A safe score of 250 to 310 out of 360 in JEE Advanced 2026 is generally needed for IIT CSE, while 212 to 265 marks is the expected threshold for IIT ECE and 195 to 221 marks for IIT Mechanical, based on JoSAA 2025 closing ranks.

JEE Advanced 2026 was conducted on May 18, 2026. With JoSAA counselling following results, students across General, OBC, SC and ST categories are evaluating their chances at top IIT branches. The safe score for IIT CSE, ECE and Mechanical varies by institute and category. This analysis maps expected 2026 safe score thresholds to JoSAA 2025 closing ranks. Total marks in JEE Advanced 2026 are 360 (Paper 1: 180 marks and Paper 2: 180 marks).

  • Total marks in JEE Advanced 2026: 360 (Paper 1: 180 + Paper 2: 180).
  • Expected safe score for IIT CSE (General category): 250 to 310 marks, depending on the IIT.
  • Expected safe score for IIT ECE (General category): 212 to 265 marks.
  • Expected safe score for IIT Mechanical (General category): 195 to 221 marks.
  • All score thresholds are based on JoSAA 2025 closing ranks and are expected estimates for 2026.
  • OBC, SC and ST safe scores are lower than the General threshold by 20 to 80 marks depending on the IIT.
Direct Link to JEE Advanced 2026 Official Website jeeadv.ac.in

What is a Safe Score in JEE Advanced 2026?

A safe score is the minimum marks in JEE Advanced 2026 that give a high probability of securing admission to a specific IIT branch, based on historical JoSAA closing ranks. It is higher than the qualifying cutoff and reflects realistic admission chances. Three factors shape the safe score: the IIT (older IITs like Bombay, Delhi and Madras have higher thresholds), the branch (CSE demands the highest score; Mechanical is more accessible) and the category (General students need the highest marks; SC and ST thresholds are significantly lower).

JEE Advanced 2026 total marks are 360. A safe score is not a guarantee of admission but is an informed estimate based on JoSAA 2025 trends. Actual 2026 closing ranks may shift due to changes in paper difficulty, the number of students clearing JEE Main and new IIT seat additions.


JEE Advanced 2026 Safe Score for IIT CSE

Computer Science and Engineering at top IITs has the highest demand and therefore the highest safe score threshold. The expected safe score for IIT Bombay CSE is around 310 out of 360 and for IIT Delhi CSE is approximately 290 marks, based on JoSAA 2025 closing ranks. The table below covers safe scores for General, OBC-NCL and SC categories across major IITs.

IIT JoSAA 2025 Closing Rank (Gen) Safe Score 2026 (Gen) Safe Score 2026 (OBC-NCL) Safe Score 2026 (SC)
IIT Bombay ~83 310+ 270+ 220+
IIT Delhi ~140 290+ 258+ 210+
IIT Madras ~252 272+ 245+ 202+
IIT Kanpur ~330 265+ 238+ 198+
IIT Kharagpur ~491 250+ 228+ 192+
IIT Roorkee ~602 244+ 222+ 188+
IIT Hyderabad ~898 228+ 208+ 180+
IIT BHU Varanasi ~1,415 212+ 195+ 168+
IIT Guwahati ~1,623 207+ 190+ 165+

All values are expected estimates based on JoSAA 2025 closing ranks and may vary in 2026.


JEE Advanced 2026 Safe Score for IIT ECE

Electronics and Communication Engineering is the second most competitive branch after CSE. The expected safe score for IIT Bombay ECE is around 265 marks and for IIT Delhi ECE is approximately 251 marks out of 360, based on JoSAA 2025 closing ranks for General category students.

IIT JoSAA 2025 Closing Rank (Gen) Safe Score 2026 (Gen) Safe Score 2026 (OBC-NCL) Safe Score 2026 (SC)
IIT Bombay ~340 265+ 240+ 198+
IIT Delhi ~495 251+ 228+ 190+
IIT Madras ~680 242+ 220+ 185+
IIT Kanpur ~850 230+ 210+ 178+
IIT Kharagpur ~1,200 218+ 200+ 172+
IIT Roorkee ~1,450 212+ 195+ 168+
IIT Hyderabad ~1,900 202+ 185+ 161+
IIT BHU Varanasi ~2,400 193+ 178+ 155+

All values are expected estimates based on JoSAA 2025 closing ranks and may vary in 2026.


JEE Advanced 2026 Safe Score for IIT Mechanical

Mechanical Engineering is widely offered across IITs and remains popular for its career diversity. The expected safe score for IIT Bombay Mechanical is around 221 marks and for IIT Delhi Mechanical is around 213 marks out of 360, based on JoSAA 2025 trends. Mechanical safe scores are typically 40 to 90 marks lower than CSE at the same IIT.

IIT JoSAA 2025 Closing Rank (Gen) Safe Score 2026 (Gen) Safe Score 2026 (OBC-NCL) Safe Score 2026 (SC)
IIT Bombay ~1,100 221+ 200+ 170+
IIT Madras ~1,200 218+ 198+ 168+
IIT Delhi ~1,380 213+ 194+ 165+
IIT Kanpur ~1,500 211+ 192+ 163+
IIT Kharagpur ~2,100 200+ 182+ 155+
IIT Roorkee ~2,400 193+ 175+ 150+
IIT Guwahati ~3,200 181+ 165+ 142+
IIT BHU Varanasi ~3,500 178+ 162+ 140+

All values are expected estimates based on JoSAA 2025 closing ranks and may vary in 2026.


JEE Advanced 2026 Score vs Rank Correlation

The score-to-rank mapping helps students translate their JEE Advanced marks into likely admission outcomes. The table below shows the approximate rank range expected for each score band in JEE Advanced 2026, based on 2024 and 2025 result data.

Score Band (out of 360) Expected CRL Range Likely Admission Outcome
310 – 360 1 – 100 Any IIT CSE (top choice)
280 – 309 100 – 300 IIT Bombay or Delhi CSE; IIT Bombay ECE
255 – 279 300 – 600 IIT Madras, Kanpur or Kharagpur CSE; top IIT ECE
230 – 254 600 – 1,200 IIT Roorkee or Hyderabad CSE; IIT Delhi or Madras ECE
210 – 229 1,200 – 2,200 IIT BHU or Guwahati CSE; mid-tier IIT ECE; IIT Bombay Mechanical
185 – 209 2,200 – 4,000 CSE at newer IITs; Mechanical at old IITs
160 – 184 4,000 – 7,000 Mechanical and Civil at mid-tier IITs
140 – 159 7,000 – 12,000 Newer IITs, non-core branches

All rank-score correlations are expected estimates for 2026 based on JEE Advanced 2024 and 2025 data.


JEE Advanced 2026 Safe Score FAQs

Ques. What is the safe score for IIT Bombay CSE in JEE Advanced 2026?

Ans. The expected safe score for IIT Bombay CSE in JEE Advanced 2026 is 310 or above out of 360, based on JoSAA 2025 closing ranks for the General category. OBC-NCL students may need around 270 marks and SC students around 220 marks.

Ques. What is the total marks for JEE Advanced 2026?

Ans. JEE Advanced 2026 total marks are 360. The exam has two papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2, each carrying 180 marks and testing Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

Ques. What score is needed for IIT CSE for OBC students in JEE Advanced 2026?

Ans. OBC-NCL students are expected to need around 238 to 270 marks in JEE Advanced 2026 for CSE at top IITs (IIT Kanpur to IIT Bombay), based on JoSAA 2025 closing rank trends.

Ques. Is 200 marks a good score in JEE Advanced 2026 for Mechanical?

Ans. Yes, 200 marks in JEE Advanced 2026 is expected to be sufficient for Mechanical Engineering at IITs like Kharagpur, Roorkee and Guwahati for General category students, based on JoSAA 2025 closing ranks.

Ques. How does the safe score differ between CSE, ECE and Mechanical in JEE Advanced?

Ans. CSE has the highest safe score threshold at every IIT, followed by ECE. Mechanical Engineering generally requires 40 to 90 marks less than CSE at the same IIT. At IIT Bombay, the expected safe score is 310 for CSE, 265 for ECE and 221 for Mechanical in 2026.

Ques. How is the JEE Advanced safe score estimated?

Ans. The safe score is estimated by mapping JoSAA closing ranks from previous years to their corresponding JEE Advanced marks using score-rank data published after results. For 2026, all estimates are based on JoSAA 2025 closing ranks and historical score-rank trends.