Dreaming of IIT? Here Are 5 Mandatory Conditions to Sit for JEE Advanced 2026

Aspiring for a B.Tech at IIT requires more than just passing one exam. Students must first clear JEE Advanced with a good rank—but even to appear for JEE Advanced 2026, there are five essential eligibility criteria that must be fulfilled. Failure to meet any of these conditions will make a candidate ineligible for the exam.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the rules for JEE Advanced 2026, conducted this year by IIT Roorkee:

1. Performance in JEE Main 2026 – Only candidates who qualify JEE Main 2026 and are among the top 2.5 lakh rankers nationwide can appear for JEE Advanced. Reservations apply:

• General: 1,01,250 candidates (including 5% PwD)
• EWS: 25,000 candidates (including PwD)
• OBC-NCL: 67,500 candidates
• SC: 37,500 candidates
• ST: 18,750 candidates In case of rank ties, the total number of shortlisted candidates may slightly exceed 2.5 lakh.

1. Age Limit – Candidates must be born on or after 1 October 2001. SC, ST, and PwD candidates get a 5-year relaxation, making 1 October 1996 the upper cutoff.
2. Number of Attempts – A candidate can attempt JEE Advanced a maximum of 2 times, and these must be in consecutive years. Gap years are not allowed.
3. Relation to Class 12 Board Exams – Only students who first appeared for their Class 12 exam in 2025 or 2026 are eligible. Compulsory subjects must include Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Students whose results were declared late (after 18 June 2024 for 2024 boards) may also be eligible, provided other conditions are met.
4. Previous IIT Admission – Candidates who have previously taken admission in any IIT academic program listed in JoSAA 2025 rules are not eligible, regardless of whether they completed the course or accepted the seat. Exceptions apply for students admitted in 2025 for the first time in preparatory courses or those who withdrew or canceled their seat before the last round—they remain eligible for JEE Advanced 2026.

Students preparing for IIT should carefully review these rules along with their exam preparation to ensure they meet all eligibility criteria.

For complete details, visit the official JEE Advanced website jeeadv.ac.in.