With the JEE Main 2026 January session coming up, the one thing everyone is searching for right now is “marks vs percentile” for the January attempt.
Based on the trends in the last 4-5 years, the score range hasn’t changed drastically for a particular percentile. The exact score shifts a little bit depending on how the paper was and how everyone performed, but the overall pattern stays pretty much the same.
For the JEE Main 2026 January session, it is expected that the 80 percentile will be somewhere around 60-90 marks, the 90 percentile around 90-110 marks, and the 95 percentile around 120-150 marks.
“Based on the previous year’s marks in JEE Main, this year we can expect a 99 percentile between 230 marks and 160 marks,” says Harsh sir from Vedantu.
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- Check JEE Main 2026 Marks vs Percentile vs Ranks
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Expected Marks vs Percentile for JEE Main 2026 January
For JEE Main 2026, experts from various coaching institutes like Vedantu, eSaral, predict that marks vs percentile will be similar to JEE Main 2025 trends, with slight adjustments for increased competition.
For the January session of JEE Main 2026, aim for 240-260 marks for a safe 99 percentile.
Here is the table for expected marks vs percentile for JEE Main 2026 January session.
| JEE Main Marks | Expected Percentile Range | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 270-300 | 99.8 | Top rank in JEE Main, Excellent chance for top NITs |
| 250-269 | 99.5-99.8 | Very high JEE Main rank, strong NIT/IIIT options |
| 220-249 | 99 - 99.5 | Good chance in core branches at many NITs |
| 180-219 | 97-99 | Decent NIT branches, Very good state colleges options. |
| 150-179 | 95-97 | NITs in lower branches/newer NITs possible |
| 120-149 | 93-95 | Good for many state/central engineering colleges |
| 90-119 | 90-93 | Average JEE Main score, colleges from JoSAA are still possible |
| 60-89 | 80-90 | May get regional colleges, can target April sessions |
| 30-59 | 50-80 | Scope for big improvement in the next JEE Main session |
| <29 | <50 | Focus on basics, use the January attempt as practice |
Also Read: Study plan and strategies for JEE Main 2026
Ques. Is 200 marks enough for 99 percentile in JEE Main 2026?
Ans. In JEE Main 2025, 200 marks only gave a 98.2-98.8 percentile. For 99+, you need 238+ marks in 2026, too.
Ques. How many marks are needed for 90 percentile in JEE Main 2026 January?
Ans. 105-120 marks are enough for the 90+ percentile (based on the last 3 January sessions)
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Shift-wise Variations in JEE Main January 2026
- JEE Main January sessions span several days with two shifts daily, leading to variations in the difficulty level of the exam and the marks scored.
- A tougher morning shift might reward 10-15 more marks for the same percentile, but NTA normalises the scores to make it fair across shifts.
- In JEE Main 2025, shift 2 had higher cutoffs due to easier papers. Knowing the trends can help you strategise your preparations.
| Session Day | Shift 1 expected marks for 99 percentile | Shift 2 expected marks for 99 percentile | Difficulty Predictions | JEE Main strategy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | 190 - 195 | 185-190 | Moderate | Warm-up with easy questions |
| Day 2 | 200-205 | 195-200 | Slightly tough | Time management is key in tough papers |
| Day 3 | 180-185 | 190-195 | Easy | Avoid overconfidence |
| Day 4 | 195-200 | 185-190 | Balanced | Adapt to the JEE main paper pattern |
| Total Average | 192-195 | 188-192 | Varies |
Note: Shift-wise variation discussed here is based on historical trends from prior sessions from past years.
Check Out:
JEE Main shift-wise marks vs percentile trends every aspirant should know about
Ques. Which shift is usually easier in the January session? Morning or evening?
Ans. Based on the last 4 years of data, morning shifts are slightly tougher on average. Evening shifts needed, 8-12 extra marks, same percentile.
Also Read: Check the Last month's revision tips and topper hacks for high scores in JEE Main 2026
Historical Trends of JEE Main vs Percentile
JEE Main marks vs percentile is not fixed it varies depending upon exam difficulty and the number of candidates across multiple shifts.
A score that guaranteed 99 percentile a year ago might fall short this year. And marking in a tougher session can give you a higher percentile than an easier shift.
Marks around 280 gave 99.9 percentile in 2025, while only 257 was enough to score the same percentile in 2023.
| Exam Year | Marks for 99.9 Percentile | Marks for 99.5 Percentile | Marks for 99 Percentile | Marks for 95 Percentile | Marks for 90 Percentile | Marks for 80 Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 280 | 255 | 235 | 175 | 140 | 100 |
| 2023 | 257 | 195 | 174 | 113 | 84 | 61 |
| 2022 | 247 | 215 | 165 | 130 | 68 | 60 |
| 2021 | 237 | 178 | 155 | 95 | 70 | 50 |
| 2020 | 235-240 | 180 | 155 | 95-100 | 70 | 50 |
Note: Historical trends are aggregated across multiple shifts.
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Is JEE Main 2026 the toughest ever? Check Reddit's discussion about syllabus, marks vs percentile
Category-wise Cutoff Marks JEE Main 2026 in January
JEE Main exam considers reservations, so category-wise percentiles differ. The general category needs higher marks and percentiles compared to other categories.
Expect cutoffs like 90+ percentile for general categories, and 70+ for reserved categories.
Based on the prediction from Rittik Baheti, the category-wise cutoff marks for JEE Main 2026 in January look like this.
| Category | Percentile (Expected) | Marks Required for January Attempt (Expected) |
| General | 93.10 | 90-125 |
| EWS | 80.38 | 65-80 |
| OBC | 79.43 | 55-60 |
| SC | 61.15 | 45-50 |
| ST | 47.90 | 35-40 |
Check Out:
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Understanding the JEE Main marks vs. percentile relationship is important for effective preparation for JEE Main. While the exact percentiles for specific marks can vary based on exam difficulty and candidate performance, estimated score vs percentile based on past-year data can provide a reliable estimate for setting a preparation strategy.
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