JEE Main Qualifying Marks 2026: Check Category-Wise Cutoff Percentile and Expected Scores
The National Testing Agency has released the JEE Main 2026 qualifying cutoff for candidates seeking eligibility to appear in JEE Advanced 2026. The cutoff has been announced in the form of NTA percentile scores rather than fixed raw marks because JEE Main is conducted in multiple shifts and uses a normalisation process.
The General-category cutoff stands at 93.4123549 percentile, while the qualifying thresholds for EWS, OBC-NCL, SC and ST candidates are lower according to the applicable reservation framework.
JEE Main 2026 Category-Wise Qualifying Cutoff
| Category | Official Qualifying Percentile | Approximate Raw Marks Range* |
|---|---|---|
| General / UR | 93.4123549 | About 90–96 marks |
| GEN-EWS | 82.4164528 | About 55–70 marks |
| OBC-NCL | 80.9232583 | About 50–65 marks |
| SC | 63.9172792 | About 30–45 marks |
| ST | 52.0174712 | About 25–40 marks |
| UR-PwBD | 0.0023186 | No reliable fixed marks equivalent |
*Important: The raw-marks ranges above are only approximate. NTA has not released an official marks-to-cutoff table, and the score required to reach a particular percentile can vary significantly between examination shifts.
Why Does NTA Publish Percentile Instead of Fixed Marks?
JEE Main is conducted across several examination days and shifts. Since one paper can be slightly easier or more difficult than another, NTA converts raw marks into normalised percentile scores.
- Raw marks are calculated from correct and incorrect responses.
- Each examination shift is normalised separately.
- The NTA Score represents percentile performance within the applicable session.
- Candidates appearing in both sessions receive their better NTA score for ranking.
- The final category cutoff is therefore expressed as percentile, not one universal raw-mark number.
How Many Candidates Appeared in JEE Main 2026?
| Particular | 2026 Figure |
|---|---|
| Unique Candidates Registered Across Both Sessions | 16,04,854 |
| Unique Candidates Who Appeared | 15,38,468 |
| April Session Candidates Appeared | 10,34,330 |
The high number of candidates means even small differences in percentile can produce substantial differences in All India Rank.
JEE Main 2026 Cutoff Compared With 2025
| Category | 2025 Cutoff | 2026 Cutoff |
|---|---|---|
| General | 93.1023262 | 93.4123549 |
| EWS | 80.3830119 | 82.4164528 |
| OBC-NCL | 79.4313582 | 80.9232583 |
| SC | 61.1526933 | 63.9172792 |
| ST | 47.9026465 | 52.0174712 |
The 2026 qualifying percentile increased across the major categories compared with the previous year.
Qualifying Cutoff vs Admission Cutoff
Candidates should not confuse the JEE Main qualifying cutoff with NIT, IIIT or GFTI admission cutoffs. The qualifying cutoff determines eligibility for JEE Advanced, while JoSAA admission cutoffs are separate institute-, branch-, category- and round-specific opening and closing ranks.
A candidate below the JEE Advanced qualifying percentile may still be eligible for admission to participating NITs, IIITs or GFTIs if their JEE Main rank satisfies the relevant counselling cutoff and other eligibility conditions.
What Should Candidates Use for College Admission?
For actual college selection, candidates should use their confirmed JEE Main All India Rank and compare it with JoSAA opening and closing ranks. Raw marks or qualifying percentile alone cannot determine whether a candidate will receive a particular branch or institute.
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