JEE Main 2026 Qualifying CutOff for JEE Advanced (Category-Wise Percentile)
JEE Main 2026 Qualifying CutOff for JEE Advanced is important for the students who have appeared in the JEE Main. The qualifying cutoff for JEE Advanced provided to the students after the official JEE Main result announcement on the official NTA website.
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The JEE Main 2026 result is important for every student aspiring to join an engineering college in India. After the results come out, the main thing to look for is the "Qualifying Cutoff." I is a score that tells a student if they are eligible to take the next big exam, which is JEE Advanced.
It is important to know that this qualifying cutoff is different from the cutoff needed to get into an NIT. This score only checks if the student is among the top 2.5 lakh candidates in India. These top students are the ones allowed to try for a seat in the IITs.
Expected JEE Main 2026 Qualifying Cutoff (Category-Wise)
Expected JEE Main 2026 Qualifying Cutoff (Category-Wise) changes for every category because of the reservation rules.
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Expected JEE Main 2026 Qualifying Cutoff (Category-Wise) |
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|
Category |
Expected Percentile |
|
General (UR) |
93.5 – 95.0 |
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EWS |
81.5 – 83.5 |
|
OBC-NCL |
80.0 – 82.0 |
|
SC |
62.0 – 65.0 |
|
ST |
48.0 – 51.0 |
|
PwD |
0.001 – 0.010 |
Previous Year JEE Main Qualifying Cutoff Trends
Students can check the previous year JEE Main qualifying cutoff trends to know the category-wise cutoff marks and competition level.
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Previous Year JEE Main Qualifying Cutoff Trends |
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Category |
2025 Cutoff |
2024 Cutoff |
2023 Cutoff |
|
General |
93.10 |
93.23 |
90.77 |
|
EWS |
80.38 |
81.32 |
75.62 |
|
OBC-NCL |
79.43 |
79.67 |
73.61 |
|
SC |
61.15 |
60.09 |
51.97 |
|
ST |
47.90 |
46.69 |
37.23 |
How is JEE Advanced Eligibility Decided?
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Percentile Score: The student must score equal to or more than the official cutoff percentile for their category.
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Top 2.5 Lakh Rule: Only the top 2,50,000 students from all categories combined are picked.
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Category Reservation: Out of these 2.5 lakh seats, fixed numbers are given to OBC, SC, ST, and EWS students.
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Aggregate Performance: The final list is made using the best NTA score of the student from either Session 1 or Session 2.
Difference Between Qualifying Cutoff and Admission Cutoff
Students need to understand the qualifying cutoff and admission cutoff for the JEE Advanced examination.
|
Type |
What it Means for the Student |
|
Qualifying Cutoff |
Qualifying Cutoff makes the student eligible to register for the JEE Advanced exam (for IITs). |
|
Admission Cutoff |
Admission Cutoff is a "Closing Rank" that decides if the student gets a seat in NITs, IIITs, or GFTIs. |
What If Your Percentile Is Close to the Cutoff?
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Wait for the Official List: The NTA releases the final cutoff only after Session 2 results. Do not lose hope early.
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Check Category Rank: Sometimes the All India Rank is high, but the category rank helps the student qualify.
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Download the Scorecard: Keep a copy of the final result safe, as it is needed to prove you are eligible for the next exam.
What After Qualifying For JEE Advanced?
Candidates need to complete the registration for the JEE Advanced exam.
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Registration: Visit the official JEE Advanced website to fill out the form.
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Fee Payment: Pay the exam fee online.
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Admit Card: Download the hall ticket when it is released.
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Exam: Sit for Paper 1 and Paper 2 on the exam day.
JEE Main 2026 Qualifying CutOff FAQs
What is the JEE Main 2026 qualifying cutoff?
Is 90 percentile enough for JEE Advanced?
How many students qualify for JEE Advanced?
Does the cutoff change every year?
Is the cutoff the same for Session 1 and Session 2?
