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Candidates who successfully achieve the minimum requirements for JEE Main must submit the JEE Advanced application form by the deadline. However, before going with registration, it is critical to thoroughly grasp and meet the JEE Advanced eligibility criteria 2026 to ensure a smooth and hassle-free admission procedure.
On this page, you can find out everything you need to know about the JEE Advanced 2026 eligibility criteria, such as how many attempts you receive, minimum percentile marks, the age limit that means what your age should be to apply, and more.
JEE Advanced Eligibility Criteria 2026 Highlights
IIT Roorkee has issued the latest JEE Advanced eligibility Criteria for 2026, along with the official information brochure. The application process for the JEE Adv is scheduled to start on April 23, 2026. If you intend to appear in the exam, then you should refer to the key highlights of the JEE Advanced Eligibility Criteria 2026 in the table below.
| Eligibility | JEE Advanced Eligibility Criteria |
| JEE Main Performance | Must be among the top 250,000 successful candidates in JEE Main 2026 BE/BTech Paper (across all categories). |
| Category-wise Cutoff Ranks | Specific aspirants from the OPEN, OBC-NCL, EWS, SC, ST, and PwD categories qualify based on a fixed seat share within the top 250,000. |
| Age Limit | Candidates must be born on or after October 1, 2001. SC/ST/PwD candidates are eligible for a 5-year age relaxation. |
| Number of Attempts | A candidate may attempt JEE Advanced a maximum of two times in two consecutive years. |
| Class 12/Qualifying Exam | Must have appeared in Class 12 (PCM) for the first time in 2025 or 2026. Earlier attempts (2024 or before) make candidates ineligible. |
| Earlier IIT Admission Condition | Candidates must not have been admitted to an IIT in the past, irrespective of reporting or joining status. |
| 75% / Top 20 Percentile Requirement (for IIT Admission) | To join an IIT after qualification, they must meet either 75% aggregate in Class 12 or be within the top 20 percentile in their board. |
| Foreign/OCI/PIO Candidates | OCI/PIO cardholders before 04.03.2021 can be eligible under the OPEN category; others are treated as foreign nationals. |
Latest JEE Advanced 2026 Eligibility Criteria decoded
The JEE Advanced eligibility Criteria 2026 include five crucial aspects: JEE Mains qualification, attempt limit, age, year of passing class 12 boards, and previous admission to IITs. Candidates who meet these five essential requirements for JEE Advanced 2026 eligibility will be able to apply for the exam in the upcoming session.
Let’s understand those JEE Advanced 2026 eligibility requirements one by one in a detailed manner
JEE Advanced Eligibility Criteria Based on JEE Main Performance
Candidates must be among the top 2,50,000 successful candidates (in all categories) in the B.E./B.Tech. Exam of JEE (Main) 2026. The table below illustrates the order in which the top 2,50,000 applicants in various categories will be chosen based on their performance in the B.E./B.Tech. paper of JEE (Main) 2026:
| Sl No. | Category | Number of “Top” candidates | |
| 1 | OPEN | 96187 | 101250 |
| 2 | OPEN-PwD | 5063 | |
| 3 | GEN-EWS | 23750 | 25000 |
| 4 | GEN-EWS-PwD | 1250 | |
| 5 | OBC-NCL | 64125 | 67500 |
| 6 | OBC-NCL-PwD | 3375 | |
| 7 | SC | 35625 | 37500 |
| 8 | SC-PwD | 1875 | |
| 9 | ST | 17812 | 18750 |
| 10 | ST-PwD | 938 | |
Minimum Marks and Percentage in Qualifying Exam
Based on the latest JEE Advanced eligibility criteria 2026, we have shared the list of acceptable qualifying exams and the minimum qualifying percentage given below
IIT JEE Advanced Eligible Qualifying Exams
The following examinations are regarded as equivalent to Class 12 and qualify for the JEE Advanced entrance examination:
- Final Exam of the 10 + 2 pattern, conducted by the Central or State Boards, recognized by AIU
- An inter or two-year Pre-University exam from a recognized board or university
- Final exam of the Joint Services Wing of NDA
- Senior secondary education from the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) with at least five subjects
- Any school/board/university examinations held in India or overseas are recognized as equivalent to the 10 + 2 pattern examination by the AIU
- HSC Vocational examination
- A diploma course of minimum three years, recognized by AICTE or the state board of technical education
- GCE Advanced (A) level (London, Cambridge, or Sri Lanka)
- Cambridge High School Certificate or IB Diploma Geneva
Minimum Percentage Requirement in Qualifying Exam
To fill the JEE Advanced Eligibility Criteria and get admission to IIT, the candidates need to clear the minimum percentage or percentile cut-offs of their respective Class 12 (or equivalent) examinations.
- General and OBC candidates must secure at least 75% aggregate marks in the qualifying exam
- SC/ST candidates must obtain a minimum of 65% aggregate marks
- The aggregate percentage is calculated based on marks obtained in the following subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, One Language subject, and any one additional subject
- Apart from the percentage requirement, candidates can also qualify if they are within the top 20th percentile of successful candidates in their respective board. This rule helps maintain fairness across different education boards.
JEE Advanced Eligibility Criteria for Class 12 Exam appearance
To be eligible for JEE Advanced 2026, candidates must meet the following criteria related to their Class 12 (or equivalent) examination:
- Candidate must have appeared for the first time for Class 12 examinations in either 2025 or 2026 in PCM.
- Students appearing in Class 12 examination for the first time in 2024 or prior years will NOT be eligible for JEE Advanced 2026, irrespective of the number of subjects attempted.
It should be emphasised that “appearance in Class XII (or equivalent) examination” means that the Board involved proclaimed the result for that year, regardless of whether the examination was held. It will be considered an appearance even if the outcome of a certain candidate is concealed.
Special Provision for the Appeared Candidates
- In case any board declared Class 12 results for the academic year 2023-24 on or after 18 June 2024, those candidates who appeared in 2024 will be eligible for JEE Advanced 2026, subject to other requirements.
- However, in case the results for 2023-24 were declared by the respective boards before 18 June 2024 and if there is any withholding of results, then those candidates will NOT be eligible for JEE Advanced 2026.
JEE Advanced Age Limit Criteria
Apart from fulfilling the educational JEE Advanced Eligibility Criteria, you must ensure to satisfy the IIT JEE Advanced Age limit also.
- General/OBC Candidates: The candidates need to be born on or after October 1, 2001.
For example, a candidate born on October 2, 2001, would be eligible, whereas one who was born on September 30, 2001, wouldn’t be.
- SC/ST/PwD Candidates (Age Relaxation): An age relaxation of five years is given to these candidates. They need to be born on or after October 1, 1996.
For example, a candidate born on October 5, 1996, would be eligible, while one who was born on September 30, 1996, would not be.
JEE Adv Eligibility Regarding Previous Admission to IITs
For taking admission in JEE Advanced 2026, there are certain conditions that candidates need to fulfill as far as prior admission in IIT is concerned:
- Students should NOT have taken admission into any IIT according to the programs covered in JoSAA 2025 rules, irrespective of:
- Whether they have continued the program or not, OR
- Whether they have accepted the seat either by reporting online or in person.
- Students whose admission to any IIT was cancelled due to some reasons, even after joining the program, are also ineligible for JEE Advanced 2026.
- Candidates who have taken admission in any preparatory course of IIT for the very first time in 2025 are eligible to take JEE Advanced 2026.
Eligibility for Candidates Allotted Seat in Any IIT by JoSAA 2025
The students allotted any seat in any IIT by JoSAA 2025 can still be considered as eligible for appearing in JEE Advanced 2026 if they satisfy one of the following criteria:
- If they had not reported either online or in person, OR
- If they had withdrawn their seat in any earlier round, OR
- If their seat got cancelled in any previous round of the IIT seat allocation.
JEE Advanced 2026 Number of Attempts Allowed
As per the JEE Advanced eligibility criteria, a candidate is permitted to give the JEE Advanced exam in a maximum of two attempts within two successive years. This implies that as soon as a candidate makes his/her first attempt, they will be permitted another attempt only after that, but in the successive year only.
For example, if a candidate gives an examination in 2025, then his/her last attempt would be made in 2026 only.
JEE Advanced Reservation and Relaxation Policies
The JEE Advanced 2026 admission test adheres to the reservation policies set by the Government of India. The category-wise JEE Advanced Reservation criteria are given below.
| Category | Reservation |
|---|---|
| OBC-NCL | 27% of total seats |
| SC | 15% of total seats |
| ST | 7.5% of total seats |
| GEN-EWS | 10% of total seats |
| PwD | 5% horizontal reservation within each category |
In addition to the quota system, a few relaxations are also allowed for certain factors like age, minimum marks, and fees. Check Key Relaxations for Reserved Categories
| Criteria | Relaxation Details |
|---|---|
| Age Limit | General candidates: Born on or after October 1, 2000; SC/ST/PwD: 5-year relaxation (born on or after October 1, 1995) |
| Minimum Marks in Class 12 | General/OBC: 75% aggregate; SC/ST/PwD: 65% aggregate |
| Application Fee | Reduced application fee for SC/ST/PwD candidates |
| Cut-off Marks | Lower qualifying and admission cut-offs for reserved categories |
JEE Advanced Eligibility for Foreign Nationals
Foreign nationals applying for JEE Advanced 2026 have direct access without JEE Main, but must meet the JEE Advanced Eligibility for Foreign Nationals as mentioned below.
| Criteria | JEE Advanced Eligibility for Foreign Students |
|---|---|
| Who is a Foreign National? | Candidates who are not citizens of India (by birth or naturalization). Includes OCI/PIO (F) candidates. |
| JEE Main Requirement | Not required — can directly appear for JEE Advanced |
| Seat Availability | Up to 10% supernumerary seats in each IIT program |
| Reservation Policy | No reservation (GEN-EWS, OBC, SC, ST, PwD not applicable) |
| Admission Criteria | Must secure a rank equal to or better than the OPEN category closing rank |
| Age Limit | Born on or after October 1, 2001 (relaxation in special cases) |
| Number of Attempts | Maximum 2 attempts in 2 consecutive years |
| Class 12 Qualification | Must appear for Class 12 (or equivalent) for the first time in 2025 or 2026 with PCM subjects |
| Previous IIT Admission | Not eligible if already admitted to an IIT; exceptions apply for withdrawn/not accepted seats or preparatory courses |
| Required Documents | Valid passport/citizenship proof, OCI/PIO card (if applicable) |
| OCI/PIO Rule | Before March 4, 2021 → can choose category; After → treated as foreign nationals only |
JEE Advanced 2026 Eligibility Percentile Cut-off Marks
The JEE Advanced 2026 eligibility percentile refers to the minimum percentage or marks that need to be secured in JEE Main 2026 to clear the cut-off in JEE Advanced 2026. Candidates need to secure a minimum percentile cut-off in JEE Main 2026 in order to be eligible to take part in the examination, which makes it important for IIT aspirants.
As per the official JEE Mains 2026 cut-off percentile for qualifying for JEE Advanced, the General (UR) need a minimum of 93.4123549 percentile, whereas the EWS (~82.4), OBC-NCL (~80.9), SC (~63.9), and ST (~52.0) categories. Approximately 250,182 candidates qualified for the exam, with the cutoff rising due to increased competition.
Conclusion
Understanding the JEE Advanced eligibility criteria 2026 is a crucial first step for every IIT aspirant. It becomes imperative to ensure compliance with all the specified conditions before filling out the application form.
For example, minimum percentage or top 20 percentile criteria, number of attempts allowed, subjects, etc. Thus, if you know everything about JEE Advanced eligibility criteria, the rest of the things will fall into place automatically, and it will further boost your preparation.
