Safe Score & Percentile in JEE Main 2026 for B.Tech AI & ML in NITs

JEE Main 2026 is a route to admission in NITs and many other reputed engineering institutes in India. B.Tech in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning is an emerging, highly sought-after program that leads to intense competition. To secure admission to B.Tech AI & ML at top NITs, you need to score well and secure a high percentile. Safe scores are not the same as qualifying cutoffs. A safe score indicates the safe percentile you need to increase your chances of securing seats in the AI & ML branch in your desired institute. The qualifying cutoff means the lowest percentile to be eligible for JoSAA counselling. 

The safe scores for AI & ML engineering undergo variation every year based on the difficulty of the exam, shifts, and overall performance of the aspirants. There are 2 main metrics - Percentile and Raw scores. Percentile is your position relative to other aspirants, and raw scores are the marks you scored out of the total. Both are converted through the normalisation process by NTA and considered during JoSAA counselling. 

In this article, we will learn more about safe scores & percentile in JEE Main 2026 for B.Tech AI & ML in NITs. 

Understanding Percentile vs. Safe Score in JEE Main

You must understand the safe score and percentile in JEE Main to make a good preparation strategy: 

1. Percentile 

In JEE Main, the percentile shows how you have performed as compared to other candidates. It also shows the percentage of candidates who have scored equal to or lower than you after normalisation. For example, if your percentile is 98, it means you have performed better than 98% candidates. Percentile is a more reliable indicator for admissions. 

2. Safe score 

A safe score means the number of marks you require to get a particular percentile that provides you a comfortable margin for admission in AI & ML. The raw marks you score out of 300 are normalised and covered in percentiles. This is the reason that the same scores may result in different percentiles in different years. So, the safe score is not fixed and depends on paper difficulty, competition levels, and the overall performance of candidates. 

More JEE Main Related Articles:

JEE Main Counselling	JEE Main College Predictor
JEE Main Marks vs Percentile	JEE Main Merit List

Safe Score & Percentile for B.Tech AI & ML in NITs 

For B.Tech admission in NITs under the AI & ML branch, you need a higher percentile and scores. Here are the expected safe scores and percentiles in JEE Main 2026 to secure admission in AI & ML in NITs: 

Category-Wise expected Safe Score for B.Tech AI & ML in JEE Main 2026

As JEE Main 2026 follows reservation policies, the safe score varies based on the category of the candidates. Here are the expected safe scores in JEE Main 2026 for B.Tech in AI & ML in NITs:

Note: The scores and percentiles are not exact. The real result will depend on various factors such as the number of candidates, the difficulty level of the exam, the seat matrix, etc. 

Why Percentiles & Scores Keep Varying Each Year?

The cutoffs and safe scores change every year based on various factors such as: 

1. Number of candidates appearing in the exam.
2. Difficulty level of JEE Main 2026 across all the sessions
3. Change in the seat matrix in NITs
4. New course and demand

How to Plan Your Strategy for B.Tech AI & ML Admission in NITs through JEE Main 2026?

Here are some strategies that you must follow to get safe scores and secure admission in your desired institute in AI & ML: 

1.  Set Tiered Goals 

Set goals based on tiers such as minimum, desired, and stretch targets. It will help you to plan ranking and branch preferences. 

2. Analyse previous year trends 

Check the closing ranks of AI & ML in 2025 and 2024 in different NITs. It will help you to choose realistic options in the preference list during counselling. 

3. Preparation & Revision 

Prepare all the topics thoroughly, but focus more on high-weightage areas. It will help you increase your percentile and keep you safe during normalization swings. 

4. Attempt mock tests 

You must attempt mock tests regularly to know your weak topics and practice them. Mock tests help you to analyze your performance before the real exam. 

Conclusion 

Obtaining admission to B.Tech AI & ML via JEE Main 2026 for NITs is a very competitive process due to limited seat availability and the rapidly growing interest in AI & ML. Your chances of gaining admission greatly depend on the JEE Main Percentile, JEE Main Score, Category, and Home State Quota.

If you are seeking admission to the top NITs will likely require a very high JEE Main percentile (97 - 99+). However, mid-tier or "newer" NITs may have slightly lower percentiles where they offer AI & ML seats. Since the cutoffs fluctuate each year, you should aim for significantly above the minimum safe range, monitor JoSAA Counselling trends, and keep alternative branches (such as CSE or CSE (AI) or Data Science) as backup options to increase the likelihood of receiving admission offers.