Quick Summary: The JEE Main Rank List 2026 helps students understand where they stand among all test takers. It is formulated based on percentile scores rather than raw marks and published at the end of both sessions. NTA ranks on the basis of the highest score. Nearly 10–12 lakh students appear every year, making ranks highly competitive. The rank list shows All India Rank and category rank, which decide college admission and JEE Advanced entry. The blog further explains percentile rules, tie-breaking, past topper information, cut off trends and way to use ranks at the time (race against time phrase meaning) of counselling.
The JEE Main Rank List 2026 is a key part of the engineering admission process in India. After the JEE Main exam cycle is over, the National Testing Agency releases this list. It shows the national position of students and helps colleges start their admission process in engineering institutes. Students check this list to see their position among other aspirants and to decide their next steps for counselling and college selection.
The JEE Main Rank List 2026 is made using a fixed method to keep the evaluation fair in all sessions. It is not based only on marks but on JEE Main Percentile scores. This method balances different shifts and question difficulty levels. Understanding this list is important for students who want engineering courses through national-level counselling and who track JEE Main Cutoff 2026 or the expected cut off for JEE 2026.
Read More:
- JEE Main 2026 Cutoff Prediction: Category-Wise Qualifying and Safe Marks
- JEE Main Result 2026 Session 1 (Soon)
What is the JEE Main Rank List 2026?
The JEE Main Rank List 2026 is a merit list prepared using percentile scores. It does not show actual marks. Instead, it tells how a student performed compared to others. The list shows the candidate’s AIR and category-wise JEE Main ranks. It also helps students check if they are eligible for JEE Advanced.
How is AIR Created?
NTA prepares the All India Rank by using the best NTA score of a student. If a student appears in both sessions, the higher score is considered. If they appear in only one session, that score is taken as final. After this, the JEE Main 2026 Rank List is prepared by arranging scores from highest to lowest.
Check Out: How To Calculate JEE Main 2026 Rank From NTA Percentile Score
How Does NTA Calculate Percentile?
NTA follows a normalization method to keep fairness in all shifts. Percentile shows the percentage of students who scored equal to or less than a particular student.
Formula to Calculate JEE Main Percentile:
| Percentile Score = (100 × Number of candidates who appeared in the session with a raw score equal to or less than the candidate) / Total number of candidates who appeared in that session |
Key points to understand:
- Although you may have lower raw marks than a student in the other shift, your percentile could still be greater than his or her because your shift may have been tougher.
- All shifts are ranked using percentile to create a systems ranking that is fair and equal.
- The range of percentile is 0 to 100 with the highest score being 100.
Check Out: JEE Main 2026 Normalization Process, How to Calculate Scores
No Weightage to Class 12 Marks in JEE Main 2026 Rank List
As per the official instructions released by NTA (National Testing Agency), Class 12 marks or marks from any qualifying exam will not be considered while preparing the JEE Main 2026 Rank List.
Instead, the raw marks in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics from the JEE Main 2026 exam will be used to prepare the merit list.
How to download the JEE Main Rank List 2026
Students can follow these steps for how to download the JEE Main Rank List 2026:
- Turn on the official webpage of JEE Main: jeemain.nta.nic.in.
- Look for the link that says “JEE Main Rank List 2026” or “Download Scorecard” and click it.
- Type an application number, password or date of birth followed by the security PIN.
- To log in, click on the button Submit.
- When the rank list is presented, examine everything displayed on the screen.
- Click Download to download the rank list to your device.
- Take a printout of the rank list for counselling and future use.
Check Out: What is a Good NTA Score in JEE Main 2026?
Details Mentioned in the JEE Main Rank List 2026
The JEE Main Rank List 2026 provides many important details for students. These include:
- The candidate’s total NTA score (percentile)
- The father’s name
- The JEE Main 2026 roll number
- The cut-off score needed to qualify for JEE Advanced
- The subject-wise NTA scores for each attempt
- The candidate’s All India Rank (AIR)
- The category of the candidate (General, OBC, SC, ST, etc.)
- The topper’s marks in JEE Main out of 300
- Any subcategory, if applicable
- The mother’s name
- The candidate’s full name
Candidates should carefully check all these details after downloading the list.
Procedure for Computing the JEE Main Rank List 2026 for Paper
- NTA creates the JEE Main Rank List 2026 by changing raw marks into NTA scores, also called percentiles.
- Both overall percentile and subject-wise percentile from each session are taken into account.
- If a student appears in both sessions, the better score is used for the final list.
- If a student appears only once, that single score is used.
Tie-Breaking Rules in JEE Main Rank List for Paper 1
If two or more students get the same percentile in Paper 1, NTA uses these rules:
- The student with a higher Mathematics percentile gets a better rank.
- If still tied, the student with a higher Physics percentile is given priority.
- If the tie continues, the Chemistry percentile is compared.
- If needed, the student with fewer wrong answers overall gets a higher rank.
- Next, fewer wrong answers in Mathematics are checked.
- Then, fewer wrong answers in Physics are checked.
- Then, fewer wrong answers in Chemistry are checked.
- If the tie still does not break, both students are given the same rank.
Tie-Breaking Rules for Paper 2 in JEE Main Rank List
In Paper 2 (B.Arch and B.Plan) the ties are calculated by applying the following rules:
- A student who has a better Mathematics percentile is preferred.
- In case they are tied, the student who scored higher in the Aptitude Test percentage is determined higher.
- If the tie continues, the Drawing Test score is used for Paper 2A (B.Arch).
- After that, students with fewer wrong answers overall are preferred.
- Next, fewer wrong answers in Mathematics (Part I) are checked.
- Then, fewer wrong answers in the Aptitude Test (Part II) are considered.
- If the tie still remains, students are given the same rank.
Check Out: JEE Main Passing Marks 2026- Check Previous Year Trends
Previous Year JEE Main Rank List
NTA publishes the JEE Main Rank List every year in online mode. Students planning 2026 should refer to past rank lists to know how to compete and the highest scores of the toppers. Looking at previous toppers gives an idea of high score trends. This helps students estimate the JEE Main Cutoff 2026 and expected cut off for JEE 2026. There was a high level of competition in the JEE Main 2025 rank list with numerous students almost attaining perfect percentiles. Here is the JEE Main Rank List from the previous year:
JEE Main Toppers 2025 – Paper 2
|
JEE Main Toppers 2025 Paper 2 |
|
| Name | State |
| Pratham Alpesh Prajapati | Karnataka |
| Patne Neel Sandesh | Maharashtra |
| Gautam Kannapiran | Tamil Nadu |
| Tarun Rawat | Uttarakhand |
| Sunidhi Singh | Madhya Pradesh |
JEE Main Toppers 2025 – Paper 1 [Final List]
|
JEE Main Toppers 2025 Paper 1 Final List |
|
| Name | State |
| Md Anas | Rajasthan |
| Archisman Nandy | West Bengal |
| Devdutta Majhi | West Bengal |
| Aayush Ravi Chaudhari | Maharashtra |
| Lakshya Sharma | Rajasthan |
| Ayush Singhal | Rajasthan |
| Kushagra Gupta | Karnataka |
| Harssh A Gupta | Telangana |
| Aadit Prakash Bhagde | Gujarat |
| Daksh | Delhi |
| Harsh Jha | Delhi |
| Rajit Gupta | Rajasthan |
| Shreyas Lohiya | Uttar Pradesh |
| Saurav | Uttar Pradesh |
| Vangala Ajay Reddy | Telangana |
| Sanidhya Saraf | Maharashtra |
| Vishad Jain | Maharashtra |
| Arnav Singh | Rajasthan |
| Shiven Vikas Toshniwal | Gujarat |
| Kushagra Baingaha | Uttar Pradesh |
| Sai Manogna Guthukonda | Andhra Pradesh |
| Om Prakash Behera | Rajasthan |
| Bani Brata Majee | Telangana |
JEE Main Cutoff 2026 (Expected)
The JEE Main Cutoff 2026 will be released along with the final rank list. It indicates the minimum JEE Main Percentile a student needs to qualify for JEE Advanced 2026. The table below shows the expected cut off for JEE 2026:
|
JEE Main Cutoff 2026 Expected |
|
| Category | Cutoff Percentile Range |
| General (UR) | 93 – 95 |
| OBC-NCL | 80 – 82 |
| EWS | 80 – 82 |
| SC | 60 – 65 |
| ST | 60 – 65 |
| PwD | 0.01 – 1 |
States Accepting the JEE Main Rank List
Several Indian states consider the JEE Main Rank List 2026 for admission into engineering programs. This reception in most states facilitates admission and provides a more uniform process to students.
|
States Accepting the JEE Main Rank List |
|
| State Names | State Names |
| Bihar | West Bengal |
| Delhi | Tamil Nadu |
| Chandigarh | Uttar Pradesh |
| Haryana | Maharashtra |
| Himachal Pradesh | Assam |
| Jharkhand | Gujarat |
| Madhya Pradesh | Telangana |
| Nagaland | Kerala |
| Odisha | Jammu & Kashmir |
| Punjab | Chhattisgarh |
| Rajasthan | Karnataka |
| Uttarakhand | Goa |
Check Out: JEE Main 2026 Percentile vs College
Top Institutes Accepting the JEE Main 2026 Rank List
Most leading engineering colleges in India accept JEE Main ranks for undergraduate engineering admission. These institutes offer a variety of engineering courses for students across the country.
- Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS)*
- National Institute of Technology Calicut
- Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT)
- Jamia Millia Islamia
- National Institute of Technology Rourkela
- Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology
- Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan
- Jadavpur University
- Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT Nagpur)
- National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli (NIT Trichy)
Note: BITS primarily conducts BITSAT. In some cases, certain courses or states may also use JEE Main ranks based on specific guidelines.
Rank List in Institutes Not Participating in CSAB/JoSAA
Colleges and universities that do not take (take with a grain of salt idiom synonym) part in the Centralised Seat Allocation Process (like some private or state institutes) may prepare their own admission lists using JEE Main 2026 exam scores and their internal rules.
Your All India Rank (AIR) in JEE Main 2026 plays a key role in admission to most engineering programs in India. Keep track of tie-breaking rules and check the official NTA JEE Main Rank List 2026 updates regularly to stay informed.
FAQs on JEE Main Rank List 2026
Q: What is the JEE Main Rank List 2026?
The JEE Main Rank List 2026 is the official merit list released by NTA (National Testing Agency) in April 2026. It assigns All India Ranks (AIR) based on the highest JEE Main Percentile from two sessions. This rank list decides eligibility for NITs, IIITs, GFTIs, and the JEE Advanced 2026 exam.
Q: How can I see or download the JEE Main Rank List 2026?
To download the JEE Main 2026 Rank List, go to the official site (idiom site) jeemain.nta.nic.in. Click on the “JEE Main 2026 Rank List/Scorecard” link, enter your application number, date of birth, and security PIN. After logging in, you can check your rank and download the PDF for counselling. The rank list is usually released in April 2026.
Q: What information does the JEE Main 2026 Rank List include?
The JEE Main 2026 Rank List shows the candidate’s full name, roll number, application number, parent names, category, and subcategory. It also lists the All India Rank (AIR), category rank, subject-wise NTA scores (percentiles), total NTA score, and the JEE Main Cutoff 2026 for JEE Advanced eligibility.
Q: How is the JEE Main 2026 Rank List made if I appear in both sessions?
For the JEE Main 2026 exam, if a student appears in both sessions, NTA considers the higher of the two JEE Main Percentile scores to prepare the final rank list. The best overall score is used for ranking, while the lower score is ignored. The list then shows AIR and category-wise ranks using these best scores.
Q: Is the JEE Main Rank List 2026 needed for counselling?
Yes, the JEE Main Rank List 2026 is very important for counselling. It determines All India Rank (AIR) and category ranks for admission to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs through JoSAA. The ranking is based on normalized percentile scores, not raw marks, and is required for seat allocation.
Q: When will the JEE Main Rank List 2026 be out, and where can I check it?
The JEE Main 2026 Session 1 rank list was released by NTA on February 12, 2026. Candidates can check their rank on the official website (idioms website) — jeemain.nta.nic.in — by logging in with their application number and password.
Q: Is the JEE Main Rank List 2026 based on marks or percentile?
The JEE Main 2026 Rank List is based on JEE Main Percentile, not raw marks. The best percentile between the two sessions (January and April) is considered by NTA to determine AIR so that the ranking of the various shifts is fair.
Q: Is there a separate state-wise JEE Main Rank List?
No, there is no separate state-wise JEE Main Rank List for general seat allocation. NTA does not offer marks per subject ranking, but gives All India Rank (AIR) and category ranking. In case of counselling, a home state quota is applied, with half of NIT seats held by candidates of the state of their 12th exam.
Q: Does the JEE Main 2026 Rank List show category ranks too?
Yes, the JEE Main 2026 Rank List and scorecard show both All India Rank (AIR/CRL) and category ranks (Gen-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD). AIR is used in the general admission and category ranks are used in the reservation of seats.
Q: Are the JEE Main Rank List and merit list the same?
Yes, for JEE Main, the Common Rank List (CRL) and Merit List are mostly the same.
- Merit List (CRL): Complete list by NTA ranking all candidates using their best percentile, ignoring category.
- Rank List: Final ranking term, including CRL and category ranks, used for seat allocation.
Both show your position among all candidates and determine admission eligibility, with AIR assigned after normalization.
