JEE Main 2026 Cutoff Explained : The National Testing Agency releases the JEE Main cutoff every year along with the result. After appearing for JEE Main 2026, many students are curious to know what the cutoff will be and whether they will qualify for JEE Advanced or counselling.
The cutoff needs to be understood because it determines who can proceed to the next phase and who has a chance to get admitted into leading engineering institutes.
What is JEE Main Cutoff
The JEE Main cutoff establishes the least required performance level through which candidates can pass the examination. It is released category wise for:
• General
• OBC NCL
• EWS
• SC
• ST
• PwD
A candidate can qualify for JEE Advanced by achieving the qualifying cutoff score. The admission process to NITs IIITs and other institutes requires candidates to meet particular rank requirements and follow the established counselling cutoff.
Expected JEE Main 2026 Cutoff
The official cutoff for 2026 will be announced after the results but previous year data suggest that the expected qualifying percentile will range between:
• General category around 93 to 95 percentile
• OBC NCL around 79 to 82 percentile
• EWS around 80 to 82 percentile
• SC around 60 to 63 percentile
• ST around 47 to 50 percentile
The expected values will change according to two factors which are the exam difficulty and the total number of candidates who take the test.
Previous Year Cutoff Trend
Studying past years enables people to comprehend the pattern. The general category cutoff reached 90 percentile in every year after the year 2000. The reserved category cutoffs showed a lower value which followed the government established rules.
The competition in JEE Main increases every year because lakhs of students appear for the exam.
How Cutoff is Calculated
The JEE Main cutoff establishes its requirements through percentile scores instead of raw mark scores. The NTA applies a normalisation process because the exam takes place in various shifts. This system guarantees equal competition among candidates who participated in separate shifts with different levels of exam difficulty.
Percentile shows how well a student performed in comparison to other students.
Factors Affecting Cutoff
The cutoff for each year is determined by the following three factors:
• Total number of candidates
• Difficulty level of the exam
• Overall performance of students
• Number of seats available
Exam difficulty increases the likelihood of a lower cutoff. The cutoff will rise when more students attain high test results.
Difference Between Qualifying and Admission Cutoff
The two cutoff types include:
• Qualifying cutoff for JEE Advanced
• Admission cutoff during JoSAA counselling
The qualifying cutoff permits candidates to take JEE Advanced testing. The admission cutoff requires candidates to meet specific criteria which include their rank and branch selection along with their category status and the number of available seats.
What Students Should Aim For
Students should aim higher than the expected cutoff to secure better rank and college options. The chance to enter strong NITs and IIITs increases when students achieve results above the 95 percentile mark.
The JEE Main cutoff establishes the basic entry standard but achieving a higher percentile will increase your chances to get accepted into schools. Candidates should focus on strong preparation and aim for maximum score rather than just clearing the cutoff.