JEE Advanced 2026 Eligibility Criteria: Check Qualifying Percentile, Age Limit, Attempt
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee will conduct the JEE Advanced 2026 on May 17, 2026. The main pillars to appear in this exam is JEE Advanced eligibility, which consists of ranking among the top 2,50,000 candidates in JEE Main, age limit & relaxation, class 12th appearance, and number of attempts, which have also been officially released. To avoid any discrepancies appearing in the exam, you are advised to be familiar with the JEE Advanced 2026 eligibility set by IIT Roorkee.
The top JEE Main 2026 rankers will have the opportunity to register for the JEE Advanced 2026. It is the second-stage exam after JEE Main for IIT Admission. By reading this blog, you will find clear answers to your questions, such as the eligibility criteria for JEE Advanced, how to register for the exam, the number of attempts permitted, key dates, and much more.
What is the JEE Advanced?
The JEE Advanced is India’s most prestigious engineering entrance examination that allows students to take admission in IIT Colleges in India. JEE Advanced is conducted by one of seven zonal IITs on a rotational basis. The seven organizing IITs are IIT Kharagpur, IIT Bombay, IIT Roorkee, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, IIT Delhi, and IIT Guwahati. This year, 2026, IIT Roorkee will organise the exam for admission in undergraduate courses (B.Tech, B.Sc, B.Arch, and Integrated dual-degree programs) at all 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) across the country.
- JEE Advanced 2026 is conducted by: IIT Roorkee
- JEE Advanced 2025 was conducted by: IIT Kanpur
- JEE Advanced 2024 was conducted by: IIT Madras
Check out a brief description of the exam in the table below.
| Particular | Details |
| Name of Exam | JEE Advanced 2026 |
| Exam Authority | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee |
| Students Eligible for JEE Advanced | Top 2,50,000 Candidates in JEE Main 2026 |
| Maximum Attempts | Only twice in two consecutive years |
| Qualification | Must pass in Class 12th with 75% aggregate (65% for SC/ ST/ PwD) |
| Exam Structure | Two Compulsory Papers (Paper 1 & Paper 2) |
| Exam conclude with | Paper 1: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM Paper 2: 14:30 PM to 17:30 PM |
| Subject Includes | Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics |
| Admission Process | Through JoSAA counselling |
| Exam Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| JEE Advanced 2026 Difficulty Level | Known as One of Toughest Engineering Exam |
| Official Website | jeeadv.ac.in |
Important Dates for JEE Advanced 2026
A computer-based exam will be conducted for JEE Advanced 2026. To appear in this exam, you should be aware of the official JEE Advanced 2026 registration date, exam date, etc., as mentioned in the following table:
| Particularly in 2026 | Important Date |
| JEE Advanced 2026 Exam Date | May 17, 2026, Sunday |
| Online Registration Dates for JEE Main 2026 Qualified Candidates | April 23, 2026, to May 2, 2026 |
| Online Direct Registration for Foreign National and OCI/PIO (F) Candidates | April 6 to May 2, 2026 |
| Last date for Fee Payment | May 4, 2026 (Both Indian & Foreign nationals) |
| Availability of JEE Advanced Admit Card | May 11 to May 17, 2026 |
| Choosing a scribe by PwD Candidates/ Candidates with less than 40% disability and having difficulty in writing | May 16, 2026, Sunday |
| A copy of the candidate’s response is available on | May 21, 2026, Thursday |
| Provisional Answer Key Release on | May 25, 2026, Monday |
| Feedback and Comments on Provisional Answer Key | May 25 to May 26, 2026 |
| JEE Advanced 2026 Result & Final Answer Key Date | June 1, 2026, Monday |
| Start of JoSAA Counselling | June 2, 2026, Tuesday (Tentative) |
Eligibility Criteria for Appearing in JEE Advanced 2026
To get admission into IITs through JEE Advanced 2026, you must meet the eligibility criteria as mentioned below. You will be treated as eligible for the exam if you satisfy the following five criteria set to appear in the JEE Advanced 2026.
01. Performance in JEE Main 2026
Only the top 2,50,000 candidates (all categories) from JEE Main 2026 (B.E./ B.Tech) will be shortlisted for the JEE Advanced 2026.
The category-based percentage criteria for selecting candidates from each category are as follows.
| Category | Shortlisted Candidates (Maximum) |
| General-EWS | 10% |
| OBC-NCL | 27% |
| SC | 15% |
| ST | 7.5% |
| Open for All | 40.5% |
| PwD Candidates in Each Group | 5% (Horizontal Reservation) |
Category-wise Breakdown of Top 2,50,000 Candidates for JEE Advanced 2026
If you performed best in the JEE Main 2026 exam, and are curious to know how candidates are selected for JEE Advanced 2026. The selection of top candidates to appear for this exam is based on their performance in JEE Main 2026 Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech).
| Category | Number of Top Candidates | |
| Open | 96187 | 101250 |
| Open – PwD | 5063 | |
| Gen-EWS | 23750 | 25000 |
| Gen-EWS-PwD | 1250 | |
| OBC-NCL | 64125 | 67500 |
| OBC-NCL-PwD | 3375 | |
| SC | 35625 | 37500 |
| SC-PwD | 1875 | |
| ST | 17812 | 18750 |
| ST-PwD | 938 | |
NOTE: The total number of candidates may be slightly greater than 2,50,000 in the presence of “tied” rank/ score in any category. The OCI/PIO (I) candidates will not be eligible for the benefits of any kind of reservation, except open-PwD.
02. Age Limit for Appearing in JEE Advanced 2026
The board has set an age limit and relaxation for reserved categories who are appearing in the JEE Advanced 2026 as follows.
- Candidates from the General/ OBC category should have been born on or after October 1, 2001. No age relaxation for candidates from these categories will be given.
- SC, ST, and PwD candidates will receive five years of age relaxation.
03. Number of JEE Advanced Attempts
If you have a question about how many times a candidate can appear for JEE Advanced, then according to the official notification, a candidate can take the JEE Advanced exam a maximum of two times over two consecutive years. See the key details on JEE Advanced total attempts.
- Consecutive Years: When you pass class 12th in 2026, you can appear for JEE Advanced 2026 and 2027 only. After that, no third attempt will be allowed.
- JEE Advanced Appearance Rule: An attempt is counted only if you appear for the exam, not just registering.
- IIT Admission Limitation: You are not eligible to appear again if previously accepted for a seat or admitted to an IIT.
05. Appearance in Class 12th or Equivalent Examination
Candidates who appeared for their Class 12th or equivalent examination for the first time in either 2025 or 2026 with physics, chemistry, and mathematics will be eligible for the JEE Advanced 2026. However, candidates who first appeared in 2024 or earlier are not eligible for the exam. Further key eligibility aspects can be checked below.
- If your first attempt for class 12th or equivalent in 2025 or 2026 can appear for the 2026 JEE Advanced exam.
- The Board concerned declared the result for that year, irrespective of whether or not an examination was conducted, you will be considered as an appearance even if the result of a particular candidate was withheld.
- When you appeared for class 12th or its equivalent exam in 2024, and the result was declared on or after June 18, 2024, you will be eligible for the JEE Advanced 2026.
- If the result of a particular candidate was withheld for whatever reason, then the candidate will not be eligible to appear in JEE Advanced 2026.
06. Earlier Admission at IITs
Here are some criteria that define whether you are eligible or not for the JEE Advanced 2026.
- You should not have been admitted to an IIT under any academic program listed in the JoSAA Business Rules of 2025.
- You should not have been accepted into an IIT seat by reporting online/ at a reporting centre in the past.
- In case your admission to IITs was cancelled after joining any IIT, you are not eligible to appear for JEE Advanced 2026.
- If you have been admitted to a preparatory course in any of the IITs for the first time in 2025, you can appear in JEE Advanced 2026.
- If you were allocated a seat in an IIT through JoSAA but didn’t report online/ withdrew before the last round of seat allotment/ had your seat cancelled before the last round of seat allotment for IITs, you are eligible for JEE Advanced 2026.
07. Identity Proof for JEE Advanced 2026
Where applicable, you will need to serve an identity proof in the form of a citizenship certificate/ foreign passport or OCI/PIO Card.
08 Admission Eligibility
To qualify for admission after passing the JEE (Advanced) 2026, candidates must meet one of the following Class XII (or equivalent) board requirements:
- Option 1: Minimum Percentage
- General/OBC-NCL: Minimum of 75% aggregate marks.
- SC/ST/PwD: Minimum of 65% aggregate marks.
- Option 2: Top Percentile
- Be within the top 20 percentile of successful candidates in your specific category for your respective board.
Note: To be eligible for JEE Advanced, it is important to clear JEE Main. Hence you must know “How Many Marks will be Required To Clear JEE Main 2026.”
Registration Fee for JEE Advanced 2026
Candidates who wish to apply for JEE Advanced 2026 must pay the registration fee as mentioned in the following table. The fee mentioned in the following table doesn’t include the service charges, processing fees, or any other charges that the payment gateway or bank may charge. Once the registration fee is paid, it will not be refunded or transferable under any circumstances.
| Registration Fee for Examination Centres in India | ||
| Indian Nationals | Female Candidates from All Categories | ₹1600 |
| SC, ST, and PwD Candidates | ||
| All Other Candidates | ₹3200 | |
| OCI/PIO (I) | Female Candidates from Gen and Gen – PwD category | ₹1600 |
| Open (Gen-PwD) | ||
| Open (Gen) | ₹3200 | |
| Foreign Nationals & OCI/PIO (F) | Candidates residing in SAARC countries | USD 100 |
| Candidates residing in non-SAARC countries | USD 200 | |
| Registration Fee for Examination Centres in Foreign | ||
| Indian Nationals and OCI/ PIO (I) Candidates | All | USD 200 |
| Foreign Nationals & OCI/PIO (F) | Candidates residing in SAARC countries | |
| Candidates residing in non-SAARC countries | USD 300 | |
Document Required for JEE Advanced 2026 Registration
The scanned copies of the following documents/ certificates will have to be uploaded when you are registering yourself for the JEE Advanced 2026. All the documents should be in the given format as prescribed earlier in the JEE Advanced 2026 Official Notification.
- Class X certificate/ birth certificate.
- Class XII certificate to verify your result of the academic session 2023-24 declared on or before June 18, 2024. If the class XII marksheet of 2026 is available, then it must be uploaded.
- If your name is not the same as in the class X certificate, serve a gazette notification showing the change of name.
- If you are from Gen-EWS/ OBC-NCL/ SC/ ST, then you need to provide a relevant certificate. In case of failure, you have to upload a declaration to that effect.
Steps to Register for JEE Advanced 2026
All Indian nationals will need to visit the official website and submit the application form with all required details and documents/ certificates. Follow the steps below to experience smooth registration without any errors.
- First, you have to visit the official website, i.e. jeeadv.ac.in.
- Log in with your JEE Main application number and password.
- After that, the registration form will display with some pre-filled details.
- Carefully check the details verified from the previous submission.
- Now choose the examination centres.
- Upload scanned copies of required documents/ certificates.
- Also, upload your signature and recent photograph in the given format.
- Now pay the registration fee. (as per your category)
- At last. Click on the submit option and wait.
- Now you will see your registration confirmation page on the screen.
- Download and save it for further reference.
Note: If you want to prepare for JEE Advanced, do not forget to check JEE Main 2026 Session 2 Question Papers with Solutions.
Conclusion
All the candidates who wish to appear for JEE Advanced 2026 must meet the JEE Advanced 2026 eligibility criteria released by the IIT Roorkee on its website. The exam is scheduled to be conducted on May 17, 2026, with two papers, i.e. Paper 1 and Paper 2.
The registration process for Indian nationals will start from April 23, 2026, while foreign nationals can now register for the JEE Advanced 2026, as the application form has been available from April 6, 2026. But before the registration, you all must briefly check out the eligibility criteria, which define and help you in submitting the application without any interruption. It is suggested to check out the tips and guidance given by Best 5 IIT JEE Coaching in Sikar so that you prepare well for the JEE Advanced exam and leave no page unturned.
Also Read:
- Do You Need Coaching Classes for JEE Exam?
- Best Junior Schools in Sikar for IIT JEE & NEET
- Why IIT JEE Preparation in Sikar is Better than Kota?
- Didn’t Crack JEE Advanced? What to Do Next?
Frequently Asked Questions
As per the schedule, JEE Advanced 2026 will be conducted on Sunday, May 17, 2026.
The JEE Advanced 2026 will be held in selected cities and towns in India and abroad. Mostly, the examination centre will be allotted as per the choice filled during the online registration.
Both Indian nationals and foreign nationals can appear for JEE Advanced 2026 with the prescribed eligibility, including age limit, class 12 appearance, JEE Main qualifying, etc.
If you are an Indian national candidate, then JEE Main is mandatory to apply for JEE Advanced, while foreign national candidates can directly register for the exam with specific eligibility criteria.
10% of the total number of seats in each course are allotted for foreign national candidates for IIT admission. These are supernumerary seats in addition to the seats available for Indian nationals.
Yes, candidates from SC/ ST/ PwD will get five years of age relaxation in their upper age limit. Mean, if candidates from these categories born on or after October 1, 1996, are eligible for the JEE Advanced.
A candidate can attempt JEE Advanced a maximum of two times in two consecutive years without any gap.
You are eligible for JEE Advanced 2026 if you first attempt class 12th in 2025 or 2026. Those who first appeared in 2024 or earlier are ineligible, except for boards that declared the 2024 result on or after June 18, 2024.
