JEE Main 2026 Expected Cutoff: Eligibility for JEE Advanced Explained. With Session 2 exams concluded, candidates are now evaluating their chances of qualifying for the next stage. The final result is expected to be announced by 20 April 2026.
JEE Main 2026 Result Date and JEE Advanced Eligibility Criteria
The National Testing Agency is expected to release the JEE Main 2026 Session 2 results by 20 April 2026. Candidates will be able to check their scores and qualifying status online. To be eligible for JEE Advanced 2026, candidates must secure a position within the top 2.5 lakh rank holders in the Common Rank List (CRL) of Paper 1 (BE/BTech). The JEE Advanced 2026 exam will be held on 17 May 2026, and registrations are set to begin from 23 April 2026 on the official website jeeadv.ac.in.
Category-Wise Number of Candidates Eligible for JEE Advanced 2026
The number of candidates shortlisted for JEE Advanced is fixed category-wise as per official guidelines. Reservations are also applied across different categories. The distribution is as follows:
- OPEN: 1,01,250 candidates (including PwD)
- GEN-EWS: 25,000 candidates
- OBC-NCL: 67,500 candidates
- SC: 37,500 candidates
- ST: 18,750 candidates
Additionally, 5% horizontal reservation for PwD candidates is applicable in each category. The total number may slightly exceed 2.5 lakh in case of tied scores.
JEE Main 2026 Expected Cutoff Percentile and Marks
Based on exam difficulty and previous trends, the expected cutoff for JEE Main 2026 has been estimated. This helps candidates understand their chances of qualification. Expected category-wise cutoff:
- General (CRL): 93.0 – 95.0+ percentile (approx. 100–120 marks)
- OBC-NCL: 80.0 – 82.0+ percentile (approx. 70–85 marks)
- EWS: 70.0 – 75.0+ percentile (approx. 75–90 marks)
- SC: 50.0 – 60.0+ percentile (approx. 50–65 marks)
- ST: 45.0 – 50.0+ percentile (approx. 35–50 marks)
- PwD: 0.1 – 1.0+ percentile (approx. 10–30 marks)
These are indicative figures and the official cutoff will be released along with the result.
What Candidates Should Do After JEE Main 2026 Result?
After the result declaration, candidates should take the next steps based on their scores and eligibility status. Proper planning is crucial for the next phase. Candidates are advised to:
- Check their percentile and All India Rank carefully
- Confirm eligibility for JEE Advanced
- Complete registration within the deadline
- Start focused preparation for the advanced-level exam
Candidates who do not qualify can explore other engineering admissions through counselling processes.
