Predicted Percentile for 98 Marks in JEE Main 2026 Session 1

Predicted Percentile for 98 Marks in JEE Main 2026 Session 1: If you have scored 98 marks in JEE Main 2026 Session 1, it is natural to feel a bit confused about where you stand and what options are available next. While this score may not place you among the top rankers, it still puts you in a decent and competitive position. Based on past trends, student performance data, and the NTA normalisation process, 98 marks are expected to translate into a percentile between 89.45 and 94.95 . The final percentile will mainly depend on how easy or tough your exam shift was.

It is important to remember that these are predicted values, not final results. Small changes are always possible after official normalisation.

98 Marks in JEE Main 2026 Session 1: A Quick Analysis

Before thinking about colleges and counselling, it is helpful to understand how 98 marks convert into percentile and rank based on the analysis provided below by CollegeDekho.

Expected Percentile

With 98 marks, your percentile can vary significantly based on the paper’s difficulty. In an easy paper, higher overall scores increase competition, placing your percentile around 89.45+. For a moderate paper, the same score holds more weight, improving your percentile to about 91.4+. In a tough paper, fewer high scorers benefit you, pushing your percentile close to 94.95+ after normalisation.

Expected Rank

Based on the predicted percentile range, 98 marks can place your rank between 75,750 and 1,58,000. In an easy shift, the rank may extend up to 1,58,000, while a moderate paper can place you near 1,29,000. If the shift was tough, your rank may improve sharply to around 75,750, strengthening your counselling position. CollegeDekho highlights that in this range, small percentile gains can lead to big rank improvements, so patience is key.

Admission Possibilities

CollegeDekho points out that while 98 marks may not secure top branches at leading NITs, they still keep several realistic admission options open. You remain eligible for state-level counselling, institutional quota seats, GFTIs, and many reputed private engineering colleges accepting JEE Main scores. If your paper was tough and your percentile is close to 95, you may also find chances in select NITs and IIITs, mainly through home-state or reserved categories. At this stage, staying flexible with branches, preparing counselling documents early, and tracking JoSAA and state counselling updates can significantly improve your final outcome.

Percentile Prediction for 98 Marks in JEE Main 2026 Session 1

According to Angana Nath , a subject expert with several years of experience guiding JEE aspirants, has provided a detailed analysis below for percentile estimation for 98 Marks in JEE Main 2026 Session 1.

Expected Percentile

Angana Nath explains that if your paper was easy, 98 marks may result in an expected percentile of around 90.15+. In a moderate paper, your percentile can improve to nearly 92.10+, showing better relative performance. If the shift was tough, the same 98 marks become much more valuable. In such cases, your percentile can go as high as 95.65+, because fewer students score well in difficult shifts.

Expected Rank

Based on her analysis, your approximate rank may go up to 1,57,500 in an easy paper. For a moderate shift, the rank is expected to improve to around 1,28,500. If the paper was tough, your rank may drop to nearly 75,250, placing you in a much better position in the merit list and counselling rounds.

Admission Possibilities

According to Angana Nath, your admission chances with 98 marks largely depend on factors like category, home-state quota, and smart counselling choices. While top NITs and IIITs may be difficult at this score, opportunities often open up in newer or developing institutes, especially in later counselling rounds. Colleges such as NIT Puducherry, NIT Mizoram, NIT Sikkim, NIT Arunachal Pradesh, and NIT Nagaland may offer seats through home-state or reserved categories.

Similarly, IIIT Kottayam, IIIT Bhagalpur, IIIT Dharwad, IIIT Una, and IIIT Manipur sometimes align with this score range. You also remain well-placed for state government colleges, GFTIs, and reputed private institutes. Opting for branches like Civil, Mechanical, Metallurgy, or emerging interdisciplinary courses can further strengthen your chances, keeping multiple solid admission pathways open.