How Many Marks Are Required to Clear JEE Main: Category-Wise, Syllabus & Marks!

In the academic journey, students take a lot of exams to become reliable and effective in their careers. They have multiple options to choose from. There are a lot of students who are confident in clearing the JEE Main exam.

This exam comes under a competitive examination. A lot of students appear every year to score good marks for entering some of the popular colleges.

The question is how many marks are really needed?

How many marks are required to clear JEE Main?

Average marks needed by a student to clear the upcoming JEE Main:

1. General category

The JEE Main 2026 qualifying cutoff for the General category is 85-95+.

2. OBC category

The JEE Main 2026 qualifying cutoff (percentile) for the OBC-NCL is 70-85.

3. SC category

The JEE Main 2026 qualifying cutoff (percentile) for the SC is 50-65.

4. EWS category

The JEE Main 2026 qualifying cutoff (percentile) for the EWS is 75-90.

5. ST category

The JEE Main 2026 qualifying cutoff (percentile) for the ST is 35-50.

The JEE Main cut off 2026 qualifying marks and percentile category-wise was released on April 20, 2026:

Know everything about JEE Main eligibility marks on 12th.

How many marks are required to clear JEE Advanced?

The next step of JEE Main is the JEE Advanced. In the 2026 examination, the number of candidates qualified for JEE Advanced is 2,50,182.

JEE Advanced 2026 Expected Qualifying Criteria:

• General:-10.0% in each subject + 35.0% aggregate

• OBC-NCL/GEN-EWS:-9.0% in each subject + 31.5% aggregate

• SC/ST/PwD:-5.0% in each subject + 17.5% aggregate

• Preparatory Course: 2.5% per subject, 8.75% aggregate

If you have cleared JEE Main, then ask how many times I can give JEE Advanced.

JEE Main syllabus of 2026

JEE Main 2026 syllabus consists of:

• Paper 1

• Paper 2

1. JEE Main 2026 Paper 1 syllabus (B.E./B.Tech)

JEE Main 2026 Paper 1 is customised for engineering aspirants (B.E./B.Tech) where individuals prepare for three subjects:

• Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics

2. JEE Main 2026 Paper 2 syllabus (B.Arch and B.Planning)

JEE Main 2026 Paper 2 is curated for B.Arch and B.Planning aspirants and is divided into two:

• Paper 2A (B.Arch) and Paper 2B (B.Planning)

Previous years passing marks of JEE Main category-wise

It’s time to understand some previous data. Percentiles required in JEE Main to qualify for JEE Advanced:

Passing marks out of 300 in JEE Main

No passing marks are mentioned out of 300 in JEE Main. One can estimate with the help of marks and percentile.

A General category candidate requires approximately 90 Plus percentile, which is also considered 85 to 95 marks according to difficulty. A 90th percentile would imply that the candidate scored higher than 90 per cent of the total learners taking the test.

How to clear JEE Main in 2026?

JEE Main is a competition-based exam that learners take after completing their Class 12 board exams. National engineering colleges and universities accept the JEE Main scores for evaluating the capability of learners.

To get good marks in JEE Main 2026, students need to pass their 12th board exams and follow the given points:

1. Master NCERT

Students have to go through the whole syllabus, and their primary focus should be on learning through NCERT. One should know that avoiding NCERT textbooks is a big mistake.

2. High-weightage topics

Read out and make a strategy to score good marks by writing high-value answers. The exam question paper is designed as per the syllabus, which is divided into multiple topics, in which some are high-weightage, and others are low.

3. Mock tests and analysis

One must schedule them before the exams because they prepare you for the exam day. It also helps in avoiding stress and confusion.

Check if bio students can give the JEE exam.

What if you don't score enough marks to clear JEE Main?

Learners can opt for different opportunities if they don't score enough marks. Let’s find out what other options learners have:

1. Appear for session 2

If a learner gets low marks in JEE Main, then they can appear for the Session 2 examination conducted by NTA.

2. Other engineering entrance examinations

If a student scored fewer marks, you don’t have to worry because you can take admission to other colleges as well without dropping another year. Some other common suggestions that counsellors usually suggest are BITSAT, VITEEE, BITS Pilani, or SRMJEEE.

3. Taking a drop year

For some students, dropping can be an ideal step one can take. students need to prepare for a dedicated period and give exams in the upcoming session if they don’t wanna enroll in another college.

3 key tips to improve your JEE Main score

Instead of non-stop studying hours, making strategies will make sure students are stepping into the right pathway to achieve better marks.

1. Go through all the previous year Questions(PYQs)

As PYQs play a major role in the preparation for any examination, practising them can be a game-changer

This is because some important questions or topics are reconsidered very vital in upcoming question papers. It can directly improve your score, and students can get admission to their desired colleges.

2. Try to attempt easy questions first

During preparation for the examination, it’s important to know the format of the question paper and try to focus on easy ones that will save you maximum time for difficult questions.

Some learners might think attempting more questions will give them higher marks, but in reality, sometimes it can lead to lower scores.

3. Avoid negative marking traps

The JEE Main examination has negative marking. This means learners’ marks are reduced if they have written incorrect answers. Don’t ignore negative marking rules while writing exams.

Conclusion

Clearing the JEE Main exam is a target for a lot of learners. Exploring all the information helps you to strategise your preparation for good marks.

As a learner, aim for the highest score to get the best engineering college among all.

Students can score better in JEE Main if they focus on advanced-level preparation of basic concepts and time management.

Frequently asked questions