Quick Summary: This blog details the JEE Main 2026 cutoff with category wise qualifying percentiles, safe marks and exam dates. General category cutoff is expected around 93.5-95 percentile (280-300 marks), EWS – 80-82, OBC – 79-81, SC – 61–63 and ST – 47–50. The Session 1 exam will take (take with a grain of salt idiom synonym) place on January 21–30, 2026, and the Session 2 test from April 1–10, 2026. We have also provided percentile vs marks prediction, cutoff influencing factors and safe scores for NIT & IIIT admissions – covering everything that you ever need to plan smart for JEE Main 2026!
JEE Main Cut Off 2026 is very important for the candidates who wish to apply for admission in NITs, IIITs and a few other top engineering colleges in India. Knowing the expected category-wise qualifying marks and percentile help students in setting up realistic targets and preparing for the examination accordingly. The official cutoffs will be declared after the exam, but looking at past trends gives a good indicator of marks needed.
As per the JEE Main cutoff 2026 prediction, the General category expected cut-off could vary between the 93.5–95 percentile, and a safe score would be around 280–300. The expected category-wise cutoffs vary, and are like SC: 61-63, ST: 47.5-50. The National Testing Agency will release the official cutoff scores for JEE Main 2026 after the results on jeemain.nta.nic.in.
Aspirants can also check the expected JEE Main 2026 expected Cutoff, JEE Main 2026 Category-Wise Cutoff Scores, marks vs percentile prediction and have a glance at city-wise factors responsible for cutoffs. This data aids in plan preparation and aims for the top engineering colleges with better chances.
Read More:
JEE Main 2026 Important Dates
Below is the expected timetable for JEE Main 2026 in an easy table:
| Events / Activities | Session 2 (April 2026) | Session 1 (January 2026) |
| Availability of Online Application Form | Last week of January 2026 Onwards | 31 October 2025 to 27 November 2025 |
| Correction Window for Application Form | February 2026 | 01 December to 02 December 2025 |
| Admit Card Release Date | 3 days prior to exam | 3 days prior to exam |
| Examination Schedule | Between 02 April 2026 to 09 April 2026 (Tentative) | Between 21 to 30 January 2026 |
| Publication of Provisional Answer Key, OMR & Response Sheet | April 2026 | February 2026 |
| Announcement of Final Answer Key | April 2026 | February 2026 |
| Result and Cut-off Declaration | By 20 April, 2026 (Tentative) | By 12 February 2026 (Tentative) |
| Counselling & Admission Procedure | July–August 2026 | July–August 2026 |
Check Out: JEE Main Passing Marks 2025
What is JEE Main Cut-Off?
The JEE Main 2026 Cutoff is the minimum marks or percentile that a candidate requires to qualify the examination and leads them to be eligible for the next stage pursuit, like JEE Advanced or admission into an engineering institution through JoSAA counselling. The expected category-wise qualifying marks vary every year depending on the level of examination, vacancies and the numerical strength of participation.
JEE Main 2026 Cutoff Prediction Overview
The JEE 2026 Cutoff is the minimum percentile set by NTA that candidates need to secure in order to get admission in NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. The admission will be calculated depending on JoSAA opening and closing ranks, which are made necessary based on the scores, seats and category. The expected JEE Main 2026 Cutoff Scores are based on the number of students who wrote the exam, examination difficulty, and available seats in colleges.
Above these expected cutoffs for JEE Main 2026, chances of getting a seat in top engineering colleges are high. The possibility to excel in all subjects and score safe marks could boost the chances of admission.
The following is the pattern of the JEE Main Exam over the past years:
|
JEE Main Previous Year Paper Review |
|
| Aspect | Details |
| Paper Difficulty | The overall paper was of a moderate level. Mathematics was found to be lengthy, Physics had more concept-based questions, while Chemistry was considered the most scoring section. |
| Variation Between Shifts | The level of questions varied slightly in each shift. A few shifts had tougher Maths sections or numerical-heavy Physics papers. |
| Category-Wise Qualifying Marks (2025) |
|
Note: Candidates should check the official NTA website (idioms website) for the latest updates on JEE Main Cut-Off 2026 trends.
Check Out: Minimum JEE Main Marks Required to Qualify for JEE Advanced 2026
Expected JEE Main 2026 Cutoff Scores
Knowing the JEE Main 2026 expected Cutoff and comparing it with previous results helps students plan better for the exam. Based on earlier years’ trends, the expected cutoffs for JEE Main 2026 are as follows:
|
JEE Main 2026 – Tentative Category-wise Cutoff Percentile |
|
| Category Type | Approx. Percentile Range (Expected) |
| ST (Scheduled Tribe) | 47.5 – 50.0 |
| OBC–NCL | 79.0 – 81.0 |
| UR – PwD | 0.001 – 0.02 |
| General (Unreserved) | 93.5 – 95.0 |
| SC (Scheduled Caste) | 61.0 – 63.0 |
| EWS (Economically Weaker Section) | 80.0 – 82.0 |
Note: These are merely estimates of the past trends. The official JEE Main 2026 Cutoff will be announced by NTA after the results are declared.
JEE Main 2025 Cutoff Scores
Researching on the JEE Main 2025 Cutoff Scores enables the students to have a fair idea of how 2026 will be like. Comparison of past results also allows the candidates to know the marks and the percentile ranges required in various classes. Each category has different cutoffs with regard to the number of seats and competition.
|
NEET Cutoff Percentile Category-wise |
|
| Category Type | Qualifying Percentile |
| ST (Scheduled Tribe) | 47.9026465 |
| OBC-NCL (Other Backward Class) | 79.4313582 |
| PwD (Persons with Disabilities) | 0.0079349 |
| EWS (Economically Weaker Section) | 80.3830119 |
| SC (Scheduled Caste) | 61.1526933 |
| UR / General | 93.1023262 |
Note: These percentiles demonstrate the lowest mark to be reached in order to participate in the JEE Advanced 2025 test. Applicants with a score above these levels will proceed to the second step of the selection process.
JEE 2026 Cutoff for NIT Admission
Getting admission to NITs depends on the opening and closing ranks released through the JoSAA counselling. Ranks change every year based on seat availability, the number of applicants, and exam difficulty. To find more specific details about the changes in opening and closing ranks to join NIT in 2025, the applicant may consult the official sources.
JEE Main 2026 Category-Wise Cutoff Scores
Knowing the JEE Main 2026 Category-Wise Cutoff Scores helps students set their targets for each category. Learning the expected category-wise qualifying marks for 2026 can guide preparation. Below are the expected cutoffs for JEE Main 2026 for reference:
|
JEE Main 2026 Category-Wise Cutoff Scores (expected) |
|
| Category Type | Range of Expected Percentile |
| OBC–NCL | 79.0 – 81.0 |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 47.5 – 50.0 |
| Unreserved – PwD | 0.001 – 0.02 |
| General Category | 93.5 – 95.0 |
| Economically Weaker Section (EWS) | 80.0 – 82.0 |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 61.0 – 63.0 |
Note: These are estimated percentiles ranges. The category-wise cutoffs are based on trends from previous years.
JEE 2026 Percentile vs Marks Prediction
Percentiles demonstrate the compared performance of a student with the rest. The marks can be different based on the difficulty of the test and general performance of all the candidates. Understanding this link helps students estimate which scores are likely to meet the JEE 2026 Cutoff.
|
JEE 2026 Percentile vs Marks Prediction (Approx.) |
|
| Expected Marks (Approx.) | Likely Percentile Bracket |
| 270 – 300 | 95 – 100 Percentile |
| 240 – 269 | 90 – 94 Percentile |
| 210 – 239 | 85 – 89 Percentile |
| 180 – 209 | 80 – 84 Percentile |
| 150 – 179 | 75 – 79 Percentile |
Note: These are marks that are forward-looking and past years. They may slightly change in 2026.
Check Out: JEE Main 2026 Marks vs Rank vs Percentile
Expected Safe Marks for JEE Main 2026 Cutoff
To improve chances of getting admission in top colleges, students should aim to score above the cutoff scores for JEE Main 2026. These better marks offer an improved opportunity despite the possibility that there might be a slight increase in the real cutoffs.
|
JEE Main 2026 – Expected Safe Score Range (Category-wise) |
|
| Candidate Category | Approx. Safe Score Range (Out of 300) |
| ST (Scheduled Tribe) | 160 – 180 |
| EWS (Economically Weaker Section) | 240 – 260 |
| General / Unreserved | 280 – 300 |
| PwD (Unreserved) | 10 – 30 |
| OBC – NCL | 230 – 250 |
| SC (Scheduled Caste) | 190 – 210 |
Note: These are the proposed safe marks to maximize the chances of an admission.
Factors Affecting JEE Main 2026 Category-Wise Cutoff Scores
Candidates must understand that several factors influence JEE Main Cut-Off 2026. In some instances, cutoff may be influenced by the number of students that attend the exam. Other important factors that impact JEE Main 2026 Cutoff are:
- Level of Difficulty of the Exam: If the paper is tougher, the cutoff scores for JEE Main 2026 may be lower, while an easier paper can push the cutoffs higher.
- Number of Test-Takers: More students appearing for the exam makes it more competitive, which can increase the JEE 2026 Cutoff.
- Seat Availability: In participating institutions, low number of seats may result into an increase in qualifying marks.
- Performance of Candidates: The general performance during a given year is significant. When a majority of the candidates perform well with high marks, the qualifying marks with respect to categories also increase.
- Government Reservation Policies: Reservation rules for various categories directly affect the JEE Main 2026 Category-Wise Cutoff Scores. The general rules of category include higher qualification marks so that the categories are not overrepresented.
- Historical Trends: Previous years’ cutoff data, like JEE Main 2025 Cutoff Scores, can provide an idea of trends, but they don’t guarantee exact future expected cutoffs for JEE Main 2026.
JEE Mains Difficulty Level – Past Year’s Analysis (2023–2025)
Between 2023 and 2025, JEE Main papers were generally of moderate level. Maths questions can be very time-consuming because of their length. Physics is conceptual and can be tested fairly well with practice. Chemistry is predominantly simpler to score; most of the questions are from NCERT. This trend was clearly observed in session 1 of the recent JEE Mains.
Here’s a quick glance at the year-wise difficulty level trend for reference:
|
JEE Main Paper Analysis (2021–2025) |
||
| Year | Key Highlights | Overall Difficulty |
| 2025 | Compared to the 2024 session, the second session was found to be a bit more difficult. | Moderate |
| 2024 | Concept-based Physics and lengthy questions made the exam slightly tougher than usual. | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2023 | Chemistry offered good scoring chances, while Maths had time-consuming questions. | Moderate |
| 2022 | Physics section turned out to be lengthy and quite challenging for many students. | Tough |
| 2021 | Paper was well-balanced with most questions picked directly from NCERT concepts. | Moderate |
JEE Main 2026 Exam Predictions
Many students wonder whether JEE Main 2026 will be tougher than the previous year. It is hard to give a definite answer because the exam’s difficulty depends on several factors, including:
- Changes in JEE Main exam pattern or syllabus
- Differences in difficulty across shifts
- Questions being more conceptual or formula-based
- The number of aspirants taking the exam
Based on JEE Main 2024–2025 analysis and JEE Main 2026 cutoff prediction, the paper is likely to remain balanced between Maths, Physics, and Chemistry. Maths should be not long, Physics will be concept-based questions, some numerical and Chemistry will be NCERT based and scoring. Aspirants can use this insight to anticipate Expected JEE Main 2026 Cutoff Scores and expected category-wise qualifying marks.
FAQs on Expected JEE Main 2026 cutoff
Q: When will the JEE Main Cut-Off 2026 be announced?
The JEE Main 2026 Cutoff will be published by the National Testing Agency (NTA) in February 2026, after the conclusion of Session 1 exams. This cutoff is meant to determine eligibility for the JEE Advanced exam. The result for the January session will be declared in February 2026. This will not contain the official qualifying marks JEE Advanced.
Q: How can students check the JEE Main 2026 cutoff?
Candidates can view the cutoff scores for JEE Main 2026 by visiting the official websites of the exams. Separate notifications will be available for JEE Main and JEE Advanced. There are two cutoffs to keep in mind: the qualifying cutoff to appear for JEE Advanced and the admission cutoff for counseling and seat allocation in colleges.
Q: Is the cutoff the same for all NITs?
No, the cutoff is different for each National Institute of Technology (NIT). Each NIT has an admission cutoff depending on its number of seats, level of difficulty, and performance of students published by the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA).
Q: How can candidates increase their chances of getting into top NITs?
In order to gain admission at the best NITs, students are required to have a high percentile in JEE Main 2026. This will only be achieved by having a clear comprehension of concepts, practicing frequently and managing time (race against time phrase meaning) appropriately as one prepares to take the exam.
Q: Are there any changes in reservation policies for 2026?
As of October 2025, no major updates have been announced regarding reservation policies for JEE 2026 Cutoff. The seating arrangement is likely to be similar to the past years and the Government of India instructions.
Q: When will JEE Main 2026 Session 1 and Session 2 exams take place?
The NTA has released the exam schedule for JEE Main 2026 (Tentative):
- Session 1: January 21 to January 30, 2026
- Session 2: April 2 to April 9, 2026
Q: What are the registration dates for JEE Main 2026?
JEE Main 2026 will be conducted in two sessions. The application process for Session 1 started from 31 October 2025 and will continue till 27 November 2025. The registration for Session 2 is expected to begin in late January 2026, after the Session 1 results are announced. Students are advised to keep checking the official website for exact dates and updates.
Q: What is the expected qualifying percentile for General, OBC, SC, and ST in JEE Main 2026?
The qualifying percentile is predicted to be about 93.5 to 95 in the General category, 79 to 81 in the OBC-NCL category, 61 to 63 in the SC, and 47.5 to 50 in the ST candidates. Such projections are developed on the basis of the past trends and official cutoff will be announced by NTA once results of the 2026 examination release.
