As the JEE Main 2026 Session 2 exams were conducted from April 2 to April 8, 2026, candidates across India appeared for both Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) and Paper 2 (B.Arch/B.Planning) to secure a competitive rank. The Session 2 result is expected to be released on April 20, 2026, making it an important time for aspirants to assess their performance.
Understanding the passing marks is crucial, as JEE Main follows a category-wise qualifying percentile system instead of fixed marks. The required score varies based on exam difficulty, number of candidates, and category. Knowing the expected cutoffs helps students set realistic goals and plan for JEE Advanced or admissions into NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs effectively.
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The passing marks in JEE Main are not fixed. They depend on the exam level and category. The passing marks for general category in JEE Main 2026 are expected to be similar to last year, but final cutoff will come only after the exam. The Passing Marks of JEE Main Category wise also differ because each category has separate qualifying scores. Students must understand category-wise trends to know what score is safe.
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The NTA declares the official cutoff only after the exam, but historical trends suggest:
General category: 90–93 percentile
OBC-NCL / EWS: 78–82 percentile
SC: 60–65 percentile
ST: 45–50 percentile
Note: Percentile, not raw marks, is used to determine eligibility for JEE Advanced and JoSAA counselling. Raw marks corresponding to these percentiles can vary by session due to normalization.
Last year’s cutoff helps understand the expected JEE Main Passing Marks Year wise. Below is the previous year passing marks:
| Passing Marks in JEE Mains 2026 | |
| Category | JEE Main Cutoff 2026 |
| General | 93.10 |
| Persons with Disability | 0.00 |
| EWS | 80.38 |
| OBC-NCL | 79.43 |
| SC | 61.15 |
| ST | 47.90 |
These marks show how different categories have different passing marks. It also shows how performance of students affects cutoff.
The passing marks for general category in JEE Main 2026 session 2 would be expected to be closer to the past years’ cutoff. The JEE Main cutoff for general category usually remains above 85 percentile. The students who are aiming to get seats in NIT or IIIT should be going for a score more than the cutoff. The JEE Main 2026 Passing Marks for the general category helps in giving students an idea of the minimum qualifying score needed for JEE Advanced.
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The table below indicates the Passing Marks of JEE Main Category wise from previous years. It also helps in keeping track of the JEE Main Passing Marks Year wise.
|
Passing Marks of JEE Main Category-wise |
||
|
Category |
Year |
Marks |
|
General |
2025 |
93.10 |
|
General |
2024 |
93.24 |
|
General |
2023 |
90.78 |
|
General |
2022 |
88.41 |
|
General |
2021 |
87.90 |
|
EWS |
2025 |
80.38 |
|
EWS |
2024 |
81.33 |
|
EWS |
2023 |
75.62 |
|
EWS |
2022 |
63.11 |
|
EWS |
2021 |
66.22 |
|
OBC-NCL |
2025 |
79.43 |
|
OBC-NCL |
2024 |
79.68 |
|
OBC-NCL |
2023 |
73.61 |
|
OBC-NCL |
2022 |
67.01 |
|
OBC-NCL |
2021 |
68.02 |
|
SC |
2025 |
61.15 |
|
SC |
2024 |
60.09 |
These scores show why students should understand category-wise cutoffs. It helps in setting goals for JEE Main Passing Marks 2026.
Many reasons decide the final cutoff. The factors affecting passing marks in JEE Mains include exam difficulty, number of candidates, seat availability and performance trend. When the paper is tough, the cutoff becomes lower. When more students score high, the cutoff increases. So, students should aim for a higher score and not depend only on cutoffs.