🧭 What is JEE Main?
The Joint Entrance Examination – Main (JEE Main) is the computer-based national-level engineering entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to undergraduate engineering (B.E./B.Tech), architecture (B.Arch), and planning (B.Planning) programs in India jeemain.nta.nic.in+15en.wikipedia.org+15engineering.careers360.com+15. It also serves as a qualifying test for JEE Advanced—required for admission into the prestigious IITs. More than 1.47 million students appeared in 2025 .
It is held twice annually: Session‑1 in January and Session‑2 in April en.wikipedia.org.
- 🧪 Paper 1: Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics – 3 hours, CBT
- ✏️ Paper 2A (B.Arch): Mathematics, Aptitude, Drawing
- ✏️ Paper 2B (B.Planning): Mathematics, Aptitude, Planning indiatimes.com+4en.wikipedia.org+4jeemain.nta.nic.in+4.
🔗 Official Website
For all exam-related updates, candidate login, admit cards, answer keys, results, and cutoff notices, visit the official NTA JEE Main portal:
https://jeemain.nta.nic.in/ shiksha.com+7jeemain.nta.nic.in+7jeemain.nta.nic.in+7.
📋 JEE Main 2025 Cutoff (Qualifying Percentile)
NTA has published category-wise qualifying cutoffs for JEE Advanced eligibility in 2025:
Category | Percentile Cutoff |
---|---|
General (UR) | 93.10 |
OBC-NCL | 79.43 |
EWS | 80.38 |
SC | 61.15 |
ST | 47.90 |
🔎 Cutoff Trends: Last Year (2024)
Comparing with previous years gives context:
- 2024 Cutoff by category:
- UR – 93.23
- OBC-NCL – 79.67
- EWS – 81.32
- SC – 60.09
- ST – 46.69
- Yearly comparison (2020–2024): Cutoff for UR rose from ~88 (2022) to ~93 (2024) .
🛣️ What Do Cutoffs Mean?
- Qualifying Cutoff: Minimum percentile to be eligible for JEE Advanced.
- Admission Cutoff: Rank-based thresholds for admission to NITs, IIITs, GFTIs, etc. These are lower and vary per institute and discipline.
📈 2025 Important Dates & Updates
- Session‑2 (April 2025) exam held in early April; admit cards, provisional/final answer keys, and results declared on the official site navbharattimes.indiatimes.com+15jeemain.nta.nic.in+15iquanta.in+15en.wikipedia.org+4shiksha.com+4vedantu.com+4.
- JEE Advanced 2025 registration and JoSAA counselling have begun for qualified candidates kccitm.edu.in+3jeeadv.ac.in+3economictimes.indiatimes.com+3.
🧠 Expert Insight
JEE Advanced 2025 was notably tough—the cutoff dropped from 109 to 74 (out of 360)—highlighting greater competition and difficulty timesofindia.indiatimes.com+1timesofindia.indiatimes.com+1.
🔍 How to Check Cutoff Yourself
- Visit the official portal: https://jeemain.nta.nic.in
- Navigate to the “Cutoff/Qualifying Marks” section in the latest announcements.
- Download the PDF or view category-wise percentiles.
🧑🎓 Final Tips for Aspirants
- Aim for 95+ percentile in JEE Main to safely qualify for JEE Advanced and stay competitive.
- Remember, qualifying percentiles differ from opening/closing ranks for seats—those vary by institute and discipline.
- Always check the official portal for final cutoffs, answer keys, and data—third-party thresholds are only indicative.
🔚 In Summary
- JEE Main is a gateway to engineering colleges and JEE Advanced.
- 2025 qualifying cutoffs range from 93.1 percentile (UR) to 47.9 percentile (ST).
- Last year’s cutoffs rose steadily; competition remains fierce.
- Stay updated via the official NTA JEE‑Main website.
Let me know if you’d like a breakdown of IIT/NIT opening–closing ranks, or strategies to improve your percentile!
Sources
📊 JoSAA 2024 Opening–Closing Ranks for Top Institutes
🔹 IIT CSE Cutoffs (2024)
JoSAA Round 5 data shows category-wise opening–closing ranks for Computer Science & Engineering at top 5 IITs: detailed on the official JoSAA portal economictimes.indiatimes.com+10youtube.com+10engineering.careers360.com+10navbharattimes.indiatimes.com+4shiksha.com+4josaa.nic.in+4.
🔹 NITs & IIITs Cutoffs
- NIT Trichy (2024): For Open category, Chemical Engineering saw opening at 15,073 and closing at 20,271; OBC‑NCL: 4,477–6,159 vedantu.com.
- NIT Kurukshetra (2024): Round‑wise opening/closing ranks are also available by category and home‑state vs. other‑state engineering.careers360.com.
For full lists across all institutes, refer to the official JoSAA PDF under “Opening and Closing Ranks” timesofindia.indiatimes.com+11josaa.nic.in+11shiksha.com+11.
📌 How to Use This Info
- Your percentile → estimated rank → shortlist of colleges/branches.
- If aiming for IIT CSE, target a rank within the opening–closing range (e.g., ~700–1,500 for general category, depending on the IIT).
- For NITs, use NIT Trichy ranks as a benchmark: Security branches may require 4–6k, whereas newer branches open around 20k.
🧠 Strategies to Improve Your JEE Main Percentile
1. Focus on Core Concepts
Prioritize NCERT thoroughly for Chemistry, and foundational video lessons for Physics & Math timesofindia.indiatimes.com+5reddit.com+5timesofindia.indiatimes.com+5vedantu.com.
2. Regular Practice of Past Papers
- Emphasize solving previous-year questions (PYQs) under timed conditions.
- Combine with weekly/mock tests to assess progress reddit.com.
3. Target High-Scoring Topics
- In Mathematics, identify high‑weightage chapters and master them well—but beware of time sinks.
- In Chemistry, prioritize organic/inorganic NCERT chapters iitianguide.comreddit.com.
4. Smart Time Management
Use structured timetables, like a 4‑hour focused morning session + evening mocks. Use break techniques like Pomodoro .
5. Study Smartly in Final Months
- In the last 7 days, revise weaker areas, take timed tests, and avoid stress engineering.careers360.com.
- Use motivational tactics: vision boards, reward systems, light breaks (sports, hobbies) .
🎓 Real Aspirant Insights
- Arenjay Das scored 99.9 percentile in JEE Main Arch by focusing on his strengths and keeping an excellent study–life balance timesofindia.indiatimes.com+1timesofindia.indiatimes.com+1.
- Ujjawal Kesari (AIR 5 in JEE Advanced) used NCERT, meditation, and discipline—plus emotional breaks with family and cushy moments like watching Doraemon timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
- Kota’s Rajit Gupta, AIR 16 in JEE Main and AIR 1 in JEE Advanced, credits his mother’s guidance and consistent preparation static.zollege.in+14iitianguide.com+14economictimes.indiatimes.com+14.
✅ Quick Checklist to Boost Your Performance
- Fully master NCERT + PYQs.
- Daily mocks + weekly timed tests.
- Revise and reinforce your weakest subjects.
- Maintain mental well-being: take breaks, disconnect.
- Tailor your strategy to your target colleges (IIT/NIT opening ranks).
🔚 Bottom Line
Smart strategy—focused revision, mocks, stress management—can push you into the 99+ percentile.
Cutoff ranks vary widely: ~500–1,500 for IIT CSE (general), 4,000–20,000 for NIT core branches.
Your percentile → rank gives insight into which colleges you can realistically aim for.