120 Marks in JEE Mains Percentile 2026 – Rank, NITs and Admission Chances

120 marks in JEE Mains 2026 is considered a strong score and places a candidate among the top performers of the exam. The National Testing Agency (NTA) converts raw marks into percentile using a normalisation process, which means the 120 marks in JEE Mains percentile depends on the difficulty level of the paper, the number of candidates, and shift-wise performance.

Based on previous year trends, including 120 marks in JEE Mains percentile 2025, this score generally falls in the 96 to 97 percentile range.

How Much Percentile Is 120 Marks in JEE Mains?

As per analysis from Past few years, the percentile at 120 marks in JEE Mains is expected to be:

120 Marks in JEE Mains Rank 2026

With around 11–12 lakh candidates appearing every year, a 96–97 percentile usually corresponds to the following rank:

This means the 120 marks in JEE Mains rank is expected to fall between 33,000 and 43,000.

Is 120 Marks Good in JEE Mains?

Yes, 120 marks is a good score in JEE Mains. It provides:

• A 96–97 percentile

• Eligibility for JEE Advanced

• Admission chances in NITs, IIITs and GFTIs

For OBC and EWS candidates, 120 marks in JEE Mains percentile OBC is considered very strong and can fetch better colleges and branches than General category.

Can I Get NIT With 120 Marks in JEE Mains?

Yes. With a rank between 33,000 and 43,000, candidates with 120 marks in JEE Mains can get admission to several NITs in branches such as:

• Mechanical Engineering

• Civil Engineering

• Electrical Engineering

• Chemical Engineering

• Metallurgy

• Energy Engineering

• In newer NITs, even Computer Science Engineering

NITs Where Admission is Possible Include:

NIT Jalandhar, NIT Hamirpur, NIT Patna, NIT Goa, NIT Calicut, NIT Agartala, NIT Srinagar, NIT Meghalaya, NIT Nagaland and NIT Rourkela.

120 Marks in JEE Mains Percentile OBC

For OBC candidates, 120 marks usually corresponds to a percentile above 96, which significantly improves admission chances in:

• Top NITs

• Core branches

• Some CSE seats in newer NITs

The lower cutoff for OBC category increases the chances of getting better branches with the same score.

How NTA Calculates JEE Mains Percentile

NTA calculates the percentile using normalisation:

1. Raw score is calculated using
   +4 for correct, −1 for wrong, 0 for unattempted

2. Each exam shift is normalised separately

3. The best percentile from January and April attempts is used for:

• Final rank

• JoSAA counselling

Raw marks such as 120 marks in JEE Mains are not used directly for seat allocation.

Summary – 120 Marks in JEE Mains

Final Verdict

120 marks in JEE Mains 2026 is a safe and competitive score. It provides:

• 96–97 percentile

• A rank under 45,000

• Strong chances for NITs, IIITs and GFTIs

• CSE in newer NITs

• Core branches in reputed NITs

JEE Mains Marks vs Percentile 2026 – Explore Percentile by Score

Find detailed percentile analysis for every JEE Main score from 10 to 300 marks.