Minimum Marks Required in JEE Main to Qualify for JEE Advanced 2026

The minimum marks required for JEE Main 2026 to qualify for JEE Advanced are expected to be between 39 and 91 for all the categories. However, the JEE Main 2026 cutoff marks will vary each year based on factors like the difficulty level of the exam, the number of candidates, the category of the candidates and more.

Entry to JEE Advanced 2026 means that you can gain admission to tier 1 engineering colleges in India 2026, including IITs, NITs and more. However, you must ensure that they gain enough marks in JEE Main 2026 to qualify for the JEE Advanced level.

How Many Marks are Required in JEE Main 2026 to Qualify for JEE Advanced?

JEE is conducted in two levels, Main & Advanced. If you are appearing for the Mains exam, you must score minimum marks in JEE Main to qualify for JEE Advanced 2026 to gain admission to top IITs, NITs and other popular engineering colleges in India.

According to the previous year's trends, the minimum marks required in JEE Main to qualify for JEE Advanced 2026 lie between 39 to 91 for all categories. However, the JEE Main 2026 passing marks are highly likely to differ for various categories.

The following table provides a category-wise overview of the minimum marks required in JEE Main 2026 to qualify for JEE Advanced:

Here’s the detailed analysis of category-wise JEE Main 2026 marks required for JEE Advanced:

Minimum Marks Required in JEE Main for JEE Advanced 2026 for General Category

Checking the general category JEE Main cutoff 2026 for JEE Advanced is crucial for candidates to analyse their branch and college allocation. As per NTA, only 2,50,000 candidates will be taken in to appear for the JEE Advanced.

According to the previous year’s data, an 86 - 91 percentile score in JEE Main 2026 is required to qualify for the JEE Advanced exam. Candidates can expect this percentage to go high.

Also Read: Understanding JEE Main Normalization Process and its Effect on Scores

Minimum Marks Required in JEE Main for JEE Advanced 2026 for SC Category

51 - 55 percentile scores will be required for JEE Advanced 2026 in JEE Main from the SC category. Candidates will be able to check the final JEE Main 2026 percentile scores only after the announcement of the JEE Main 2026 results.

Minimum Marks Required in JEE Main for JEE Advanced 2026 for ST Category

The minimum marks required in JEE Main 2026 for JEE Advanced is between 39 and 44 for the ST category candidates. While this mark range can ensure a place in JEE Advanced 2026, to gain admission to IITs, candidates must surpass the JEE Advanced 2026 passing marks.

Minimum Marks Required in JEE Main for JEE Advanced 2026 for OBC Category

A minimum of 71 - 76 percentile score is required in JEE Main to qualify for JEE Advanced 2026 from the OBC (creamy & non-creamy layers). It is crucial to understand that candidates will be allocated colleges based on their JEE ranks, percentile scores & availability of seats at colleges.

Also Read: Step-by-Step Guide to Calculate JEE Main 2026 Rank From Percentile

Minimum Marks Required in JEE Main 2026 for NITs, IIITs & CFTIs

If you have appeared for the JEE Main 2026 exam, but haven’t qualified for the Advanced level, you can gain admission to NITs, IIITs, CFTIs & other tier 1 engineering colleges in India.

To qualify for NITs, IIITs & GFTIs, candidates will require at least a 93.24 percentile score in JEE Main 2026.

Factors Affecting the JEE Main 2026 Cutoff Required for JEE Advanced

The points listed below are considered while determining the minimum marks in JEE Main to qualify for JEE Advanced 2026:

• You should be in the top 2,50,000 (including all categories) in Paper-1 of JEE Main to satisfy the JEE Advanced eligibility criteria 2026.
• You must have passed Class XII to apply for admission in 2026.
• For candidates belonging to the general category, their birth year should be on or after 1 October 1998. If you are from the reserved category (SC/ST/PwD), you will have five years of age relaxation.
• You should clear the class 12th examination with compulsory subjects Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
• You are only allowed to appear twice in two consecutive years for the JEE Advanced 2026.

JEE Main Previous Year's Cutoffs to Qualify for JEE Advanced

Understanding the JEE Main cutoff trends over the years will allow you to understand the fluctuations in the minimum marks required in JEE Main for JEE Advanced. You must analyse these trends to understand whether they stand a chance in the JEE Advanced 2026 exam or not and college allocation at these percentiles.

Check the JEE Main cutoff over the years in the tables provided below:

JEE Main Cutoff 2025

The JEE Main cut-off 2025 is tabulated below for students' reference:

JEE Main Cutoff 2024

The JEE Main cut-off 2024 is tabulated below for students' reference:

JEE Main Cutoff 2023

The JEE Main cutoff 2023 can be found in the table below:

JEE Main Cutoff 2022 for JEE Advanced

The JEE Main cutoff 2022 for JEE Advanced can be found in the table shared below:

JEE Main Cutoff 2021

You can check the JEE Main cutoff for 2021 in the table provided below:

Key Highlights of JEE Main 2026

Here are some of the key highlights of the JEE Advanced exam 2026. It will be helpful for you to get a proper understanding of the JEE Main Sessions 1 & 2 exam.

• The total duration of each paper is 3 hours and 4 hours for PwD candidates.
• The on-screen computer clock counter of every candidate will be set on the server. The countdown timer on the top right side of the computer screen will display the time remaining (in minutes) available for you to complete the examination.
• You will not be required to end or submit the examination. When the timer reaches zero, the examination will end by itself.
• The question paper will have questions from physics, chemistry, and mathematics. You need to answer questions from each subject (or section).

Also Read: What If I Clear JEE Main but Not JEE Advanced?

You must know about the minimum marks required for JEE Main to qualify for JEE Advanced to prepare themselves for the upcoming exams. It will also provide them with an idea of which college to opt for during the JEE Main 2026 counselling. Additionally, candidates must check the category-wise cutoffs to anticipate their chances of taking JEE Advanced 2026.