IIT JAM Cutoff 2026: Out, Category Wise Qualifying Marks and IIT Wise Closing Rank

The IIT JAM 2026 cutoff was declared by IIT Bombay on March 19, 2026, along with the result. The exam was held on February 15, 2026, across seven papers — Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biotechnology, Economics, Geology & Geophysics, and Mathematical Statistics. The Round 2 admission list under the JOAPS portal releases on June 8, 2026, updating course-wise and category-wise closing scores across all participating IITs.

The IIT JAM 2026 Round 2 admission list is releasing today, June 8, 2026 — candidates must pay the seat booking fee by June 11, 2026 to confirm their seat via the JOAPS portal at jam2026.iitb.ac.in.

• The IIT JAM 2026 qualifying cutoff for Physics (General) stands at 12.04 marks out of 100 — the lowest among all seven papers.
• The Biotechnology qualifying cutoff is the highest at 42.3 marks for the General category.
• For Mathematics, the General qualifying cutoff is 12.65 marks and the SC/ST/PwD cutoff is 6.32 marks.
• You need a rank under 70 (General category) for top MSc programmes at IIT Bombay.
• The Round 2 admission list is out today, June 8 — seat booking fee deadline is June 11, 2026.
• SC/ST/PwD candidates need half the qualifying marks required by the General category in every paper.
• OBC-NCL and EWS candidates need qualifying marks set roughly 1 to 4 marks below the General threshold, depending on the paper.

IIT JAM Cutoff 2026: Important Dates

The table below lists all key events in the IIT JAM 2026 admission cycle. Upcoming events appear first in chronological order, followed by past events. Today is June 8, 2026.

Source: IIT JAM 2026 Important Dates, IIT Bombay

All dates are subject to revision by IIT Bombay. If you receive a Round 2 offer today, pay the seat booking fee before June 11, 2026 to hold the seat. You can still withdraw until July 3 if you change your mind before the offer letter stage.

Factors Affecting IIT JAM Cutoff 2026

Several factors push the IIT JAM cutoff up or down each year. Understanding these helps you set a realistic target score before the exam.

• Paper difficulty: A harder paper lowers the qualifying cutoff. An easier paper pushes it up because more candidates score well overall.
• Number of candidates per paper: More students appearing raises competition. A larger candidate pool drives qualifying marks upward and tightens admission closing ranks.
• Available seats: If more MSc seats are added at IITs or NITs, closing ranks loosen slightly. Flat seat intake with rising demand tightens them.
• Marking scheme: IIT JAM uses negative marking for MCQ questions. Any revision to the penalty directly shifts score distributions and qualification thresholds.
• Organizing IIT: The organizing IIT sets the paper and the qualifying cutoff. Different institutes apply different difficulty levels, causing year-on-year swings in qualifying marks.
• Reservation category: SC/ST/PwD qualifying marks are set at half the General qualifying marks for each paper. OBC-NCL and EWS qualifying marks fall 1 to 4 marks below the General cutoff.
• New programmes and campuses joining JOAPS: When new IIT branches or programmes join the system, the seat pool grows. This loosens closing ranks at mid-tier and newer IITs.

IIT JAM 2026 Qualifying Cutoff: Paper and Category-Wise

The table below shows the official IIT JAM cutoff marks for all seven papers in 2026, split by reservation category. These are the minimum marks to appear on the merit list. Your actual rank determines which institute and programme you get — not just whether you cleared the threshold.

Source: JAM 2026 Official Website, IIT Bombay

Physics and Mathematics have the lowest qualifying cutoffs in 2026 at 12.04 and 12.65 marks. Biotechnology and Economics are the hardest papers to qualify, at 42.3 and 40.63 marks for General category. The SC/ST/PwD qualifying marks are exactly half the General qualifying marks for every paper.

Clearing the qualifying cutoff only means you are on the merit list — not that you get a seat. MSc Physics at IIT Bombay can close under rank 50 in Round 1, which requires a score well above the qualifying threshold of 12.04.

IIT JAM 2026: Round-Wise Admission List

IIT JAM 2026 admissions run through four main rounds under the JOAPS portal. Each round releases a fresh admission list. Unaccepted seats from earlier rounds roll over to the next round, sometimes shifting closing ranks at specific programmes.

If you received a seat in Round 1 and paid the fee, your seat is held. You can withdraw until July 3, 2026, if you decide not to join. Round 2 closing ranks at IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi typically stay flat or tighten slightly. Less-demanded programmes may see closing ranks shift as earlier allottees withdraw and release seats back into the pool.

IIT JAM 2026: Institute-Wise Closing Ranks

The admission closing rank is the last rank at which a seat was allotted at a specific institute and programme. Closing ranks vary by programme, category, and counselling round. The table below shows approximate General category closing ranks for key MSc programmes across top institutes, based on Round 1 data and previous year patterns.

Closing ranks update after each counselling round. The Round 2 data releasing today will show revised closing scores for each programme. Visit jam2026.iitb.ac.in to check the updated Round 2 opening and closing ranks by institute and category.

IIT Bombay’s Applied Geology and Applied Geophysics programmes can open at ranks as low as 16 for General category — among the most competitive programmes in the entire JAM system. Newer IITs and CFTIs generally have more accessible closing ranks. They are a practical option if your rank falls above 400 in your paper.

IIT JAM Previous Year Cutoff Trends

The IIT JAM cutoff fluctuates significantly across years because paper difficulty varies with the organizing institute. The tables below show category-wise qualifying cutoff marks for Physics, Mathematics, Biotechnology, and Chemistry from 2022 to 2026.

Physics (PH) – Qualifying Cutoff Marks (2022–2026):

The Physics General qualifying cutoff fell by 14.01 marks over five years — from 26.05 in 2022 to 12.04 in 2026. The paper was hardest under IIT Roorkee in 2022. IIT Bombay’s 2026 paper appears similarly difficult based on this low cutoff.

Mathematics (MA) – Qualifying Cutoff Marks (2022–2026):

Mathematics shows no steady direction. It ranged from 11.22 in 2024 to 24.56 in 2023 — a swing of 13.34 marks in two consecutive years. Predicting next year’s Mathematics cutoff from trend alone is not reliable. Paper difficulty is the dominant factor each year.

Biotechnology (BT) and Chemistry (CY) – General Category (2022–2026):

Biotechnology dropped by 20 marks between 2024 and 2025 — from 44.46 to 24.46. Then it jumped by 17.84 marks back up in 2026. Chemistry moved within a narrower band — between 18.65 and 27.81 over five years, a spread of 9.16 marks. Chemistry is more stable than Biotechnology, but still shifts by several marks each year.

How to Use IIT JAM Cutoff for College Prediction

Your All India Rank from the JAM 2026 scorecard is the key number for shortlisting institutes. Use these steps to predict your admission options accurately.

• Step 1 – Get your AIR from the scorecard: Download your IIT JAM 2026 scorecard from jam2026.iitb.ac.in. Your AIR in your paper is the only number that matters for institute prediction.
• Step 2 – Check previous year closing ranks: Look at the JAM 2025 opening and closing ranks at jam2025.iitd.ac.in. Match your AIR against those closing ranks to shortlist realistic institutes.
• Step 3 – Account for round-wise shifts: Closing ranks can loosen in later rounds when unaccepted seats return to the pool. If you just miss a programme in Round 1, stay in for Round 2 and Round 3.
• Step 4 – Apply your category: OBC-NCL, EWS, SC, ST, and PwD candidates compete within their own reservation pool. Their closing ranks are typically higher (less competitive) than General category closing ranks.
• Step 5 – Check female supernumerary seats: Many IITs offer additional supernumerary seats for female candidates. Closing ranks for these seats are often more accessible. Check the JOAPS portal for programme-wise supernumerary vacancies.
• Step 6 – Keep your preference order updated: The JOAPS system can upgrade you automatically in later rounds. Make sure your most preferred programmes stay at the top of your saved choice order.

How to Check IIT JAM Cutoff 2026

You can check the IIT JAM cutoff — both qualifying marks and admission closing ranks — through the official JOAPS portal at jam2026.iitb.ac.in. Follow these steps.

• Visit the official IIT JAM 2026 website at jam2026.iitb.ac.in.
• Click the "Opening and Closing Ranks" link on the homepage to view round-wise admission cutoffs by institute and programme.
• Select the paper (Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, etc.) and the round number you want to view.
• Browse the institute-wise and category-wise opening and closing ranks table.
• To check your own qualifying cutoff status, log in to JOAPS with your enrollment ID and password. The scorecard shows your marks, AIR, and whether you cleared the qualifying cutoff.