Who Can Sit for JEE Advanced 2026? Full Eligibility Criteria
To sit for JEE Advanced 2026, you must be among the top 2,50,000 rank holders in JEE Main 2026. Key criteria: Born on/after Oct 1, 2001 (5-year relaxation for SC/ST/PwD), max 2 consecutive attempts, and first Class 12 appearance in 2025 or 2026.
Varnika Srivastava23 Jan, 2026
Securing a high percentile in JEE Main is only the first step. To enter the prestigious IITs, you must qualify for the second stage: JEE Advanced 2026. Not every JEE Main qualifier is eligible.
Here is the definitive 5-point checklist to determine if you can sit for the JEE Advanced 2026 exam.
1. Performance in JEE Main 2026 (The Top 2.5 Lakh Rule)
The most critical factor is your rank in Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) of JEE Main 2026. NTA shortlists exactly 2,50,000 candidates across categories to appear for the Advanced stage.
| JEE Main 2026 Performance: Category | ||
| Category | Reservation | Number of Candidates |
| OPEN (General) | 40.5% | 1,01,250 |
| OBC-NCL | 27% | 67,500 |
| SC | 15% | 37,500 |
| GEN-EWS | 10% | 25,000 |
| ST | 7.5% | 18,750 |
| Note: PwD candidates have a 5% horizontal reservation within each category. | ||
2. Age Limit for JEE Advanced 2026
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General / OBC-NCL / EWS: Candidates must have been born on or after October 1, 2001.
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SC / ST / PwD: These candidates get a 5-year relaxation, meaning they must be born on or after October 1, 1996.
3. Number of Attempts
You can attempt JEE Advanced a maximum of two times in two consecutive years.
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If you appeared in 2025, you are eligible for 2026 (your final attempt).
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If you are a fresh 2026 candidate, you are eligible.
4. Year of Passing Class 12
To sit for the 2026 exam, you must have appeared for your Class 12 (or equivalent) board exams for the first time in either 2025 or 2026.
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Important: If your Board result for the 2023-24 academic year was declared on or after June 18, 2024, you may be eligible even if you appeared in 2024 (subject to other criteria).
5. Earlier Admission at IITs
A candidate cannot sit for JEE Advanced 2026 if they have already been admitted to an IIT (irrespective of whether they continued or withdrew).
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Exception: Candidates whose admission was cancelled before the final round of JoSAA 2025 may still be eligible.
JEE Main 2026 Expected Qualifying Cutoff
Based on recent trends from Jan 21 and 22, here is the expected percentile required to qualify for JEE Advanced 2026:
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General: 93.20+ Percentile
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EWS: 81.30+ Percentile
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OBC-NCL: 79.70+ Percentile
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SC: 60.10+ Percentile
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ST: 46.70+ Percentile