date | Shift 1 | Shift 2 |
|---|---|---|
| April 2 | 175+ marks -> 99 Percentile 125+ marks -> 95 Percentile 100+ marks -> 90 Percentile |
165+ marks -> 99 Percentile 118+ marks -> 95 Percentile 97+ marks -> 90 Percentile |
| April 4 | 175+ marks -> 99 Percentile 130+ marks -> 95 Percentile |
230+ marks -> 99.9 Percentile 174+ marks -> 99 Percentile |
| April 5 | 252+ marks -> 99.9 Percentile 190+ marks -> 99 Percentile 137+ marks -> 95 Percentile 124+ marks -> 93.24 Percentile |
175+ marks -> 99 Percentile 125+ marks -> 95 Percentile 105 - 95+ marks -> 90 Percentile |
| April 6 | 230-235 marks -> 99.9 Percentile 180-185 marks -> 99.5 Percentile 160-165 marks -> 99 Percentile 145-150 marks -> 98 Percentile 132-138 marks -> 97 Percentile 115-120 marks -> 95 Percentile 102-108 marks -> 93 Percentile 90-95 marks -> 90 Percentile 78-82 marks -> 85 Percentile |
240-245 marks -> 99.9 Percentile 200-210 marks -> 99.5 Percentile 180-190 marks -> 99 Percentile 163-170 marks -> 98 Percentile 150-155 marks -> 97 Percentile 129-135 marks -> 95 Percentile 115-120 marks -> 93 Percentile 105-110 marks -> 90 Percentile 90-95 marks -> 85 Percentile |
| April 8 | No exam | 175 to 180 marks -> 99 Percentile 160 to 170 marks -> 98 Percentile 140 marks -> 96 Percentile 125 to 135 marks -> 95 Percentile 95 to 110 marks -> 90 Percentile |
💡Shikha's Insight: JEE Mains 2026 Session 1 was marginally more demanding than Session 2, requiring about three fewer marks for an equivalent percentile. Evaluate performance strictly using percentiles rather than cross-comparing raw scores between sessions.
JEE Main 2026 Marks vs Percentile - January and April
Subject-Wise Marks vs Percentile JEE Mains 2026
Candidates can find below the JEE Main 2026 marks vs percentile, subject-wise. Each subject carries 100 marks. The trend analysis shows that maths generally has lower average scores compared to chemistry. This is because maths is considered the hardest, followed by physics and then chemistry. In 2026, however, it was the other way round. Chemistry was tougher across all shifts. Physics often determines the overall rank in close competitions. Students must remember that the rank is based only on overall percentile, not individual subject percentile.
JEE Main Marks vs Percentile 2026 for Mathematics
| Marks |
Expected Percentile |
|---|---|
| 95+ |
99.5+ |
| 85-90 |
98-99 |
| 70-80 |
95-97 |
| 50-60 |
80-90 |
JEE Main 2026 Marks vs Percentile for Physics
| Marks |
Expected Percentile |
|---|---|
| 95+ |
99.5+ |
| 85-90 |
98-99 |
| 70-80 |
95-97 |
| 50-60 |
84-90 |
JEE Main Marks vs Percentile for Chemistry 2026
| Marks |
Expected Percentile |
|---|---|
| 95+ |
99.5+ |
| 85-90 |
98-99 |
| 70-80 |
95-97 |
| 50-60 |
80-88 |
Marks vs Ranks JEE Mains 2026: Previous Year Trends
Paper difficulty, syllabus rationalisation, and shift variations cause score bands to shift 15-30 marks between easy and tough shifts in a single year:
| Metric / Percentile |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99.5 %ile Score |
205 - 215 |
195 - 205 |
200 - 210 |
215 - 230 |
210 - 220 |
205 - 225 |
| 99.0 %ile Score |
185 - 195 |
175 - 185 |
180 - 190 |
195 - 210 |
175 - 190 |
170 - 190 |
| 97.0 %ile Score |
145 - 155 |
135 - 145 |
140 - 150 |
155 - 165 |
140 - 155 |
135 - 155 |
| 95.0 %ile Score |
115 - 125 |
105 - 115 |
110 - 120 |
125 - 135 |
115 - 125 |
110 - 128 |
| 90.0 %ile Score |
85 - 95 |
75 - 85 |
80 - 90 |
95 - 105 |
88 - 100 |
85 - 98 |
How was JEE Mains 2026 different from JEE Mains 2025?
The main difference between JEE Main 2025 and 2026 comes down to two things: more students took the exam, and the questions took longer to solve.
Know how the 2026 session differed from the 2025 exam session to understand the marks vs percentile shifts in a better manner.
| Parameter |
JEE Main 2026 |
JEE Main 2025 |
Impact & Shift from 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unique Candidates |
15,38,468 |
14,75,103 |
Every percentile bracket packed more students, narrowing rank spreads. |
| Qualifying Cutoff (General/UR) |
93.41 percentile |
93.10 percentile |
Upward shift due to higher pool size and better candidate preparation. |
| Qualifying Cutoff (OBC-NCL / EWS) |
80.9 / 82.41 percentile |
79.4 / 80.3 percentile |
Marginal rise across reserved categories. |
| Overall Difficulty |
Moderate to Tough (Maths & Physics - Calculation heavy & Lengthy) |
Moderate (Maths - Calculation heavy) |
Stricter evaluation of time management and algebraic endurance. |
What Shifted in the Competition
-
A 99 Percentile Means a Lower Rank: Because total applicants grew, coming in the top 1% (99th percentile) meant an All India Rank around 15,500 to 16,000 in 2026, compared to roughly 14,500 in 2025.
-
Every mark mattered: With thousands of students scoring around the same mark (the 160-190 range), losing even one question to negative marking could drop a student's rank by several hundred spots.
-
Time Management was the Key: In 2025, students could score fast in Physics and Chemistry and ignore Maths. In 2026, those who picked the easy questions quickly across all three subjects came out ahead.
Commonly asked questions
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.
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 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)
CRL (the Common Rank List) in JEE Main. It is the overall merit-based ranking assigned to all candidates irrespective of their category.
How Do JEE Main Marks vs Percentile vs Rank 2026 Work?
Before moving ahead, it is important to understand the difference between these three components. All three of these will have an impact on the candidate’s result, counselling and admission.
- Marks → Raw score out of 300
- Percentile → Relative performance compared to candidates in your shift
- Rank → All India position after merging all shifts
Since JEE Main is conducted in multiple shifts, the same raw marks may produce different percentiles depending on the difficulty level.
For example:
- 170 marks in an easy shift may give 98 percentile.
- 170 marks in a tough shift may give 99 percentile.
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.
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.
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 |
What Is a Good Score in JEE Mains?
A good score in JEE Main depends largely on your target college, preferred branch, and category. Admission to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs is based on percentile and rank (not raw marks), thus it is important to know the JEE Main 2026 marks vs percentile to set a clear target.
For Admission into Top NITs (CSE / ECE Branches)
For competitive branches like Computer Science (CSE) and Electronics (ECE) in top NITs such as NIT Warangal, Surathkal and Rourkela, you should target a score of 200+ marks to secure 99 percentile. This will mean a rank under 5000 in JEE Main 2026.
For Core Branches in Good NITs
If you are aiming for core engineering branches like Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, or Chemical Engineering in good NITs, a slightly lower range should be enough. For this, a score of 160-180 marks for 95 percentile will be good.
Colleges for JEE Main Ranks Between 10,000 and 25,000
If your rank is between 10,000 and 25,000, then you have a high chance of admission to NIT Calicut, NIT Rourkela, IIIT Allahabad, IIIT Jabalpur, BIT Mesra, and PEC Chandigarh. This is a safe rank range for both general and reserved category candidates. You will also have a good chance of admission to top institutes in not-so-popular branches.
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 analysis of JEE Main marks vs percentile, 120 marks would be around 95 to 97 percentile.
The cutoff for IIITs 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.
JEE Main Cutoff 2026
To qualify for JEE Advanced, candidates must meet the JEE Mains cutoff. In 2026, the cutoff for the general category was 93.4; this was significantly lower for reserved categories. This cutoff varies depending on overall performance trends and the difficulty level of the paper. Candidates can check the category-wise JEE Main cutoff to qualify for JEE Advanced below.
JEE Main 2026 Cutoff for JEE Advanced
| Category |
Cutoff 2026 |
|---|---|
| Unreserved (UR) |
93.4123549 |
| Gen-EWS |
82.4164528 |
| OBC-NCL |
80.9232583 |
| SC |
63.9172792 |
| ST |
52.0174712 |
| UR-PwD |
0.0023186 |
Commonly asked questions
As per the JEE Main cutoff data released by the NTA, PwD category has the lowest cutoff.
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.
| 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 |
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.
Explore colleges based on JEE Main
Want better recommendations?
There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.
- Chat with our counselor
- Get your personalised list of colleges & exams matching your preferences
Explore more B.Tech exams with upcoming dates
3 Oct '26
MET
24 Oct '26
30 Oct '26
31 Oct '26
1 Nov '26 - 30 Nov '26
1 Nov '26 - 30 Nov '26
18 Dec '26
15 Oct '26 - 1 Jan '27
21 Sep '26 - 2 Dec '26
News & Updates
Explore Other Exams
Jun '26 | JoSAA 2026 starts |
1 Jun '26 | JEE Advanced 2026 Result Date |
29 Aug '26 | BITSAT 2026 Iteration-IX fee p... |
28 Aug '26 | BITSAT 2026 Iteration-IX Annou... |
Oct '26 | SRMJEEE 2027 Notification |
Nov '26 | SRMJEEE 2027 Registration Phas... |
Feb '27 | COMEDK Application Form 2027 |
Feb '27 | COMEDK Mock Test Release Date ... |
30 Sep '26 | WBJEE 2026 Decentralised Couns... |
23 Sep '26 | WBJEE 2026 Decentralised Couns... |
Oct '26 | VITEEE 2027 Registration Start... |
Apr '27 | VITEEE 2027 Mock Test Release ... |
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 3 days ago
According to the tentative schedule, JEE Main 2027 counselling registration is likely to commence in June 2027 after the conclusion of both exam sessions.
H
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 3 days ago
The cutoff rank in Round 7 for BTech Computer Science & Engineering under General All India category is 53,013. It is the most competitive branch in the institute.
H
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 3 days ago
Yes, JEE Main is compulsory for admission in B.Tech course at SGSITS.
H
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 3 days ago
After qualifying JEE Main, students need to register themselves for MP BE Counselling, choose colleges/branches, attend rounds and verify documents to secure admission.
H
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 3 days ago
Getting into B.Tech CSE is straightforward. You need to have passed 10+2 with Physics and Mathematics, along with Chemistry, Biotechnology, Biology, or a Technical Vocational subject. Marks from boards like CBSE, ISC, and PSEB are accepted. JEE Main scores are also recognised under the RBUEdge Schol
P
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 days ago
Yes, JEE Main scores are recognised under the RBUEdge Scholarship Program, so your entrance exam effort can also help reduce your fees. A higher score falls in a higher scholarship slab, with the top slab offering a 60% waiver on the course fee. This is a nice reward for the hard work that goes into
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 5 days ago
The JEE Main Round 7 cutoff 2026 for SGSITS Indore ranged from 53,013 to 90,468 for General All India candidates across BTech branches.
H
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 6 days ago
If a student has appeared for JEE Main, they can apply for B.Tech admission at Galgotias University through the university's admission process. JEE Main scores are considered for preference in the merit list, along with the eligibility requirements of the chosen B.Tech programme. After applying, the
S
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a week ago
For B.Tech admissions, Galgotias University primarily considers eligibility based on Class 12 qualifications and its admission process. JEE Main scores may also be considered for admission, depending on the programme and admission criteria for that year. CUET acceptance can vary by course and admiss
P
Beginner-Level 4
Answered 3 weeks ago
According to the MSU Baroda CSE Cutoff 2026 for the General AI category, the maximum rank accepted was 900019 in the last round (Round 3).
As seen from the table below, admission for the General and ST category was the toughest and the easiest for the CSE course. For more information, check the table
N
Contributor-Level 10
Currently - Deputy Manager, Content
Role - News and Feature Writer, Content Editor
Expertise - Engineering Education and Counselling
Mamona Majumder specialises in news and feature writing and content editing. With
Read Full Bio