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

The IIT JAM 2026 cutoff is officially out. IIT Bombay, the organising institute for JAM 2026, released the qualifying cutoff on March 20, 2026, alongside the result. The qualifying marks range from 12.04 (Physics, General) to 42.30 (Biotechnology, General) out of 100. The full admission cycle closed after the Additional Round (Round 5) on July 3, 2026.

The IIT JAM 2026 Additional Round (Round 5) admission list was declared on July 3, 2026. The seat-booking fee deadline closed on July 7, 2026. Offer letters became available from July 9, 2026 at jam2026.iitb.ac.in. No further rounds will be held for JAM 2026.

Here is what you need to know about the IIT JAM 2026 cutoff:

• The Physics (PH) qualifying cutoff for General category is 12.04 marks out of 100 — the lowest among all seven JAM 2026 papers.
• The Biotechnology (BT) qualifying cutoff for General category is 42.30 marks — the highest among all seven papers this year.
• OBC-NCL and EWS candidates need nine-tenths of the General qualifying marks for each paper. SC, ST, and PwD candidates need half the General qualifying marks.
• The Economics (EN) paper had the second-highest qualifying cutoff at 40.63 marks for General category.
• MSc Mathematics closing ranks at IIT Delhi (General/AI) reached up to 451 after Round 5. At IIT Bombay for the same programme, the closing rank was 751.
• Physics and Mathematics cutoffs fell sharply in 2026 compared to 2025 — Physics dropped by 2.62 marks and Mathematics by 7.25 marks — reflecting harder papers this year.
• There are seven JAM 2026 test papers: BT, CY, EN, GG, MA, MS, and PH — each with an independent merit list and qualifying cutoff.

IIT JAM 2026 Cutoff: Important Dates

All key events from the IIT JAM cutoff release to the final offer letter are listed below in chronological order. As of July 12, 2026, every event in this cycle is complete.

Source: IIT JAM 2026 Important Dates, IIT Bombay

Factors Affecting IIT JAM 2026 Cutoff

The IIT JAM cutoff shifts from year to year. These factors drive the changes. Knowing them helps you plan your preparation target.

• Difficulty of the paper: A different IIT organises JAM each year and sets the papers. A tougher paper lowers raw scores across the board. The qualifying cutoff falls to reflect that. Both Physics and Mathematics papers in 2026 were harder than in 2025. Both cutoffs dropped as a result.
• Number of candidates appearing: More candidates competing for the same seats can raise the qualifying bar. When a larger pool scores well, the cutoff may rise even if paper difficulty stays the same.
• Total seats at participating IITs: If IITs increase intake in a programme, the qualifying cutoff may ease slightly. A reduction in seats tightens it.
• Category-wise reservation: OBC-NCL and EWS candidates qualify at nine-tenths of the General qualifying marks. SC, ST, and PwD candidates qualify at half those marks. These ratios are fixed by government norms and do not change year to year.
• Organising IIT’s paper style: IITs have different question-setting approaches. Papers set by IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and IIT Madras have historically been more challenging, which tends to produce lower qualifying cutoffs in those years.
• No inter-session normalisation: Unlike JEE Main, IIT JAM does not normalise scores across sessions. Each paper runs once. Your raw score directly determines your AIR. There is no scaling advantage from session timing.
• Year-on-year paper rebound: A very hard paper one year is often followed by a comparatively easier one the next. Biotechnology is the clearest example — the cutoff fell by 20.00 marks from 2024 to 2025, then rebounded by 17.84 marks in 2026.

IIT JAM 2026 Qualifying Cutoff: Paper-wise and Category-wise

The IIT JAM 2026 qualifying cutoff was released by IIT Bombay on March 20, 2026. Scoring at or above this cutoff in your paper puts you on the JAM merit list. Only merit-listed candidates can apply for admission through JOAPS.

The table below shows the exact IIT JAM cutoff qualifying marks for all seven papers across all categories.

Source: JAM 2026 Official Qualifying Cutoff, IIT Bombay

The qualifying cutoff is the floor to enter the merit list — not the score needed for IIT Bombay or IIT Delhi. Admission to a top IIT programme requires a much higher score and a competitive rank within the paper-specific merit list.

IIT JAM 2026 Admission Cutoff: IIT-wise Closing Ranks

After you qualify the exam, you compete for seats at specific programmes across IITs. Each round of JOAPS seat allotment produces opening and closing ranks for every programme and category. The table below shows Round 5 (Additional Round) closing ranks for the General/AI category at major participating IITs.

These figures are from the Round 5 (Additional Round) JOAPS data for JAM 2026. Closing ranks vary significantly between rounds — they rise from Round 1 to Round 5 as popular programmes fill up early. For SC, ST, OBC-NCL, and EWS category closing ranks, log into the official JOAPS portal. The full programme-wise data is available at jam2026.iitb.ac.in.

IIT JAM 2026 Additional Round (Round 5) Cutoff

The Additional Round (Round 5) is the final seat allotment step in the IIT JAM admission process. IIT Bombay declared the Round 5 admission list on July 3, 2026. Candidates who received an offer had to pay the seat-booking fee by July 7, 2026. Offer letters became available from July 9, 2026 onwards at the official JOAPS portal.

The additional round fills seats left vacant after the first four regular rounds. It typically opens seats at newer IITs where demand was lower in earlier rounds. Established IITs fill popular programmes in Rounds 1 or 2. MSc Physics at IIT Madras and MSc Mathematics at IIT Delhi rarely have seats left by Round 5.

No further allotment rounds are held after Round 5. The IIT JAM 2026 admission process is now closed. If you paid the seat-booking fee by July 7, 2026, download your offer letter. Report to the allotted IIT on the date specified in the offer letter.

IIT JAM Previous Year Cutoff Trends

The IIT JAM qualifying cutoff fluctuates sharply from year to year. A different IIT organises the exam each cycle, and paper difficulty changes with the organiser. Five years of data reveal patterns you can use to plan a realistic preparation target.

Physics (PH): The General cutoff fell by 14.01 marks from 26.05 (2022) to 12.04 (2026). Each dip corresponds to a harder paper by that year’s organising IIT. The 2026 IIT Bombay Physics paper continued this trend with a further fall of 2.62 marks from the 2025 level.

Mathematics (MA): MA swings sharply year to year. The cutoff went from 22.91 (2022) to a peak of 24.56 (2023). It dropped to 11.22 (2024), recovered to 19.90 (2025), then fell again to 12.65 (2026). The 2024 and 2026 low points reflect harder MA papers set by IIT Madras and IIT Bombay in those years.

Biotechnology (BT): BT shows the most dramatic single-year swings. The cutoff peaked at 44.46 in 2024. It collapsed by 20.00 marks to 24.46 in 2025. Then it rebounded by 17.84 marks to 42.30 in 2026. BT is the hardest paper to predict year to year.

Chemistry (CY): CY is the most stable paper over five years, ranging between 18.65 and 27.81. The 2026 cutoff of 18.65 is the five-year low, falling by 7.18 marks from 2025.

Economics (EN): EN jumped by 19.49 marks from 23.06 (2023) to 42.55 (2025) across two years. In 2026, the cutoff eased slightly to 40.63 — a fall of 1.92 marks.

Mathematical Statistics (MS): MS is the most volatile paper. The cutoff swung from 23.03 (2024) to 8.75 (2025) — a drop of 14.28 marks — then partially recovered to 13.33 (2026).

Given this year-on-year volatility in the IIT JAM cutoff, a fixed target score is not a reliable preparation strategy. Target the highest cutoff in the last five years for your paper as your safety score. For Physics, that is 26.05 (2022). For Biotechnology, it is 44.46 (2024). Scoring at that level means you qualify even in an easy-paper year when more candidates cross the threshold.

IIT JAM 2026 Counselling Process (JOAPS)

IIT JAM admission runs entirely through JOAPS (JAM Online Admission Portal System). Qualifying candidates register on JOAPS, fill programme preferences, and receive seat offers across up to five allotment rounds. Here is how the process works:

• Step 1 – Register on JOAPS: Log in with your JAM 2026 enrolment ID and password. Pay the JOAPS application fee to activate your account for the admission cycle.
• Step 2 – Fill programme choices: List your preferred MSc and joint degree programmes across participating IITs and IISc in order of preference. The brochure specifies the maximum number of choices allowed.
• Step 3 – Freeze your choices: The choice-filling window closed on May 6, 2026. Preferences cannot be changed after freezing.
• Step 4 – Receive seat offers across rounds: JOAPS ran five rounds for JAM 2026. Each round offers one seat based on your rank and preference list. You can hold a current offer while waiting for an upgrade in the next round.
• Step 5 – Pay seat-booking fee on time: Each round has a payment deadline. Missing the deadline cancels your allotment for that round. The Round 5 deadline was July 7, 2026.
• Step 6 – Download offer letter and report: Offer letters became available from July 9, 2026. Carry the offer letter and all required documents to the allotted IIT for document verification and physical reporting on the date specified in the offer letter.

The JAM 2026 admission process is complete. For JAM 2027, JOAPS follows the same structure. Updated dates will appear on the 2027 organising IIT’s official portal.

How to Check IIT JAM Cutoff 2026

You can check the qualifying cutoff and round-wise closing ranks through the official JAM 2026 portal. Follow these steps:

• Step 1: Go to jam2026.iitb.ac.in.
• Step 2: Click on "Cutoff Marks" or "Result" in the navigation. The qualifying cutoff appears paper-wise and category-wise without requiring a login.
• Step 3: To check admission closing ranks, log in with your Enrollment ID and password. Navigate to "Opening and Closing Ranks" under the JOAPS section.
• Step 4: Use the dropdown filters to select the institute, programme, round, and category. The table shows opening rank, closing rank, and available seats for each selection.
• Step 5: Download and save the rank data. The portal remains active throughout the academic year for reference.