JEE Main results are released as percentile scores, not raw marks. And since the exam runs across multiple shifts with different difficulty levels, NTA uses a normalisation process to ensure fairness across all sessions. This means the same raw score can result in different percentiles depending on the shift you appeared in.
The team at Akash has reviewed the available student feedback, memory-based paper data, and shift-wise difficulty trends to put together this expected marks vs percentile breakdown for the April 5 Shift 2 exam.
JEE Main Rank Predictor 2026
Shift Wise Difficulty Comparison JEE Main 2026: Where Does April 5 Shift 2 Stand?
One of the most common questions after any shift is: was this the easiest or the toughest shift? Shift difficulty directly affects normalisation, which in turn determines your final percentile.
Here is how the April 5 Shift 2 paper compares to the other shifts conducted in Session 2:
| Shift | Overall Difficulty | Notable Observation |
| April 2 Shift 1 | Moderate (Easy) | Chemistry was scoring. Easiest of the early shifts. |
| April 2 Shift 2 | Moderate to Difficult | Chemistry was lengthy; Maths was time-consuming. |
| April 4 Shift 1 | Toughest so far | One of the harder shifts in Session 2. |
| April 4 Shift 2 | Moderate | Maths was easier compared to Shift 1. |
| April 5 Shift 1 | Moderate | Chemistry is easiest; Maths is tough. About 190 marks are needed for 99 percentile. |
| April 5 Shift 2 | Moderate | Slightly harder than Shift 1. About 180+ marks needed for 99 percentile. |
In the JEE Main 2026 toughest vs easiest shift debate for this session, April 4 Shift 1 appears to have been the toughest so far, while April 2 Shift 1 was among the easier ones.
The April 5 Shift 2 sits in the moderate range, which is actually where normalisation works in a fairly neutral way for most students.
JEE Main 2026 Marks vs Percentile Analysis: April 5 Shift 2 Expected Figures
This is the section most students are here for. The table below shows the expected marks vs percentile for the April 5 Shift 2 exam, based on the paper’s difficulty level and previous session trends. These are approximate figures.
| Marks (out of 300) | Expected Percentile (Approx.) | Expected AIR (Approx.) |
| 250 and above | 99.9 and above | Under 1,000 |
| 220 – 249 | 99.7 – 99.9 | 1,000 – 3,000 |
| 200 – 219 | 99.4 – 99.7 | 3,000 – 6,000 |
| 180 – 199 | 99.0 – 99.4 | 6,000 – 10,000 |
| 160 – 179 | 98.5 – 99.0 | 10,000 – 16,000 |
| 150 – 159 | 97.0 – 98.5 | 16,000 – 25,000 |
| 130 – 149 | 95.0 – 97.0 | 25,000 – 45,000 |
| 110 – 129 | 92.0 – 95.0 | 45,000 – 75,000 |
| 90 – 109 | 87.0 – 92.0 | 75,000 – 1,10,000 |
| 70 – 89 | 80.0 – 87.0 | 1,10,000 – 1,70,000 |
| 50 – 69 | 68.0 – 80.0 | 1,70,000 – 2,70,000 |
| Below 50 | Below 68 | Above 2,70,000 |
Important: NTA does not release an official marks vs percentile table. These are estimated figures based on expert review and previous year data.
These figures are part of the broader JEE Main 2026 marks vs. percentile analysis and account for the moderate difficulty of the April 5 Shift 2 paper. Since the paper was not among the toughest shifts, the normalisation benefit for this shift is expected to be modest.
What to Expect If You Scored Around 150 Marks
A score of 150 in the April 5 Shift 2 paper is expected to translate to a percentile in the range of 97 to 98. This corresponds to an approximate All India Rank of 20,000 to 40,000.
Here is what 150 marks can realistically get you:
- You are expected to qualify for JEE Advanced (the cutoff is usually around 100 to 110 marks for the general category).
- You may get ECE or Electrical Engineering at mid-tier NITs such as NIT Jalandhar or NIT Hamirpur.
- You may get CSE or AI specialisations at IIITs such as IIIT Vadodara or IIIT Kota.
- If the shift is normalised in your favour, the percentile could move slightly above 98.
150 marks is a solid score, especially for students who want to keep their JEE Advanced option open while also targeting good NITs and IIITs for counselling.
How Does NTA Calculate Your JEE Main Percentile?
Understanding the calculation helps you interpret the data above more accurately. NTA does not simply rank you by marks. Instead, it uses a normalisation formula that accounts for difficulty differences across shifts.
The formula is:
Percentile = (Number of candidates who scored equal to or less than you in your shift / Total candidates in your shift) x 100
Each shift is treated independently for this calculation. Once the percentile for each shift is computed, NTA normalises the scores across all shifts to prepare the combined merit list.
This is why a student scoring 180 marks in a tougher shift may end up with a higher percentile than a student scoring 185 marks in an easier shift. The JEE Main exam trend analysis over the past few years consistently shows this pattern, which is why shift difficulty matters when estimating your score.
JEE Main Exam Trend Analysis: What Past Years Tell Us
Looking at the marks vs percentile trend for JEE Main across past years helps set realistic expectations. Here is what the data from JEE Main shift trends in past years shows:
| Percentile | Approx. Marks Needed (Easy Shift) | Approx. Marks Needed (Tough Shift) |
| 99.99 | 285 – 300 | 260 – 285 |
| 99.5 | 220 – 230 | 200 – 215 |
| 99.0 | 190 – 200 | 170 – 185 |
| 98.0 | 170 – 180 | 150 – 165 |
| 95.0 | 140 – 150 | 120 – 135 |
| 90.0 | 110 – 120 | 90 – 110 |
| 85.0 | 85 – 95 | 70 – 85 |
The JEE Main shift trends from past years confirm that the April session consistently sees higher cutoffs than the January session. Students who have completed their board exams tend to be better prepared by April, which raises overall performance and compresses the marks vs percentile range at the top end.
For the April session in 2025, the trend showed around 190 marks or above for 99 percentile in easier shifts, and around 170 to 180 marks in tougher shifts. Given that the April 5 Shift 2 was moderate, the 99 percentile mark is expected to be around 180 to 185 marks.
Which Shift Was Easiest in JEE Main 2026: A Shift-Wise Summary
Based on student feedback and expert analysis from all shifts completed so far in Session 2, here is a broad summary:
- April 2 Shift 1 was the easiest overall, with Chemistry being the most scoring section.
- April 4 Shift 1 was among the toughest, with all three subjects proving to be challenging.
- April 5 Shift 2 was moderate, sitting in the middle of the difficulty range for this session.
- Mathematics remained the toughest section across nearly all shifts in Session 2.
- Chemistry was consistently the most scoring section, especially in shifts where NCERT preparation was rewarded.
For students who appeared in the April 5 Shift 2 exam, the moderate difficulty level means that the normalisation advantage will not be as high as for students who appeared in the April 4 Shift 1. However, it also means the cut-off marks for a given percentile are not overly high.
JEE Main 2026 Marks vs Percentile Analysis: What Should You Do Next?
Once you have a rough idea of your expected percentile, the next step is to plan your counselling strategy. Here is what you can do right now:
- Calculate your raw score using the memory-based answer key. Apply the marking scheme: +4 for each correct MCQ or numerical, -1 for each wrong MCQ, and 0 for unattempted questions.
- Use the marks vs percentile table above to estimate your expected percentile range.
- Check your JEE Main 2026 result on the official website jeemain.nta.nic.in once the result is declared.
- Plan for JoSAA counselling if you are targeting NITs, IIITs, or CFTIs.
- If you are targeting JEE Advanced, note that the cutoff is expected to remain around 100 to 110 marks for the general category.
Remember, the best of your two sessions (January and April 2026) will be considered for the final merit list. If you had a better performance in January, that score continues to count.
FAQs
What percentile can I expect with 150 marks in April 5 Shift 2?
A score of 150 marks in this shift is expected to result in approximately 97 to 98 percentile, with an AIR in the range of 20,000 to 40,000. If normalisation works in your favour (for example, if the shift turns out to have been tougher than initial estimates), the percentile could edge above 98.
How many marks are needed for 99 percentile in April 5 Shift 2?
Based on initial student reactions and expert estimates, around 180 marks or above is expected to fetch 99 percentile in the April 5 Shift 2 exam. This is slightly lower than Shift 1 of the same day (which required around 190 marks), reflecting the moderately greater difficulty of Shift 2.
Does NTA officially release a marks vs percentile table?
No. NTA only releases your NTA score (percentile) on the scorecard. The marks vs percentile data you see across platforms, including this one, are based on expert analysis, student feedback, and past year trends. The official data can only be derived after the result is published.
Which shift was the easiest in JEE Main 2026?
Based on the data available so far, April 2 Shift 1 was considered the easiest shift in JEE Main 2026 Session 2. The JEE Main 2026 shift comparison for the April attempt shows that Chemistry was highly scoring in that shift, and the overall paper was manageable. In contrast, April 4 Shift 1 was one of the toughest.
Can I still qualify for JEE Advanced with 120 marks?
It depends on your category. For the general category, the JEE Advanced cutoff is typically around 100 to 110 marks. A score of 120 marks should comfortably qualify you for JEE Advanced in most categories.
