CHENNAI: Shubham Kumar of Bihar from the IIT Delhi zone has topped the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced 2026 by scoring 330 out of 360 marks. While 56,880 candidates have qualified nationally in the IIT entrance exam, the results of which were declared on Monday, a total of 14,294 candidates have made the cut from the IIT Madras zone. Two students from Tamil Nadu have also made it to the top 100.
The state’s performance has improved compared to last year, when only one student figured in the top 100. In 2024, three from TN had made it to the top-100 ranks.
The IIT Madras zone recorded the highest number of qualified candidates among all IIT zones. The figure is also significantly higher than last year’s 12,946 qualifiers from the zone. The zonal status for the southern region alternates between IIT Madras and IIT Hyderabad.
This year, the IIT Madras zone comprised Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and parts of Andhra Pradesh. In terms of top ranks, however, candidates from the IIT Delhi zones outperformed those from the southern zone.
Snehal Roy Choudhury from Allen Career Institute emerged as the state topper, securing an AIR of 41, clearing the prestigious exam in his first attempt.
Having completed Class 12 this year, Snehal aspires to pursue Computer Science at IIT Bombay, with a keen interest in building a career in the field of artificial intelligence. Speaking to TNIE, he attributed his success to consistency, proper planning, and right guidance. He emphasised the importance of staying disciplined throughout the preparation.
‘Qualifying cut-off increased by 18 marks’
Snehal had started preparing for JEE from his Class 11.
“Students should not get demotivated and must remain persistent in their efforts,” he said, adding that instead of focusing on hours of study one should strategise their preparation on the basis of one’s strength and weakness.
Sooriya G who secured AIR 114, the third-highest ranked candidate from the state, told TNIE that he began preparing for JEE from Class 9. “I was relatively weak in Chemistry and focused on improving that subject. I felt the difficulty level of this year’s paper was similar to that of last year.
I hope to pursue Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Madras,” he said. “The overall number of qualified candidates has increased this year. While the marks secured by top rankers remained largely similar, the qualifying cut-off rose significantly.
The final qualifying cut-off increased to 92 marks from 74 last year, indicating that a larger proportion of questions were easier for students. However, the paper remained challenging even for those aiming for the very top ranks,” said B Pavan Kumar, academic dean, Maharishi Educational Institutions.
Six of top 10 from same institute
Kota-based Allen Career Institute on Monday claimed that six of the top 10 rank holders in the JEE (Advanced) 2026 results were its students. The institute said 24 of its students featured in the top 50 rank