JEE Main Cut off 2026 is now available for Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech.) through the official NTA result press release dated 20 April 2026. For most students, the first confusion is whether this cutoff decides admission to NITs and IIITs. It does not. The cutoff released by NTA at this stage is the qualifying percentile used to determine eligibility for JEE Advanced 2026.
That distinction matters because a student can miss the JEE Advanced qualifying cutoff and still remain in the race for NIT, IIIT, and GFTI admissions through JEE Main rank, depending on category, institute, branch, and counselling outcomes. On the other hand, clearing this cutoff only makes you eligible for JEE Advanced; it does not guarantee any seat by itself.
If you are trying to understand what the official category-wise cutoffs mean, whether your percentile is enough, and what to do next after the result, this page breaks it down in a practical way. It also explains how the NTA cutoff differs from JoSAA opening and closing ranks, which many candidates mix up every year.
JEE Main Cut off 2026 Latest Status
NTA has released the category-wise JEE Main Cut off 2026 for Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech.) along with the Session 2 result on 20 April 2026. The official table in the NTA press release gives the category-wise NTA score ranges used to make candidates eligible for JEE Advanced 2026.
This is the first cutoff most candidates look for after the result, but it is only one part of the process. It is the qualifying cutoff for JEE Advanced, not the opening and closing ranks for engineering admissions through JoSAA.
Official JEE Main Cut off 2026 Category-Wise Table
The official NTA cutoff table for JEE Advanced eligibility in JEE Main 2026 Paper 1 is given below. The lower end of each official range is the practical minimum qualifying percentile for that category.
| Category | Official Percentile Range | Minimum Qualifying Percentile | Candidates |
|---|---|---|---|
| UR-ALL | 100.0000000 to 93.4123549 | 93.4123549 | 96,873 |
| UR-PwBD | 93.3244144 to 0.0023186 | 0.0023186 | 4,391 |
| EWS-ALL | 93.4105172 to 82.4164528 | 82.4164528 | 25,009 |
| OBC-ALL | 93.4105172 to 80.9232583 | 80.9232583 | 67,597 |
| SC-ALL | 93.4105172 to 63.9172792 | 63.9172792 | 37,522 |
| ST-ALL | 93.4041748 to 52.0174712 | 52.0174712 | 18,790 |
These figures are for Paper 1 only. NTA has separately stated that the scores for Paper 2A (B.Arch.) and Paper 2B (B.Planning) will be issued separately.
How Many Candidates Qualified Through the JEE Main 2026 Cutoff
Based on the official category-wise cutoff table, a total of 2,50,182 candidates have been marked eligible for JEE Advanced 2026 across all listed categories. This total comes from the candidate counts shown in the NTA cutoff table itself.
NTA also reported that 15,38,468 unique candidates appeared in JEE Main 2026 across both sessions, while 16,04,854 unique candidates registered. So the JEE Advanced eligibility list represents a selected portion of the full test-taking pool, not all candidates who wrote the exam.
What This Cutoff Means and What It Does Not Mean
The official JEE Main Cut off 2026 released by NTA is the qualifying cutoff for JEE Advanced 2026. If your NTA score is at or above the minimum percentile for your category in Paper 1, you are in the eligible pool for the next stage subject to the rules of JEE Advanced.
It does not mean you have secured admission to any NIT, IIIT, GFTI, or IIT. It also does not act as a branch-wise college cutoff. Students often mix up these two ideas, but they are used for different purposes and are published by different authorities.
Difference Between JEE Main Qualifying Cutoff and Admission Cutoff
The qualifying cutoff is released by NTA and tells you whether you are eligible for JEE Advanced. The admission cutoff comes later during counselling and shows the opening and closing ranks for actual seats in NITs, IIITs, IIEST, and other participating institutes.
| Type | Released By | Purpose | When It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying cutoff | NTA | JEE Advanced eligibility | Immediately after JEE Main result |
| Admission cutoff | JoSAA / later CSAB rounds | Seat allotment in colleges | During counselling rounds |
If you are searching for NIT CSE, IIIT branch cutoffs, home state quotas, or round-wise closing ranks, you are looking for admission cutoffs, not the NTA qualifying cutoff table.
Have NIT, IIIT and GFTI Admission Cutoffs for 2026 Been Released
At this stage, the officially released JEE Main cutoff is the NTA qualifying cutoff for JEE Advanced. The round-wise admission cutoffs for institutes are published later through the JoSAA opening and closing rank system. After JoSAA rounds conclude, any remaining NIT+ seats are handled through CSAB special rounds.
So if you are trying to predict a college, do not treat the NTA cutoff as the final admission benchmark. You need the official JoSAA OR-CR data and, where relevant, CSAB round cutoffs.
Can You Still Get a College If You Are Below the JEE Advanced Cutoff
Yes, a score below the JEE Advanced qualifying cutoff does not automatically end your chances for engineering admission through JEE Main. It mainly affects IIT eligibility through JEE Advanced. For NITs, IIITs, IIEST, and other GFTIs, admission depends on JEE Main rank, category, seat type, institute preferences, and counselling outcomes.
In practical terms, a student who does not clear the JEE Advanced qualifying cutoff can still compete in JoSAA and, if seats remain later, in CSAB rounds for participating institutes where the JEE Main rank is within the closing range for that programme and category.
What Happens Next After Clearing the JEE Main 2026 Cutoff
If you are above the relevant category cutoff, the next immediate decision is whether you want to appear for JEE Advanced 2026. The official JEE Advanced website states that the examination will be held on Sunday, 17 May 2026.
Alongside that, all JEE Main candidates interested in NIT, IIIT, IIEST, and other GFTI seats should keep track of JoSAA counselling. IIT admissions go through JEE Advanced and JoSAA, while NIT+ admissions are based on JEE Main rank through the same counselling system and later CSAB special rounds if applicable.
Why the JEE Main 2026 Cutoff Looks the Way It Does
NTA scores in JEE Main are normalized across multiple shifts. This is why the cutoff is released in percentile form instead of raw marks. The official NTA note explains that the NTA score is based on the relative performance of candidates who appeared in a shift, and it is not the same as percentage of marks.
For 2026, JEE Main Paper 1 was conducted in two sessions, with candidates across multiple shifts in January and April. The overall candidate volume, session difficulty spread, and normalization process together influence where the category-wise qualifying cutoff finally lands.
How to Check Your JEE Main 2026 Scorecard and Official Cutoff
You can verify your result and the cutoff only through official portals. The JEE Main Session 2 Paper 1 result login asks for your application number, password, and captcha.
- Open the official JEE Main website.
- Go to the score card link for Session 2 Paper 1.
- Enter your application number and password.
- Complete the captcha and sign in.
- Download the scorecard and then cross-check the official cutoff PDF.
While checking, remember that your scorecard shows your own NTA score, but the official cutoff PDF shows the category-wise qualifying thresholds for JEE Advanced eligibility.
Official Links
Frequently Asked Questions
The minimum qualifying percentile for the General category in JEE Main 2026 Paper 1 is 93.4123549.
No. The NTA cutoff released with the result is the qualifying cutoff for JEE Advanced. NIT, IIIT, and GFTI admission cutoffs are released later through JoSAA and CSAB rounds.
According to the official NTA category-wise cutoff table, 2,50,182 candidates are in the eligible pool across the listed categories.
No. The officially released cutoff table in the result press release is for Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech.). NTA has said Paper 2A and 2B scores will be issued separately.
Yes, clearing the JEE Advanced cutoff is not mandatory for NIT, IIIT, and many GFTI admissions. Those admissions depend on JEE Main rank and counselling cutoffs.
You can check it through the official JEE Main result login hosted on the official NIC and NTA result portal.
The next exam is JEE Advanced 2026, which is scheduled for 17 May 2026 according to the official JEE Advanced website.