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JEE Main 2026 Final Cutoff, Marks vs Percentile & Shift-Wise Analysis

By Competishun Apr 30, 2026 13 min read
Updated April 2026

JEE Main 2026 Cutoff, Marks vs Percentile & Shift-Wise Analysis

Complete shift-by-shift score-to-percentile mapping for January & April sessions, official category-wise cutoff, percentile-to-rank conversion, exam pattern, and 2027 preparation roadmap.

300Max Marks
18Total Shifts
15.5LCandidates
75Questions
26100 %ilers

Table of Contents

99-Percentile Snapshot January Shift-Wise Data January Percentile Table April Shift-Wise Data April Percentile Table Shift Comparison Percentile to Rank Official Category Cutoff Exam Pattern Score Targets Preparation Tips FAQs

JEE Main 2026 — Complete Analysis

The JEE Main 2026 double-attempt cycle has wrapped up January saw 10 shifts (21 to 28 January) and April saw 8 confirmed shifts (2 to 6 April). NTA released the Session 2 final result on 20 April with 26 candidates scoring a perfect 100 NTA score and Kabir Chhillar from Kota topping the merit list. Around 13.04 lakh candidates appeared in Session 1 and 10.30 lakh in Session 2, with the unique-candidate count crossing 15.5 lakh a record. This page brings together a shift-by-shift score-to-percentile mapping for both attempts, average and median trends, an explanation of the normalisation logic, and a focused preparation roadmap for 2027 aspirants.

A reminder worth pinning: in JEE Main, your All India Rank is built from your percentile, never from your raw marks. A score of 154 in a 'pressure-cooker' shift can carry the same percentile weight as 188 in a high-yield shift. The numbers below explain exactly how that happens.

99-Percentile Threshold Snapshot — Both Sessions

January 2026 Attempt

Avg 99%ile Threshold≈ 172 marks
Median 99%ile≈ 174 marks
Lowest – Highest Spread154 – 188
Score-Friendly Slot22 Jan Morning
High-Pressure Slot22 Jan Evening
Total Shifts10
Appearing Candidates≈ 13.04 Lakh

April 2026 Attempt

Avg 99%ile Threshold≈ 175 marks
Median 99%ile≈ 175 marks
Lowest – Highest Spread160 – 192
Score-Friendly Slot5 Apr Morning
High-Pressure Slot6 Apr Morning
Total Shifts8
Appearing Candidates≈ 10.30 Lakh
Competishun's Take: January was slightly tougher than April — roughly 3 fewer marks needed on average for the same percentile. April's shift spread (32 marks) was narrower than January's (34 marks), pointing to more uniform paper-setting in Session 2. Practical advice: if you wrote both sessions, never compare raw marks across sessions — always look at the percentile.
Session 1

January 2026 — Shift-Wise Score-to-Percentile

Detailed mapping for all 10 shifts (21–28 January 2026)

Shift (Date & Slot)99.9%ile Band99%ile Band95%ile Band90%ile BandAdv. Qualifying
21 Jan — Morning222–226156–160100–10474–7888–91
21 Jan — Evening228–232172–176121–12597–101109–113
22 Jan — Morning241–245184–188127–131104–108115–119
22 Jan — Evening217–221152–15697–10174–7886–90
23 Jan — Morning225–229164–168110–11489–9399–103
23 Jan — Evening222–226156–16099–10376–8088–92
24 Jan — Morning230–234172–176110–11485–8997–101
24 Jan — Evening234–238176–180118–12292–96105–109
28 Jan — Morning240–244186–190118–12292–96105–109
28 Jan — Evening235–239178–182111–11587–9199–103
Average≈ 230≈ 172≈ 113≈ 87≈ 99
Spread217 – 245152 – 19097 – 13174 – 10886 – 119
Pattern Reading: 22 Jan Morning was the score-friendly day (easier paper = higher marks needed for same percentile). 22 Jan Evening flipped completely — same percentile achievable at 30+ marks lower. 28 Jan Morning was Maths-heavy, requiring the highest marks (186–190) for 99 percentile. 23 Jan Evening had a difficult Mathematics section that compressed scores at the top end.
Granular View

January 2026 — Percentile vs Marks Matrix

Detailed percentile band-by-band breakdown for every January shift (S1 = Morning, S2 = Evening)

Percentile21 S121 S222 S122 S223 S123 S224 S124 S228 S128 S2
99.9224230243219227224232236242237
99.5189200212184193188200205213207
99158174186154166158174178188180
98.5143162173140152144160164173165
98132153163130141134149154162155
97.5125145156122134126141146154148
97119139149116127120134138146140
96.5113133143110121114128132140134
96108128138105116108123127134129
95.5104124134101112104119123130124
9510012112997108100115119125119
94931131218910092107112117112
9387106114839486101105110105
92821001087888819699104100
91789510274827691949995
9074919770787287899491
99 %ile Avg≈ 172 marks  |  Median: 174  |  Range: 154 – 188
Reading the Matrix: Cross-check your shift column with the percentile row. For example, if you scored 145 marks in 24 Jan Morning, you're sitting near 97 percentile. Same 145 marks in 22 Jan Evening would put you at ~97.5 percentile (tougher shift = better normalisation). Always look at the column for your shift, never compare across columns.
Session 2

April 2026 — Shift-Wise Score-to-Percentile

Detailed mapping for all 8 confirmed shifts (2–6 April 2026)

Shift (Date & Slot)99.9%ile Band99%ile Band95%ile Band90%ile BandAdv. Qualifying
2 Apr — Morning231–235173–177123–12798–102110–114
2 Apr — Evening219–223163–167116–12095–99106–110
4 Apr — Morning228–232173–177128–132103–107114–118
4 Apr — Evening227–231172–176122–12697–101109–113
5 Apr — Morning250–254188–192135–139108–112120–124
5 Apr — Evening229–233173–177123–12798–102110–114
6 Apr — Morning216–220158–162103–10783–8794–98
6 Apr — Evening239–243181–185129–133104–108116–120
Average≈ 230≈ 175≈ 124≈ 99≈ 111
Spread216 – 254158 – 192103 – 13983 – 11294 – 124
Pattern Reading: 5 Apr Morning was April's clear score-friendly slot (250+ for 99.9%ile). 6 Apr Morning was the toughest — 99%ile achievable at just 158+. 6 Apr Evening swung the other way with a relatively scoring Physics section. Most shifts clustered in the 172–177 band for 99%ile, indicating well-calibrated paper-setting.
Granular View

April 2026 — Percentile vs Marks Matrix

Detailed percentile band-by-band breakdown for every April shift (S1 = Morning, S2 = Evening)

Percentile2 S12 S24 S14 S25 S15 S26 S16 S2
99.9233221230229252231218241
99.5200189199198218200184209
99175165175174190175160183
98.5161151164161175161146168
98151141153151165151136158
97.5143134146144156143129150
97137128140138149137123144
96.5132123135132143132118138
96128119130128138128113134
95.5128118131124137128105131
95125118130124137125105131
9411711012111612811797122
9311010411410912111091115
921049910810411410487109
919995103991089983104
9095919895103958099
99 %ile Avg≈ 175 marks  |  Median: 175  |  Range: 160 – 192
Key Difference From January: April's distribution is tighter and slightly more "calibrated" — 99%ile band sits in a narrower 158–192 range vs January's 152–190. This is partly because Session 2 candidates (10.3 lakh) were more selective and partly because NTA's paper-setting balanced subject difficulty better. The 5 Apr Morning anomaly (190+ marks for 99%ile) is the exception, not the norm.

99-Percentile Marks By Shift — Quick Summary

Side-by-side view of all 18 shifts

January 2026 99%ile Score

21 Jan Morning158
21 Jan Evening174
22 Jan Morning (easiest)186
22 Jan Evening (toughest)154
23 Jan Morning166
23 Jan Evening158
24 Jan Morning174
24 Jan Evening178
28 Jan Morning188
28 Jan Evening180
Average / Median172 / 174
Range154 – 188

April 2026 99%ile Score

2 Apr Morning175
2 Apr Evening165
4 Apr Morning175
4 Apr Evening174
5 Apr Morning (easiest)190
5 Apr Evening175
6 Apr Morning (toughest)160
6 Apr Evening183
——
——
Average / Median175 / 175
Range160 – 190

4-Bucket Shift Classification

All 18 shifts classified by difficulty character

Bucket% of Shifts99%ile Marks NeededSpecific ShiftsWhat It Means
Score-Friendly≈ 22%186+ marks22 Jan S1, 28 Jan S1, 5 Apr S1, 6 Apr S2Easier paper — high marks needed for same percentile
Balanced≈ 44%170–180 marks21 Jan S2, 24 Jan S1, 24 Jan S2, 28 Jan S2, 2 Apr S1, 4 Apr S1, 4 Apr S2, 5 Apr S2Average difficulty — most common scenario
Slightly Tough≈ 17%165–172 marks23 Jan S1, 2 Apr S2Challenging but manageable
High-Pressure≈ 17%152–162 marks21 Jan S1, 22 Jan S2, 23 Jan S2, 6 Apr S1Tough paper — lower marks still yield high percentile
Takeaway: Stop worrying about which slot you'll get. Aim to consistently score at the 95-percentile band, and let normalisation do the rest. NTA's system is engineered to give every candidate a fair playing field.

Percentile to All India Rank — 2026

Based on ~15.5 lakh unique candidates (combined Session 1 + Session 2)

Percentile BracketExpected AIR RangeMarks Range (Avg Shift)What This Unlocks
100Rank 1 (26 candidates tied)286–300JEE Advanced top contenders
99.95+Top 775235–285IIT Bombay/Delhi CSE-ready scores
99.85 – 99.94775 – 2,325215–235Top NIT CSE / strong JEE Advanced
99.50 – 99.842,325 – 7,750185–215NIT Trichy/Surathkal/Warangal CSE band
99.00 – 99.497,750 – 15,500165–185Mid-tier NITs CSE; top NITs core branches
98.00 – 98.9915,500 – 31,000140–165NIT core branches; top IIITs
97.00 – 97.9931,000 – 46,500120–140Lower NITs; mid-tier IIITs
95.00 – 96.9946,500 – 77,500100–120GFTIs; lower IIITs; strong private universities
93.00 – 94.9977,500 – 1,08,50087–100JEE Adv. eligibility (General); lower NITs in HS quota
90.00 – 92.991,08,500 – 1,55,00072–87State govt colleges; mid-tier private universities
85.00 – 89.991,55,000 – 2,32,50058–72State universities; private engineering colleges
80.00 – 84.992,32,500 – 3,10,00048–58Mid-tier private colleges
AIR Formula: AIR ≈ ((100 − Percentile) ÷ 100) × Total Candidates. With ~15.5 lakh candidates, every 0.01 percentile shift roughly equals a rank movement of 155 positions. The competition gets exponentially tighter above 99.5 percentile.

JEE Advanced 2026 Qualifying Cutoff — Official

Category-wise minimum percentile to qualify for JEE Advanced 2026

CategoryQualifying Percentile (2026)2025 ComparisonChangeApprox. Marks (Avg Shift)
General (CRL)93.412354993.1023262+0.31≈ 87–93 marks
Gen-EWS82.416452880.3819706+2.03≈ 60–66 marks
OBC-NCL80.923258379.4329632+1.49≈ 56–62 marks
SC63.917279261.7360327+2.18≈ 38–44 marks
ST52.017471247.9074498+4.11≈ 30–36 marks
PwD0.00075440.0015403−0.0008Minimum threshold
Note: 2026 cutoffs increased across all categories. A total of 2,50,182 candidates qualified for JEE Advanced 2026. Cutoff is based on percentile (not raw marks) due to multi-shift normalisation. The biggest jump came in the ST category (+4.11 percentile), reflecting improved performance among reserved-category candidates this year.

2025 vs 2026 — Year-on-Year Comparison

How JEE Main difficulty and competition shifted

MetricJEE Main 2025JEE Main 2026Change
Total Unique Candidates≈ 14.75 Lakh≈ 15.50 Lakh+5.1%
Session 1 Appearances≈ 12.58 Lakh≈ 13.04 Lakh+3.7%
Session 2 Appearances≈ 10.13 Lakh≈ 10.30 Lakh+1.7%
100 Percentilers2426+2 candidates
JEE Adv. Cutoff (General)93.10 percentile93.41 percentile+0.31
JEE Adv. Qualifiers2.50 Lakh2.50 Lakh≈ same
Avg Marks for 99%ile≈ 170 marks≈ 174 marks+4 marks
Avg Marks for 95%ile≈ 115 marks≈ 119 marks+4 marks
Avg Marks for 90%ile≈ 90 marks≈ 93 marks+3 marks
What This Means For 2027 Aspirants: Competition continues to intensify — about 75,000 more candidates appeared in 2026 vs 2025. Cutoffs rose in every category. To stay competitive, aim 5–10 marks higher than the previous year's threshold for your target percentile band.

JEE Main 2026 Exam Pattern

Updated & verified — continuing into 2027

FeatureDetails
ModeComputer-Based Test (CBT)
Duration3 hours (180 minutes)
SubjectsPhysics, Chemistry, Mathematics
Questions/Subject25 (20 MCQs + 5 compulsory NVTs)
Total Questions75
Total Marks300
Marks per Subject100
Correct Answer+4 marks
Wrong Answer−1 mark (MCQ & NVT both)
Unattempted0 marks
Sessions/Year2 (January + April) — better score used
Languages13 (English, Hindi + 11 regional)
Exam Conducting BodyNational Testing Agency (NTA)
Result FormatNTA Score (percentile up to 7 decimals)
What Changed: All 5 NVTs per subject are now compulsory. Negative marking (−1) applies to NVTs as well. Random guessing on numericals is significantly riskier.
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Score Target Guidance — Calibrated to 2026

Target PercentileMarks TargetExpected AIRWhat This Unlocks
99.5+ percentile200–230Under 7,750Top NITs CSE (Trichy/Surathkal/Warangal); strong JEE Advanced eligibility
99–99.5 percentile175–2007,750 – 15,500Mid-tier NIT CSE; top NIT core branches
98–99 percentile160–17515,500 – 31,000NIT core branches; top IIITs in CSE
95–98 percentile120–16031,000 – 77,500Lower NITs, GFTIs, top private universities
93–95 percentile95–12077,500 – 1,08,500JEE Advanced eligibility (Gen); state-quota NITs
90–93 percentile78–951,08,500 – 1,55,000Quality private universities, state institutes
85–90 percentile60–781,55,000 – 2,32,500State universities, mid-tier private colleges
Important: These targets are approximate (based on average shift difficulty) and shift with paper difficulty. Your actual goal should be to maximise your best percentile, not your raw marks.

Preparation Tips & Exam-Day Game Plan

Last 3 Months Strategy

  • Revision Cycle: Complete 3 full revisions — short, medium, and deep
  • Mock Tests: Take 2–3 full-length papers every week with detailed post-mortem
  • Weak Areas: Block fixed days for your 2–3 weakest chapters
  • Previous Papers: Solve at least 5 years of JEE Main papers (2022–2026)
  • Time Management: Practise full paper in 2.5 hours — leaves 30-min buffer
  • Health: 7–8 hours of sleep is non-negotiable in the final 30 days

Exam-Day Game Plan

  • Section Order: Pick your strongest subject first — early confidence boosts performance
  • Time Allocation: ~50–55 minutes per subject, 15–20 min buffer at end
  • Question Selection: Attempt sure-shot questions first; mark doubtful ones for review
  • Risk Management: Negative marking applies to MCQs AND NVTs — avoid pure guessing
  • Last 15 Minutes: Switch to review-only mode. Resist attempting new questions in panic
  • Mindset: Even toppers don't attempt all 75. Accuracy beats volume every time

Subject-Wise Strategy For 99+ Percentile

  • Physics (Target: 80+/100): Mechanics + Electrodynamics carry ~55% weightage. Master these first
  • Chemistry (Target: 90+/100): Highest scoring subject — Inorganic + Physical = quick wins. Don't ignore NCERT
  • Mathematics (Target: 75+/100): Calculus + Coordinate Geometry = 40% of paper. Practice 50+ problems daily
  • Combined Goal: 245+ marks for safe 99+ percentile across any shift difficulty
Success Mantra: Consistent practice + smart shift-aware strategy + composed exam-day execution = high JEE Main percentile. NTA's normalisation gives every candidate a fair playing field. Your job: maintain maximum accuracy. The system handles the rest.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Based on shift-wise analysis, 152–192 marks were needed for 99 percentile across different shifts. On average, around 173–175 marks (out of 300) were required. The exact marks depend on your shift's difficulty due to NTA normalisation.
The official qualifying cutoff for General category is 93.4123549 percentile, up from 93.1023262 in 2025. This is the minimum percentile to qualify for JEE Advanced 2026. A total of 2,50,182 candidates qualified.
In January, 22 January Evening was the toughest (99%ile at just 152-156 marks). In April, 6 April Morning was the toughest (99%ile at 158-162 marks). Both had lengthy Maths and conceptual Physics sections.
NTA uses normalisation across shifts. Formula: ((Number of candidates who scored ≤ your marks) ÷ Total candidates in shift) × 100. This ensures a student in a tough shift isn't penalised compared to one in an easier shift.
With ~15.5 lakh candidates, 99 percentile = AIR roughly 7,750–15,500. For top NITs (CSE at Trichy/Surathkal/Warangal), you need 99.5+ percentile (AIR under 7,750).
No. Raw marks are meaningless across sessions because paper difficulty varies widely. A score of 160 in a tough shift may equal a higher percentile than 180 in an easy shift. Always compare percentiles, never raw marks.
For 95 percentile, the range was approximately 97–139 marks depending on shift difficulty. Average across all shifts was around 119–124 marks. Easier shifts required higher marks (127–139), while tougher shifts needed just 97–107.
For 90 percentile, the range was approximately 70–112 marks. Average was around 93 marks. Tougher shifts (22 Jan S2, 6 Apr S1) had cutoffs as low as 70–80 marks while easier shifts (5 Apr S1) demanded 108–112 marks.
Yes — from 2025 onwards, negative marking (−1) applies to both MCQs AND Numerical Value Type (NVT) questions. All 5 NVTs per subject are compulsory. Random guessing on numericals is significantly riskier now.
Approximately 13.04 lakh candidates appeared in Session 1 (January) and 10.30 lakh in Session 2 (April). The total unique candidate count crossed 15.5 lakh — a record. Around 8 lakh candidates appeared in both sessions.
Kabir Chhillar from Kota, Rajasthan, topped JEE Main 2026. A total of 26 candidates secured a perfect 100 NTA score (up from 24 in 2025). Andhra Pradesh and Telangana led with 5 toppers each, followed by Rajasthan (4) and Delhi (3).
NTA uses your best percentile (highest of the two sessions) for the final merit list. Appearing in Session 2 cannot lower your rank — it can only improve it. Around 8 lakh candidates appeared in both sessions in 2026.
Sources: Official NTA JEE Main 2026 Session 1 & Session 2 results, expert shift-wise estimates, and Competishun's in-house analysis. All percentile-to-marks figures are presented as bands for guidance — actual cutoffs may vary slightly based on individual shift normalisation by NTA.
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