The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) has officially released the eligibility criteria for the Joint Entrance Examination Advanced (JEE Advanced) 2026. As per the notification, only the top 2,50,000 rank holders of JEE Main 2026, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), will be considered eligible to appear for the exam. The detailed criteria for Indian nationals, OCI, and PIO candidates have been published on the official 2026 admissions portal, jeeadv.ac.in.
IIT Roorkee has also confirmed that the JEE Advanced 2026 exam will be held on May 17, and students must satisfy all five eligibility conditions in order to register.
Five Eligibility Criteria for JEE Advanced 2026
1. Performance in JEE Main 2026
Candidates must be among the top 2.5 lakh rankers in the JEE Main 2026 BE/BTech paper. The category-wise distribution follows the official reservation policy:
Within each category, 5% horizontal reservation applies to PwD candidates. OCI and PIO candidates will be treated as general-category applicants and are not eligible for reservation benefits.
Category-wise distribution of top candidates:
OPEN: 1,01,250 (including 5,063 PwD)
GEN-EWS: 25,000 (including 1,250 PwD)
OBC-NCL: 67,500 (including 3,375 PwD)
SC: 37,500 (including 1,875 PwD)
ST: 18,750 (including 938 PwD)
2. Age Limit
Candidates must have been born on or after October 1, 2001. A five-year relaxation applies to SC, ST, and PwD applicants, making these candidates eligible if born on or after October 1, 1996.
3. Number of Attempts
A candidate can attempt JEE Advanced a maximum of two times in two consecutive years.
4. Qualifying Examination
Only candidates who appeared in their Class 12 examination for the first time in 2025 or 2026 with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as compulsory subjects are eligible. Those who completed Class 12 in 2024 or earlier are not eligible, regardless of attempt count.
5. Previous IIT Admission Status
Candidates who have been admitted to any IIT previously, whether they accepted the seat or continued in the programme, are not eligible. Those whose IIT admission was cancelled after joining are also barred.
However, exceptions include:
Candidates admitted to a preparatory course in 2025 may appear for JEE Advanced 2026.
Candidates allotted a seat in IITs through JoSAA 2025 but who did not report, withdrew before the final round, or had their seat cancelled before the last round, remain eligible.
With the eligibility criteria now announced, candidates preparing for IIT admissions are advised to carefully verify their qualification status and follow updates on the official portal.