If you are waiting for the JEE Main Session 2 result, one of the biggest questions is the expected qualifying cut-off percentile for your category. Based on previous years' trends, this year's cut-off is likely to remain in a similar range, with slight fluctuations depending on exam difficulty and candidate performance.

In this article, we walk through the expected JEE Main category-wise cut-off for General, GEN-EWS, OBC, SC, ST, and PwD candidates — what the numbers mean, why they move, and what to do next.

Expected JEE Main Session 2 category-wise cut-off

According to trend analysis, the expected qualifying percentile is:

  • General: 93–95 percentile
  • GEN-EWS: 80–82 percentile
  • OBC: 79–81 percentile
  • SC: 61–64 percentile
  • ST: 48–50 percentile
  • PwD: 0.001–1 percentile

These are expected ranges and may vary slightly once official data is released.

What the JEE Main cut-off actually means

The JEE Main qualifying cut-off is the minimum percentile required to become eligible for JEE Advanced (for eligible categories) and for admission-related shortlisting processes.

This is different from institute-wise admission cut-offs, which are usually higher and vary by branch and college.

Factors affecting the 2026 cut-off

The final cut-off can shift slightly because of:

  • Total number of candidates appearing
  • Difficulty level of the Session 2 paper
  • Highest score and overall score distribution
  • Normalisation process across shifts
  • Reservation category trends

What students should do next

Once the result is announced:

  1. Check your percentile and All India Rank (AIR).
  2. Compare your score with the expected category cut-off.
  3. Keep documents ready for counselling and admission steps.
  4. Track official updates from NTA and JoSAA.
  5. Plan backup options if your score is near the boundary range.

Final takeaway

The JEE Main Session 2 expected cut-off suggests General category may close around 93–95 percentile, while GEN-EWS and OBC could remain near 80 percentile. SC and ST categories are expected lower based on established trends, and PwD cut-off may stay minimal as in previous years.

Treat these as predictive benchmarks and wait for the official result and category-wise qualifying announcement.