JEE Main 2026 Expected Cutoffs After Session 2: NTA Qualifying Marks, Previous Trends for NITs/IIITs & JEE Advanced
| Updated On - Mar 10, 2026
The JEE Main 2026 cutoff is the minimum qualifying percentile required to be eligible for JEE Advanced 2026 and JoSAA counselling for admission to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs.
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JEE Main qualifying cutoff is released by the National Testing Agency (NTA) after the JEE Main Session 2 results.
- The JEE Main qualifying cutoff for the General category is expected to remain around 93–95 percentile.
- While the JEE Main cutoff for OBC-NCL and EWS categories may stay around 79–82 percentile.
- Top NITs and IIITs for branches like Computer Science typically require 98.5 -- 99.5+ percentile.
- Admission to IITs through JEE Advanced generally requires candidates to be within the top ranks of JEE Main qualifiers.
Related Articles:
- Minimum JEE Main Marks Required for IIIT CSE
- JEE Main Percentile vs College: Best Colleges at Low Percentile
Key Summary:
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JEE Main 2026 Expected Cutoff (After Session 2)
The expected cutoff percentile for JEE Main 2026 is estimated using previous NTA cutoff trends.
| Category | Expected Cutoff Percentile 2026 |
|---|---|
| General (UR) | 93 – 95 |
| GEN-EWS | 80 – 82 |
| OBC-NCL | 79 – 81 |
| SC | 61 – 63 |
| ST | 48 – 50 |
| PwD | <1 percentile |
Note: The actual cutoff will be announced by NTA after the declaration of Session 2 results.
Harsh Sir on YouTube shared an analysis of JEE Main Cutoff 2026 based on JEE Main Session 1 analysis. You can check the video below to know the expected cutoff for JEE Main 2026.
“IIT JEE Prep by iQuanta” on their YouTube channel shared JEE Main marks vs rank analysis. You can check the video below to know the percentile score for your JEE Main marks 2026.
Previous Year JEE Main NTA Qualifying Cutoff
Since the JEE Main 2026 cutoff has not yet been released, the latest official qualifying percentile released by NTA for JEE Main 2025 is shown below.
| Category | Official Cutoff Percentile (2025) |
|---|---|
| General (UR) | 93.1023262 |
| GEN-EWS | 80.3830119 |
| OBC-NCL | 79.4313582 |
| SC | 61.1526933 |
| ST | 47.9026465 |
| PwD | 0.0079349 |
Note: Candidates scoring equal to or above these percentiles were eligible for JEE Advanced 2025.
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JEE Main Previous Years’ Cutoff Trends
Analysing previous cutoff trends helps estimate the expected cutoff for upcoming exams.
| Year | General | EWS | OBC-NCL | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 93.10 | 80.38 | 79.43 | 61.15 | 47.90 |
| 2024 | 93.23 | 81.32 | 79.67 | 60.09 | 46.69 |
| 2023 | 90.78 | 75.62 | 73.61 | 51.98 | 37.23 |
| 2022 | 88.41 | 63.11 | 67.01 | 43.08 | 26.77 |
| 2021 | 87.89 | 66.22 | 68.02 | 46.88 | 34.67 |
The trend indicates that the General category cutoff has remained above 90 percentile in recent years, reflecting increasing competition.
Percentile Required for Admission to NITs and IIITs
Admission to National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) depends on the All India Rank (AIR), branch preference, category, and seat availability during counselling.
Based on JoSAA closing ranks, the approximate percentile required for admission to NITs and IIITs is as follows:
| Institute Type / Branch | Approximate Percentile Required |
|---|---|
| Top NITs (CSE/IT) | 98.5 – 99.5+ |
| Top IIITs (CSE/IT) | 99 – 99.9 |
| Mid-tier NITs | 95 – 98 |
| Mid-tier IIITs | 95 – 97 |
| Newer NITs / IIITs | 90 – 95 |
- For Computer Science and IT branches, the cutoff is generally much higher.Top NIT and IIIT CSE programs usually close within ranks around 15,000–22,000, which corresponds roughly to the 96–99 percentile range.
- Additionally, candidates aiming for NIT admission generally need to score above the 98 percentile, while admission to some branches in NITs and IIITs may still be possible up to around the 88–93 percentile range depending on institute and category.
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Ques. What are the factors considered for JEE Main cutoffs?
Ans. Since cutoffs vary every year, the final admission percentile depends on:
- Difficulty level of the JEE Main exam
- Number of candidates appearing for the exam
- Seat availability in NITs and IIITs
- Reservation categories and JoSAA counselling rounds
JEE Main Marks vs Percentile
JEE Main scores are reported as percentiles rather than raw marks because the examination is conducted in multiple sessions. NTA uses a normalization process to ensure fairness across different shifts.
| Percentile | Expected Marks Range |
|---|---|
| 99 percentile | 170 – 200 |
| 98 percentile | 150 – 170 |
| 95 percentile | 120 – 150 |
| 90 percentile | 90 – 120 |
| 85 percentile | 75 – 90 |
JEE Main Rank vs Percentile
The percentile obtained in JEE Main is converted into an All India Rank (AIR) after combining scores from all sessions. The rank depends on the total number of candidates who appeared for the exam and the distribution of their performance.
| Percentile | Approximate Rank |
| 99.9 percentile | Top 1,000 |
| 99.5 percentile | Around 5,000 |
| 99 percentile | Around 10,000 |
| 98 percentile | Around 25,000 |
| 95 percentile | Around 70,000 |
| 90 percentile | Around 1,50,000 |
Note: These ranks may vary each year depending on the number of candidates appearing for JEE Main and their relative performance in the examination.
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FAQs
Ques.What was the official JEE Main cutoff in 2025?
Ans. In JEE Main 2025, the qualifying percentile for the General category was 93.1023262. The cutoff for other categories was lower according to the reservation policy.
Ques.Does clearing the JEE Main cutoff guarantee admission to NITs?
Ans. No. Clearing the cutoff only makes candidates eligible for JoSAA counselling. Admission depends on All India Rank (AIR), branch preference, category, and seat availability.
Ques.How is the JEE Main percentile calculated?
Ans. JEE Main uses a normalization process because the exam is conducted in multiple sessions. The percentile score shows a candidate’s performance compared with other students in the same session.
Ques.What marks are needed for 99 percentile in JEE Main?
Ans. Based on previous exam analysis, a score between 170 and 200 marks usually corresponds to around 99 percentile, though the exact marks may change depending on the difficulty of the exam.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.