JEE Main Expected Passing Marks 2026 Category-Wise: Will there be a decline in pass marks?
JEE Main 2026 expected passing marks are crucial to estimate the qualifying chances for JEE Advanced 2026. Collegedekho predicts cutoffs based on trends and exam difficulty. Expected percentile and passing marks are provided here for each category.
JEE Main Expected Passing Marks 2026:The JEE Main 2026 Qualifying Marks are considered a very essential part for all the students who want to get through JEE Advanced 2026 and are willing to participate in the JoSAA counselling process. As per the analysis by CollegeDekho and a detailed review of previous years' trends of cut-off marks, the passing marks for 2026 are being predicted by keeping in mind parameters such as the difficulty level of the exam, the number of candidates who appeared for the exam in Session 1, and overall performance. Since the qualifying cutoffs for different categories, namely General, EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PwD, the 2026 cutoffs are anticipated to be more or less similar to those of last year. These projections enable candidates to realistically assess their chances and determine their next course of action effectively.
JEE Main Expected Passing Marks vs Percentile 2026 Category-Wise
Here are the estimated passing marks for each category based on previous trends and expected difficulty level.
Category | Expected Cut-off Percentile | Expected Passing Marks out of 300 (2026) |
General | 92 – 93 Percentile | 81.5 – 86.5 |
General EWS | 80 – 81 Percentile | 45.5 – 48.1 |
OBC-NCL | 79 – 80 Percentile | 42.1 – 45.5 |
SC | 61– 62 Percentile | 28.3 – 28.9 |
ST | 47 – 48 Percentile | 18.25 – 19.85 |
Also read |JEE Main Difficulty Level Trends 2026 Session 1: Interview with Subject Expert
Difficult Level Analysis for JEE Main 2026:
Based on CollegeDekho analysis and students' and experts' feedback, the overall toughness level of JEE Main 2026 was 'Moderate to Tough'. The paper focused on testing the conceptual clarity, application-based, as well as problem-solving skills, especially in Physics and Mathematics. Due to increased stress on multi-concept questions, lengthier questions, and time management, the tougher paper may result in a slightly lower average score, which will then affect the cutoff as well as percentile normalisation.
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