A score above 200 marks in JEE Main 2026 is expected to be a safe score for top NIT seats, which translates to 98+ percentile. In JEE Main 2025, the qualifying cutoff was around 110+ marks, which translates to 93 percentile.

Candidates can expect the safe scores to be increased in JEE Main 2026 due to the high number of registrations.

  • The 93-95 percentile range is considered a safe range for qualifying. This range roughly translates to 110-120 marks.
  • Below 110 marks is risky for the general category. Above 140 marks usually kept the students safely above the cutoff.
  • The 98+ percentile is a high safe zone for top NITs, which is roughly around 200 marks. This score is suitable for top branches at top NITs.

In this article, we will discuss the safe scores for top NITs, top branches, and JEE Advanced.

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Key Summary

  • JEE Main 2026 qualifying cutoff for the general category is expected to be 93.102 percentile, translating to roughly 110 marks.
  • For NIT admissions in 2026, scores around 185-200+ marks are considered safe, which ‌roughly translates to 98+ percentile.
  • Below the 110 marks are risky for General category candidates, while 140+ marks are usually safe for the qualifying cutoff.
  • 220–250+ marks are safe for top branches at the top NITs.
  • Safe scores are rising yearly due to higher registrations, making past cutoffs only a baseline, not a guaranteed target.

What JEE Mains Safe Score Really Means?

JEE Main safe score usually means marks that usually keep you above the cutoff percentile, even if your shift is tougher.

  • It is a safe score to cross the qualifying percentile
  • It is a safe score to get a target rank range for college admissions
Goals What is important? What should you track?
Qualify for JEE Advanced Category-wise qualifying percentile NTA Score and percentile
Get a seat in NIT/IIIT JoSAA opening and closing ranks Rank and branch trends
99 percentile High Scores Mark ranges, which vary by shifts

Ques. What is the difference between JEE Mains cutoff and safe score?

Ans. Cutoff is the minimum percentile to qualify for admissions or for JEE Advanced. Safe score is the target score for students for the next step, which should be more than the minimum qualifying score.

JEE Main Safe Score for General Category

JEE Main scores mainly differ depending on your goal. If you want to clear the cutoff for JEE Advanced, you just need to score more than the qualifying percentile by analysing the previous year’s cutoff percentile.

  • To get a seat in NITs or IIITs, as a general candidate, you should score 98+ percentile, for which you should score approximately above 200 marks.
  • Clearing the qualifying cutoff percentile may require a percentile of 93, which approximately translates to 110-140 marks in JEE Main.
Target Outcome Target Percentile JEE Main safe score
99+ score 99+ 200-230+
Better College Options 98+ 170-200
Good percentile 96-97.5 140-170
Clearing the qualifying Cutoff 93-95 110-140
JEE Main Safe Score for General Category

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What are the minimum marks and percentiles for IIIT JEE Main 2026?

JEE Main Safe Score for NIT Admission

JEE Main safe score for NIT admission is higher than the qualifying cutoff. For general category students, a score above the 98 percentile (185+ marks) is ‌required to get a core branch at a top-tier NIT in 2025.

Target Tier Institute Examples Safe Score Percentile Range
Tier 1 (Top 5) NIT Trichy, Surathkal, Warangal 220-250+ 99.5+
Tier 2 (Mid-tier) NIT Rourkela, VNIT Nagpur, MNIT Jaipur 185-210 98-99
Tier 3 (newer NITs) NIT Mizoram, NIT Nagaland, NIT Srinagar 150-170 95-97.5

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Check opening and closing ranks for top NITs

Ques. What is the safe score for the general category in JEE Mains?

Ans. For admissions at NITs, you need to score above 98 percentile, which approximately translates to above 185 marks.

Ques. What percentile is required to get the top NITs?

Ans. For general category students, a safe percentile for NIT admission is around the 98 - 99+ percentile.

JEE Main 2026 Branch-wise Safe Scores for General Category

For many students, a branch is as important as a college. Safe scores vary not only by top colleges but also by target branches.

  • In JEE Main 2025, popular branches like CSE and ECE required high scores of around 260 for top-tier NITs, whereas mid-tier NITs required around 210-230 marks.
  • The Mechanical and Civil branches required around 160-190 for both top-tier and mid-tier NITs.
Branch Top-Tier NITs Mid-Tier NITs
Computer Science (CSE) 240-265+ 210-230
Electronics (ECE) 215-235 180-200
Mechanical Engineering 190-210 160-180
Civil Engineering 160-185 140-160
JEE Main 2025 Branch-wise Safe Scores for General Category

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JEE Main 2026 exam marks vs percentile for January session

JEE Main 2026 Safe Scores Benchmarks

The JEE Main 2025 data shows that the definition of safe score has increased due to the high number of candidates in JEE Main 2025.

As per the past year's data,

  • Scoring 220-250+ will have a highly safe percentile to get top branches at top NITs, while scoring 190+ will be safe enough for tie 2 NITs for good branches.
  • Scoring 110+  will be enough to clear the qualifying cutoff percentile for JEE Advanced.
Percentile Scores Is it safe? Rank Description
99.5+ 220-250+ Highly Safe <7500 Confirmed CSE/ECE at top NITs
98.5+ 190-220 Safe <22,000 Confirmed seats in good branches at tier 1 and tier 2 NITs
97 170-189 Marginally safe <45,000 Availability of non-core branches or in Newer NITs
93.10+ 110+ Qualifying - Eligible for JEE Advanced. Unlikely to get an NIT seat.

Also Read: JEE Main 2025 Shift-Wise Marks vs Percentile: Key Trends Every 2026 Aspirant Must Know

In the end, there was no single number that would be considered a safe score for JEE Main 2026. The general category qualifying cutoff is expected to be at the 93.102th percentile. Qualifying cutoff should be the baseline for JEE Main 2026 candidates who are looking for JEE Advanced. Students who are targeting NITs should score around 220 to be in the high safe zone for JEE Main 2026.