The expected cutoff percentile for JEE Main 2026 Session 2 can be around 93.5–95 percentile but admission to top NITs and IIITs need around 99+ percentile for CSE.

  • To get 99 percentile in JEE Mains session 2, candidates need around 160 - 180 marks.
  • The expected percentile for 140 - 160 marks in JEE Mains session 2 is expected to be around 98 percentile.
  • In Session 2, Mathematics was moderate to tough, which increased overall difficulty and Physics and Chemistry were balanced.

For top ranks, candidates scoring 99.90+ percentile can get ranks within 1–1,200, while 99–99.5 percentile can lead to ranks up to 12,000, suitable for top NITs and IIITs.

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JEE Main 2026 Session 2 Expected Cut‑offs & Marks vs Percentile Trends

Key Summary

  • Rank vs percentile data shows that competition is extremely tight at the top, where even a small percentile difference can change rank significantly.
  • As percentile decreases, rank increases rapidly, reducing chances of getting top colleges and branches.
  • The mid-percentile range (95–98) shows wide rank variation, meaning small improvements can significantly impact admission chances.
  • Category-wise cutoffs show clear relaxation for reserved categories, but high-demand branches still require strong percentiles across all categories.

JEE Main Cutoff 2026 Expected Cutoff: Category-Wise

  • For the General category, the cutoff is expected around 93.5–95 percentile, which means only top-performing students qualify for advanced stages.
  • EWS and OBC-NCL categories have slightly lower cutoffs (around 80–82 percentile), showing moderate relaxation but still strong competition.
Category Expected Percentile Range
General 93.5 – 95.0
EWS 80.5 – 82.5
OBC-NCL 79.5 – 81.5
SC 61.5 – 64.0
ST 48.0 – 50.5

Source: A blog by Newton School of Technology

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Ques. What is the expected cutoff for JEE Main 2026 Session 2?

Ans. The expected cutoff for General category is around 93.5–95 percentile, while EWS and OBC-NCL are expected around 80–82 percentile.

JEE Main Session 2 Subject-wise Difficulty Level

  • The combination of moderate Physics and Chemistry helped balance the paper, but Maths increased overall difficulty.
  • Students strong in Mathematics had a clear advantage in improving their percentile, especially in tougher shifts.
Subject Difficulty Level
Physics Moderate
Chemistry Moderate
Mathematics Moderate to Tough
Overall Moderate to Tough

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Ques. How many marks are required for 99 percentile in JEE Main 2026?

Ans. Candidates may need around 190+ marks in tougher shifts and 200+ marks in easier shifts to reach 99 percentile.

JEE Main Expected Shift vs Percentile Session 2

  • For 99 percentile, marks range from around 151 to 195, showing a large variation of nearly 40 marks depending on shift difficulty.
  • For 98 percentile, marks vary from 131 to 175, again highlighting how normalization adjusts scores based on paper difficulty.
Percentile 2 April S1 2 April S2 4 April S1 4 April S2 5 April S1 5 April S2 6 April S1 6 April S2 8 April S1
99 176 - 180 181 - 185 186 - 190 191 - 195 171 - 175 166- 170 151 - 155 161 - 165 156 - 160
98 156 - 160 161 - 165 166 - 170 171 - 175 151 - 155 146 - 150 131 - 135 141 - 145 136 - 140
95 121 - 125 126 - 130 131 - 135 136 - 140 116 - 120 111 - 115 96 - 100 106 - 110 101 - 105
90 86 - 90 91 - 95 101 - 105 81 - 85 76 - 80 76 - 60 61 - 65 71 - 75 66 - 70

Also Read: JEE Main College Predictor 2026: Predict B.Tech chances based on JoSAA Opening and Closing Ranks

JEE Mains 2026 Expected Marks vs Percentile: Shift Comparison

  • For 99 percentile, candidates need around 190+ marks in Shift 1 but 200+ marks in Shift 2, showing a noticeable gap due to difficulty difference.
  • For 98 percentile, the requirement increases from 170+ in Shift 1 to 180+ in Shift 2, reinforcing the normalization effect.
Percentile Marks (Shift 1) Marks (Shift 2)
99 190+ 200+
98 170+ 180+
97 165+ 170+
96 150+ 160+
JEE Mains 2026 Expected Marks vs Percentile: Shift Comparison

Ques. Why do marks vary for the same percentile in different shifts?

Ans. Marks vary due to differences in paper difficulty, and normalization adjusts scores to ensure fairness across shifts.

Expected JEE Main 2026 Rank vs Percentile for Session 2

  • In the 99.90–99.99 range, even a 0.01 percentile difference can shift rank by hundreds, showing extremely high competition at the top.
  • The 99.50–99.89 range still offers strong ranks (within 6,000), which are sufficient for top NITs and IIITs.
Percentile Range Expected AIR Range
99.90 - 99.99 1 - 1,200
99.50 - 99.89 1,200 - 6,000
99.00 - 99.49 6,000 - 12,000
98.00 - 98.99 12,000 - 25,00
97.00 - 97.99 25,000 - 35,000
95.00 - 96.99 35,000 - 60,000
93.00 - 94.99 60,000 - 85,000
90.00 - 92.99 85,000 - 1,20,000
Expected JEE Main 2026 Rank vs Percentile for Session 2

Also Check:

140 Marks in MHT CET Percentile in 2026 145 Marks in MHT CET Percentile in 2026
160 Marks in MHT CET Percentile in 2026 100 Marks in MHT CET Percentile in 2026
120 Marks in MHT CET Percentile in 2026 130 Marks in MHT CET Percentile in 2026
110 Marks in MHT CET Percentile in 2026 150 Marks in MHT CET Percentile in 2026
125 Marks in MHT CET Percentile in 2026 135 Marks in MHT CET Percentile in 2026

Ques. Which subject was the toughest in JEE Main Session 2?

Ans. Mathematics was moderate to tough and was the most challenging section compared to Physics and Chemistry.

Ques. Is percentile more important than marks in JEE Main?

Ans. Yes, percentile is more important because admission and rank are based on percentile, not raw marks.

Ques. Can I get a good NIT with 95 percentile?

Ans. With 95 percentile, candidates may get mid or lower-tier NITs, but top NITs and CSE are difficult.

Ques. How does shift difficulty affect JEE Main results?

Ans. Easier shifts require higher marks for the same percentile, while tougher shifts require fewer marks due to normalization.

Ques. What percentile is required for JEE Advanced 2026 eligibility?

Ans. Candidates generally need around 93–95 percentile (General category) to qualify for JEE Advanced.

Ques. What should candidates focus on to score high percentile?

Ans. Candidates should focus on accuracy, time management, and strong preparation in Mathematics along with Physics and Chemistry.