The general category cutoff in JEE Mains 2026 is always the highest, which is expected to be around 93 to 95 percentile showing higher competition and no reservation benefits.
- OBC and EWS cutoffs are close (79-81 and 80-82 expected percentiles) that shows similar competition.
- SC cutoff is expected to be around 60-62, which shows less competition and benefit of reservation.
- ST cutoff is lowest in all the categories which was 47.90 percentile in 2025 and expected to be 47-49 in 2026.
According to Sri Chaitanya Academy JEE students from open category may need around 170–200 marks to get around 99 percentile on the basis of shift difficulty.
Also Read:
- Check Category-wise JEE Main Opening and Closing Rank for NITs
- JEE Main 2026 JoSAA Closing Rank for IIITs
- Check the Expected JEE Main 2026 Cutoff for GFTIs
Key Summary
- The smaller gap between OBC and EWS also suggests that limited seats in EWS increase competition.
- SC and ST cutoffs are much lower, which shows strong reservation support and easier qualification chances.
- Despite lower cutoffs, students in SC/ST categories still need higher percentiles for top colleges and branches.
- Marks vs percentile varies significantly across shifts, meaning same marks can give different percentiles.
Check YouTube:
JEE Mains Category-Wise Cutoff 2026 (Expected)
- The General category cutoff is highest (93–95 percentile) due to intense competition and no reservation benefit
- The OBC-NCL cutoff (79–81 percentile) is lower than General but still competitive, showing increasing participation
- The EWS cutoff (80–82 percentile) is almost close to OBC that shows less seats and high competition
- The SC cutoff (60–62 percentile) is very less lower that allows students with moderate scores to qualify more easily
| Category | Percentile Range (Expected) |
|---|---|
| General (UR) | 93-95 |
| OBC-NCL | 79-81 |
| EWS | 80-82 |
| SC | 60-62 |
| ST | 47-49 |
Source: A Blog by Cracku
Ques. What is the expected cutoff for General category in JEE Main 2026?
Ans. The General category cutoff is expected to be around 93–95 percentile due to high competition and no reservation benefits.
Ques. What is the expected cutoff for OBC-NCL in JEE Main 2026?
Ans. The OBC-NCL cutoff is likely to be around 79–81 percentile, showing increasing competition within the category.
Candidates Discussion on Marks vs Percentile for JEE Mains 2026
Various users on Reddit are discussing about the final marks vs percentile for JEE Mains. A candidate provided a screenshot by MathonGo and Anup Sir.
A user replied in the comment section “Even after dropping 3 questions, 22 Jan Shift 2 remained one of the highest scoring shifts, showing its strong competition level”
Source: Reddit Discussion
Related News:
- Safe Score and Rank for Top NITs in 2026
- Expected JEE Main Percentile for the General Category to Qualify for NITs
- List of Colleges Accepting 90-99 Percentile in JEE Main
JEE Main 2026 Expected Marks vs Percentile: April Shift
- As highlighted by Sri Chaitanya Academy, normalization plays a key role that makes percentile more important than raw marks.
- 230+ marks is expected to be around 99.9 percentile that can provide competitive branches like CSE in any of the top NITs and IITs.
| Percentile | Expected Marks (Range) |
|---|---|
| 99.9 | 230+ |
| 99.5 | 200 – 220 |
| 99 | 170 – 200 |
| 98 | 145 – 170 |
| 97 | 130 – 155 |
| 95 | 110 – 135 |
| 93 | 100 – 120 |
| 90 | 90 - 110 |
| 85 | 75 – 95 |
Source: A YouTube Video by Shri Chaitanya Academy JEE
Also Read:
- Check JEE Main 2026 vs 2025 Cutoff for Top NITs and IIITs
- JEE Main JoSAA Round-wise Relaxation in 2026
Ques. How many marks are required for 99 percentile in JEE Main 2026?
Ans. Students may need around 170–200 marks to reach 99 percentile, depending on shift difficulty.
Ques. Why does marks vs percentile vary in JEE Main?
Ans. It varies due to differences in shift difficulty and the normalization process used in the exam.
JEE Main Qualifying Cutoff Percentile (2025–2021)
- The General cutoff has steadily increased from 87.89 (2021) to around 93+ (2024–2025), that shows a clear increase in competition
- The SC cutoff has improved from 43.08 (2022) to above 60 (2024–2025) that shows a better performance and competition level.
- The ST cutoff has seen the largest growth that rise from around 26–34 (2021–2022) to nearly 48 (2025) shows increasing participation.
| Year | General | EWS | OBC-NCL | SC | ST | PwD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 93.10 | 80.38 | 79.43 | 61.15 | 47.90 | 0.0079 |
| 2024 | 93.23 | 81.32 | 79.67 | 60.09 | 46.69 | 0.0018 |
| 2023 | 90.78 | 75.62 | 73.61 | 51.98 | 37.23 | 0.0013 |
| 2022 | 88.41 | 63.11 | 67.01 | 43.08 | 26.78 | 0.0031 |
| 2021 | 87.89 | 66.22 | 68.02 | 46.88 | 34.67 | 0.0096 |
Source: A Blog by Cracku
Also Check:
| JEE Main Cutoff for NIT Hamirpur | JEE Main Cutoff for NIT Jamshedpur |
| JEE Main Cutoff for NIT Delhi | JEE Main Cutoff for NIT Silchar |
| JEE Main Cutoff for IIIT Bhagalpur | JEE Main Cutoff for IIIT Bangalore |
Ques. Is percentile more important than marks in JEE Main?
Ans. Yes, percentile is more important as it reflects relative performance after normalization across all shifts.
Ques. Can lower category cutoff guarantee admission in top NITs?
Ans. No, higher percentiles are still required to secure top branches and colleges.
Ques. What do past cutoff trends indicate for JEE Main 2026?
Ans. Past trends show rising cutoffs, indicating increasing competition every year.
Ques. Why are SC and ST cutoffs increasing over the years?
Ans. This is due to better participation, improved preparation, and increasing competition.
Ques. How does shift difficulty affect percentile in JEE Main?
Ans. Easier shifts require higher marks for the same percentile, while tougher shifts require comparatively lower marks.
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