JEE Main 2026: The January session of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main) 2026 is set to begin in just 10 days. City information slips have been released, and admit cards will be issued three days prior to the exam. However, students are concerned about the marks required to qualify for JEE Advanced.
To determine this, students must first identify their category and then understand the required marks for qualification according to their category. The National Testing Agency (NTA) announces the qualifying cutoff for JEE Advanced after the results are declared, but until then, students rely on previous years’ trends to estimate the minimum marks and percentile needed.
The minimum marks in JEE Main represent the lowest score needed to clear
the qualifying cutoff. This cutoff determines eligibility for JEE Advanced. It is important to note that qualification is based on percentile, not raw marks, but marks provide a practical target.
Category-wise expected marks to qualify for JEE Main 2026:
– General (UR) category
Expected percentile: Around 94 to 95
Minimum Marks: 90 to 100 Marks
Students scoring less than 90 may struggle to qualify, while scores above 100 are safer.
– OBC-NCL category
Expected percentile: Around 88 to 92
Minimum Marks: 80 to 95 Marks
Due to higher competition, OBC-NCL candidates should aim for the higher range.
– EWS category
Expected percentile: Around 88 to 92
Minimum Marks: 80 to 95 Marks
EWS cutoff trends are similar to OBC-NCL, with slight annual variations.
– SC category
Expected percentile: 70 to 80
Minimum Marks: 65 to 80 Marks
– ST category
Expected percentile: 65 to 75
Minimum Marks: 60 to 75 Marks
These figures are approximate and may change based on the exam’s difficulty and the number of candidates.
Difference between marks and percentile:
Students often ask about minimum marks, while the official cutoff is released as percentiles. For example, a difficult paper can result in lower marks but a higher percentile, while an easy paper can increase cutoff marks. Therefore, it’s more effective to focus on accuracy and consistency rather than a fixed target.
The JEE Main 2026 Session 1 examination will be held on January 21, 22, 23, 24, 28 and 29, 2026. Paper 1 will be conducted on January 21, 22, 23, 24 and 28 in two shifts — the first shift from 9 am to 12 noon and the second shift from 3 pm to 6 pm. Paper 2A and Paper 2B will be held on January 29, 2026, in a single shift from 9 am to 12.30 pm.
