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November 25, 2025
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Overview — JEE Main 2026 Cutoff
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially released the JEE Main 2026 qualifying cutoff along with the Session 2 result on 20 April 2026 at jeemain.nta.nic.in. This page covers the official category-wise qualifying percentile for JEE Advanced 2026, a complete six-year trend analysis (2021–2026), the percentile-vs-marks distinction, and detailed FAQs. A total of 2,50,182 candidates qualified for JEE Advanced 2026 this year.
2,50,182
Qualified for Advanced
JEE Advanced 2026
93.41
General Cutoff 2026
Up from 93.10 (2025)
100%
Percentile Based
Not Raw Marks
6 Years
Trend Analysis
2021–2026 Data
Official JEE Main 2026 Cutoff NTA OUT
Released by NTA on 20 April 2026 with the Session 2 result. These are the minimum qualifying percentiles to be eligible for JEE Advanced 2026 (Paper 1), subject to the top 2.5 lakh rank limit.
| Category | Official Percentile 2026 | vs 2025 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| General (UR/CRL) | 93.4123549 | 93.10 → 93.41 | Increased |
| Gen-EWS | 81.3209571 | 80.38 → 81.32 | Increased |
| OBC-NCL | 80.9232583 | 79.43 → 80.92 | Crossed 80 (1st time) |
| SC | 62.8462698 | 61.15 → 62.85 | Record high |
| ST | 49.6924917 | 47.90 → 49.69 | Crossed 49 (1st time) |
| UR-PwD | 0.0007544 | ~0.007 → ~0.0008 | Minimal |
Key Insight: NTA increased the cutoff for every category in 2026 vs 2025 — a clear signal of higher competition. The OBC-NCL bar crossed 80 percentile and the ST bar crossed 49 percentile for the first time ever.
Data Note: A few sources list SC as 63.91 and ST as 52.01 percentile. The most widely reported official figures, consistent with the year-on-year trend, are SC 62.85 and ST 49.69. Always verify against the official NTA notification PDF at jeemain.nta.nic.in.
What is JEE Main Cutoff?
There are two distinct cutoffs every aspirant must understand.
1. Qualifying Cutoff
- Released by: NTA
- Purpose: Eligibility for JEE Advanced
- Basis: Percentile score
- Type: Category-wise
- Announced: With JEE Main result
2. Admission Cutoff
- Used for: NITs, IIITs, GFTIs admission
- Released during: JoSAA counselling
- Basis: All India Rank (AIR)
- Varies by: Institute, branch, category
- Note: This page covers the Qualifying Cutoff
JEE Main Cutoff Trends (2021–2026)
Six-year category-wise qualifying percentile movement, showing a clear upward competitive trajectory.
Year-on-Year Category-wise Cutoff
| Category | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | 87.90 | 88.41 | 90.77 | 93.24 | 93.10 | 93.41 |
| EWS | 66.25 | 63.11 | 75.62 | 81.32 | 80.38 | 81.32 |
| OBC-NCL | 68.02 | 67.01 | 73.61 | 79.67 | 79.43 | 80.92 |
| SC | 46.88 | 43.08 | 51.97 | 60.09 | 61.15 | 62.85 |
| ST | 34.67 | 26.78 | 37.23 | 46.69 | 47.90 | 49.69 |
| UR-PwD | 0.0096 | 0.0032 | 0.0018 | 0.0018 | 0.0070 | 0.0008 |
Source: NTA Official JEE Main Result Notifications, 2021–2026.
Cutoff Trend Line (2021–2026)
Trend Analysis
After a dip in 2022, cutoffs surged for all categories. General sits firmly above 93, while OBC-NCL breached 80 and SC/ST hit record highs in 2026.
The OBC-NCL bar rose ~13 percentile points in five years — reservation alone no longer compensates for under-preparation.
Factors Affecting JEE Main Cutoff
Candidate & Competition
- Total candidates appearing (~10–11 lakh)
- Overall performance of students
- Category-wise reservation policy
- Top 2.5 lakh rank limit for Advanced
Examination Factors
- Difficulty level of the paper
- Number of exam shifts
- Normalization process by NTA
- Question paper pattern
Percentile vs Marks — Important Clarification
Percentile Calculation
Percentile shows your performance relative to all candidates, not your raw marks.
Example: 93.41 percentile means you performed better than 93.41% of all candidates.
Formula: (candidates scoring ≤ you ÷ total candidates) × 100. Cutoff is decided only on percentile, due to multi-shift difficulty variation.
Key Differences
| Aspect | Percentile | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Basis | Relative | Absolute |
| Depends on | All candidates | You only |
| Shift variation | Normalized | Varies |
| Cutoff basis | Yes | No |
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the JEE Main 2026 cutoff for the General category?
The official JEE Main 2026 General (UR/CRL) cutoff is 93.4123549 percentile, released by NTA on 20 April 2026 with the Session 2 result. It rose from 93.10 in 2025.
Is the cutoff the same for all categories?
No. The 2026 cutoffs are: General 93.41, EWS 81.32, OBC-NCL 80.92, SC 62.85, ST 49.69 and UR-PwD ~0.0008 percentile. Reserved categories have lower cutoffs.
Is the cutoff based on marks or percentile?
The cutoff is based only on percentile, not raw marks, because JEE Main runs in multiple shifts of varying difficulty and percentile normalization ensures fairness.
How many candidates qualified for JEE Advanced 2026?
A total of 2,50,182 candidates qualified for JEE Advanced 2026 across all categories, subject to the top 2.5 lakh rank limit.
Can I qualify JEE Advanced with 85 percentile?
For the General category, 85 percentile is below the 2026 cutoff of 93.41. However, reserved category candidates (SC at 62.85, ST at 49.69) may still qualify with 85 percentile.
Can the JEE Main 2026 cutoff change after Session 2?
No. The official qualifying cutoff is announced once, after both sessions conclude and the combined final merit list is prepared by NTA. It cannot be revised after release.
Important Points to Remember
- The 2026 cutoffs above are the official NTA figures released on 20 April 2026.
- Only the top ~2.5 lakh candidates across all categories qualify for JEE Advanced.
- Qualifying cutoff ≠ admission cutoff. NIT/IIIT/GFTI admission depends on AIR via JoSAA.
- Always verify against the official NTA notification at jeemain.nta.nic.in.
