JEE Main Marks Required for JEE Advanced 2026: To secure a seat in the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), every aspirant must clear the two-stage Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). The first and most competitive hurdle is JEE Main, which acts as a national screening test for over 15 lakh students every year. Qualifying JEE Main is not just about clearing the exam—it is about ranking among the top 2,50,000 candidates across India to become eligible for JEE Advanced 2026.
With competition increasing every year, understanding JEE Main qualifying marks, percentile trends, and safe target scores has become crucial for effective preparation.
JEE Main Marks Required for JEE Advanced 2026
The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts JEE Main and declares the qualifying cutoff, which is expressed as an NTA percentile score, not raw marks. This cutoff is announced after Session 2 (April attempt) and determines eligibility for JEE Advanced.
While NTA handles screening, the Joint Admission Board (JAB) and the organising IIT (IIT Roorkee for 2026)define the final eligibility rules. Their objective is to shortlist around 2,50,000 unique candidates across all categories for JEE Advanced.
Expected JEE Main Cutoff 2026 (For JEE Advanced Eligibility)
With the number of applicants expected to touch 15.5 lakh, experts predict a slight rise in the qualifying percentile, especially for the General and EWS categories.
Expected JEE Main 2026 Cutoff (Percentile vs Marks)
| Category | Expected Percentile | Estimated Marks (Out of 300) |
|---|---|---|
| General (UR) | 93.5 – 95.0 | 100 – 110 |
| Gen-EWS | 81.5 – 83.5 | 80 – 85 |
| OBC-NCL | 80.0 – 82.0 | 75 – 82 |
| SC | 62.0 – 65.0 | 50 – 55 |
| ST | 48.0 – 51.0 | 40 – 45 |
| PwD (All Categories) | 0.001 – 0.010 | 1 – 5 |
📌 Note: Marks are approximate and depend on paper difficulty and normalization.
JEE Main 2025 Official Cutoff (For JEE Advanced)
| Category | Percentile |
|---|---|
| General (UR) | 93.1023262 |
| Gen-EWS | 80.3830119 |
| OBC-NCL | 79.4313582 |
| SC | 61.1526933 |
| ST | 47.9026465 |
| UR-PwD | 0.0079349 |
JEE Main Cutoff Trends (2022–2025)
JEE Main 2024 (Record Competition Year)
| Category | Percentile |
|---|---|
| CRL (General) | 93.2362181 |
| Gen-EWS | 81.3266412 |
| OBC-NCL | 79.6757881 |
| SC | 60.0923182 |
| ST | 46.6975840 |
| UR-PwD | 0.0018700 |
JEE Main 2023
| Category | Percentile |
|---|---|
| General | 90.7788642 |
| Gen-EWS | 75.6229025 |
| OBC-NCL | 73.6114227 |
| SC | 51.9776027 |
| ST | 37.2348772 |
JEE Main 2022
| Category | Percentile |
|---|---|
| General | 88.4121383 |
| EWS | 63.1114141 |
| OBC-NCL | 67.0090297 |
| SC | 43.0820954 |
| ST | 26.7771328 |
📈 Trend Insight:
The “safe percentile” for General candidates has increased from ~89 (2019) to 93+ (2024–25) due to:
- Rising number of applicants
- Better online coaching access
- Increased competition in EWS category
JEE Main Exam Dates 2026 (Expected Schedule)
| Event | Session 1 (Jan) | Session 2 (Apr) |
|---|---|---|
| Exam Dates | Jan 21 – Jan 29, 2026 | Apr 2 – Apr 9, 2026 |
| Admit Card | 3 days before exam | Last week of March |
| Result | By Feb 12, 2026 | By Apr 20, 2026 |
JEE Advanced 2026 Eligibility Criteria
To appear for JEE Advanced 2026, candidates must meet all five conditions:
- JEE Main Performance: Top 2,50,000 candidates (Paper 1)
- Attempts: Max 2 attempts in 2 consecutive years
- Class 12 Appearance: First attempt in 2025 or 2026
- IIT Admission History: No prior IIT admission
- Subjects: Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics compulsory
JEE Advanced Age Limit 2026
- General/OBC/EWS: Born on or after 1 October 2001
- SC/ST/PwD: Born on or after 1 October 1996 (5-year relaxation)
⚠️ Even with a high JEE Main score, failing the age criteria disqualifies you from JEE Advanced.
Foreign Nationals & OCI/PIO Candidates
- No JEE Main required
- Can apply directly for JEE Advanced
- Eligible for 10% supernumerary seats
- Must meet age and Class 12 criteria
JEE Advanced Cutoff (After Qualification)
To get a rank in JEE Advanced:
- Subject-wise minimum: ~10% in Physics, Chemistry & Maths
- Aggregate minimum: ~35% (General category)
Both conditions are mandatory.
JEE Main Qualifying Marks – FAQs
Q1. Qualifying vs Admission Cutoff?
- Qualifying cutoff: Eligibility for JEE Advanced
- Admission cutoff: JoSAA opening/closing ranks for IIT/NIT seats
Q2. Is 75% board criteria applicable in 2026?
Yes.
- General/OBC/EWS: 75%
- SC/ST/PwD: 65%
Or top 20 percentile of the board.
Q3. How many candidates qualify for JEE Advanced?
Around 2,50,000 across all categories.
Q4. Can I qualify using only April attempt?
Yes. Best NTA score among all attempts is considered.
Q5. What if subject cutoff is not met in JEE Advanced?
No rank is awarded—even with high aggregate marks.