JEE Main Result 2020: How to calculate percentile and All India Rank

The JEE Main 2020 results are just around the corner and most students would be trying to understand how to calculate the Percentile and All India Rank.

JEE Main 2020 result would be determined through the process of normalisation. The exam was held on different days and sessions. It is quite possible some candidates may get an easy paper while others might have to answer tougher questions in JEE Main 2020 exam paper. To make sure that no aspirant benefits or is at a disadvantage due to this, the process of normalisation would be adopted to determine JEE Main results and ranks. NTA would rank students based on the percentile score obtained in the exam. This percentile score would be calculated as per a pre-determined formula.

JEE Main 2020 Result to be declared today: Live Updates

What is Percentile Score?

The percentile score would be based on the relative performance of all the aspirants appearing in the exam. The score would be obtained after transforming the scores into a scale ranging from 100 to 0 for each session of examinees.

As per the official NTA website, “The Percentile Score indicates the percentage of candidates that have scored EQUAL TO OR BELOW (same or lower raw scores) that particular Percentile in that examination. Therefore, the topper (highest score) of each session gets the same Percentile of 100 which is desirable. The marks obtained in between the highest and lowest scores are also converted to appropriate Percentiles.”

Difference between Percentage and Percentile

Percentile and the percentage of marks are two totally different entities. Thus, aspirants should not confuse both the above terms. Here’s the difference:

Percentage: Percentage is a number out of 100

Percentile : Percentile score of a candidate would reflect how many candidates have scored below that candidate in an exam. A Percentile score is the value below which a certain percent of observations fall.

Declaration of the final JEE Main 2020 result and All India Ranks

NTA conducted JEE Main 2020 in two attempts - January and September. Since the exam was held in multiple shifts each day across the two sessions, the calculation of score to a single percentile score is done through a normalization process.

What is Normalization?

Normalisation is the process of identifying a candidate’s actual merit/rank by creating the same level playing field for every student. The very process is used in other exams across the country to resolve similar issues.

The formula to calculate JEE Main 2020 scores is:

NTA, to avoid bunching effect and reduce tie-breaking, calculates the percentile scores up to 7 decimal places.

Steps Involved in normalisation and preparation of JEE Main 2020 merit/rank list:

Step-1: Distribution of examinees in two days and in two shifts per day

Candidates would be distributed into four sessions randomly so that each session has an approximately equal number of candidates. These four sessions are as follows:

•Session-1: Day-1 Shift-1

•Session-2: Day-1 Shift-2

•Session-3: Day-2 Shift-1

•Session-4: Day-2 Shift-2

Step 2: Preparation of results for each Session

JEE Main 2020 results for each session would be prepared in the form of:

•Raw Scores

•Percentiles Scores separately for each of the three subjects (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry) and the total score.

•The following four percentiles would be calculated for each candidate in a session:

Step 3: Compilation of NTA score and preparation of overall merit/rank list

The percentile scores for the total Raw Score of all the four sessions as calculated in the above step would be merged and known as NTA scores. This would then be used for the compilation of result and preparation of overall JEE Main 2020 Merit List / Ranking.

Please note that the percentile of all four sessions would be calculated separately to determine the total Raw Score and Raw Scores in three subjects: Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.

Compilation and display of JEE Result 2020 for multi-session

Compilation of JEE Main 2020 Result for the first attempt:

The first attempt of JEE Main 2020 was held in multi-session, thus, NTA scores would be calculated corresponding to the raw marks secured by a student in each session according to the process above. The NTA scores calculated for all the sessions would be merged to declare JEE Main 2020 result. The result would comprise all the four NTA scores for each of the three subjects: Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry along with the total of the first attempt.

Compilation of JEE Main 2020 result for the second attempt:

The same above given method would be followed to compile JEE Main results 2020 for the second attempt.

Compilation of Result and Preparation of Merit List / Ranking

The four NTA scores of each candidate’s first and second attempts would be merged for the compilation of JEE Main result and preparation of overall Merit List/Ranking. Candidates who appeared in both the attempts, their best of the two NTA scores would be considered for the preparation of Merit List /Rankings. The method is explained in the following example:

JEE Main Result 2020: Tie-Breaking Resolution

In case two or more candidates secure equal percentile scores in JEE Main 2020 result, then the ranking would be determined in the following way:

Tiebreaker for Paper 1(BTech):

•NTA score in Mathematics: Candidate who secures more percentile score in Mathematics would be ranked higher

•NTA score in Physics: Candidate who secures more percentile score in Physics would be ranked higher

•NTA score in Chemistry: Candidate who secures more percentile score in Chemistry would be ranked higher

•Date of Birth: The older candidate would be ranked higher

Note: In case the tie still stands unresolved, the same rank is given to the candidates

JEE Main 2020 Tiebreaker for Paper 2 (BArch):

•NTA score in Mathematics: Candidate who obtains higher marks in the mathematics would be given a higher rank

•NTA score in Aptitude Test: Next, if the tie still persists, then aspirant with a higher score in the aptitude test would be allotted a higher rank

•NTA score in Drawing Test: If the tie still persists, then aspirants with higher scores in the drawing test would be allotted a higher rank

•Lesser negative response: Candidates having lesser number of negative responses in the paper.

•Date of Birth: The older candidate would be ranked higher

JEE Main 2020 Tiebreaker for Paper 3 (B. Planning):

•NTA score in Mathematics: Aspirants who obtain higher marks in the mathematics would be given a higher rank

•NTA score in Aptitude Test: If the tie persists, then aspirant with higher scores in the aptitude test would be given a higher rank

•NTA score in Planning Based Questions: If the above criteria do not break the tie, then the candidate would higher marks in planning-based questions would be given the higher rank

•Lesser negative response: Candidates having lesser number of negative responses in the paper.

•Date of Birth: The older candidate would be ranked higher

What After JEE Main 2020 Result?

•Cutoff for JEE Advanced

NTA would announce the cut-off score for JEE Advanced. In 2019, the cut-off score for general category students was 89.75 while that of OBC – NCL students was 74.

Counselling/Selection Procedure

After JEE Main and JEE Advanced results would be declared, JoSAA conducts joint seat allocation process for admissions to 100 institutes including 23 IITs, 31 NITs, 25 IIITs and 28 Other GFTIs. Admission to all these JEE Main and JEE Advanced participating institutes would be done through a single counselling platform.

(Author of this article is an expert at FITJEE. Views expressed here are personal. )