JEE Main 2027 safe score: NTA outlines past 5-year cutoff trends for NIT, IIIT admissions

In short

A score of 180+ marks is typically considered safe for NIT admission in JEE Main, with 220+ marks recommended for top NIT branches.
The JEE Main Rank List is based on percentile scores, not raw marks, and Class 12 marks will not be considered for the 2027 list.
Eligibility for JEE Advanced requires candidates to be among the top 2.5 lakh in the final JEE Main merit list.
The general category cutoff for JEE Main 2026 is near 93.3 percentile, while the EWS category requires 81.4 percentile.
Nearly 10-12 lakh students appear for the JEE Main examination each year across India.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released thorough data on JEE Main cutoff and rank trends spanning from 2021 to 2026, alongside predictions for the 2027 examination. This information aims to assist candidates in their preparation and admission planning for various engineering institutions across India, including NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs.

The JEE Main examination, conducted by the NTA, serves as a gateway for admission to these institutions and as a qualifying step for the JEE Advanced exam. Approximately 10-12 lakh students participate in JEE Main annually.

JEE Main Safe Scores for NIT Admissions

For candidates aspiring to secure admission into National Institutes of Technology (NITs) through JEE Main, the NTA indicates that a score of 180+ marks is generally considered safe. However, for those targeting admission to top branches within NITs, a higher score of 220+ marks is advised.

The JEE Main Rank List is formulated based on percentile scores rather than raw marks, with the NTA considering the highest score if a student appears in multiple sessions. It has been confirmed that Class 12 marks will not be factored into the preparation of the JEE Main 2027 Rank List.

JEE Main Cutoff Trends and JEE Advanced Eligibility

The NTA has outlined the qualifying cutoffs for JEE Main across various categories, which are primarily for determining eligibility for JEE Advanced. To qualify for JEE Advanced, candidates must be among the top 2.5 lakh candidates in the final JEE Main merit list. The JEE Advanced 2026 exam date was confirmed by IIT Roorkee as May 17, 2026.

The JEE Main qualifying cutoff is distinct from the admission cutoffs for NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs, which depend on factors such as rank, category, home-state eligibility, branch preference, and JoSAA/CSAB counselling cutoffs. The exam transitioned to a computer-based test with multiple sessions, utilising percentile normalization to ensure fairness across different shifts.

Category	JEE Main 2026 Cutoff (Percentile)	JEE Main 2025 Cutoff (Percentile)
General	93.41	93.10
Gen-EWS	82.41	80.38
OBC-NCL	80.92	79.43
SC	63.91	61.15
ST	52.01	47.90
UR-PwD	0.0023	–

JEE Main 2026 Key Dates

For the recently concluded JEE Main 2026 examination cycle, the National Testing Agency (NTA) released the Session 1 scorecard on February 16, 2026. This date provides a reference for candidates planning their preparation and application strategy for the upcoming JEE Main 2027 examination.

The registration window for JEE Main 2026 Session 2 closed on February 25, 2026, at 09:00 PM. In addition, IIT Roorkee confirmed the JEE Advanced 2026 exam date as May 17, 2026. The NTA continues to provide detailed information to aid candidates in dealing with the competitive environment of engineering admissions.

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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