The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the official data for JEE (Main) 2026 Session 1 Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech.).
Let’s break down the gender-wise and category-wise distribution of registered candidates and understand what it actually means for aspirants.
Total Registrations – The Big Picture
- Total Registered Candidates: 13,55,293
- Male Candidates: 8,87,476
- Female Candidates: 4,67,817
That means:
- Male candidates ≈ 65.5%
- Female candidates ≈ 34.5%
The gender gap still exists. But female participation continues to remain strong in competitive exams.
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Category-wise Distribution (Registered Candidates)
Here’s the official breakdown:
| Category | Female | Male | Total |
| General | 1,65,622 | 3,08,011 | 4,73,633 |
| Gen-EWS | 53,824 | 1,10,436 | 1,64,260 |
| OBC-NCL | 1,86,607 | 3,47,364 | 5,33,971 |
| SC | 46,440 | 90,767 | 1,37,207 |
| ST | 15,324 | 30,898 | 46,222 |
| Total | 4,67,817 | 8,87,476 | 13,55,293 |
What Do These Numbers Tell You?
Let’s look into the details of JEE Main 2026:
OBC-NCL Has the Highest Registrations
- Total OBC-NCL candidates: 5,33,971
- This is the largest category segment.
Competition inside OBC-NCL is intense. Cutoffs fluctuate sharply in this bracket.
General Category – Massive Competition Pool
- Total General candidates: 4,73,633
This category faces:
- No reservation advantage
- Highest cutoffs historically
- Narrow rank margins at top percentiles
If you’re General category, your preparation has to be surgical.
Gen-EWS Participation Is Significant
- 1,64,260 candidates registered
Gen-EWS is now a strong competitive block. Seats are limited. The percentile difference at the top is razor-thin.
SC & ST Registrations
- SC: 1,37,207
- ST: 46,222
These numbers matter for:
- Category-wise cutoff prediction
- Rank vs percentile estimation
- Seat matrix strategy during counselling
Gender-wise Insights
When we get into gender-wise details:
Female Participation
- Total: 4,67,817
- Highest female registrations in:
- OBC-NCL (1,86,607)
- General (1,65,622)
Engineering participation among female candidates continues to remain substantial.
Top female topper (Paper 1):
- Ashi Grewal (Haryana) – 99.9969766 NTA Score
Strong signal: girls are not just appearing. They’re competing at the top.
Male Participation
- Total: 8,87,476
- Highest in:
- OBC-NCL (3,47,364)
- General (3,08,011)
Most 100 percentile scorers this session were male candidates.
Why This Data Matters for You
This is not just statistics. It directly affects:
-
Percentile vs Rank Conversion
More candidates = higher rank shift per percentile drop.
Example: In a pool of 13.5 lakh candidates, even a 0.1 percentile difference can shift thousands of ranks.
-
Category Cutoff Trends
More registrations in a category generally mean:
- Higher competition
- Tighter cutoff margins
Especially true for:
- OBC-NCL
- General
- JoSAA Counselling Strategy
Knowing your category competition size helps in:
- College prediction
- Branch locking strategy
- Safe vs dream choices
Registered vs Appeared – Quick Note
- Registered: 13,55,293
- Appeared: 13,04,653
- Attendance Rate: 96.26%
That’s very high.
Meaning: Almost everyone who registered actually competed. No easy dilution of competition.
Strategic Takeaways for JEE 2026 Aspirants
If you are:
General Category
Target 99+ percentile for Tier-1 NITs.
99.5+ for top branches.
OBC-NCL
Strong competition within category.
High 98–99 percentile zone is critical.
Gen-EWS
Very competitive at top ranks.
Safe percentile buffer required.
SC/ST
Preparation still matters deeply.
Category advantage works only if fundamentals are strong.
Final Thought
13.5 lakh students. One exam. Limited seats. This data is your competition map.
Don’t prepare blindly, rather prepare with awareness. Because in JEE:
strategy + consistency = rank
FAQs
Why is gender/category-wise data important for JEE aspirants?
This data helps in:
- Understanding competition intensity
- Estimating percentile vs rank trends
- Predicting category-wise cutoffs
- Planning JoSAA counselling strategy
More candidates in a category = tighter rank margins.
What was the attendance percentage in JEE (Main) 2026 Session 1?
The attendance rate is 96.26%. This means most registered candidates appeared, keeping competition levels very high.
Does higher registration in a category increase cutoff?
Not directly. But generally higher participation means higher competition density and smaller rank gaps per percentile. This can lead to tighter cutoff margins within that category.
