JEE Advanced 2025: NTA Confirms Top 2.5 Lakh JEE Main Rankers Eligible, Sets Official Cutoffs
New Delhi, July 11, 2025 – The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially confirmed that the top 250,000 candidates (across all categories) from the JEE Main 2025 exam will be eligible to sit for JEE Advanced, India’s premier engineering entrance test, scheduled for May 18, 2025. This announcement brings clarity to a core aspect of the admissions process and validates earlier percentile-based estimates for the cutoffs.
What’s the Eligibility Structure?
The NTA has outlined the following category-wise breakdown for the 250,000 qualifiers:
| Category | Total Seats |
|---|---|
| OPEN | 101,250 |
| OPEN-PwD | 5,063 |
| GEN-EWS | 25,000 |
| GEN-EWS-PwD | 1,250 |
| OBC-NCL | 67,500 |
| OBC-NCL-PwD | 3,375 |
| SC | 37,500 |
| SC-PwD | 1,875 |
| ST | 18,750 |
| ST-PwD | 938 |
| Total | 2,50,000 |
Each category also includes a 5% horizontal reservation for PwD candidates—a significant relief for students with disabilities.
Why It Matters
- Transparency and Predictability: Knowing the exact number of slots and their distribution allows students and their families to set realistic targets and manage expectations.
- Pressure on Aspirants: Securing a JEE Main rank within the top 250,000—roughly the 93–94th percentile for General/OBC—has become an even more visible benchmark for securing eligibility.
- Planning Strategies Earlier: Coaching institutes and educators can align preparatory benchmarks with these cutoffs, guiding students for tiered performance improvement.
Historical Context & Expected Variation
In previous years, JEE Advanced eligibility hovered around 91–93 percentile for General category students. For example:
- JEE Main 2024 cutoffs were ~93.23 for General, 79.67 for OBC, and 60.09 for SC.
- A 2025 Times of India report predicted General cutoff levels between 92–94 percentiles based on exam difficulty and competition.
The official candidate count now confirms that the cutoff aligns squarely with these expectations.
Experts Weigh In
- Coaching centre heads emphasize that the plateau offers clarity. “Students now know precisely what percentile to target—around 94 to keep a safe margin,” said one director.
- Admissions consultants highlight the narrowing gap in performance levels, especially in the 90th–95th percentile band, where hundreds jostle for each spot.
- Parents shared that the clarity helped align the board exam focus and JEE Main strategy with predictable performance thresholds.
What’s Ahead: JEE Advanced 2025 Timeline
- Admit Cards are expected by late April.
- JEE Advanced Exam scheduled for May 18, 2025, followed by
- Answer key release, objection window, and immediate
- Result announcement in early June.
- JoSAA counselling cycle starts within two weeks of the Results, determining undergraduate seat allotments in IITs and select engineering institutes.
Given this timeline, aspirants now have around 10 months to crystallize their preparation into percentile-specific goals.
Tips for Aspirants
- Benchmark targets: Aim for 94 percentile and above for General/OBC, proportionately lower for reserved categories.
- Mock testing: Emulate real exam conditions with time-bound JEE Main full papers and advanced-level problems.
- Focus areas: Prioritize Physics and Mathematics, as top percentile cutoffs are often determined by performance in these subjects.
- Physical & mental readiness: Build stamina for long test days and exams like BOARDS and JEE—a healthy mind improves focus.
Final Take
By fixing the top 250,000 candidate cutoff, the NTA has brought much-needed structure and certainty to the JEE admissions process. As marks translate more closely into percentile brackets, aspirants can fine-tune their approach to match elite-level competition. Now begins the high-stakes countdown to JEE Advanced, where these qualifiers will make their final push into India’s prestigious IIT ecosystem.
