JEE Mains Cutoff 2026, Category-wise Expected Cut-off

Dakshita Bhatia

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Apr 01, 2026

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    JEE Mains Cutoff 2026, Category-wise Expected Cut-off

    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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