JEE Mains Category-Wise Cutoff 2026
The National Testing Agency released the provisional JEE Main answer key on Apr 11, 2026 , and Session 2 began on Apr 2, 2026 . This update focuses on the JEE Mains Category-Wise Cutoff 2026 — expected qualifying percentiles and marks ranges you should watch while preparing for JoSAA.
JEE Mains Category-Wise Cutoff 2026 (Expected ranges)
Category-wise qualifying percentiles are projections based on recent trends and the 2025 cutoffs. You must meet the category cutoff to be eligible for JoSAA counselling.
| Category | Expected Qualifying Percentile (2026) | 2025 Actual Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| General (UR) | 93–95 | 93.10 |
| OBC-NCL | 79–81 | 79.43 |
| EWS | 80–82 | 80.38 |
| SC | 60–62 | 61.15 |
| ST | 47–49 | 47.90 |
Smaller gaps between OBC and EWS suggest limited EWS seats and higher relative competition. SC and ST cutoffs remain lower mainly due to reservation benefits and changing participation.
JEE Mains Category-Wise Cutoff 2026: Marks vs Percentile and Normalization
Percentile after normalization matters more than raw marks because exam shifts differ in difficulty. Expect the following marks-to-percentile ranges as a guideline:
| Percentile | Expected Marks (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 99.9 | 230+ |
| 99.5 | 200–220 |
| 99 | 170–200 |
| 98 | 145–170 |
| 95 | 110–135 |
| 90 | 90–110 |
If you aim for top NITs or IIITs, higher percentiles are needed regardless of category. Same raw score can yield different percentiles across shifts; that’s why normalization is critical.
Historical trend and what changed by 2025
Cutoffs have trended up over recent years. General cutoff rose from 87.89 in 2021 to over 93 in 2024–2025. SC cutoffs climbed from the mid-40s and low-50s to above 60 by 2024–2025. PwD qualifying percentiles remain very low historically (example: 0.0079 in 2025).
Key dates to note: the NTA provisional answer key was published on Apr 11, 2026 and this article was updated on Apr 16, 2026 . The April session started on Apr 2, 2026 .
What this means for your counselling strategy
Meeting the category qualifying percentile is only the first step for JoSAA. For branch-specific admission, you will need significantly higher percentiles depending on institute and program demand. Use the marks-to-percentile table to estimate where you stand after your shift.