JEE Main 2026: Rank Predictor
The JEE Main 2026 Session 1 is live with 16.5L students. Use the PW Rank Predictor to estimate your AIR based on current shift difficulty. With a 95% attendance rate, expect a 93.3+ percentile for the General cutoff. This tool predicts eligibility for JEE Advanced and top NITs.
Varnika Srivastava21 Jan, 2026
The Physics Wallah (PW) Rank Predictor 2026 is a critical tool during the exam days, as it uses advanced algorithms and real-time shift data to provide a near-accurate estimate of your All India Rank (AIR).
Direct link to access PW Rank Predictor
How to use PW Rank Predictor?
Estimating your All India Rank with the Physics Wallah Rank Predictor is fast and simple. Follow these steps to get your predicted Marks vs Percentile analysis:
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Enter Exam Details: Select your JEE Main 2026 Session and specific Shift Date.
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Input Raw Marks: Enter your expected score out of 300 (use the PW Answer Key for accuracy).
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Select Category: Choose your category (General, OBC-NCL, EWS, SC, ST) to see your Category Rank.
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Predict Rank: Click 'Predict Now' to see your Estimated Percentile and AIR based on the 16.5 lakh candidate data.
Why it works: The tool uses Shift-wise Normalization to ensure your rank is adjusted for the difficulty level of your specific paper.
Factors Influencing the 2026 Cutoff:
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High Number of Applicants: With 16.5 lakh students, the percentile required for a specific rank will likely increase.
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Paper Difficulty: Mathematics continues to be lengthy, while Physics and Chemistry remain NCERT-focused and scoring.
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Category Ratios: EWS and OBC-NCL categories have seen a steady climb in qualifying thresholds over the last three years.
JEE Main 2026: Numbers Game
The competition this year is unprecedented. To understand your standing, look at the growth in unique candidates:
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Total Registered (2026): ~16,50,000 unique candidates.
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Total Appeared (2025): 14,75,103 unique candidates.
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Unique Registered (2025): 15,39,848 candidates.
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Attendance Trend: Consistently high at approximately 95%.
With nearly 1.5 lakh more unique students this year compared to 2025, the "Rank Inflation" is expected to be significant. A percentile that secured a top rank last year may slip by thousands this year.
Understanding the Cutoff: Qualifying vs. Admission
A major point of confusion for aspirants is the difference between the Qualifying Cutoff and the Admission Cutoff.
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Qualifying Cutoff (NTA): This is the minimum percentile required to be eligible for JEE Advanced 2026. It is released by NTA along with the final results. It does not guarantee a college seat; it only allows you to sit for the IIT entrance exam.
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Admission Cutoff (JoSAA): These are the Opening and Closing Ranks released by the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA). This determines which NIT, IIIT, or GFTI you will get based on your AIR and category.
Official JEE Main 2025 Cutoff (Final NTA Percentile)
These figures are the final normalized percentiles from last year, used to decide eligibility for JEE Advanced:
Official JEE Main 2025 Cutoff (Final NTA Percentile)
These figures are the final normalized percentiles from last year, used to decide eligibility for JEE Advanced:
| Official JEE Main 2025 Cutoff (Final NTA Percentile) | ||
| Category | Cutoff Percentile 2025 | 2026 Expected Cutoff |
| General (UR) | 93.1023262 | 93.30 – 93.60 |
| Gen-EWS | 80.3830119 | 81.10 – 81.50 |
| OBC-NCL | 79.4313582 | 79.90 – 80.40 |
| SC | 61.1526933 | 61.80 – 62.50 |
| ST | 47.9026465 | 48.50 – 50.00 |