JEE Main 2026 Cutoff Update: Based on recent trends and increasing competition, the JEE Main 2026 Expected Cutoff for the General (UR) category is predicted to be between 93.2 – 95.0 percentile. This is the minimum percentile required to qualify for JEE Advanced 2026. For EWS and OBC candidates, the safe zone lies between 79 – 83.5 percentile.

Are you targeting JEE Main 2026? If you are a Class 11 student or a dropper planning for the 2026 attempt, knowing the “Safe Score” is the first step in your strategy.

The competition for engineering seats is skyrocketing every year. To secure your eligibility for JEE Advanced (the gateway to IITs), you must clear the qualifying cutoff. In this guide, we break down the category-wise expected percentile, raw marks vs. percentile analysis, and what you need to aim for.

JEE Main 2026 Cutoff: Category-Wise (Expected)

The following table represents the Qualifying Cutoff. This means if you score above this, you are eligible to sit for the JEE Advanced exam.

Note: These are predictions based on 2022-2025 statistical trends.

psssb-jail-warder-cut-off-2026

Aklia Group of Institutions, Punjab – Courses, Colleges & Campus Details

Marks vs. Percentile: What Raw Score Do You Need?

Students often ask, “How many marks out of 300 do I need to clear the cutoff?”

While NTA uses normalization (based on shift difficulty), here is a rough estimate of the Raw Score required to clear the 2026 cutoff:

• General: Target 90 – 94+ Marks (approx. 93+ %ile).
• EWS / OBC: Target 75 – 80 Marks (approx. 80-82 %ile).
• SC: Target 50 – 55 Marks.
• ST: Target 40 – 45 Marks.

(Disclaimer: If your exam shift is very easy, you will need higher marks to get the same percentile. If the paper is tough, fewer marks will suffice).

Qualifying Cutoff vs. Admission Cutoff

It is crucial to understand the difference between the two:

1. Qualifying Cutoff: This is released by NTA. It only decides if you can appear for JEE Advanced. It does not guarantee admission to any college.
2. Admission Cutoff (Closing Rank): This is released by JoSAA during counselling. It decides which college (NIT/IIIT/GFTI) and branch you get based on your All India Rank (AIR).

Trend Insight: The cutoff for the General category has been rising steadily (from 88%ile in 2022 to expected 93%+ in 2026) due to a higher number of applicants.

When Will the Official Cutoff be Released?

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will release the Official JEE Main 2026 Cutoff only after the Session 2 (April) results are declared. The cutoff is mentioned on your final scorecard.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)