IIT JAM 2026 vs 2025 Cutoff: Category-Wise Qualifying Marks for All Papers

IIT JAM 2026 qualifying cutoff for the General category ranges from 12.04 marks in Physics to 42.30 marks in Biotechnology, both out of 100 — with IIT Bombay releasing the official cutoff on March 21, 2026.

The qualifying cutoff is the minimum score you must secure in each paper to appear on the merit list and become eligible for admission at IITs and IISc. Compared to IIT JAM 2025, the 2026 cycle saw sharp shifts across papers: Biotechnology jumped by more than 17 marks while Mathematics and Chemistry fell significantly. Knowing where each paper’s cutoff moved helps you benchmark your own score and plan your admission strategy.

• IIT JAM 2026 was conducted by IIT Bombay; IIT JAM 2025 was conducted by IIT Delhi.
• All 7 papers — BT, CY, EN, GG, MA, MS, and PH — are scored out of 100 marks.
• OBC-NCL and EWS students need 90% of the General cutoff; SC, ST, and PwD students need 50% of the General cutoff, for every paper.
• Biotechnology (BT) recorded the biggest year-on-year rise: 24.46 in 2025 to 42.30 in 2026 — an increase of 17.84 marks.
• Mathematics (MA) and Chemistry (CY) cutoffs dropped most sharply in 2026 compared to 2025.

---

IIT JAM 2026 Qualifying Cutoff: All Papers and Categories

IIT Bombay released the IIT JAM 2026 qualifying cutoff on March 21, 2026. The table below lists the minimum qualifying marks for all 7 papers across the three category bands. Scores exceeding these thresholds place you on the all-India merit list.

Physics (PH) posted the lowest General cutoff in 2026 at 12.04, while Biotechnology (BT) required the highest qualifying score at 42.30. OBC-NCL and EWS cutoffs are calculated as 90% of the General figure for each paper; SC, ST, and PwD cutoffs are 50% of the General figure.

---

IIT JAM 2025 Qualifying Cutoff: All Papers and Categories

IIT Delhi released the IIT JAM 2025 qualifying cutoff on March 18, 2025. These are the officially declared minimum qualifying marks for all 7 papers across all categories.

Mathematical Statistics (MS) carried the lowest General cutoff in 2025 at just 8.75 marks, and Economics (EN) required the highest qualifying score at 42.55. The same 90%/50% category relaxation rules applied in 2025 as in 2026.

---

IIT JAM 2026 vs 2025 Cutoff: Year-on-Year Comparison

The table below places 2025 and 2026 General category qualifying cutoffs side by side and shows how each paper’s threshold shifted.

Three papers — BT, GG, and MS — saw cutoffs rise in 2026. Four papers — CY, EN, MA, and PH — saw cutoffs fall. Biotechnology recorded the steepest gain (+17.84) and Mathematics the steepest drop (-7.25).

---

Paper-Wise Analysis: What Drove the Changes

IIT JAM qualifying cutoffs are set as a percentile-based threshold each year after the exam. When a paper is relatively straightforward, average scores rise and so does the qualifying bar. When a paper is harder, average scores fall and the cutoff drops with them.

• Biotechnology (BT) — +17.84 marks: The 2026 BT paper was widely reported as more accessible than 2025, pushing average scores up sharply. A near-doubling of the qualifying mark from 24.46 to 42.30 reflects how many more students crossed higher score bands this cycle.
• Mathematics (MA) — -7.25 marks: The MA cutoff fell from 19.90 to 12.65. A more demanding 2026 paper kept average scores lower across the test-taking pool, pulling the qualifying threshold down.
• Chemistry (CY) — -7.18 marks: A similar pattern: the CY paper in 2026 was harder than in 2025, bringing the General cutoff down from 25.83 to 18.65.
• Geology (GG) — +4.92 marks: GG cutoff climbed from 21.06 to 25.98, indicating a relatively easier paper in 2026 compared to 2025.
• Mathematical Statistics (MS) — +4.58 marks: MS rose from a very low 8.75 in 2025 to 13.33 in 2026, yet it remains among the more accessible qualifying marks across all papers.
• Physics (PH) — -2.62 marks: A modest fall from 14.66 to 12.04; Physics continues to post one of the lower qualifying scores across all papers.
• Economics (EN) — -1.92 marks: EN remained the second-highest qualifying paper in 2026 at 40.63, only marginally below its 2025 level of 42.55.

---

Qualifying Cutoff vs Admission Cutoff: Key Difference

The qualifying cutoff is only the entry ticket to the merit list — it does not guarantee a seat. Once you clear the qualifying cutoff for a paper, you are ranked among all students who cleared it in that paper. Each IIT then sets its own programme-wise admission closing rank that determines who receives an offer.

For example, the 2026 Physics qualifying cutoff is 12.04 marks. But admission to an M.Sc. Physics programme at a high-demand IIT campus may require a score of 50 marks or above, based on closing ranks from previous years. Clearing the qualifying cutoff is necessary but not sufficient for admission. Students who just cross the qualifying mark should still apply through JOAPS and check IIT-specific closing ranks to assess their chances realistically.