JEE Advanced 2026: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has concluded the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced 2026 for both Paper 1 and Paper 2 on May 17. The institute has also released the question papers on the official website after the exam.Paper 1 was conducted in the morning shift from 9 AM to 12 PM while Paper 2 was conducted in the afternoon shift from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM.According to students and teachers, the overall difficulty level of JEE Advanced 2026 ranged from medium to difficult. Mathematics was considered the toughest and longest section in both papers, while Physics tested candidates on conceptual understanding and application-based problems. Chemistry, although manageable for some students, was described as difficult and time-consuming.Paper 2 was particularly difficult due to its highly conceptual and calculation-based nature, particularly in mathematics. Based on the initial response from candidates and academics, this year the expected qualifying cut off may see some changes as compared to previous years.
JEE Advanced 2026: Expected Category Wise Cutoff
According to various academic experts and media reports, the expected cut-off for JEE Advanced 2026 is given below:
| category | Expected minimum corkage percentage | Expected percentage range | Expected Aggregate No |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | 20.60% | 93.2 – 94.1 percent | 90-100 marks |
| General-EWS | 18.50% | 81 – 82 percent | 80-90 marks |
| Other Backward Classes – Non Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL) | 18.50% | 79 – 80 percent | 80-90 marks |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 10.30% | 60 – 62 percent | 45-55 no |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 10.30% | 47 – 49 percent | 45-55 no |
| Persons with Disabilities (PwD) | 10.30% | 0.001 – 1 percent | – |
For candidates belonging to General category, competition is expected to be high due to limited number of seats in IITs. Meanwhile, minor relaxation is expected for candidates from General-EWS and OBC-NCL categories.The cut-off for SC and ST categories is likely to be relatively low. However, experts believe that the tough maths section and overall nature of the paper may affect the final qualifying marks this year.
what is JEE Advanced Cutoff ?
JEE Advanced Cutoff is the minimum score required for candidates to qualify for inclusion in the Common Rank List (CRL) and admission to undergraduate programs offered by the IITs.The cut-off varies every year depending on several factors, including:
- Level of difficulty of the exam
- Number of candidates appearing in the examination
- Overall performance of students
- Availability of seats in IITs
After the declaration of results, the participating IITs release the course-wise opening and closing ranks through the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) counseling process.Please note: The above cut off figures are based on media estimates after the exam. These are only the expected scores and not the official cutoff released by IIT Roorkee.
