JEE Main Session-1 Percentile Trends Trigger Cut-Off Speculation for 2026

Experts predict the JEE Main 2026 cut-off for the General category may range between 93.5 to 95 percentile based on Session 1.

The results of the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 have officially been released by the National Testing Agency (NTA), sparking intense discussion among students. With over 13 lakh candidates appearing for the January session, the competition has reached a new high. Early data suggests that the JEE Main 2026 percentile required to qualify for JEE Advanced might be higher than in previous years. Twelve students have already secured a perfect 100 percentile, setting a very high benchmark for the upcoming April session.

As of today, February 24, 2026, students are analyzing their scores to see where they stand in the national rankings. The shift-wise difficulty level played a major role in the results, with some sessions having tougher Mathematics sections. Experts suggest that candidates who missed their target in Session 1 should now focus on the JEE Main Session 2 registration to improve their final All India Rank. The final qualifying marks will only be decided after both sessions are completed in April.

1. Expected Qualifying Percentile for JEE Advanced 2026

Based on the Session 1 performance, education experts have released predicted ranges for the JEE Main 2026 percentile needed to sit for the next stage of the exam.

• General Category Candidates: The qualifying mark is expected to stay strong, likely between 93.5 and 95.0 percentile.
• Reserved Categories: For OBC-NCL and EWS students, the range is estimated to be around 79 to 82 percentile.
• SC and ST Trends: Students from the SC category may need around 60–63 percentile, while ST candidates might qualify with 47–50 percentile.
• Top 2.5 Lakh Rule: Only the top 2,50,000 candidates across all categories will be eligible to register for the JEE Advanced 2026 examination.

2. Impact of Shift Difficulty and Normalization

Since the exam was held on multiple days, the NTA uses a normalization process to ensure fairness for every student.

• Tougher Shifts: Students who faced difficult Physics or Math papers might see a higher percentile even with lower raw marks.
• Easier Shifts: In sessions that were considered easy, candidates needed to score much higher marks to achieve the same JEE Main 2026 percentile.
• Mathematics as a Decider: In Session 1, Math was reported as lengthy and challenging, making it the key subject for breaking ties between high-scoring students.
• Subject-wise Cut-offs: While there is no individual subject cut-off for JEE Main, a strong score in all three subjects is necessary to maintain a high overall percentile.

3. Strategy for JEE Main Session 2 and Beyond

With the April session approaching, students are now preparing their final strategy to boost their scores.

• Mock Tests: Students are advised to practice using official papers available on the NTA Exam Portal to understand the latest question patterns.
• Focusing on Accuracy: High competition means that negative marking can significantly drop a student's rank, making accuracy more important than speed.
• Session 2 Registration: The window for the second session is currently active, and students should ensure all details are correct to avoid last-minute issues.
• Counselling Preparation: High-scoring students are already looking at previous opening and closing ranks on the JoSAA Counselling Website to shortlist their preferred NITs and IIITs.

Conclusion

The JEE Main 2026 percentile trends from Session 1 indicate that the road to the IITs is becoming more competitive every year. While the current predictions provide a helpful guide, the final cut-off will only be revealed after the JEE Main Session 2 results are out in late April. Students who scored well should begin their specialized preparation for JEE Advanced, while others have a golden second chance to improve their performance. Staying updated with official notices from the NTA will be crucial for all engineering aspirants in the coming weeks. By maintaining a steady study schedule and focusing on weak areas identified in January, students can maximize their chances of securing a seat in India's premier engineering institutions.

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