sSakshi Rajawat
Content Writer
JEE Main 2026 Paper 2 is a national-level entrance exam. It is for students who want to study Architecture and Planning. The authority conducted the JEE Main 2026 exam on January 29, 2026. This exam happened in many cities across India and abroad. The JEE Main 2026 result was released on February 24, 2026. This result provides the NTA score of the candidates. The NTA score is basically the percentile obtained in the exam.
Candidates often find the marks vs percentile comparison very useful. It helps them estimate their performance before the final ranks. The official JEE Main 2026 Paper 2 marks vs percentile trends change every year. Many factors, like paper difficulty and number of students, affect this. In 2026, the competition level remained quite high. More than 45,000 students appeared for the B.Arch paper in the first session. Around 21,000 students sat for the B.Planning examination.
Understanding the difference between raw marks and percentiles is important. Raw marks are the actual scores out of 400. Percentile shows the relative performance of a candidate. It tells how many students scored less than or equal to a person. This blog will explore every detail of the marks vs percentile analysis. It will help candidates plan their admission journey for 2026.
A percentile score indicates the percentage of candidates who scored less than or equal to a particular candidate. For example, a 99 percentile means the student performed better than 99% of the test-takers. The JEE Main 2026 Paper 2 result date session 2 is usually announced in May. Students must aim for a high rank to get into the best colleges.
| Percentile Score | Expected Marks (Out of 400) | Expected All India Rank (AIR) |
| 99.9+ | 340 - 360 | 1 - 100 |
| 99.5+ | 315 - 339 | 101 - 500 |
| 99.0+ | 290 - 314 | 501 - 1,500 |
| 98.0+ | 265 - 289 | 1,501 - 3,500 |
| 95.0+ | 210 - 264 | 3,501 - 7,000 |
| 90.0+ | 170 - 209 | 7,001 - 15,000 |
| 85.0+ | 140 - 169 | 15,001 - 25,000 |
To achieve a 99 percentile, a student typically needs a score above 290. This score ensures a rank within the top 1,500 students. In the 2026 session, this target might increase slightly. This is due to better preparation resources available to students online. Candidates should focus on high-scoring areas like Aptitude and Drawing.
| Section | Total Marks | Targeted Marks for 99%ile |
| Mathematics | 100 | 50 - 60 |
| Aptitude Test | 200 | 170 - 185 |
| Drawing / Planning | 100 | 75 - 85 |
| Total | 400 | 295 - 330 |
SPA Delhi is the most sought-after institute for architecture. It is known for its excellent faculty and legacy. Admission here is extremely competitive. Only the top-ranking students can get a set in SPA Delhi. The B.Arch Expected Cutoff 2026 for SPA Delhi is very high. Candidates usually need a percentile above 99.5 for general category.
For the B.Planning course, the Cutoff is quite strict. The intake capacity is limited. This makes every mark important during the exam. Below is the expected category-wise marks and percentile requirement.
School of Planning and Architecture Delhi Expected Cutoff 2026
| Category | Expected Cutoff Percentile | Expected Safe Marks |
| General (UR) | 99.85 - 99.99 | 310+ |
| OBC-NCL | 99.50 - 99.80 | 280+ |
| EWS | 99.60 - 99.85 | 290+ |
| SC | 97.00 - 98.50 | 230+ |
| ST | 95.00 - 97.00 | 210+ |
Candidates should focus on both the drawing and aptitude sections. These sections carry important weightage. A high score in Mathematics also helps in boosting the JEE Main Rank. Achieving a rank within the top 150 is necessary for General category candidates. Reserved category candidates also need high scores due to increasing competition.
National Institutes of Technology (NITs) are excellent alternatives to SPAs. Many NITs offer high-quality B.Arch programs. NIT Tiruchirappali and NIT Calicut are ranked very high. The B.Arch expected cutoff 2026 for these will be competitive.
A student needs a good percentile to get into these colleges. Usually, a percentile above 98 is safe for most NITs. However, the top 5 NITs require a percentile above 99. Home state quota also plays a role in the final allotment.
| Name of the NIT | General Category Cutoff | OBC/EWS Category Cutoff |
| NIT Tiruchirappalli | 99.7+ | 99.3+ |
| NIT Calicut | 99.5+ | 99.1+ |
| VNIT Nagpur | 99.2+ | 98.8+ |
| MNIT Jaipur | 99.0+ | 98.5+ |
| MANIT Bhopal | 98.8+ | 98.2+ |
| NIT Raipur | 98.0+ | 97.5+ |
| NIT Hamirpur | 97.5+ | 97.0+ |
The JoSAA counseling handles the seat allocation for NITs. Students must fill their choices carefully during this process. They should list the colleges in order of preference. The JEE Main B.Planning Marks vs Rank also helps students choose colleges. B.Planning seats are fewer than B.Arch seats in NITs.
The NTA uses a normalization process for JEE Main. This process ensures fairness for all candidates. The JEE Main Exam happens in different shifts. Some shifts might be harder than others. Normalization removes the disadvantage of a tough shift. The percentile score is the normalized score. It is calculated based on the relative performance of candidates.
Shift Scoring: All candidates in one shift are compared together. They are not compared with students from other days yet.
Raw Marks: The actual marks obtained out of 400 are calculated first. This includes marks from Math, Aptitude, and Drawing or Planning.
Percentile Formula: The NTA takes the number of candidates with a score equal to or less than yours. They divide this by the total number of candidates in that specific shift. Finally, they multiply that number by 100.
Highest Score: The top scorer in each shift always gets a 100 percentile. This happens regardless of their actual raw marks.
This method removes any advantages or disadvantages of a tough paper. Even if a student gets 250 in a very tough shift, they might get a 99 percentile. In an easy shift, 250 might only result in a 95 percentile. This is why the JEE Main 2026 Paper 2 Marks vs Percentile varies across shifts.
Several factors influence the final JEE Main paper 2 cutoff every year. These factors change from one session to another. Understanding them helps students set realistic targets.
Number of Takers: Higher registration numbers usually increase the competition.
Difficulty Level: A tough paper lowers the raw marks needed for a high percentile.
Seat Matrix: Changes in the number of available seats in NITs or SPAs.
Category Reservation: Different cutoff scores for General, EWS, OBC, SC, and ST.
B.Planning is a specialized field focusing on Urban development. It is different from B.Arch because it does not involve building design. Inside, it deals with city layouts and infrastructure. The JEE Main B.Planning Marks vs Rank trends are unique.
The number of students appearing for paper 2B is lower than Paper 2A. However, the seats are also very few. This keeps the competition quite high for General category students.
| Category | Targeted Marks (400) | Targeted Percentile |
| General | 280+ | 98.5+ |
| EWS | 260+ | 97.0+ |
| OBC-NCL | 255+ | 97.0+ |
| SC | 180+ | 90.0+ |
| ST | 150+ | 85.0+ |
JEE Main 2026 Paper 2 is very important for architecture and planning seats. JEE Main 2026 Paper 2 Marks vs Percentile helps students to set targets. A score of 250 or more is a safe score for B.Arch in NIT 2026. The B.Arch Expected Cutoff 2026 varies for different categories and colleges.
There is often a slight B.Arch vs B.Plan percentile difference during admissions. Consistent practice helps in getting a top rank in this competitive exam. Good scores open doors to the best architecture colleges in India.
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