JEE Mains Cutoff 2026: Is a key factor for students aiming to get admission into top engineering colleges in India. It is influenced by multiple factors such as the exam difficulty level, total number of applicants, and overall student performance in the exam.
Understanding the expected cutoff along with previous year trends helps students estimate their chances and plan their next steps effectively. By analyzing these trends, candidates can get a clearer idea of the competition and prepare accordingly.
JEE Mains Cutoff 2026
For the General category, for JEE Advanced, is the range of 93.5–95 percentile based. This cutoff, however, may vary slightly depending on factors such as the difficulty level of the exam, the total number of candidates appearing, and overall performance.
If you meet the percentile, then you will be eligible to appear for JEE Advanced, while higher scores secure a competitive rank and preferred branch in top IITs.
JEE Mains Category-Wise Cutoff 2026 (Expected)
The JEE Main Expected Cutoff 2026 gives an idea of the minimum percentile required to qualify for JEE Advanced. Check out the table below for JEE Mains Expected Cutoff 2026 details.
Category | Percentile Range (Expected) |
General (UR) | 93-95 |
OBC-NCL | 79-81 |
EWS | 80-82 |
SC | 60-62 |
ST | 47-49 |
JEE Mains Category-Wise Reservation 2026
The cutoffs for General, OBC-NCL, EWS, SC, ST, and PwD categories vary. These differences are due to reservation policies and competition levels. Check out the table below for the detailed JEE Mains Category-Wise Reservation 2026
Category | Reservation Percentage |
GEN-EWS | 10% |
Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 7.50% |
Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15% |
PwD | 5% (Horizontal) |
OBC-NCL | 27% |
Also Read : IIT Hyderabad Cutoff 2026, JEE Category wise Expected Cut-off
JEE Mains Previous Year Cutoff
Check out the table below for JEE Mains Previous Year Cutoff for General (have taken National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli closing rank in Round 6, for reference)
JEE Mains 2025 Admission Cutoff
Academic Program | Seat Type | Gender | Opening Rank | Closing Rank |
Computer Science & Engineering | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 559 | 4569 |
Computer Science & Engineering | OPEN | Female-only | 2040 | 8020 |
Electronics & Communication Engineering | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 2232 | 7076 |
Electronics & Communication Engineering | OPEN | Female-only | 8298 | 12606 |
Mechanical Engineering | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 9004 | 14978 |
Mechanical Engineering | OPEN | Female-only | 18294 | 25413 |
Civil Engineering | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 18578 | 31593 |
Civil Engineering | OPEN | Female-only | 28614 | 41075 |
Chemical Engineering | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 15246 | 20393 |
Chemical Engineering | OPEN | Female-only | 19506 | 28231 |
JEE Main Cutoff 2024
Category | Cutoff Percentile |
General | 93.2362181 |
EWS | 81.3266412 |
OBC-NCL | 79.6757881 |
SC | 60.0923182 |
ST | 46.6975840 |
Gen-PwD | 0.0018700 |
JEE Main Cutoff 2023
Category | Cutoff Percentile |
General | 90.7788642 |
EWS | 75.6229025 |
OBC | 73.6114227 |
SC | 51.9776027 |
ST | 37.2348772 |
PwD | 0.0013527 |
JEE Main Cutoff 2022
Category | Min Percentile |
General | 88.4121383 |
EWS | 63.1114141 |
OBC-NCL | 67.0090297 |
SC | 43.0820954 |
ST | 26.7771328 |
Gen-PwD | 0.0031029 |
JEE Main Cutoff 2021
Category | Min Percentile |
UR | 87.8992241 |
EWS | 66.2214845 |
OBC-NCL | 68.0234447 |
SC | 46.8825338 |
ST | 34.6728999 |
UR-PH | 0.0096375 |
Difference Between Qualifying Cutoff and Admission Cutoff
Understanding the difference between the qualifying cutoff and admission cutoff is important for students preparing for engineering entrance exams. Check out the table below to clearly understand the differences between the two.
Basis | Qualifying Cutoff | Admission Cutoff |
Definition | Minimum marks or percentile required to pass the exam | Minimum rank/score required to get admission in a college/branch |
Purpose | To qualify for the next stage (e.g., JEE Advanced) | To secure a seat in a specific college like Indian Institute of Technology Ropar |
Released By | National Testing Agency | Counselling authorities (like JoSAA) |
Based On | Percentile score | Rank (opening & closing rank) |
Same for All Colleges? | Yes (same qualifying cutoff for all) | No (varies by college, branch, category) |
Example | 90 percentile (General category) | CSE at IIT may close around rank 500-1000 |
Importance | Determines eligibility | Determines actual admission |
Stage | After result declaration | During counselling rounds |
JEE Mains Score vs Percentile 2026 (Expected)
Understanding the relationship between expected marks and percentile helps aspirants evaluate whether their score is sufficient to meet the JEE Mains 2026 cutoff and assess how competitive their rank could be
Marks (out of 300) | Expected Percentile | Expected Rank Range |
280+ | 99.99+ | 1 – 100 |
230+ | 99.8 – 99.9 | 100 – 2,000 |
190+ | 99.3+ | 2,000 – 8,000 |
170+ | 99+ | 8,000 – 12,000 |
145+ | 98+ | 12,000 – 25,000 |
130+ | 97+ | 25,000 – 35,000 |
120+ | 96+ | 35,000 – 45,000 |
110+ | 95+ | 45,000 – 60,000 |
100+ | 94+ | 60,000 – 75,000 |
95+ | 93+ | 75,000 – 90,000 |
89+ | 92+ | 90,000 – 1,10,000 |
79+ | 90+ | 1,10,000 – 1,50,000 |
How to Check JEE Mains Cutoff 2026
You can check the JEE Main 2026 cutoff (qualifying percentile or marks) once it is officially released by the National Testing Agency along with the results.
Step 1: Visit the official JEE Main portal of jeemain.nta.nic.in or the NTA results website.
Step 2: On the homepage, look for links such as “JEE Main 2026 Result,” “Cutoff,” or related public notices.
Step 3: If the cutoff is available within the result dashboard, log in using your application number and password or date of birth.
Step 4: Check for the section showing the “category-wise qualifying percentile,” which determines eligibility for JEE Advanced.
Step 5: If the cutoff is released as a PDF or shown in your scorecard, download and save it for future reference.
Step 6: Match your percentile with your category cutoff to confirm whether you have qualified for the next stage.
Also Read : IIT Indore Cutoff 2026, JEE Category wise Expected Cut-off
Factors Affecting JEE Mains Cutoff
The JEE Main Cutoff 2026 is influenced by several academic and competitive factors that determine the qualifying percentile each year. The key factors are summarised below:
Difficulty Level of the Exam: A more challenging paper generally leads to a lower cutoff, whereas an easier or moderate paper can increase the qualifying percentile, even after normalisation.
Number of Candidates Appearing: The higher the number of applicants increases competition there is, particularly in categories like General, EWS, and OBC-NCL, which can push cutoffs upward.
Overall Performance of Candidates: When a large number of candidates perform well, score clustering occurs near the top range, resulting in a higher cutoff.
Category-Wise Reservation Policies: Different reservation criteria lead to varying cutoffs across categories, with comparatively lower qualifying percentiles for SC, ST, and PwD candidates.
Also Read : JEE Mains Marks vs Percentile 2026, College Predictor Tool
JEE Mains Cutoff 2026: Conclusion
JEE Main Cutoff 2026 is one of the most important factors in determining your eligibility for JEE Advanced and admissions to top engineering colleges. As discussed, the factors influencing the JEE Main Cutoff are exam difficulty level, number of candidates, and performance. By understanding the expected cutoff and previous year cutoff, the student will be able to prepare better.
It is recommended to stay updated with the cutoff trends to get an advantage over others. Analyzing the category-wise cutoff trends, score/percentile, and admission cutoff of top colleges will enable you to make better decisions and improve your strategy.
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