Cracking a good percentile in JEE Mains is a big concern for all the engineering aspirants who are preparing for JEE Main. Although many students know the percentile they would require for their desired college. They have a vague idea of the marks that will be at a particular percentile. In JEE Mains exam, percentile does not equal marks. Marks for a certain percentile vary every year based on the difficulty of the paper and the overall performance of the students.
98 percentile In JEE Mains Marks 2026 is expected to be in the range of 140–150 marks. The exact number of marks may slightly vary based on the difficulty level of the paper, the total number of candidates taking the exam, and the general trend of the performance. However, in a major of the previous years, the candidates who have scored in this range have been in the 98 percentile. Therefore, a 98 percentile usually translates into being in the top 2% of all the examinees.
Also Read: Minimum JEE Main 2026 Marks Required to Qualify for JEE Advanced
Cracking high percentiles in JEE Main is the most crucial part for the engineering admissions for candidates. 98 Percentile In JEE Mains Marks 2026 shows an overall excellent performance in the exam. NTA releases the result in percentiles and not in raw marks for the students. The candidate can expect certain marks for a particular percentile based on the level of difficulty of the paper and the performance of the candidates.
The following table shows approximate marks needed for different percentile ranges. These are based on past trends and expert analysis. The marks given are out of 300 total. This helps understand what JEE Main score at 98 percentile means.
| Percentile | JEE Main Marks (Out of 300) |
|---|---|
| 99+ | 175+ |
| 98 - 98.9 | 147 - 174 |
| 90 - 97.8 | 79 - 146 |
| 85 - 90.1 | 62 - 78 |
| 70 - 84.9 | 41 - 61 |
| 67 - 70.2 | 1 - 42 |
Candidates should also aim for good scores in individual subjects. This contributes to a higher overall percentile. The tables below show expected marks for 98 percentile and above in each subject for JEE Main 2026.
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JEE Main 2026 Subject-Wise Marks for 98 Percentile and Above |
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|
JEE Main Percentile |
Physics Marks |
Chemistry Marks |
Mathematics Marks |
|
99.5+ Percentile |
87+ Marks |
71+ Marks |
60+ Marks |
|
99+ Percentile |
82 – 87 Marks |
65 – 71 Marks |
50 – 60 Marks |
|
98+ Percentile |
76 – 82 Marks |
58 – 65 Marks |
41 – 50 Marks |
Also Read: How Many Marks Required to Score 90 Percentile in JEE Main
The JEE Main result process follows specific rules. Understanding these rules helps predict scores and rank.
The NTA uses a normalization procedure to calculate percentile scores. This process accounts for variations in question paper difficulty across different exam shifts. The raw marks are transformed into an NTA score, which is the percentile. This ensures fairness among all candidates.
The percentile indicates the percentage of candidates who scored equal to or below a particular score. For example, a 98 percentile means 98% of candidates scored less than or equal to that score. A higher percentile means better performance relative to other test-takers. This method determines the JEE Main rank at 98 percentile.
The marks required for a specific percentile can change each year. This depends on factors like the exam's difficulty and the total number of students appearing. Therefore, the provided marks are expected ranges. Candidates should aim for the higher end of these ranges.