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2026

JoSAA

College Predictor

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JoSAA College Predictor Category-Wise 2026

Compare JoSAA admission chances across General, EWS, OBC-NCL, SC and ST categories

Why Category Matters in JoSAA Predictions

JoSAA reserves seats by category under government-mandated percentages: roughly 27% OBC-NCL, 15% SC, 7.5% ST, and 10% EWS over the Open/General pool. Each category effectively competes within its own slice of seats, so the rank required to secure a given institute-branch varies sharply depending on which category you fall under.

Our JEE Main College Predictor and JEE Advanced College Predictor both take your category as a direct input, so the shortlist you see already reflects category-specific cutoffs rather than a one-size-fits-all General cutoff.

For the full category-wise seat distribution across IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs, see the JoSAA Seat Matrix 2026, and for CSAB special round category cutoffs, see CSAB EWS Cutoff and CSAB OBC-NCL Cutoff.

Related Pages

JoSAA College Predictor 2026JoSAA Predictor for NITsCSAB 2026 EWS CutoffCSAB 2026 OBC-NCL Cutoff
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Frequently Asked Questions – Category-Wise JoSAA Predictor

Common questions about category-wise cutoffs in JoSAA

1
How much do cutoffs differ between categories in JoSAA?
Substantially. For the same institute-branch seat, OBC-NCL cutoffs are typically 1.3–2x higher (more accessible rank) than General/CRL, while SC cutoffs can be 3–5x higher and ST cutoffs often 5–8x higher than General, because each category competes only within its own reserved pool of seats.
2
What is the EWS category and how is it different from General?
EWS (Economically Weaker Section) is a 10% horizontal reservation for financially weaker candidates in the unreserved category who meet income/asset criteria. EWS cutoffs sit between General and OBC-NCL — usually only slightly higher than General for the same seat.
3
Can a reserved-category candidate also get a General seat?
Yes. If a candidate from OBC-NCL/SC/ST/EWS has a rank good enough to qualify for the Open/General category cutoff at a given seat, they are considered for that Open seat as well. Category reservation only guarantees access to reserved seats; it never restricts a candidate from Open seats.
4
Does PwD reservation work differently from category reservation?
Yes. PwD (Persons with Disability) reservation is horizontal — meaning 5% of seats within each category (General, EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST) are set aside for PwD candidates within that category, rather than being a separate vertical category of its own.
5
Why should I check category-wise cutoffs instead of just the overall cutoff?
Using the General/CRL cutoff alone can make a seat look far more or less competitive than it actually is for your specific category. Checking your exact category's opening and closing rank for each institute-branch gives a far more realistic sense of your chances.

JEE College Predictor 2026

IITs · NITs · IIITs · GFTIs · 135+ colleges

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JEE Main College PredictorJoSAA Seat Matrix 2026College Cutoffs

Disclaimer

Category-wise cutoffs are based on previous year patterns. Verify current category reservation rules at josaa.nic.in.