JEE Main Eligibility Criteria 2026, Age Limit, Marks Required

JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria 2026: On the official website of National Testing Agency (NTA), jeemain.nta.ac.in, the eligibility criteria for JEE Main 2026 will be released soon. The criteria will include basic information like educational qualifications, age limit, nationality, marks, minimum subjects required, and other major conditions that a candidate should fulfill for the exam.

Although the JEE Mains eligibility criteria 2026 are yet to be released, aspirants should keep themselves updated with the latest information from NTA. Based on past years, essential JEE mains 2026 eligibility aspects such as attempts, subject combinations, and minimum marks will likely remain the same. Aspirants must go through the information bulletin thoroughly to ensure they meet all eligibility for JEE Mains.

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JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria Highlights

JEE Main 2026 eligibility criteria have not been officially announced by the National Testing Agency (NTA) yet. Candidates are requested to refer to the guidelines of last year until the new information is released. Before applying with the JEE Main application form, the contenders should confirm that they meet all the eligibility conditions laid down by the NTA for JEE Main so that they do not get disqualified at any step of the admission procedure.

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Minimum Marks Required in Class 12 for JEE Main 2026

To be eligible for admission into top engineering institutes like NITs, IIITs, and CFTIs through JEE Main 2026, candidates are required to fulfill the JEE Main eligibility marks in 12th subject-wise. Although there’s no minimum percentage to appear for JEE Main for admission. The table below contains the expected minimum mark requirement for JEE Main 2026:

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JEE Main Eligibility 2026 for Students from Open School or NIOS

Students from open schools, including National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), often ask if they are eligible for JEE Main. Students can appear for the exam, provided they fulfill the subject and eligibility conditions set down by NTA. The table below contains JEE Main eligibility criteria for students from the Open School or NIOS: 

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Eligibility Criteria for Foreign Nationals in JEE Main 2026

Foreign nationals, NRIs, OCIs, and PIOs are eligible to appear for JEE Main 2026. Below are the eligibility criteria:

• Candidates must have completed a qualification equivalent to Class 12, which is recognized by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

• Candidates can select the State Code of Eligibility based on their permanent address in India.

• Candidates must meet the same subject and percentage requirements as Indian nationals, which typically include a minimum of 75% marks or falling within the top 20th percentile in their respective board examinations.

Eligibility Based on Qualifying Examination for JEE Main 2026

As the JEE Main 2026 eligibility criteria have not been announced yet, the candidates are recommended to follow the JEE Main previous year eligibility criteria as a reference until the official information is released. The candidates should have passed one of the following qualifying examinations to be eligible for JEE Main:

1. Class 12th or equivalent examination from a recognized board (Central/State).

2. 2-year Pre-University examination recognized by a Board/University.

3. Final exam of the 2-year course of the National Defence Academy Joint Services Wing.

4. Senior Secondary School Examination by National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) with a minimum of five subjects.

5. Any Public School/Board/University examination equivalent to 10+2.

6. H.S.C. Vocational Examination.

7. General Certificate Education (GCE) exam (London/Cambridge/Sri Lanka) at the Advanced (A) level.

8. High School Certificate from Cambridge University or International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma from Geneva.

9. Applicants who passed Class 12th equivalent from Indian/universities abroad affiliated with AIU (Association of Indian Universities) are also qualified.

Note: If the Class 12 examination is not recognized by AIU, it will not be considered a valid Qualifying Examination.

JEE Main 2026 Age Limit Criteria

For JEE Main 2026, there's no age limit. Students who completed their 12th exam in 2023, 2024, or will do so in 2025 are eligible. Also, candidates can attempt the exam a maximum of three times in consecutive years, with exams scheduled in January and April. However, students are required to meet the age criteria of respective institutes such as IITs, NITs, IIITs, and other CFTIs while getting admitted.

Eligibility Based on Year of Passing for JEE Main 2026

The eligibility criteria for JEE Main 2026 has not been notified officially yet. Meanwhile, aspirants can refer to the last year's eligibility criteria for a reference. According to JEE Main 2025 rules, candidates were eligible to take the examination if they have passed Class 12th or equivalent examination in 2023 or 2024, or were appearing in 2025. Candidates who have passed Class 12th in 2022 or before were not eligible to apply. The same trend will be continued for 2026 also, but the candidates should wait for the official notification from NTA.

State Code of Eligibility for JEE Main 2026

The eligibility conditions for JEE Main 2026, including the State Code of Eligibility, will be announced soon. Meanwhile, applicants can look up the guidelines of the previous year for reference.

State Code of Eligibility indicates the state in which the candidate cleared their Class 12th or equivalent. It is not the state where they reside or their nationality. For instance, if a student passed Class 12th from a particular state but gave an improvement exam in another state, the initial state where Class 12 was cleared for the first time will be taken into consideration for eligibility.

In case of Indian nationals who cleared Class 12th from overseas, the State Code of Eligibility is decided considering their permanent Indian address. In the same way, NRIs, PIOs, and OCIs who studied abroad can choose their State Code of Eligibility based on their Indian address.

For the candidates who have studied Class 12 with NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling), the state code is determined on the basis of the address of the study center. For students from Nepal, Bhutan, or from foreign boards having passed, select the State Code of Eligibility depending on the test center state in India.

Please refer to the table below for the list of States and their corresponding Codes.

The following table provides the Union Territories and their official Codes for candidates' reference.

Note: For admissions to NITs, IIITs, and other CFTIs, the applicants should fulfill eligibility criteria with reference to their State Code of Eligibility. Nevertheless, this requirement does not hold good in the case of admission to IITs.

JEE Main 2026 Eligibility for NITs, IIITs, and CFTIs Admissions

To get admission in NITs, IIITs, and CFTIs, students are required to score a minimum of 75% marks in the Class 12th board examination or be in the top 20th percentile of qualified candidates in their respective Class 12 board examination (65% for SC/ST candidates) for JEE Main 2026.

JEE Main 2026 Admission (B.Arch/B.Planning)

Aspirants who want to pursue admission in B.Arch or B. Planning courses from JEE Main 2026 need to have passed the 10+2 or equivalent exam from a known board with a minimum aggregate of 50%.

JEE Main 2026 Subject Combinations for Admissions

For admission to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs on the basis of JEE Main 2026, the candidates should have studied the following combinations of subjects in Class 12th:

• B.Tech/B.E: Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects, and one among Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, or Technical Vocational Subject.

• B.Arch: Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry as compulsory subjects.

• B.Planning: The candidate should have passed the qualifying examination with Mathematics as a compulsory subject.

JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria for Droppers 

The dropper eligibility criteria in JEE Main 2026 will likely continue to be relaxed like every year. Following past trends, the conditions below are most likely to apply:

• No age restriction will be there for the candidates sitting for JEE Main 2026.

• Applicants must have cleared their Class 12 exam in the year 2024, 2025, or 2026.

• Maximum three consecutive attempts are most probably going to be permitted to write the JEE Main exam.

• Applicants are required to obtain the minimum marks as per JEE Main norms of eligibility.

• They should have covered at least five subjects in Class 12 or the qualifying test, with Mathematics, Chemistry, and Physics being compulsory subjects.

JEE Main 2026 Reservation Criteria

Government of India mandates a reservation policy in JEE Main for candidates belonging to certain reserved categories. These include SC, ST, OBC-NCL, EWS, and PwD candidates. The reservation ensures fair representation and support in higher education institutions like NITs, IIITs, and CFTIs through seat allotment under reserved quotas. The table below contains JEE Main 2026 Reservation Criteria:

To help aspirants prepare effectively for the JEE Main 2026 exam, we’ve provided a set of useful resources. Click on the links below to explore eligibility criteria, syllabus, exam pattern, and chapter-wise weightage.