JEE Mains 2026 results: How to calculate percentile from raw scores as NTA’s formula decides rank, not marks

The JEE result 2026 will be declared by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on the official website jeemain.nta.nic.in today, on April 20, 2026. The announcement of the JEE Main result always leads to a state of confusion amongst aspirants, most of whom cannot correlate their scores with the percentile indicated in the result cards. Students who have secured impressive marks are left stunned by the fact that they have been dropped in the merit list because of the normalised evaluation method used by the National Testing Agency.

The NTA does not evaluate students on the sole basis of raw scores. Since there are multiple sittings of the exam, and each sitting may have a different level of difficulty, the NTA normalises the evaluation.

Officials have maintained that this method eliminates any advantage or disadvantage arising from an easier or tougher question paper.

Raw score vs percentile: The key distinction

A raw score is the total marks obtained after factoring in correct responses and negative marking. However, it reflects only individual performance and does not account for how others performed in the same shift.

Percentile, on the other hand, is a relative metric. It indicates the proportion of candidates who scored equal to or less than a particular candidate in a given session. For instance, a 95 percentile means the candidate has outperformed 95% of test-takers in that specific shift.

The formula behind percentile calculation

The NTA converts raw scores into percentiles using a standard statistical formula:

Percentile=Number of candidates with raw score ≤candidate’s score×100/ Total number of candidates in the session
The percentile is calculated up to seven decimal places to minimise ties and ensure precision in ranking.

Why candidates with similar marks get different percentiles

A common dilemma faced by most applicants has been the difference in percentile based on the same marks scored by candidates. This is because percentiles depend on the particular session in which you have appeared for the test. It could happen that a particular percentile score by one candidate is higher compared to another candidate scoring the same marks in a relatively easy session.

Effect on All India Rank (AIR)

Percentile becomes the determinant of AIR, without which admission to the best engineering colleges cannot take place. A very slight change in percentile values at the higher end can make a great difference in your ranking.

In case of a tie in percentiles
NTA has laid down the following criteria for tie breaking:

• Higher percentile in Mathematics
• Next in Physics
• After which comes Chemistry
• Finally, the age of the candidate

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