What is JEE Main Cut Off 2026?
The JEE Main cut off 2026 is the minimum qualifying percentile released by the National Testing Agency (NTA) that determines which candidates are eligible to appear for JEE Advanced 2026. It is also a key factor in admissions to NITs, IIITs, and Government-Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs) through JoSAA counselling.
The NTA released the official JEE Main 2026 cutoff along with the Session 2 results on April 20, 2026, at the official website jeemain.nta.nic.in. This year, a total of 2,50,182 candidates qualified across all categories and are eligible for JEE Advanced 2026. Out of 16,04,854 unique candidates who registered, 15,38,468 actually appeared across both sessions.
It is important to understand that there are two types of cutoffs in JEE Main:
-
JEE Advanced Qualifying Cutoff — the category-wise percentile released by NTA that determines eligibility for JEE Advanced.
-
Admission Cutoff (JoSAA) — branch-wise and college-wise closing ranks released later during counselling for admissions to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs.
JEE Main Cut Off 2026 — Category-Wise Official Percentile
The table below shows the official JEE Main 2026 cutoff as released by NTA for JEE Advanced eligibility:
|
Category |
JEE Main Cut Off 2026 (Percentile) |
|
General / UR |
93.4123549 |
|
EWS |
82.4164528 |
|
OBC-NCL |
80.9232583 |
|
SC |
63.9172792 |
|
ST |
52.0174712 |
|
UR-PwBD |
0.0023186 |
Note: The cutoff is expressed in NTA Score (percentile), not raw marks. A percentile of 93.41 means the candidate scored equal to or better than 93.41% of all candidates who appeared.
JEE Main Cut Off 2026 vs Previous Years — Trend Comparison
The 2026 cutoff for the General category is the highest in the past four years, indicating increased competition. The table below compares the General category cutoff from 2023 to 2026:
|
Year |
General (UR) |
EWS |
OBC-NCL |
SC |
ST |
|
2026 |
93.4123549 |
82.4164528 |
80.9232583 |
63.9172792 |
52.0174712 |
|
2025 |
93.1023262 |
81.3266412 |
79.6757881 |
60.0923182 |
46.6975840 |
|
2024 |
93.2362181 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
2023 |
90.7788642 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Key takeaway: The General category cutoff has risen steadily from 90.77 in 2023 to 93.41 in 2026, reflecting growing competition year on year.
JEE Main Marks vs Percentile 2026
Since JEE Main is conducted in multiple shifts across different days, NTA uses a percentile normalization process to fairly compare scores. This means your raw marks are converted to an NTA Score (percentile) based on your performance relative to all candidates in your shift.
The table below gives an approximate idea of the marks vs percentile relationship for Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech.) in 2026:
|
Approximate Raw Marks (out of 300) |
Estimated Percentile |
|
250+ |
99+ percentile |
|
220–250 |
97–99 percentile |
|
200–220 |
95–97 percentile |
|
170–200 |
90–95 percentile |
|
150–170 |
80–90 percentile |
|
120–150 |
65–80 percentile |
|
90–120 |
45–65 percentile |
|
Below 90 |
Below 45 percentile |
Disclaimer: These are approximate indicative ranges based on previous year analysis. Exact marks-to-percentile conversion varies with exam difficulty, number of candidates, and NTA normalization formula.
How is the JEE Main Cut Off Determined?
NTA considers several factors when setting the cutoff each year:
|
Factor |
Impact on Cutoff |
|
Number of candidates who appeared |
Higher candidates → higher competition → higher cutoff |
|
Overall difficulty of the exam |
Tougher paper → lower raw marks → lower cutoff |
|
Number of seats available |
More seats → marginally lower cutoff |
|
Previous year performance trends |
NTA references historical data |
|
Normalization of multi-shift scores |
Ensures fairness across shifts |
JEE Main Cutoff for NIT, IIIT, and GFTI Admissions
The JEE Advanced qualifying cutoff and the admission cutoff for NITs/IIITs are two separate things. The JoSAA counselling cutoff (opening and closing ranks) is released separately and varies by:
-
Institution (IIT, NIT, IIIT, GFTI)
-
Branch / Course
-
Category (General, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, EWS)
-
Gender (Male/Female under supernumerary seats)
-
Home State quota vs Other State quota
For example, based on previous years' data, JEE Main cutoff for CSE at top NITs ranged from rank 559 to 4463 depending on category and institute.
Category-Wise Reservation Percentages in JEE Main
The top 2,50,000 qualifying candidates are selected for JEE Advanced, distributed across categories as follows:
|
Category |
Reservation Percentage |
|
General / UR |
40.5% |
|
OBC-NCL |
27% |
|
SC |
15% |
|
ST |
7.5% |
|
EWS |
10% |
|
PwBD |
Horizontal reservation (5% within each category) |
Class 12 Eligibility Criteria Along with JEE Main Cutoff
Qualifying JEE Main cutoff alone is not sufficient. Candidates must also:
-
Score at least 75% marks in Class 12 (65% for SC/ST/PwBD)
-
Be within the top 20 percentile of their respective board in Class 12
-
Have Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects in Class 12
Other Recommended Books | Study Materials
JEE Main Books | For 2027 Exams
JEE Main Mock Test Sample Papers | For 2026 Exams
JEE Main Previous Year Question Papers | For 2027 Exams
JEE Main Syllabus | For Latest Exams
JEE Main Notes | For Latest Exams
JEE Main RMT Flashcards | For Latest Exams
Free JEE Main Specimen Sample Books for Teachers
Practice Comprehensively with Oswaal360 Online Courses for JEE Main 2027 Exams
Practice Now with Free Oswaal360 Online Mock Test for JEE Main 2027 Exams
Are You a Teacher? Apply for FREE JEE Main Specimen Sample Books For Teachers from our end.
Frequently Asked Questions
The official cutoff is 93.4123549 percentile for JEE Advanced 2026 eligibility.
No. The NTA-released cutoff is only for JEE Advanced eligibility. NIT/IIIT admission cutoffs (JoSAA closing ranks) are released separately.
A total of 2,50,182 candidates qualified across all categories for JEE Advanced 2026.
The qualifying cutoff is always in percentile, not raw marks, to ensure fairness across different exam shifts.
Visit the official NTA JEE Main portal at jeemain.nta.nic.in.
