National Testing Agency (NTA) is expected to announce the JEE Main 2026 results after the completion of both examination sessions. The ongoing January session is scheduled to 21, 22, 23, 24, 28 & 29, after which candidates will shift their focus to the expected cutoff percentiles. These cutoff marks play a crucial role in determining eligibility for JEE Advanced 2026 and admissions into prestigious engineering institutions such as NITs, IIITs, and various Government Funded Technical Institutions (GFTIs).
The JEE Main cutoff is released in the form of a qualifying percentile, which varies for different categories. It is influenced by several factors such as the total number of candidates, the difficulty level of the exam, shift-wise normalization, and the overall performance of students. Based on expert analysis and past year trends, the JEE Main 2026 cutoff is expected to remain close to the previous years, with only marginal fluctuations across categories.
With lakhs of candidates competing every year, the JEE Main cutoff is influenced by multiple factors such as exam difficulty level, number of applicants, and reservation policies. In this detailed article, we discuss expected cutoffs, how they are calculated, category-wise qualifying marks, previous year trends, and what students can expect for the year 2026.
JEE Main Qualifying Cutoff
This is the minimum mark required to qualify for JEE Advanced 2026. It is published by NTA along with the JEE Main result. Only those candidates who score equal to or above this qualifying cutoff become eligible to appear for JEE Advanced, which is the gateway to IIT admissions.
JEE Main Admission Cutoff
The admission cutoff refers to the ranks required for admission into NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs through the JoSAA counselling process. These cutoffs vary from college to college, course to course, and category to category. The admission cutoff depends majorly on demand for specific branches such as CSE, ECE, Mechanical, or Civil.
JEE Main 2026 Expected Qualifying Cutoff (Category-Wise)
Based on previous year trends and assuming a moderate exam difficulty, the expected qualifying cutoff for JEE Main 2026 is projected as follows:
| Category | Expected Cutoff (Percentile) |
|---|---|
| General | 89 – 91 |
| EWS | 78 – 82 |
| OBC-NCL | 76 – 81 |
| SC | 50 – 55 |
| ST | 40 – 45 |
| PwD | 1 – 2 |
Previous Year Qualifying Cutoff Trends
The qualifying cutoff has shown noticeable variations over the years. Here is a comparison of previous years:
| Year | General | EWS | OBC-NCL | SC | ST | PwD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 89.7 | 79.8 | 77.9 | 51.4 | 41.2 | 1.2 |
| 2024 | 90.7 | 78.3 | 76.0 | 50.1 | 37.7 | 1.6 |
| 2023 | 90.7 | 75.6 | 73.6 | 51.9 | 37.8 | 0.0 |
| 2022 | 88.4 | 63.1 | 67.0 | 43.1 | 26.7 | 0.0 |
| 2021 | 87.9 | 66.2 | 68.0 | 46.8 | 34.6 | 0.0 |
JEE Main 2026 Admission Cutoff for NITs, IIITs & GFTIs
The JoSAA admission cutoff will depend on rank and not marks. Here is the expected opening and closing rank range for top branches at top institutes:
Top NITs — Expected CSE Admission Ranks 2026
| Institute | Expected Opening Rank | Expected Closing Rank |
|---|---|---|
| NIT Trichy | 500 – 800 | 1000 – 1400 |
| NIT Warangal | 600 – 900 | 1200 – 1600 |
| NIT Surathkal | 700 – 1000 | 1300 – 1800 |
| NIT Allahabad | 1000 – 1500 | 1800 – 2500 |
| NIT Rourkela | 1200 – 2000 | 2200 – 3000 |
Minimum JEE Main Marks to Qualify for JEE Advanced 2026
To secure eligibility for JEE Advanced, students must achieve the qualifying percentile. Based on projections:
- General category may require 130–160 marks
- EWS/OBC may require 90–130 marks
- SC/ST may require 50–80 marks
Normalization and Percentile Calculation
The NTA uses a percentile-based normalization method due to multiple shifts. The percentile formula ensures fairness as different shifts may vary in difficulty. The formula used by NTA is:
Percentile Score = (Number of candidates scoring ≤ your score ÷ Total number of candidates) × 100
Thus, even if two students have the same marks, their percentile might differ based on session performance.