JEE Main 2026 Rank List: Complete Guide to NTA Ranking, Percentile, Tie-Breaking, Cut-Off and Admission Process

The JEE Main 2026 Rank List is one of the most important documents for every engineering aspirant in India. Released by the National Testing Agency (NTA), it determines the All India Rank (AIR) and category ranks used for admissions to NITs, IIITs, GFTIs, and for qualifying for JEE Advanced 2026.

This guide provides complete information about how the rank list is prepared, how to check it, percentile-to-rank conversion, tie-breaking rules, counselling process, and expected cutoffs.

What is the JEE Main Rank List, and How is AIR Prepared?

The JEE Main 2026 Rank List is the official merit list prepared by the NTA based on candidates’ NTA percentile scores (not raw marks). It includes:

• All India Rank (AIR)

• Category Rank (GEN, OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwD)

• Subject-wise percentiles

• Total NTA percentile score

This rank list is used for admissions, not your raw score or total marks.

How NTA Calculates Percentile?

Percentile is the foundation of the entire JEE Main ranking system. It is NOT the same as a percentage.

A Percentile means your performance relative to others in your shift.

Official Percentile Formula:

$\text{Percentile} = \frac{\text{Number of candidates with raw score ≤ your score}}{\text{Total candidates in that shift}} \times 100$

Key Insights:

• Even if your raw marks are lower than someone in another shift, your percentile may be higher if your shift was harder.

• Percentile ensures a normalised, fair ranking system across all shifts.

• Percentile ranges from 0 to 100, where 100 is the highest possible value.

How to Download the JEE Main Rank List 2026

• Go to the official JEE Main website: jeemain.nta.nic.in

• Find and click the link that says “JEE Main Rank List 2026” or “Download Scorecard.”

• Enter your application number, password/date of birth, and the security PIN.

• Click the “Submit” button to log in.

• When the rank list appears, check all your details on the screen.

• Click Download to save the rank list on your device.

• Take a printout of the rank list for counselling and future use.

Details Mentioned in the JEE Main 2026 Rank List

Candidates will find the following information in their JEE Main 2026 rank list:

• The candidate’s full name

• The JEE Main 2026 roll number

• The father’s name

• The mother’s name

• The category of the candidate (General, OBC, SC, ST, etc.)

• Any subcategory, if applicable

• The topper’s marks in JEE Main out of 300

• The candidate’s total NTA score (percentile)

• The subject-wise NTA scores for each attempt

• The candidate’s All India Rank (AIR)

• The cut-off score required to qualify for JEE Advanced

Procedure for Computing the JEE Main Rank List 2026 for Paper 1 (Simple Version)

• The NTA prepares the JEE Main Rank List 2026 after converting the raw marks of candidates into NTA scores (percentiles).

• Both the overall percentile and the subject-wise percentiles from each session are considered.

• If a candidate has taken both sessions, the best score out of the two is used for preparing the final rank list.

• If the candidate appears only once, the score of that single attempt is used.

JEE Main Tie-Breaking Procedure for Paper 1 

If two or more students get the same percentile in Paper 1, NTA breaks the tie using the following rules:

1. The student with the higher Mathematics percentile gets the higher rank.

2. If the tie remains, the student with the higher Physics percentile gets preference.

3. If the tie still continues, the higher Chemistry percentile is considered.

4. If needed, the candidate with fewer incorrect answers overall is given a better rank.

5. Next, the candidate with fewer incorrect answers in Mathematics is preferred.

6. Then, fewer incorrect answers in Physics are checked.

7. Then, fewer incorrect answers in Chemistry are checked.

8. If the tie still remains, both candidates are given the same rank.

JEE Main Tie-Breaking Procedure for Paper 2

For Paper 2 (B.Arch and B.Plan), ties are solved using the following rules:

1. The candidate with the higher Mathematics percentile is given preference.

2. If the tie remains, the candidate with the higher Aptitude Test percentile is ranked higher.

3. If the tie continues, the Drawing Test score is considered for Paper 2A (B.Arch).

4. Then, candidates with fewer incorrect answers overall are preferred.

5. Next, fewer incorrect answers in Mathematics (Part I) are checked.

6. Then, fewer incorrect answers in the Aptitude Test (Part II) are considered.

7. If the tie still continues, candidates are given the same rank.

JEE Main Rank List: Previous Year

• NTA releases the JEE Main Rank List every year in online mode.

• After the JEE Main 2026 rank list is released, students can also look at the previous year’s rank list for reference.

• Below are the toppers from the JEE Main 2025 exam.

JEE Main Toppers 2025- Paper 2

JEE Main Toppers 2025 – Paper 1 (Final List)

States Accepting the JEE Main Rank List (Simple Version)

Many states use the JEE Main rank list for engineering admissions.
Here is the list of states that accept JEE Main scores:

Top Institutes Accepting the JEE Main 2026 Rank List

Many leading engineering colleges in India accept JEE Main ranks for admission.

Here are some of the top institutes:

• National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli (NIT Trichy)

• Jadavpur University

• National Institute of Technology Rourkela

• Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT)

• Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology

• Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS)*

• Jamia Millia Islamia

• National Institute of Technology Calicut

• Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT Nagpur)

• Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan

Note: BITS normally uses BITSAT, but some programs or states may consider JEE Main ranks depending on rules.

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