What is the expected JEE Main cutoff 2026? Or are you wondering what the exam difficulty level will be? In this article, we have provided an analysis of the competition that you might be facing this year in JEE Mains exam, including expected JEE Mains 2026 marks vs percentile, safe score NIT admission, difficulty level and more. Read below.
What to Expect in JEE Main 2026 Exam?
The National Testing Agency will hold JEE Main 2026 in January and April. Candidates preparing for the exam are recommended to know what competition they will be facing this year. Preparing for the JEE Main exam is one part of the journey, however, the candidates who do crack the exam also keep track of the competition and have a reality check on what is coming next. Therefore, to give you an overview of what is coming your way, here is the detailed breakdown of what to expect in the JEE Mains 2026 exam.
LIVE Now: JEE Mains Result
- 14.5 Lakh Registrations for JEE Main 2026 Session 1
- 2.5 Lakh Candidates to be Eligible for JEE Advanced 2026
- Expected JEE Main Difficulty Level 2026
- Probable JEE Main 2026 Marks vs Percentile
- Expected JEE Main 2026 Safe Score for Top NITs
- Key Takeaways
14.5 Lakh Registrations for JEE Main 2026 Session 1
Around 14.5 lakh candidates have registered for JEE Main 2026 session 1 exam, as per unofficial reports. If this report is confirmed to be true, then this is the highest number of registrations that NTA has received for JEE Main in the history of the exam.
Check the number of registered candidates and appeared candidates in JEE Main over the years below:
| Year |
No. of Registered Candidates |
No. of Candidates Appeared |
|---|---|---|
| 2025
|
January - 13,11,544 |
January - 12,58,136 |
| April - 10,61,840 |
April - 9,92,350 |
|
| 2024
|
January - 1231874 |
January - 1170036 |
| April - 1179569 |
April - 1067959 |
|
| 2023 |
January - 860064 |
January - 823967 |
| April - 931334 |
April - 883367 |
|
| 2022 |
June - 872970 |
June - 769604 |
| July - 622034 |
July - 540242 |
|
| 2021 |
February - 652628 |
February - 621033 |
| March - 619641 |
March - 556248 |
|
| July - 709611 |
July - 543553 |
|
| August - 767700 |
August - 481419 |
|
| 2020 |
8,58,000 |
8,00,532 |
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 2023 cutoff data released by the NTA, PwD category has the lowest cutoff of 0.0013527. The highest cutoff is for general category which is 90.7788642. The PwD candidates scoring above 0.0013527 NTA score are eligible to appear in JEE Advanced for admission to IITs. The PwD cutoff has been lowered in 2023 to 0.0013527 which was 0.0031029 in the year 2022.
2.5 Lakh Candidates to be Eligible for JEE Advanced 2026
Out of all the candidates who will have JEE Main 2026 ranks, the top 2.5 lakh candidates will be allowed to register for JEE Advanced 2026 for IIT admissions.
IIT Roorkee is conducting JEE Advanced 2026, and it has released the category wise number of top JEE Main 2026 candidates who will be allowed to appear in the exam this year. Check below:
| Category |
Number of "Top" JEE Main 2026 candidates |
|
|---|---|---|
| OPEN |
96187 |
101250 |
| OPEN-PwD |
5063 |
|
| GEN-EWS |
23750 |
25000 |
| GEN-EWS-PwD |
1250 |
|
| OBC-NCL |
64125 |
67500 |
| OBC-NCL-PwD |
3375 |
|
| SC |
35625 |
37500 |
| SC-PwD |
1875 |
|
| ST |
17812 |
18750 |
Note: The total number of candidates may be slightly greater than 2,50,000 in the presence of “tied” ranks / scores in any category.
Expected JEE Main Difficulty Level 2026
Experts believe that JEE Main 2026 difficulty level will stay in line with the previous year's difficulty levels, that is, moderate to difficult.
- Maths: Maths will be the most challenging subject and the toughest. It is expected to have time consuming calculations and tricky questions.
- Physics: The numerical in physics can be on the tougher side. Candidates should have a crystal clear understanding of concepts in physics to ace this section. The overall subjects are expected to be balanced and moderate in difficulty.
- Chemistry: Chemistry will be easy for candidates who complete NCERT books. This section is balanced, and questions carry equal weightage from inorganic, physical, and organic chemistry.
Commonly asked questions
JEE Main cutoff is minimum percentile score required to qualify for JEE Advanced. Cutoff is important as candidates clearing the cutoff can appear for JEE Advanced for IIT admission.
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
Probable JEE Main 2026 Marks vs Percentile
As per the previous few years trends, following is the JEE Main marks vs percentile for 2026.
| Marks out of 300 |
Expected Percentile |
|---|---|
| 230 to 160 |
99 percentile |
| 170 to 100 |
95 percentile |
| 150 to 90 |
93 percentile |
Expected JEE Main 2026 Safe Score for Top NITs
As per previous year trends, a raw score of 250+ out of 300 that would translate to 98 to 99 percentile will be considered safe for JEE Main 2026 for admission in top NITs.
Check below top NITs and courses with high JEE Main cutoffs:
| NIT |
Academic Program Name (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) |
|---|---|
| Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur |
Computer Science and Engineering |
| Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad |
Computer Science and Engineering |
| National Institute of Technology Calicut |
Computer Science and Engineering |
| National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal |
Artificial Intelligence |
| National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal |
Artificial Intelligence |
| National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal |
Computational and Data Science |
| National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal |
Computational and Data Science |
| National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal |
Computer Science and Engineering |
| National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal |
Computer Science and Engineering |
| National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal |
Electronics and Communication Engineering |
| National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal |
Information Technology |
| National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal |
Information Technology |
| National Institute of Technology, Rourkela |
Artificial Intelligence |
| National Institute of Technology, Rourkela |
Computer Science and Engineering |
| National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli |
Computer Science and Engineering |
| National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli |
Computer Science and Engineering |
| National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli |
Electronics and Communication Engineering |
| National Institute of Technology, Warangal |
Computer Science and Engineering (Artificial Intelligence & Data Science) |
| National Institute of Technology, Warangal |
Computer Science and Engineering (Artificial Intelligence & Data Science) |
| National Institute of Technology, Warangal |
Computer Science and Engineering |
| National Institute of Technology, Warangal |
Computer Science and Engineering |
| National Institute of Technology, Warangal |
Electronics and Communication Engineering |
| National Institute of Technology, Warangal |
Electronics and Communication Engineering (VLSI Design and Technology) |
| National Institute of Technology, Warangal |
Mathematics and Computing |
| National Institute of Technology, Warangal |
Mathematics and Computing |
Explore more B.Tech exams with upcoming dates
26 Apr '26
26 Apr '26
VITEEE
19 Apr '26 - 27 Apr '26
25 Apr '26 - 27 Apr '26
6 Feb '26 - 28 Apr '26
24 Apr '26 - 28 Apr '26
4 Apr '26 - 26 Apr '26
28 Apr '26
Key Takeaways
The above analysis is based on previous year trends, hence, candidates should consider them to understand the competition they will be facing in JEE Mains 2026.
Do not consider them the final analysis of the JEE Main exam. The JEE Main cutoff and percentile are dependent on various factors, which are subject to change.
Conclusion: NTA JEE Main 2026 exam is held twice every year. The registered candidates are issued the JEE Main admit card 2026 to appear for the exam. All candidates who appear for the exam get their NTA percentile scores and ranks with the final JEE Main result 2026 announced after the session 2 exam in April. To ace the exam, candidates have to compete among more than 10 lakh candidates. Out of the candidates who appear in the exam, only 18% qualify on average for the JEE Advanced exam for IIT admission. For top NITs, IIITs and GFTIs, candidates need 95 percentile or more to get a seat of their choice.
Read More:
News & Updates
Explore Other Exams
23 Apr '26 - 2 May '26 | JEE Advanced 2026 Registration |
4 May '26 | Last date to pay fee by JEE Ad... |
17 Apr '26 - 2 May '26 | BITSAT 2026 Application Form S... |
17 Apr '26 - 1 Jun '26 | Apply for admission with 12th ... |
24 Apr '26 - 29 Apr '26 | SRMJEEE 2026 Exam (Phase 1) |
3 Nov '25 - 4 Jun '26 | SRMJEEE 2026 Registration (Pha... |
29 Apr '26 - 9 May '26 | COMEDK Admit Card 2026 |
9 May '26 | COMEDK Exam Date 2026 |
15 May '26 - 24 May '26 | WBJEE 2026 admit card |
24 May '26 | WBJEE 2026 exam date |
26 Apr '26 | VITEEE 2026 admit card release... |
28 Apr '26 - 3 May '26 | VITEEE 2026 Exam Dates |
21 Apr '26 - 26 Apr '26 | MHT CET 2026 Exam for PCB Grou... |
May '26 | MHT CET 2026 Answer Key (Sessi... |
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
| Branch | General Category Closing Rank | OBC/SC/ST Closing Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science (CSE) | ~12,000–15,000 | Up to ~25,000–30,000 | Most competitive branch |
| Information Technology (IT) | ~15,000 | ~28,000–32,000 | Slightly easier than CSE |
| Electronics & Communication (ECE) | ~18,000–20,000 | ~35,000–40,000 | Balanced demand |
| Electrical Engineering | ~20,000–25,000 | ~40,000–50,000 | Moderate demand |
| Mechanical Engineering | ~25,000–30,000 | ~50,000–60,000 | Higher closing ranks |
| Civil Engineering | ~30,000–35,000 | ~60,000–70,000 | Lower demand |
| Other Core (Textile, Metallurgy, Bio-Tech) | ~35,000–40,000 | ~70,000–80,000 | Easier admission |
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
With a JEE Main CRL rank of ~79,364 and an EWS category rank of ~11,884, you have a realistic chance of securing CSE in several mid-tier NITs, newer IIITs, and some GFTIs. Top NITs (Trichy, Surathkal, Warangal, Allahabad) are out of reach, but options like NIT Jalandhar, NIT Hamirpur, IIIT Kota, III
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
Yes, the JEE Main 2026 Session 2 (April attempt) result has already been declared by NTA on April 20, 2026. You can download your scorecard from the official portal using your application number and password/date of birth.
Result Date: April 20, 2026 (Session 2).
Official Websites to Check:
jeemain.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
With 90 percentile in JEE Main (OBC-NCL, Female, Home State MP), your chances for B.Tech CSE are quite realistic in MBM Engineering College, Jodhpur (Rajasthan) and other state/NIT options. Let’s break it down:
MBM Engineering College (Jodhpur)
- Admission Route: Rajasthan REAP counseling (based on JEE
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
| NIT | CSE Closing Rank Range | Chance at 98.15 Percentile (~Rank 18,000–22,000) |
|---|---|---|
| NIT Trichy | ~2,000–3,500 | ❌ Not possible |
| NIT Warangal | ~2,500–4,000 | ❌ Not possible |
| NIT Surathkal | ~3,000–5,000 | ❌ Not possible |
| NIT Calicut | ~3,500–5,500 | ❌ Not possible |
| MNIT Jaipur | ~4,000–7,000 | ❌ Not possible (but check Home State quota) |
| VNIT Nagpur | ~5,000–8,000 | ❌ Not possible |
| NIT Rourkela | ~4,500–7,500 | ❌ Not possible |
| MNNIT Allahabad | ~5,500–9,000 | ❌ Not possible |
| NIT Kurukshetra | ~7,000–12,000 | ⚠️ Borderline |
| NIT Jalandhar | ~9,000–15,000 | ✅ Possible |
| NIT Silchar | ~12,000–20,000 | ✅ Strong chance |
| NIT Agartala / Mizoram / Sikkim / Manipur / Srinagar | ~18,000–30,000 | ✅ Very strong chance |
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
LPU JEE Main cutoff for BTech typically sits around 80 percentile for general category, based on recent trends for high-demand branches like CSE. This opens doors to innovative curriculum with strong industry ties, hands-on projects, and solid placement outcomes the highest packages crossing 50 LPA
S
Beginner-Level 1
Answered 4 days ago
Students who are applying for BTech admissions at Jain University Bangalore must give the JEE Main exam and meet the required cutoff.
Candidates who have received their session 2 result can follow the steps below:
- Check recent Jain Bangalore cutoffs to compare one's score.
- Apply through the university
C
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 4 days ago
With 93.95 percentile in JEE Main (EWS category), your rank is around 65,000–70,000, which gives you realistic chances in newer NITs, some IIITs, and state government colleges.
🎓 Government Colleges You Can Target
- Newer NITs: NIT Agartala, NIT Arunachal Pradesh, NIT Mizoram, NIT Nagaland, NIT Manipur
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
With a JEE Main 2026 percentile of 81.40 and SC category rank of 2,91,970, admission to top NITs like Surathkal, Trichy, Warangal, Allahabad, Jaipur, Calicut is not possible. Their SC cutoffs for even lower branches usually close around 20,000–40,000 rank.
NIT Admission Chances (SC Category)
- Top NITs
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
With a 70 percentile in JEE Main (General category) and being from Andhra Pradesh (AP), here's a clear picture of your admission chances:
What 70 Percentile Means
- Approximate rank: 3,00,000 – 4,50,000.
- NITs/IIITs via JoSAA: Not possible, since even the lowest cutoffs for Civil/Mechanical in newer NITs
S
Contributor-Level 10
Currently - Assistant 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. W
Read Full Bio