JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria (OUT): Age Limit, Class 12th Percentage, Number of Attempts
Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Main 2026 ( JEE Main )
Result - 20 Apr '26
NTA has released the JEE Main Eligibility Criteria 2026. Candidates can check here all eligibility criteria to understand the conditions of applying for the exam like number of attempts in JEE Main, marks required in class 12, and age limit, and the JEE Main admission criteria 2026 for NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. Every JEE Main 2026 aspirant must fulfill the eligibility criteria mentioned by NTA to appear in the exam and take admission at IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs. JEE Main eligibility criteria are of two types:
- Criteria for appearing in the exam
- Criteria for admission in institutes - IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs
The JEE Main 2026 eligibility criteria for appearing in the exam consist of conditions related to age limit, qualifying exam, subjects in qualifying exam, number of attempts, and year of passing the qualifying exam. Eligibility for admission in institutes consists of conditions related to the nationality of the candidate, JEE Main class 12th percentage criteria, and year of passing class 12/qualifying exam. Candidates should check the detailed eligibility criteria of JEE Main 2026 before filling JEE Main 2026 application form.
Read More: JEE Mains 2025 Question Paper PDF with Solution Download
- JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria Highlights
- JEE Main Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Complete Details
- State of Eligibility
- JEE Main Eligibility Criteria for Admission in IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs - Minimum 75% Marks in Class 12
- JEE Main Eligibility Criteria for Appearing in JEE Advanced
- Important Points to Remember
JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria Highlights
Candidates can check here complete details about JEE Main eligibility criteria released by NTA.
| Eligibility Parameter |
Eligibility Condition |
| Age Limit |
No age limit |
| Qualifying exam |
Class 12/equivalent exam |
| Year of passing the qualifying exam |
2024, 2025 or appearing in 2026 |
| Subjects in the qualifying exam |
|
| JEE Main class 12 percentage criteria |
No minimum percentage required to appear in JEE Main |
| JEE Main number of attempts |
|
NTA JEE Main 2026 eligibility
Commonly asked questions
Criteria | Decription |
|---|---|
Age limit | There is no age limit to appear in JEE Main. |
Year of passing qualifying exam | The candidates who have passed the class 12 / equivalent examination in 2024, 2025 or are appearing in 2026, irrespective of their age, can appear in JEE Mains 2026. |
Nationality | Candidates must be Indian citizens. Foreign Nationals, NRIs, PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin), and OCIs (Overseas Citizens of India) can also apply. |
There is no requirement of 75% marks in class 12 for appearing in JEE Mains 2026. The eligibility criteria of minimum 75% marks in class 12 is required at the time of admission in NITs, IIITs and GFTIs. You can apply and appear in JEE Mains 2026 irrespective of your class 12 marks. The detailed JEE Main eligibility criteria 2026 can be checked on the official website. You are further advised to carefully check the detailed eligibility criteria before filling the JEE Main application form 2026. All the best!
There is no minimum or maximum age to apply for JEE Main as per JEE Main eligibility criteria by NTA. You can appear in JEE Mains for three consecutive years from the year of passing class 12. You must have passed class 12 in 2024, 2025 or you are appearing in 2026 if you plan to apply for JEE Main 2026.
JEE Main Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Complete Details
Check the eligibility criteria in detail that candidates need to fulfill to appear in JEE Main 2026.
JEE Main Age Criteria
There is no age limit for the candidates to appear in JEE Mains exam. The candidates who have passed the class 12/ equivalent examination in 2024, 2025, or appearing in 2026 irrespective of their age can appear in JEE Main 2026 examination.
JEE Main Number of Attempts
The number of attempts in JEE Main is six. NTA conducts JEE Main twice a year. As candidates can appear in JEE Main for three consecutive years of passing class 12 (including the year of passing), the JEE Main number of attempts is six. In 2026, the exam will be conducted twice in January and April.
Candidates who have passed class 12 in 2024 or 2025 or candidates who are appearing in their class 12 exam in 2026 are eligible to appear in JEE Main 2026. Candidates who have passed their class 12 exam before 2024 or would appear in class 12 after 2026 are not eligible to appear in the exam as per JEE Main 2026 eligibility criteria.
JEE Main Eligibility Marks in Class 12th
Candidates can appear in JEE Main irrespective of their percentage in class 12. Candidates must note that there is no requirement for JEE Main eligibility marks in 12th for appearing in the exam. The eligibility criteria of 75% marks is applicable only at the time of taking admission to the institute.
Qualifying Exam Criteria
Candidates need to have passed any one of the following exams to appear for JEE Main 2026
-
The final examination of the 10+2 system, conducted by any recognised Central/ State Board, such as the Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi; Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, New Delhi etc.
-
Intermediate or two-year Pre-University examination conducted by a recognised Board/ University.
-
Final examination of the two-year course of the Joint Services Wing of the National Defence Academy
-
Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the National Institute of Open Schooling with a minimum of five subjects.
-
Any Public School/ Board/ University examination in India or any foreign country is recognised as equivalent to the 10+2 system by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
-
Higher Secondary Certificate Vocational Examination.
-
A Diploma recognised by AICTE or a State board of technical education of at least 3 years duration.
-
General Certificate Education (GCE) examination (London/Cambridge/Sri Lanka) at the Advanced (A) level.
-
High School Certificate Examination of the Cambridge University or International Baccalaureate Diploma of the International Baccalaureate Office, Geneva.
Year of Passing Qualifying Examination
Only those candidates who have passed the Class 12/equivalent examination in 2024, 2025, or are appearing in 2026 are eligible to appear in JEE Main 2026. Candidates who passed the Class 12/equivalent examination in 2023 or before as well as those who will appear in such an examination in 2027 or later are not eligible to appear in JEE Main 2026.
Subjects in Class 12/Qualifying Exam
JEE Main 2026 will be held for three separate courses, BTech, BArch, and BPlan. The combination of subjects is different for all three courses.
-
For JEE Main 2026 Paper 1 (BTech): Candidates need to have Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects and one subject among Chemistry/Biology/Technical Vocational Subject
-
For JEE Main 2026 Paper 2A (BArch): Candidates need to have Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics in class 12/equivalent examination
-
For JEE Main 2026 Paper 2B (BPlan): Candidates need to have Mathematics in class 12/equivalent examination.
| JEE Main Question Papers | JEE Main Exam Pattern 2026 |
State of Eligibility
State of eligibility in JEE Main eligibility criteria means the State from where the candidate appeared in Class 12 or equivalent qualifying exam. It is determined by the state from where the candidate passed class 12 and does NOT depend upon the native place or the place of residence of the candidate.
For example, if a candidate appears for the Class 12 examination in New Delhi but is a resident of Noida, Uttar Pradesh, the candidate’s State code of eligibility will be Delhi and NOT Uttar Pradesh. Suppose a candidate has passed Class 12 or equivalent qualifying examination from one state, but appeared for improvement from another state than the candidate’s State code of eligibility will be from the state where the candidate first passed Class 12, and NOT the State from where the candidate has appeared for improvement. Candidates who passed/appeared in class 12th from NIOS should select the State of Eligibility according to the State in which the study centre is located.
For Indian nationals passing the Class 12 or equivalent examination from Nepal/Bhutan, the State code of eligibility will be determined based on a permanent address in India as given in the passport of the candidate.
State Code of Eligibility
| Name of State |
Code of State |
| Andhra Pradesh |
AP |
| Arunachal Pradesh |
AL |
| Assam |
AM |
| Bihar |
BR |
| Chhattisgarh |
CG |
| Delhi/New Delhi |
DL |
| Goa |
GO |
| Gujarat |
GJ |
| Haryana |
HR |
| Himachal Pradesh |
HP |
| Jammu & Kashmir |
JK |
| Jharkhand |
JH |
| Karnataka |
KK |
| Kerala |
KL |
| Madhya Pradesh |
MP |
| Maharashtra |
MR |
| Manipur |
MN |
| Meghalaya |
MG |
| Mizoram |
MZ |
| Nagaland |
NL |
| Odisha |
OR |
| Punjab |
PB |
| Rajasthan |
RJ |
| Sikkim |
SM |
| Tamil Nadu |
TN |
| Telangana |
TL |
| Tripura |
TA |
| Uttar Pradesh |
UP |
| Uttarakhand |
UK |
| West Bengal |
WB |
| Name of Union Territory |
Code |
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands (UT) |
AN |
| Chandigarh (UT) |
CH |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli (UT) |
DN |
| Daman & Diu (UT) |
DD |
| Lakshadweep (UT) |
LD |
| Puducherry (UT) |
PO |
| Foreign |
|
| Foreign/OCI/PIO/Nepal/Bhutan |
- |
Commonly asked questions
No minimum percentage is required to appear in JEE Mains exam as per NTA. In some various institutes, there is a creiteria for class 12 minimum percentage for admission. For example, IITs and NITs need minimum 75% marks in class 12 for BTech courses.
Qualifying marks for JEE Mains 2026, also called qualifying percentile for JEE Mains will be announced by the NTA along with the JEE Main 2026 session 2 result. Candidates must note that qualifying percentile for JEE Mains 2026 is the minimum percentile required to appear in JEE Advanced 2026. For admission to NIT or IIITs, there is no provision of qualifying marks in JEE Mains 2026 and admission is given based on All India Rank in JEE Mains exam. NTA will announce JEE Mains 2026 All India rank in April after session 2 exam results.
As per the JEE Main eligibility criteria, candidates must have Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects and any one subject from the optional list of Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, or Technical vocation course. If you have any of the sunject from optional list and both compulsory subjetc, you can apply for JEE Mains. For more details, candidates can visit the official JEE Main website.
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JEE Main Eligibility Criteria for Admission in IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs - Minimum 75% Marks in Class 12
Candidates need to score above 75% marks, whereas SC/ST candidates need to have at least 60% marks in class 12 to get admission in NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs.
| Course |
Subjects Requirement in Class 12 / Equivalent Qualifying Examination |
|---|---|
| For admission to BE/BTech |
Physics, Mathematics, a language and any one from the Chemistry/Biotechnology/Biology/Technical Vocational subjects, and any subject other than the above four |
| For admission to BArch |
Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and two more subjects other than the above three |
| For admission to BPlan |
Mathematics and four other subjects. |
However, the criteria of marks in class 12 is lower in states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar, which accept JEE Main scores for admission to BTech course.
JEE Main Eligibility Criteria for Appearing in JEE Advanced
Only those candidates whose NTA score is above the cutoff percentile can appear in JEE Advanced. One important condition is that candidates can appear in JEE Advanced twice, in two consecutive years from the year of passing class 12/equivalent examination.
Candidates should be among the top 2,50,000 successful candidates (including all categories) in the BE/BTech Paper of JEE Main 2026.
| Category | Number of "Top" candidates | |
|---|---|---|
| OPEN | 96187 | 101250 |
| OPEN-PwD | 5063 | |
| GEN-EWS | 23750 | 25000 |
| GEN-EWS-PwD | 1250 | |
| OBC-NCL | 64125 | 67500 |
| OBC-NCL-PwD | 3375 | |
| SC | 35625 | 37500 |
| SC-PwD | 1875 | |
| ST | 17812 | 18750 |
| ST-PwD | 938 | |
Commonly asked questions
Both JEE Main ranks are used for admission to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. While allocating the seats the institute will take into consideration the category ranks first for the candidates who belong to any category.
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Important Points to Remember
It is the candidate's responsibility to check all the details about the eligibility criteria before filling application form. Candidates who do not fulfil the eligibility criteria but apply for JEE Main 2026, their application can get cancelled at any stage of the admission cycle. Candidates need to fill in the correct details in their application form as per the original documents and eligibility conditions. Only eligible candidates can apply for the exam, and candidates who complete the registration can download the JEE Main admit card to appear for the exam.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
Yes, you can gain admission at Vishwakarma Government Engineering College with a JEE Main rank of 4000 if you belong to the OBC category under the All India category.
The VGEC JEE Main cutoff 2025 ranged from 900523 to 905928, according to the first and last round closing ranks. B.E. in Computer Eng
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
There is no decided cutoff for JEE Main for admission in HKBK College of Engineering. The BTech admission in HKBK is based on JEE merit and available seats. However, for candidates who get a decent percentile, there is a benefit in their favor.
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
Yes, you can get a seat at Vishwakarma Government Engineering College with a JEE Main rank of 20000 if you belong to the General AI category. For this category, the overall VGEC JEE Main cutoff 2025 ranged from 900116 to 903773. Hence, a rank of 20000 might get you admission to this college.
If you
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
| Scenario | Priority | Recommended Action |
| Want to stay in tech/coding | Branch | Take CSE/IT in a Tier-2/3 college over Civil in a Tier-1 college. |
| Aiming for non-tech roles | College | Take any branch in a Top-Tier college for the brand and network. |
| Confused about career | College | Go for the best possible brand; it gives you 4 years to explore. |
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Contributor-Level 8
Answered 3 days ago
| Event | Date |
| Exam Dates | April 2 to April 8, 2026 |
| Provisional Answer Key Release | April 11, 2026 |
| Answer Key Challenge Window | April 11 to April 13, 2026 |
| Result Declaration (Tentative) | April 20, 2026 |
| JEE Advanced 2026 Exam | May 17, 2026 |
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Contributor-Level 8
Answered 3 days ago
| Route | Best Colleges | Selection Criteria |
| University Exams | BITS, VIT, SRM, Manipal | Entrance Exam Rank |
| Merit-Based | LPU, CU, Amity, Thapar | 12th Board Marks (PCM %) |
| Management Quota | RVCE, MSRIT, MAIT, BPIT | 12th Marks + Admission Fee |
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Contributor-Level 8
Answered 3 days ago
| Category | 2025 Closing Rank (HS) | Estimated Percentile (2026) | Target Marks (out of 300) |
| General (OPEN) | ~16,008 | 98.8 – 99.1% | 165 – 180 |
| OBC-NCL | ~5,44,590* | 82% + | 90 – 110 |
| EWS | ~1,905 | 83% + | 100 – 120 |
| SC | ~2,066 | 64.5% + | 65 – 85 |
| ST | ~688 | 51% + | 50 – 65 |
S
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 3 days ago
| Category | Quota | Round 1 Closing Rank | Last Round Closing Rank |
| General (OPEN) | Other State (OS) | 3,122 | 4,245 |
| General (OPEN) | Home State (HS) | 4,273 | 7,853 |
| OBC-NCL | Other State (OS) | 1,011 | 6,791 |
| EWS | Other State (OS) | 972 | 2,045 |
| SC | Other State (OS) | 407 | 26,996 |
| ST | Other State (OS) | 729 | - |
S
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 4 days ago
Yes, a JEE Main All India Rank (AIR) is required to qualify for the merit-based scholarships offered at Ajay Kumar Garg Engineering College (AKGEC) for B.Tech students.
The college provides tuition fee waivers based on specific rank brackets in the JEE Main examination. These scholarships are applica
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Contributor-Level 8
Answered 4 days ago
A percentile of 90 in JEE Main would translate to approximately 1,00,000 to 1,55,000 rank in the exam. With this rank, you might get into Netaji Subhas University of Technology.
This university had the last round cutoff ranging between 55963 and 148808. Students can click here to know more.
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Contributor-Level 10
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