JEE Main 2026 Passing Marks: Category-wise Expected Cutoff & Trends
The JEE Main 2026 passing marks are the minimum percentile needed to qualify for JEE Advanced. Expect a 93+ percentile for General and ~80 for OBC/EWS. Admission to top NITs requires much higher scores (180+ marks). Your target depends on paper difficulty and the 14+ lakh applicants.
Are you aiming for the JEE Main 2026? Understanding the "passing marks" is the first step toward securing a seat in India's premier engineering institutes like NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. While the NTA (National Testing Agency) does not set a fixed "passing mark" out of 300, the qualifying percentile determines your eligibility for JEE Advanced and college admissions.
In this guide, we break down the expected JEE Main 2026 passing marks, historical trends, and the factors that will decide your fate this year.
What are the Passing Marks for JEE Main 2026?
The "passing marks" are essentially the NTA Cutoff Percentile. Meeting this score is mandatory for two reasons:
-
To qualify for JEE Advanced: Only the top 2,50,000 candidates move to the next stage.
-
For NIT/IIIT Admissions: Your score must be high enough to meet the opening and closing ranks of the JoSAA counseling.
Expected JEE Main 2026 Cutoff (Category-wise)
Based on the difficulty levels of previous years, here is the projected qualifying percentile to sit for JEE Advanced 2026:
| Expected JEE Main 2026 Cutoff (Category-wise) | ||
| Category | Expected 2026 Cutoff (Percentile) | 2025 Actual Cutoff |
| General (UR) | 93.20 - 94.00 | 93.10 |
| EWS | 80.50 - 81.50 | 80.38 |
| OBC-NCL | 79.50 - 80.50 | 79.43 |
| SC | 61.00 - 63.00 | 61.15 |
| ST | 47.00 - 49.00 | 47.90 |
| PwD | 0.001 - 0.05 | 0.00 |
Pro Tip: To get into a top-tier NIT (like Trichy or Warangal) with a Computer Science branch, a General category student should aim for a 99+ percentile, which usually translates to 180–210+ marks out of 300.
Year-wise JEE Main Passing Marks Trend (2021-2025)
Analyzing historical data helps in setting a realistic target score. Notice how the cutoff for the General category has seen a steady rise as competition increases.
General & EWS Category Trends
| Year | General Cutoff | EWS Cutoff |
| 2025 | 93.10 | 80.38 |
| 2024 | 93.24 | 81.33 |
| 2023 | 90.78 | 75.62 |
| 2022 | 88.41 | 63.11 |
| 2021 | 87.90 | 66.22 |
OBC & SC Category Trends
| Year | OBC-NCL Cutoff | SC Cutoff |
| 2025 | 79.43 | 61.15 |
| 2024 | 79.68 | 60.09 |
| 2023 | 73.61 | 51.97 |
Factors That Determine JEE Main 2026 Passing Marks
The NTA calculates the cutoff using a normalization process. The final passing marks out of 300 will fluctuate based on:
-
Number of Aspirants: With over 12–14 lakh students expected to apply in 2026, the competition will likely push the percentile higher.
-
Difficulty Level: If the Physics or Mathematics section is exceptionally tough (like in 2022), the marks required for a high percentile decrease.
-
Seat Matrix: Any increase in seats at NITs/IIITs can slightly impact the admission cutoffs.
-
Performance of Peers: Since JEE is a competitive exam, your "passing mark" depends entirely on how others in your shift performed.
How to Check Your JEE Main 2026 Score?
Once the Session 1 and Session 2 results are out, follow these steps:
-
Visit the official NTA website (jeemain.nta.nic.in).
-
Click on the "Result/Scorecard" link.
-
Enter your Application Number and Date of Birth.
-
Your NTA Score (Percentile) and Category Cutoff for JEE Advanced will be displayed.