Quick Summary: To be eligible for the JEE Advanced 2026 rank lists, SC and ST candidates must score at least 46 aggregate marks and 4 marks in each subject. While the qualifying cutoff is the minimum requirement, the actual marks required for an IIT seat vary year to year depending on category rank, seat availability, branch preference, and JoSAA counselling trends. This guide discusses cutoff trends, admission analysis, eligibility criteria, and other important information for SC/ST aspirants seeking IIT admission.
JEE Advanced 2026 Minimum Marks to Get IIT for SC/ST Category: According to the official JEE Advanced 2026 cutoff published by IIT Roorkee, SC and ST category candidates must score a minimum of 46 aggregate marks out of 360 and at least 4 marks in each subject to be included in their respective rank lists. Candidates who achieve these subject-specific and aggregate qualifying marks are eligible for ranking and can participate in the IIT admissions process via JoSAA counselling.
Candidates belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) categories can check here the minimum marks required in JEE Advanced 2026 for inclusion in the respective rank lists and to improve their chances of securing an IIT seat. As per the official cutoff released by IIT Roorkee, SC and ST candidates must secure a minimum of 4 marks in each subject and 46 aggregate marks out of 360 to qualify for their respective rank lists. However, admission to an IIT depends not only on qualifying marks but also on factors such as category rank, seat availability, branch preference, and JoSAA counselling trends.
Based on previous years’ admission data, SC and ST candidates who score above the qualifying cutoff generally have a better chance of securing admission to IITs. The minimum marks required for an IIT seat vary every year depending on the difficulty level of the examination, the number of qualified candidates, and the availability of seats across different IITs and branches.
This article provides a detailed analysis of the minimum JEE Advanced marks required for SC and ST category candidates to get an IIT seat, along with previous years’ cutoff trends and rank data to help students understand their admission prospects better.
Read More:
- Minimum Marks in JEE Advanced 2026 to Get an IIT for the General Category
- Strategy to Score 250+ in JEE Main 2026 Exam Preparation and Tips
Minimum Marks Required in JEE Advanced for IIT 2026
For JEE Advanced 2026, candidates belonging to the SC and ST categories must secure a minimum of 46 aggregate marks out of 360, along with at least 4 marks in each subject, to be included in their respective rank lists. These qualifying marks have been officially released by IIT Roorkee and determine eligibility for ranking and participation in the IIT admission process through JoSAA counselling.
| Category | Total Marks | Minimum Marks in Each Subject | Minimum Aggregate Marks | Aggregate Percentage |
| SC | 360 | 4 | 46 | 12.78% |
| ST | 360 | 4 | 46 | 12.78% |
| SC-PwD | 360 | 4 | 46 | 12.78% |
| ST-PwD | 360 | 4 | 46 | 12.78% |
JEE Advanced Minimum Marks and Last Rank for SC/ST Candidates to Get an IIT (2020 – 2026)
Below are the details of the minimum marks in JEE Advanced needed by the SC/ST category candidates to get an IIT. The table also shows the last rank for SC and ST candidates admitted to IITs from 2020 to 2026. This information helps students understand the minimum marks needed in JEE Advanced for SC and ST category candidates to get an IIT seat and prepare with a clear idea of the cutoffs.
| Year | Category | JEE Advanced Last Rank and Marks – Female Only (Including Supernumerary) | JEE Advanced Last Rank and Marks – Gender Neutral |
| 2026 | SC / ST | Data will be updated soon | Data will be updated soon |
| 2025 | SC | Rank: 4793 | Marks: 42–43 | Rank: 4170 | Marks: 45–46 |
| ST | Rank: 2134 | Marks: 37 | Rank: 1766 | Marks: 40–41 | |
| 2024 | SC | Rank: 4991 | Marks: 57–58 | Rank: 4321 | Marks: 52–61 |
| ST | Rank: 1802 | Marks: 54 | Rank: 1755 | Marks: 54–55 | |
| 2023 | SC | Rank: 4828 | Marks: 43–44 | Rank: 4250 | Marks: 47 |
| ST | Rank: 1644 | Marks: 43 | Rank: 1592 | Marks: 43–45 | |
| 2022 | SC | Rank: 4348 | Marks: 28 | Rank: 3316 | Marks: 34–35 |
| ST | Rank: 1554 | Marks: 28 | Rank: 1502 | Marks: 28 | |
| 2021 | SC | Rank: 3379 | Marks: 31 | Rank: 3327 | Marks: 31 |
| ST | Rank: 1023 | Marks: 31 | Rank: 1032 | Marks: 31 | |
| 2020 | SC | Rank: 3408 | Marks: 34 | Rank: 3302 | Marks: 34 |
| ST | Rank: 978 | Marks: 34–35 | Rank: 977 | Marks: 34–35 |
Check Out: What is a Good NTA Score in JEE Main 2026?
JEE Advanced 2026 Minimum Marks Needed to Qualify for SC and ST Candidates
Along with the JEE Advanced rank to get an IIT seat for the SC and ST categories, candidates must also meet the JEE Advanced 2026 minimum marks needed to qualify for SC and ST candidates. Scoring the minimum marks in the JEE Advanced exam is essential to be included in the rank list and become eligible for seat allotment. This is the first step before JoSAA counselling. Check below the minimum marks required in JEE Advanced for IIT 2026 and qualifying percentage trends for SC/ST candidates over the years:
| Year | Rank List Category | Overall Aggregate Minimum (%) | Minimum Marks per Subject (%) |
| 2026 | SC Rank List | 12.78% | 3.65% |
| ST Rank List | 12.78% | 3.65% | |
| 2025 | SC Rank List | 10.28% | 2.92% |
| ST Rank List | 10.28% | 2.92% | |
| 2024 | SC Rank List | 15.17% | 4.34% |
| ST Rank List | 15.17% | 4.34% | |
| 2023 | SC Rank List | 11.95% | 3.42% |
| ST Rank List | 11.95% | 3.42% | |
| 2022 | SC Rank List | 7.78% | 2.20% |
| ST Rank List | 7.78% | 2.20% | |
| 2021 | SC Rank List | 8.75% | 2.50% |
| ST Rank List | 8.75% | 2.50% | |
| 2020 | SC Rank List | 8.75% | 2.50% |
| ST Rank List | 8.75% | 2.50% |
Check Out: JEE Advanced Eligibility Criteria 2026
IIT Admission Criteria After Qualifying JEE Advanced for SC and ST Category Candidates
After achieving the JEE Advanced minimum marks for SC/ST candidates to get an IIT, applicants must also meet additional requirements to confirm their admission through JoSAA counselling. The major conditions are as follows:
- 12th Board Examination Requirements
- Based on percentage: Candidates under SC/ST categories should obtain a minimum of 65% aggregate marks in Class XII or equivalent exam.
- Top 20 Percentile: Even if they do not fulfil the criteria of 65%, students can still be eligible by being in the top 20th percentile in their respective boards.
- JEE Advanced Qualification
- Top 2,50,000 Candidates: Aspirants must be among the top 2,50,000 qualifiers of JEE Main to appear for JEE Advanced.
- Cut-off Marks: The candidates need to score above or the same as the minimum marks required in JEE Advanced 2026 for getting an IIT seat (it is different every year).
- JoSAA Counselling
- Seat Allotment: The candidates who satisfy the above eligibility criteria and the minimum marks in JEE Advanced needed by the SC/ST category candidates to get an IIT are eligible to register for seat allocation in JoSAA Counselling.
- Reservation Policy: IIT admission will be based on the reserved seat quota for SC/ST candidates as per government norms.
- Age and Attempt Limits
- Age Relaxation: A relaxation of five years is provided to SC/ST candidates, meaning for JEE Advanced 2026, they should be born on or after October 1, 1996.
- Attempt Limit: A Maximum of two consecutive attempts is allowed for each candidate in their lifetime.
Factors Affecting JEE Mains to Qualify for JEE Advanced 2026
To participate in JEE Advanced 2026, candidates have to score a minimum qualifying mark in JEE Mains. These scores don’t remain constant and are revised every year under various conditions. Applicants ought to target higher scores as an attempt to increase their chances of getting admission into one of the top IITs.
Students in their JEE Advanced preparation must know the important parameters to determine the qualifying marks and selection for JEE Advanced:
- Number of Applicants: The more the number of candidates, the higher the competition and qualifying marks are usually affected by this factor as well.
- Exam Difficulty Level: If the paper is tough, then the cut-off will be low; if the paper is easy, the cut-off will be high.
- Previous Year Cutoff Trends: If you check previous years’ cutoffs, then you will get reasons to believe what the minimum marks in the JEE Advanced exam can be this year.
- Seat Availability: As IITs have a smaller number of seats, the competition is tougher, notably for SC and ST category candidates, which may affect the cut-off marks.
- Overall Student Performance: The average mark of all students is also a big factor that decides how many minimum marks are required in JEE Advanced for SC and ST category candidates to get an IIT seat.
In Summary, JEE Advanced 2026 Minimum Marks to Get IIT for SC/ST Category would depend on the following factors, including the total no of students appeared in the exam and the level of difficulty of the paper. Hence, all the candidates, especially SC/ST category ones, should attempt to obtain minimum marks required in JEE Advanced for IIT 2026 as per their convenience and at least more than those prescribed marks, such that the rank will improve in JEE Advanced for the SC category or for ST.
Author: Saumya Sarin
Content Team: Motion Academic Team
Reviewed by: Senior JEE Faculty – Motion Education
Last Updated: June 2026
FAQs on Minimum Marks in JEE Advanced to Get IIT for SC/ST Categories
Q: How can I find out if I’m eligible for the JEE Advanced exam?
You can quickly verify the eligibility criteria for the JEE Advanced exam by browsing to its official website (idioms website) – jeeadv.ac.in. Read the detailed rules and conditions carefully to check you are eligible before filling out the form.
Q: If I appeared for JEE Advanced 2025, can I take (take with a grain of salt idiom synonym) JEE Advanced 2026 as well?
Not really, Students are allowed only twice in two consecutive years in the JEE Advanced examination. So, if you already took it in 2025, you can’t take it again in 2026. But, suppose you appeared for Class 12 for the first time (race against time phrase meaning) in 2025, then your first attempt would be in 2025, and again you can appear in JEE Advanced 2026 as a second attempt.
Q: What are the minimum marks required in JEE Main to qualify for JEE Advanced?
You have to clear the minimum qualifying marks in JEE Main to be eligible to appear in JEE Advanced. Generally, students can seek a seat against the Common Rank List (CRL) at somewhere around the 93rd percentile and below it is for OBC-NCL, EWS, SC and ST candidates. For instance, if we talk about SC category students, their cutoff generally remains between the 60th percentile. These cut-off scores specify whether or not applicants may apply for JEE Advanced 2026.
Q: Which IITs can I get with an AIR between 10,000 and 30,000 in JEE Advanced?
If your JEE Advanced rank is from 10,000 to 30,000, you may get admission in newer IITs like IIIT Bhilai, IIT Goa, IIT Dharwad, IIT Jammu, IIT Jodhpur, IIT Mandi, and IIT Palakkad. Other than these, you can also try at IIT Patna, IIT Bhubaneswar, IIT Indore or IIT Tirupati based on JEE Advanced rank to get a seat in an IIT for the SC category and ST category.
Q: What is the age limit for applying to JEE Advanced 2026?
Candidates belonging to the General category should have been born on or after October 1, 2001, for JEE Advanced 2026. There’s a five-year relaxation for SC, ST and PwD candidates, that is, they are eligible if aspirants were born on or after October 1, 1996.
Q: Where can I find details about the minimum marks for SC and ST category candidates in JEE Advanced?
The minimum marks needed in JEE Advanced 2026 to get an IIT seat for SC and ST category candidates can be found on the official website of JEE Advanced (jeeadv.ac.in). Every Year, the cut-off and qualifying marks category-wise show the JEE Advanced 2026 Minimum Marks to Get IIT for SC/ST Category, and the minimum marks in JEE Advanced needed by the SC/ST category candidates to get an IIT seat.
