The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee released the eligibility criteria for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced 2026. Candidates must fulfill five simultaneous conditions to appear for the exam. Details are available on the official website,jeeadv.ac.in.
Criterion 1: JEE (Main) 2026 Performance
Candidates must rank among the top 2,50,000 successful candidates in the B.E./B.Tech. paper of JEE (Main) 2026. This includes all categories. Category-wise shortlisting percentages are:
- GEN-EWS: 10%
- OBC-NCL: 27%
- SC: 15%
- ST: 7.5%
- OPEN: 40.5%
Within each category, a 5% horizontal reservation applies to PwD candidates.
Category-wise Distribution for Top 2,50,000 Candidates
| Category | Number of ‘Top’ candidates |
|---|---|
| OPEN | 96187 |
| OPEN-PwD | 5063 |
| GEN-EWS | 23750 |
| GEN-EWS-PwD | 1250 |
| OBC-NCL | 64125 |
| OBC-NCL-PwD | 3375 |
| SC | 35625 |
| SC-PwD | 1875 |
| ST | 17812 |
| ST-PwD | 938 |
The total number of candidates may slightly exceed 2,50,000 due to tied ranks. OCI/PIO (I) candidates are ineligible for most reservations, including GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, and ST. They qualify only under OPEN or OPEN-PwD categories.
Criterion 2: Age Limit
Candidates must be born on or after October 1, 2001 . A five-year age relaxation applies to SC, ST, and PwD candidates. These candidates must be born on or after October 1, 1996 .
Criterion 3: Number of Attempts
A candidate can attempt JEE (Advanced) a maximum of two times . These attempts must occur in two consecutive years.
Criterion 4: Class XII (or Equivalent) Appearance
Candidates must have appeared for their Class XII (or equivalent) examination for the first time in either 2025 or 2026 . Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics must be compulsory subjects.
Candidates who first appeared in Class XII in 2024 or earlier are ineligible for JEE (Advanced) 2026. This rule applies regardless of subject combination or number of subjects attempted.
An exception exists for specific 2024 candidates. If their Class XII Board declared results for the 2023-24 academic year on or after June 18, 2024 , they are eligible. This applies provided they meet all other eligibility criteria. If a Board declared results before June 18, 2024, and a candidate’s result was withheld, they remain ineligible.
Criterion 5: Previous IIT Admissions
Candidates must not have been admitted to any IIT under an academic program listed in the JoSAA Business Rules of 2025. This restriction applies even if the candidate did not continue the program or if their IIT admission was later cancelled.
Candidates admitted to an IIT preparatory course for the first time in 2025 are eligible to appear for JEE (Advanced) 2026.
Candidates are also eligible if they were allocated an IIT seat through JoSAA 2025 but did not report, withdrew before the last round, or had their seat cancelled before the last round of allotment. All these candidates must still fulfill Criteria 1 through 4.