Quick answer
To write JEE Advanced you must meet all five conditions: be among the top 2,50,000 in JEE Main Paper 1; meet the age limit; not have used two attempts already; have appeared in Class XII for the first time in the current or previous year; and not have been admitted to an IIT before. For IIT admission you also need 75% in Class XII (65% for SC, ST, PwD) or a place in the top 20 percentile of your board.
The criteria below are from the official JEE (Advanced) 2026 Information Brochure. The 2027 brochure is expected to follow the same structure with dates moved by a year; we will update this page when it is released.
1. Performance in JEE Main
You must be among the top 2,50,000 successful candidates (all categories) in the B.E./B.Tech paper of JEE Main. The 2.5 lakh places are split by category: 10% GEN-EWS, 27% OBC-NCL, 15% SC, 7.5% ST and 40.5% OPEN, with 5% of each reserved for PwD candidates.
| Category | Candidates | Of which PwD |
|---|---|---|
| OPEN | 1,01,250 | 5,063 |
| GEN-EWS | 25,000 | 1,250 |
| OBC-NCL | 67,500 | 3,375 |
| SC | 37,500 | 1,875 |
| ST | 18,750 | 938 |
In percentile terms, this is NTA’s JEE Main qualifying cutoff: 93.4123549 for General in 2026. See the category-wise JEE Main cutoff.
2. Age limit
For 2026, candidates had to be born on or after 1 October 2001, with five years’ relaxation for SC, ST and PwD candidates (born on or after 1 October 1996). The cut-off date moves forward by one year each cycle.
3. Number of attempts
A maximum of two attempts in two consecutive years. A dropper who first wrote JEE Advanced last year can write it once more this year.
4. Year of Class XII
You must have appeared in Class XII (or equivalent) for the first time in the exam year or the year before, with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as compulsory subjects. For JEE Advanced 2026 that meant 2025 or 2026. “Appearance” means the board declared results for that year, even if your result was withheld. The brochure has a narrow exception for boards that declared results late; check it if it applies to you.
5. No earlier IIT admission
You are not eligible if you were admitted to an IIT through JoSAA earlier, even if you left the programme. You remain eligible if you were allotted an IIT seat but did not report, or withdrew or had the seat cancelled before the last round. Students admitted to an IIT preparatory course for the first time in the previous year can also appear.
For IIT admission: the Class XII performance rule
Qualifying JEE Advanced is not enough. To accept an IIT seat you must also meet one of these, with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as compulsory subjects:
- At least 75% aggregate in Class XII (five subjects), or 65% for SC, ST and PwD candidates; or
- A place in the top 20 percentile (category-wise) of successful candidates of your Class XII board in that year.
Registration fee (2026)
| Indian nationals (exam centre in India) | Fee |
|---|---|
| Female candidates (all categories) | ₹1,600 |
| SC, ST and PwD candidates | ₹1,600 |
| All other candidates | ₹3,200 |
Plus service charges and GST. Fees for foreign centres and OCI/PIO candidates are in the brochure. Source: JEE (Advanced) 2026 Information Brochure.
Can a dropper write JEE Advanced?
Yes, if they first appeared in Class XII in the previous year and have not already used two JEE Advanced attempts.
What JEE Main percentile do I need for JEE Advanced?
You need to be in the top 2,50,000 for your category. In 2026 that meant 93.4123549 percentile for General, 82.4164528 for EWS, 80.9232583 for OBC-NCL, 63.9172792 for SC and 52.0174712 for ST.
Is 75% in Class XII needed to write JEE Advanced?
No. The 75% (or top 20 percentile) rule applies to IIT admission, not to writing the exam.
What is the JEE Advanced application fee?
For 2026 it was ₹3,200 for General male candidates and ₹1,600 for female, SC, ST and PwD candidates, plus charges.