Is there a passing mark in JEE Mains out of 300? How many marks are needed in JEE Mains to be eligible for admission in top NITs, IIIT and GFTIs? And what is the JEE Mains qualifying cutoff for JEE Advanced? Let's clear your doubt once and for all. Read details below.
Minimum Passing Marks in JEE Main 2026
Minimum Passing Marks in JEE Main 2026: JEE Main has no minimum passing marks out of 300, as every participant receives a rank for admissions. However, candidates aiming for IIT admissions must meet a specific category-wise cutoff percentile to qualify for JEE Advanced. This is called the JEE Main qualifying cutoff for JEE Advanced. The minimum marks required in JEE Mains to qualify for JEE Advanced are released category-wise with the JEE Mains session 2 results. Check all about the minimum JEE Mains qualifying marks and more details below.
- JEE Main 2026 Passing Marks Out of 300
- Understanding JEE Main 2026 Qualifying Marks
- Who Qualifies for JEE Advanced 2026?
- What Should Be Your Target Score in JEE Mains 2026 to Qualify for JEE Advanced 2026?
- What is the JEE Main Percentile Score?
- How is the JEE Main 2026 Rank Decided?
- JEE Main 2026 Expected Cutoff
JEE Main 2026 Passing Marks Out of 300
If you are preparing for JEE Main 2026, one of the most common questions is: “What are the passing marks out of 300?”
There are no fixed passing marks in JEE Main. Instead, your raw score out of 300 is converted into a percentile based on your performance relative to other candidates.Every student who takes the exam receives a rank after Session 2 rather than a "pass" or "fail" status. Therefore, your goal should be to score as high as possible to secure a competitive percentile and rank for admissions.
Understanding JEE Main 2026 Qualifying Marks
Even though there are no passing marks, there is something called a qualifying cutoff percentile. This JEE Mains cutoff is important if you want to appear for JEE Advanced, which is required for admission into IITs. After the session 2 results are declared, the National Testing Agency (NTA) releases the cutoff percentile category-wise. Only those students who score above this cutoff are eligible for JEE Advanced.
For example, in previous years, the cutoff for JEE Mains for JEE Advanced qualification was as follows:
| Category |
Cutoff 2025 |
|---|---|
| Unreserved (UR) |
93.1023262 |
| Gen-EWS |
80.3830119 |
| OBC-NCL |
79.4313582 |
| SC |
61.1526933 |
| ST |
47.9026465 |
| UR-PwD |
0.0079349 |
Keep in mind:
- This cutoff is only for the qualifying for JEE Advanced.
- It does NOT guarantee admission to IITs.
- For IIT admission, you need to clear JEE Advanced with a good rank.
Also Check:
| JEE Main Cutoff 2026 for General | JEE Main Cutoff 2026 for EWS |
| JEE Main Cutoff 2026 for SC | JEE Main Cutoff 2026 for ST |
| JEE Main Cutoff 2026 for OBC | |
Who Qualifies for JEE Advanced 2026?
Not everyone who appears for JEE Main can sit for JEE Advanced. Only the top 2.5 lakh candidates (approx.) across all categories qualify for JEE Advanced. To be in this group, you need to:
- Score above the cutoff percentile released by NTA
- Meet category-wise eligibility criteria
- So, your aim should be to cross the cutoff comfortably, not just barely.
What Should Be Your Target Score in JEE Mains 2026 to Qualify for JEE Advanced 2026?
Instead of thinking about passing marks, set a clear target based on your goal:
- For NITs/IIITs: Aim for 95+ percentile
- For top NITs: Aim for 98+ percentile
- For IITs (via JEE Advanced): Aim for 99+ percentile in JEE Main
The higher your score, the more options you will have during counselling.
To know what percentile corresponds to what marks, check out: JEE Mains 2026 marks vs percentile
What is the JEE Main Percentile Score?
Many students get confused between marks and percentiles. Your raw marks are the actual score you get out of 300. But your percentile shows how well you performed compared to other students.
For example:
- If your percentile is 95, it means you performed better than 95% of students.
- If your percentile is 99, only 1% of students scored higher than you.
- This is why percentile is more important than marks in JEE Main.
How is JEE Main Percentile Calculated?
The JEE Mains percentile is calculated using a normalisation formula to ensure fairness across multiple shifts. The basic idea is:
- Your score is compared with all students who appeared in your shift.
- Based on your relative performance, a percentile is assigned.
The formula (in simple terms) used to calculate JEE Mains percentile is:
Percentile = (Number of students who scored equal to or less than you / Total students in your shift) × 100.
Commonly asked questions
A score of 70 marks in JEE Mains is considered average to below-average for General category students. This corresponds to a percentile around 88 to 91.
The JEE Main cutoff score means the minimum percentile needed to qualify for JEE Advanced.
The JEE Main 2026 cutoff will be released by April 20 will the session 2 result of JEE Main 2026 exam.
How is the JEE Main 2026 Rank Decided?
Your All India Rank (AIR) is decided based on your percentile score, not raw marks. If you appear in both sessions of JEE Main, your best percentile score is considered for ranking.
Here is how it works:
- Higher percentile = better rank
- Better rank = higher chances of getting top colleges
- Your rank is what matters during counselling and seat allotment.
To sum it up, there are no passing marks in JEE Main 2026. What really matters is your percentile and rank. JEE Main is a competitive exam, not a qualifying one. Your performance is always relative to others. So, keep improving and track your progress through JEE Mains 2026 mock tests.
JEE Main 2026 Expected Cutoff
| 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 |
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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.
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.
The expected cutoff for JEE Main 2026 category wise are:
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 |
The National Testing Agency (NTA) will prepare and release the category JEE Main cutoff with the results of session 2.
Commonly asked questions
The admission cutoff of JEE Main is the opening and closing ranks for each participating institute and is released by JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority).
For general students 60 marks is not good enough for admission in top NITs or IIITs. 60 marks will be around 80 percentile and will give rank between 1.5 and 2.5 lakhs.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 21 hours ago
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Yes, Adamas University provides scholarships for BTech based on JEE (Main) AIR as well as WBJEE rank. Details are provided below:
JEE (Main) AIR | Scholarship Amount |
Upto 50000 | 100% |
50001 to 100000 | 50% |
100001 to 150000 | 25% |
Details of scholarship based on WBJEE score are as follows:
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Upto 900 | 80% |
901 to 2000 | 50% |
2001 to 5000 | 25% |
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