The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee successfully conducted the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced 2026 for both Paper 1 and Paper 2 on May 17. Following the examination, the institute has released the question papers on its official website for candidates to access.
Exam Schedule and Difficulty Level
Paper 1 was held in the morning shift from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, while Paper 2 took place in the afternoon shift from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. According to feedback from students and teachers, the overall difficulty level of JEE Advanced 2026 ranged from moderate to difficult. Mathematics emerged as the toughest and lengthiest section in both papers, testing candidates on complex problem-solving skills. Physics focused on conceptual understanding and application-based problems, while Chemistry, though manageable for some, was described as tricky and time-consuming. Paper 2 was particularly challenging due to its highly conceptual and calculation-intensive nature, especially in Mathematics.
Expected Category-wise Cut-off for JEE Advanced 2026
Based on initial reactions from candidates and educators, the expected qualifying cut-off this year may witness some changes compared to previous years. Education experts and media reports have provided the following estimated cut-off marks and percentile ranges:
- General: Minimum 20.60% marks, expected percentile 93.2 – 94.1, overall marks 90–100
- General-EWS: Minimum 18.50% marks, expected percentile 81 – 82, overall marks 80–90
- OBC-NCL: Minimum 18.50% marks, expected percentile 79 – 80, overall marks 80–90
- Scheduled Caste (SC): Minimum 10.30% marks, expected percentile 60 – 62, overall marks 45–55
- Scheduled Tribe (ST): Minimum 10.30% marks, expected percentile 47 – 49, overall marks 45–55
- Persons with Disabilities (PwD): Minimum 10.30% marks, expected percentile 0.001 – 1, overall marks not specified
For candidates belonging to the General category, competition is expected to remain high due to the limited number of seats in IITs. Meanwhile, slight relaxation is anticipated for candidates from the General-EWS and OBC-NCL categories. The cut-off for SC and ST categories is likely to remain comparatively lower. However, experts believe that the tougher Mathematics section and the overall demanding nature of the paper could influence the final qualifying marks this year.
Understanding the JEE Advanced Cut-off
The JEE Advanced cut-off is the minimum score required for candidates to qualify for inclusion in the Common Rank List (CRL) and become eligible for admission to undergraduate programmes offered by IITs. The cut-off changes every year depending on several factors, including the difficulty level of the examination, the number of candidates appearing for the test, overall student performance, and the availability of seats across IITs. After the declaration of results, participating IITs release course-wise opening and closing ranks through the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) counselling process.
Please note: The cut-off figures mentioned above are based on media estimates following the examination. These are expected scores only and not the official cut-off released by IIT Roorkee. Candidates are advised to wait for the official announcement for accurate information.
