In the recent JEE (Advanced) examination, approximately 1.8 lakh students participated, with 56,880 qualifying. Among the successful candidates, girls represented 10,107, or 17.7%. A significant highlight was the performance of scheduled caste (SC) candidates, who achieved a qualification rate of 52.8%, nearly equal to the general category's rate of 41.3%. The IIT Delhi zone excelled, producing five of the top ten rankers, while IIT Madras contributed three. The overall cut-off scores saw a notable increase, with the minimum required for the general category rising to 92 marks out of 360, compared to 74 in 2025. The cut-off for SC candidates also increased from 37 to 46 marks. The JEE Apex Board chairman, Prof Krishna Kumar Pant, expressed optimism that the improved performance of SC candidates would lead to fewer vacant reserved seats. The cut-off score for the top ten ranks fell to 311 this year from 317 last year, attributed to a more challenging chemistry section.