IIT Admission Cutoff: What You Need to Know Before Applying

When you hear IIT admission cutoff, the minimum score required to qualify for admission into an Indian Institute of Technology. Also known as JEE Advanced qualifying rank, it’s not just a number—it’s the gatekeeper between years of hard work and a seat in one of India’s most competitive engineering schools. Every year, lakhs of students take JEE Main and JEE Advanced, but only a fraction make it past the cutoff. And that cutoff isn’t fixed. It shifts based on exam difficulty, number of applicants, and seat availability. A score that got you in last year might not be enough this year.

The JEE Advanced cutoff, the qualifying threshold for IIT admissions after clearing JEE Main is published separately for each category—General, OBC, SC, ST, and PwD. It also varies by institute and branch. For example, Computer Science at IIT Bombay might need a top 50 rank, while Civil Engineering at IIT Guwahati could open up at rank 3,000. You can’t just aim for the national average. You need to know your target branch and its historical cutoff trends.

JEE Main cutoff, the qualifying score needed to even sit for JEE Advanced is often misunderstood. Clearing JEE Main doesn’t mean you’re close to an IIT—it just means you’re in the race. The real battle starts with JEE Advanced, where your rank decides everything. Top performers don’t just study hard; they study smart. They focus on NCERT fundamentals, practice past papers, and avoid chasing too many books. As shown in posts about JEE toppers and preparation guides, consistency beats cramming every time.

Many students think a high score guarantees admission. But it’s not just about marks—it’s about rank. Two students with 90% can have wildly different ranks if one got 120/300 and the other got 150/300. The cutoff is always in rank, not percentage. And if you’re from a reserved category, your cutoff rank will be lower, but the competition within your group is just as fierce. Knowing your category’s past cutoffs is as important as knowing the syllabus.

Don’t rely on last year’s cutoff alone. Check trends over the last 3–5 years. If the cutoff for your target branch rose by 50 ranks each year, assume it’ll rise again. Use this data to set a realistic target. If you’re aiming for IIT Delhi’s Electrical Engineering, don’t just hope for a 2,000 rank—aim for 1,500. Give yourself room to breathe. The cutoff isn’t a finish line; it’s a moving target.

What you’ll find below are real, practical guides that break down how to reach those cutoffs—not by luck, but by strategy. From the best books for JEE Mains to how top scorers actually studied, these posts cut through the noise. You’ll see what works, what doesn’t, and how to turn your effort into results. No fluff. Just what you need to know to clear the IIT admission cutoff and get where you want to go.