98 Percentile in JEE Mains 2026 Rank
98 Percentile in JEE Mains 2026 Rank typically places candidates between 15,000 and 22,000 in the All India CRL. This update was published on Apr 20, 2026 and reflects shift-wise mark patterns from the April session held on 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 April 2026 .
98 Percentile in JEE Mains 2026 Rank: Percentile-to-Rank Bands
Below are the commonly observed percentile to rank bands for JEE Main 2026.
| Percentile band | Expected CRL rank (approx) |
|---|---|
| 99.5+ | 1,000 - 5,000 |
| 99.0+ | 5,000 - 10,000 |
| 98.5+ | 10,000 - 15,000 |
| 98.0 | 15,000 - 22,000 |
| 97.0+ | 22,000 - 35,000 |
| 96.0+ | 35,000 - 45,000 |
98 Percentile in JEE Mains 2026 Rank: Shift-wise Marks Needed
Marks required for the same percentile change with shift difficulty. Coaching-centre analyses for the April session show this spread for 98 percentile:
| April Session Shift | Expected marks for 98 percentile |
|---|---|
| 2 Apr Shift 1 | 157-159 |
| 2 Apr Shift 2 | 147-149 |
| 4 Apr Shift 1 | 141-143 |
| 4 Apr Shift 2 | 153-155 |
| 5 Apr Shift 1 | 161-163 (easy shift) |
| 5 Apr Shift 2 | 143-145 |
| 6 Apr Shift 1 | 137-139 (tough shift) |
| 6 Apr Shift 2 | 151-153 |
| 8 Apr Shift 2 | 156-158 |
Expect roughly 140–160 marks overall for a 98 percentile, but an easy shift can push the mark requirement above 160 , while a tough shift can lower it near 137 .
College chances with 98 percentile
98 percentile opens many options in NITs, IIITs and GFTIs, but CSE at top NITs is unlikely. IIITs such as IIIT Kota and IIIT Kalyani are realistic for CSE at this level. Among NITs, NIT Arunachal Pradesh and NIT Manipur often have CSE openings around this bracket.
Home-state advantage matters. For example, CSE at NIT Agartala is generally possible only for home-state candidates during counselling rounds.
Seat chances vary by category, state quota and JoSAA opening-closing trends. Use official JoSAA seat matrices and counselling data for final decisions.
FAQs
Q: What rank can I expect with 98 percentile for a general candidate? A: Likely between 15,000 and 22,000 in CRL.
Q: How many marks are needed for 98 percentile in a tough shift? A: Around 137–139 marks in the tougher April shifts.
Q: Can I get CSE at top NITs with 98 percentile? A: No. CSE at top NITs is generally out of reach at 98 percentile.
Q: Which IIITs are realistic for CSE at 98 percentile? A: IIIT Kota, IIIT Kalyani, IIIT Haryana, IIIT Una, IIIT Nagpur are commonly listed.
Q: Does home state quota help with NIT admissions? A: Yes. Home-state quota can significantly improve chances for specific NITs like Agartala.
Q: Are these marks exact across all shifts? A: No. Shift difficulty changes marks needed for the same percentile.
Q: Where should I check final cutoffs? A: Refer to official JoSAA opening and closing ranks and the institute counselling pages for confirmed cutoffs.