JEE Advanced Eligibility Criteria 2026 (Out), Age Limit, No of Attempts

JEE Advanced Eligibility Criteria 2026 has been released by IIT Roorkee on the official website, jeeadv.ac.in. The rules cover academic qualification, JEE Main performance, age limit, number of attempts, and previous admission to IITs. Only candidates who satisfy all these conditions can register for JEE Advanced 2026. The exam is scheduled to be held on May 17, 2026.

Who is Eligible for JEE Advanced 2026?

Candidates must be within the top 2,50,000 successful students (from all categories combined) in the B.E./B.Tech. Paper I of JEE Main 2026 to be eligible for JEE Advanced 2026. The shortlisted pool is divided category-wise as 10% GEN-EWS, 27% OBC-NCL, 15% SC, 7.5% ST, and the remaining 40.5% for the OPEN category. Within each of these five categories, 5% horizontal reservation is provided for PwD candidates. Students can later check the detailed JEE Advanced 2026 eligibility rules on the official information page.

Also Check : JEE Advanced

Minimum Qualification Required for JEE Advanced

To appear for JEE Advanced 2026, candidates must first qualify JEE Main 2026 (Paper 1) and be ranked within the top 2,50,000 candidates across all categories. They must also have passed Class 12 or an equivalent exam for the first time in 2025 or 2026 with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as compulsory subjects from a recognized board or equivalent qualification such as a 3-year AICTE-approved diploma or international boards like IB or Cambridge A-level. In addition, candidates should meet the required marks in their qualifying exam, typically 75% aggregate for General/OBC and 65% for SC/ST, or be within the top 20 percentile of their respective boards, as per the reference criteria. Only those who satisfy all these educational and performance conditions, along with age limit and attempt rules, are treated as eligible for JEE Advanced 2026.

Number of  JEE Main Candidates Eligible for JEE Advanced 2026

Top 2.5 Lakh Candidates Criteria for JEE Advanced : The top 2,50,000 candidates based on the B.E./B.Tech. paper of JEE (Main) 2026 will be considered eligible for JEE Advanced. The selection follows a category-wise distribution as per government norms, including reservations and horizontal reservations for PwD candidates.

Additionally, a 5% horizontal reservation is provided for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) within each category.

• Age Limit for JEE Advanced 2026 : General category candidates should have their date of birth on or after October 1, 2000. Candidates from SC, ST, or PwD categories are granted a 5-year age relaxation, making them eligible if their date of birth falls on or after October 1, 1995.Also, aspirants can attempt the JEE Advanced exam only twice, and those attempts must be in successive years.

• Number of Attempts Allowed for JEE Advanced : A candidate can appear for the JEE Advanced exam up to two times, and these attempts should be made in back-to-back years. For example, if a candidate appears in 2025, they can also appear in 2026 but not after.

• Eligibility Criteria for Droppers and Repeaters : Candidates who first appeared for Class 12 in 2025 or 2026 can apply for JEE Advanced 2026 eligibility even if they did not qualify in their previous attempt or took a drop year. Those who appeared in 2024 or earlier are not eligible for JEE Advanced. This also applies to candidates who did not qualify in the previous attempt or those who dropped a year and are reappearing.

• JEE Advanced 75% Criteria in Class 12th :I n previous years, candidates had to score at least 75% marks (65% for SC/ST/PwD) in Class 12th boards to be eligible for admission to IITs after qualifying JEE Advanced. However, this criterion has been removed from 2023 onwards as per the latest guidelines. So, for JEE Advanced 2026, there is no minimum board percentage requirement to qualify.

• Board-Wise Top 20 Percentile Cutoff for JEE Advanced : Previously, securing admission into IITs required candidates to be among the top 20 percentile scorers in their respective board examinations. This criterion is also not applicable starting from 2023. Thus, board-wise percentile cutoffs will not affect JEE Advanced 2026 eligibility.

Also Check : JEE Advanced Exam Pattern

JEE Advanced Eligibility for Foreign Nationals

Foreign nationals, including OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) and PIO (Person of Indian Origin) holders, have separate eligibility rules:

• They are not required to appear for JEE Main and can directly register for JEE Advanced 2026.

• Seats for foreign nationals are supernumerary and limited to 10% of total seats in each IIT program.

• No reservation applies to foreign nationals; all are considered in the OPEN category.

• Age limit for foreign nationals is born on or after October 1, 2001, with relaxations for countries mandating compulsory armed forces service.

• They must meet similar criteria on the year of first appearance in Class 12th and number of attempts.

• Valid identity proof such as foreign passport, OCI/PIO card is required.

Can Diploma Holders Apply for JEE Advanced?

Diploma holders cannot apply directly for JEE Advanced 2026 because the exam is only open to candidates who have passed Class 12 (or equivalent) with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics in the eligible years, usually 2025 or 2026. Even if a student has completed a diploma, it is not treated as a substitute for the required Class 12 qualification for JEE Advanced. Diploma students may appear for JEE Main (as per separate rules), but they are not considered eligible for JEE Advanced unless they also meet the standard Class 12 criteria.

Category-Wise Relaxation in JEE Advanced Eligibility (SC/ST/OBC/EWS)

These provisions aim to promote equal opportunities for students from all sections of society in accessing quality education through IITs.

• Relaxation in age limit: SC/ST/PwD candidates get a 5-year relaxation.

• Reservation in number of candidates qualifying through JEE Main is applicable as per government norms.

• Relaxations in other eligibility criteria such as the minimum qualifying marks are also provided for reserved categories.

• These relaxations help ensure representation of socially disadvantaged groups in IIT admissions.

JEE Advanced Eligibility for PwD Candidates

Persons with Disabilities (PwD) are given horizontal reservations within their respective categories, including OPEN, OBC, SC, ST, and GEN-EWS. PwD candidates also get relaxation in the age limit. All other eligibility criteria remain the same.

Documents Required to Prove JEE Advanced Eligibility

Candidates need to provide valid documents to prove their eligibility, such as:

• Class 12th Marksheet and Passing Certificate

• JEE Main Result and Rank Card

• Category Certificate (if applicable)

• PwD Certificate (if applicable)

• Date of Birth Proof (Birth Certificate or Class 10th Certificate)

• For foreign nationals: Passport, OCI/PIO card, citizenship documents

Changes in JEE Advanced Eligibility Criteria in 2026

Upcoming JEE Advanced eligibility criteria are expected to include important changes designed to simplify the application process while ensuring fairness and inclusivity.

• The 75% Class 12th marks requirement and board-wise top 20 percentile criteria have been removed.

• Foreign nationals can directly apply for JEE Advanced without appearing in JEE Main.

• Age relaxation is provided for SC/ST/PwD candidates.

• The maximum number of attempts remains two in consecutive years.

• Category-wise reservations continue as before.

JEE Advanced Eligibility vs JEE Main Eligibility: Key Differences

It’s important for aspirants to clearly understand how the eligibility criteria for JEE Advanced differ from those of JEE Main to plan their preparation effectively. While JEE Main eligibility allows three non-consecutive attempts and no strict age limit, JEE Advanced exam eligibility requires top ranks in JEE Main, a stricter age limit, and only two consecutive attempts.