JAM 2026 OBC-NCL Cutoff: Paper-Wise Qualifying Marks and Category Trends

The JAM 2026 qualifying cutoff for OBC-NCL students ranges from 10.83 marks in Physics to 38.07 marks in Biotechnology, released by IIT Bombay on March 21, 2026, at the official JOAPS portal.

IIT Bombay published JAM 2026 cutoff marks alongside results and scorecards on March 21, 2026. For OBC-NCL and EWS students, the qualifying threshold is fixed at exactly 90% of the General category cutoff for each paper. This uniform relaxation applies across all seven JAM papers — Biotechnology (BT), Chemistry (CY), Economics (EN), Geology (GG), Mathematics (MA), Mathematical Statistics (MS), and Physics (PH). Crossing the qualifying cutoff is the first step toward IIT M.Sc. admission; actual seat allotment depends on your All India Rank and the closing rank of each programme.

• JAM 2026 cutoff released: March 21, 2026 on the official portal jam2026.iitb.ac.in.
• OBC-NCL qualifying marks = 90% of the General category cutoff for that specific paper.
• SC/ST/PwD qualifying marks = 50% of the General category cutoff per paper.
• Highest OBC-NCL cutoff paper: Biotechnology (BT) at 38.07 out of 100 marks.
• Lowest OBC-NCL cutoff paper: Physics (PH) at 10.83 out of 100 marks.
• JAM 2026 has 7 papers; each paper is scored out of 100 marks.

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JAM 2026 OBC-NCL Cutoff at a Glance

The JAM qualifying cutoff determines which students appear on the merit list and are eligible for IIT counselling through the JOAPS portal. OBC-NCL and EWS students must score at least 90% of the General category qualifying marks for their paper to be ranked. Students who meet the cutoff receive a JAM 2026 scorecard valid for one admission cycle, usable for M.Sc., Joint M.Sc.-Ph.D., and other post-Bachelor science programmes at IITs and IISc.

The table below shows OBC-NCL qualifying marks across all seven JAM 2026 papers, sorted from highest to lowest:

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Paper-Wise JAM 2026 OBC-NCL Qualifying Marks

The table below lists the complete JAM 2026 qualifying cutoff marks for all three category groups across all seven papers. All figures are out of 100 marks and were released by IIT Bombay on March 21, 2026.

Source: IIT Bombay, JAM 2026 result notification, March 21, 2026 (jam2026.iitb.ac.in).

Biotechnology (BT) carries the highest OBC-NCL qualifying bar at 38.07 marks, while Physics (PH) has the lowest at 10.83 — a gap of over 27 marks between papers. This reflects differences in paper difficulty, applicant pool size, and seat availability across disciplines. Note that EWS students share the same qualifying threshold as OBC-NCL students in JAM.

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JAM 2026 vs 2025 vs 2024 OBC-NCL Cutoff Comparison

Comparing three cycles of OBC-NCL data helps you understand whether qualifying marks in your paper are trending up or down. The table below tracks OBC-NCL qualifying marks across JAM 2024, 2025, and 2026 for all papers.

Key observations from the three-year data:

• Biotechnology and Economics show the highest year-to-year volatility, with OBC-NCL marks swinging by up to 16 points in a single cycle — these papers require careful score benchmarking before each exam.
• Physics OBC-NCL cutoff has fallen for two consecutive years — from 17.66 in 2024 to 10.83 in 2026 — pointing to greater paper difficulty or a drop in the proportion of high scorers.
• Chemistry dropped sharply in 2026 to 16.78 after holding near 22–23 marks for two years, suggesting a harder paper or lower average performance.
• Economics has remained above 36 marks for OBC-NCL students in 2025 and 2026, making it consistently the second-highest qualifying bar after Biotechnology.
• Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics oscillate between cycles with no sustained upward or downward direction.

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How OBC-NCL Cutoff is Calculated in JAM

IIT Bombay derives the OBC-NCL qualifying threshold using a fixed category-relaxation formula applied uniformly to every paper:

This formula has been applied consistently across JAM 2024, 2025, and 2026. You can verify it against any paper: Chemistry General cutoff in 2026 is 18.65, and 18.65 × 0.90 = 16.785, which rounds to the published OBC-NCL figure of 16.78.

The qualifying cutoff is the minimum marks needed to appear on the merit list — it does not guarantee a seat. Admission at each IIT depends on your All India Rank within your category and the closing rank for your chosen programme. Students who qualify receive a JAM 2026 scorecard usable for M.Sc., Joint M.Sc.-Ph.D., M.Sc.-Ph.D. Dual Degree, and other post-Bachelor science programmes at IITs and IISc through the JOAPS portal.

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Factors That Affect JAM Cutoff

The General category qualifying cutoff — from which OBC-NCL and all other category thresholds are derived at fixed percentages — shifts each year based on several variables:

• Paper difficulty: A harder paper produces lower raw scores, pulling the qualifying mark down. An easier paper raises it as more students score high.
• Number of students appearing: Higher applicant numbers increase competition and can push the General cutoff upward for a given paper.
• Available seats at participating institutes: A rise in total seats can ease the qualifying threshold; a reduction tightens it.
• Marking scheme: JAM applies negative marking of one-third marks for MCQ sections but no negative marking for MSQ and NAT questions. The proportion of each question type affects overall score distribution and therefore the cutoff.
• No cross-session normalization: Each JAM paper runs in a single session so raw marks are used directly — no normalization adjustments shift the cutoff.

For OBC-NCL students, all of these factors affect your qualifying bar indirectly: your threshold moves in lockstep with the General cutoff at a fixed 90% ratio every year.