JEE Advanced 2026 - Eligibility

Eligibility criteria for JEE Advanced 2026 are stringent to ensure only the most qualified candidates participate. First and foremost, candidates must feature among the top 2,50,000 rank holders in JEE Main 2026 Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech), with separate category-wise cutoffs for reservation benefits. Academically, candidates should have appeared for their Class 12 (or equivalent) board examination for the first time in 2025 or 2026. They must secure at least 75% aggregate marks in five subjects (65% for SC/ST/PwD) or rank within the top 20 percentile of successful candidates in their respective board. The five subjects typically include Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, a language, and one additional subject with the highest marks. Age restrictions mandate that candidates be born on or after October 1, 2001, with a five-year relaxation for SC/ST/PwD categories (born on/after October 1, 1996). A candidate is allowed a maximum of two attempts in two consecutive years. Additional conditions apply: candidates previously admitted to an IIT (even if they cancelled or did not join) or those whose admission was cancelled after joining are generally ineligible, except for specific preparatory course cases. Foreign nationals, OCI/PIO card holders, and candidates with certain medical conditions have separate guidelines. Meeting all criteria is mandatory; any violation detected at any stage leads to immediate disqualification.