Students preparing for JEE Main for the first time often have one common question: How many times can I appear for JEE Main? Understanding the JEE Main 2027 attempt limit is important because it helps students plan their preparation. Let's check below in detail about the number of attempts for the upcoming JEE Main 2027 exam. Know if you are eligible!
JEE Main 2027 Attempt Limit: Understand Your Eligibility & Gap Year Rules
How Many Attempts for JEE Mains 2027? Many candidates get confused about the difference between the number of attempts in a year and the number of years for which they remain eligible. Simply put, a candidate gets 6 attempts at JEE Main in total.
In other words, the JEE Main attempt limit is 3 attempts in 3 consecutive years after qualifying class 12th. Candidates who will pass class 12 in 2027 will be eligible to appear in JEE Mains 2027, 2028 and 2029. Additionally, there is no age criterion for attempting JEE Mains.
- What is the JEE Main 2027 Attempt Limit?
- Understanding the Attempt Limit with an Example
- Year of Passing Class 12 and JEE Mains Attempt Limit
- Does Appearing in Both JEE Main Sessions Count as Two Attempts?
- Does Skipping One Year Extend the JEE Main Attempt Limit Period?
- Does Taking a Gap Year Affect the NTA JEE Attempt Limit?
- Does the JEE Main 2027 Attempt Limit Differ for Reserved Categories?
- Does JEE Mains 2027 Attempt Limit Affect the JEE Advanced Attempts?
- Benefits of Multiple Attempts in JEE Mains Exam
- Important Note for JEE Main 2027 Candidates
What is the JEE Main 2027 Attempt Limit?
As per the existing eligibility criteria followed by the National Testing Agency (NTA):
- A candidate can appear for JEE Main in three consecutive years starting from the year of passing Class 12 (or equivalent).
- Since JEE Main is conducted in two sessions every year (January and April), candidates can appear in both sessions during each eligible year. This means a student gets up to six attempts over three years.
Understanding the Attempt Limit with an Example
Suppose a student passes Class 12 in 2027. The student can appear for:
- JEE Main 2027 (Session 1 and Session 2)
- JEE Main 2028 (Session 1 and Session 2)
- JEE Main 2029 (Session 1 and Session 2)
After 2029, the candidate will no longer be eligible to appear for JEE Main under the current rules.
Similarly, if a student passed Class 12 in 2026, the eligible examination years would be 2026, 2027, and 2028.
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.
The cutoff for IIITs vary for various branches and also category of students. Specialised branches like computer Science and electronics engineering has higher cutoff in comparison to other branches. Similarly, JEE Main cutoff for general category candidates is higher in comparison to OBC-NCL and SC/ST candidates.
As per the JEE Main cutoff data released by the NTA, PwD category has the lowest cutoff.
| Year | General (UR) Percentile |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 93.4123549 |
| 2025 | 93.1023262 |
| 2024 | 93.2362181 |
| 2023 | 90.7788642 |
| 2022 | 88.4121383 |
| 2021 | 87.8992241 |
| 2020 | 90.3765335 |
| 2019 | 89.7548849 |
Year of Passing Class 12 and JEE Mains Attempt Limit
Your JEE Main attempt window starts from the year you pass the exam.
Imagine you passed your Class 12 board exams in 2025:
- Year 1 (2025): You get 2 attempts (Session 1 in January 2025 and Session 2 in April 2025). (Total used: 2)
- Year 2 (2026): You take a drop year and do not attempt the exam. Thus, your 2 attempts are lost (January 2026 and April 2026). (Total used: 4)
- Year 3 (2027): You get your final 2 attempts (January 2026 and April 2026). (Total used: 6)
After 2027, your 3-year window closes, and you cannot take JEE Main again.
Does Appearing in Both JEE Main Sessions Count as Two Attempts?
This is one of the biggest misconceptions among students. The answer is no.
The January and April sessions are conducted to allow students to improve their scores. If a candidate appears in both sessions, the best NTA score among the two is considered while preparing the final merit list. Therefore, students should not hesitate to appear in both sessions if possible.
For example:
- Session 1 Percentile: 95.60
- Session 2 Percentile: 99.12
The final result will consider the 99.12 percentile. Appearing in both sessions only increases your chances of securing a better score.
Does Skipping One Year Extend the JEE Main Attempt Limit Period?
No. The JEE Main eligibility is based on three consecutive years from the year of passing Class 12. The three-year eligibility window does not get extended because a candidate did not take the examination in one of the years.
For example, if a student passed Class 12 in 2027 but decides not to appear in JEE Main 2028, they can still appear in 2029. However, they cannot appear in 2030, even if they skipped 2028.
Commonly asked questions
Candidates who do not score above JEE Main cutoff marks are eligible to take admissions in NITs, IIITs and GFTIs but not IITs. To appear in the admission process for IITs, candidates need to get marks above than the JEE Main cutoff and appear in JEE Advanced exam.
The JEE Main cutoff for GFTIs is released by the JoSAA after the counselling is over. Candidates can check previous year JEE Main cutoff for GFTIs from the Shiksha page. The cutoff for GFTIs vary for various branches and also category of students.
The cutoff for NITs vary for various branches and also category of students. Specialised branches like computer Science and electronics engineering has higher cutoff in comparison to other branches. Similarly, JEE Main cutoff for general category candidates is higher in comparison to OBC-NCL and SC, ST candidates. Candidates can check the previous year JEE Main cutoff below for some top NITs and branches. For detailed cutoff report, candidates can check Shiksha page.
- MNNIT Allahabad CSE Closing Rank Open Category: 5627 (Home State)
- MNNIT Allahabad CSE Closing Rank Open Category: 4254 (Open)
- MNIT Jaipur CSE Closing Rank Open Category: 5610 (Home State)
- MNIT Jaipur CSE Closing Rank Open Category: 4631 (Open)
The JEE Main ranks have been released with the JEE Main session 2 result. The ranks are released on an All India basis and also category-wise.
Does Taking a Gap Year Affect the NTA JEE Attempt Limit?
Many students take a drop year to prepare for engineering entrance exams. Taking one or even two gap years does not reduce the number of attempts available, provided the candidate remains within the three consecutive years after passing Class 12.
For example:
- Passed Class 12 in 2027
- Took a one-year drop
- Appeared in JEE Main 2028 and 2029.
- This is completely allowed under the current rules. However, this candidate will not get to appear in 2030.
Does the JEE Main 2027 Attempt Limit Differ for Reserved Categories?
No. The number of attempts remains the same for all candidates, including:
- General
- OBC-NCL
- EWS
- SC
- ST
- PwD
The relaxation available for reserved category candidates is generally related to admission criteria, qualifying marks, or seat reservation, and not the number of attempts.
Commonly asked questions
There is no age limit to apply for the JEE Mains exam. Candidates should check the other eligibility criteria before they start the application process.
No. There is no qualifying percentile in JEE Main. However, the candidates who want to appear in JEE Advanced will have to get a minimum qualifying percentile in JEE Mains. This minimum qualifying percentile is announced with the JEE Main session 2 reult.
CRL (the Common Rank List) in JEE Main. It is the overall merit-based ranking assigned to all candidates irrespective of their category.
As per the analysis of JEE Main marks vs percentile, 120 marks would be around 95 to 97 percentile.
Does JEE Mains 2027 Attempt Limit Affect the JEE Advanced Attempts?
No. Many students confuse JEE Main with JEE Advanced attempts.
While JEE Main currently allows candidates to appear over three consecutive years, JEE Advanced has separate eligibility rules and its own attempt limit. Qualifying JEE Main does not automatically make a candidate eligible for JEE Advanced. Aspirants should always check the latest JEE Advanced eligibility conditions separately.
- The attempt limit of JEE Advanced states that a candidate can appear for the exam twice in two consecutive years. Since Advanced is held once a year, candidates get only 2 attempts, unlike six in JEE Mains.
Benefits of Multiple Attempts in JEE Mains Exam
Multiple attempts in JEE Mains have the following benefits for students.
- Improve your performance without wasting a year.
- Become familiar with the exam environment, which will help reduce stress.
- Target a better percentile and rank in the second session.
- In case you are unable to attempt the exam for any reason, you still get another shot at it, in the same academic year.
Important Note for JEE Main 2027 Candidates
Before applying for JEE Main 2027, students should keep the following points in mind:
- Candidates are eligible for JEE Main for three consecutive years from the year they pass Class 12.
- NTA conducts two sessions of JEE Mains every year. Students can appear in both sessions or any one.
- The best NTA score among the sessions is used for ranking and admission.
- Missing one year does not extend the eligibility period.
- Gap years are allowed within the attempt limit window.
- There is currently no upper age limit announced by NTA, though institute-specific rules may apply.
- Candidates should always verify the latest eligibility criteria once the official JEE Main 2027 Information Bulletin is released.
Commonly asked questions
The JEE Main cutoff is the minimum percentile score required to qualify for the JEE Advanced exam. Its is released with the April session result.
Tattoos on the hand and face should not create any probelms at the JEE main centre as NTA has issued no official notice regarding this.
However, ensure that your appearance on the exam day is not drastically different from your live photo and official government ID card required for verification on the exam day.
Check the number of registered and appeared candidates in JEE Mains below:
Year | No. of Registered Candidates | No. of Candidates Appeared |
|---|---|---|
2026
| January: 13,55,293 April - 11,10,904 | January - 13,04,653 April - 10,34,330 |
2025
| January - 13,11,544 | January - 12,58,136 |
April - 10,61,840 | April - 9,92,350 | |
2024
| January - 12,31,874 | January - 11,70,036 |
April - 11,79,569 | April - 10,67,959 | |
2023 | January - 8,60,064 | January - 8,23,967 |
April - 9,31,334 | April - 8,83,367 | |
2022 | June - 8,72,970 | June - 7,69,604 |
July - 6,22,034 | July - 5,40,242 | |
2021 | February - 6,52,628 | February - 6,21,033 |
March - 6,19,641 | March - 5,56,248 | |
July - 7,09,611 | July - 5,43,553 | |
August - 7,67,700 | August - 4,81,419 | |
2020 | 8,58,000 | 8,00,532 |
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
No, a JEE Main score alone is not sufficient for direct entry to UG courses at the TUM. For direct entry to UG courses at TU Munich having a qualifying JEE Advanced score is mandatory.
Students with a JEE Main score and a Class 12th completion certificate will need to take the Studienkolleg (prepar
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
Not always. While most reputed colleges prefer JEE Main scores, some private engineering colleges in Indore also offer direct admission based on Class 12th merit, especially under management quota seats. So, if you haven't cleared JEE Main with a strong rank, you may still get into a decent private
T
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
Yes, JECRC University grants scholarship to BTech students based on JEE Main scores. Check below score-wise scholarship:
- Candidates with JEE Main percentile score of 85 to 89.99 (General Category), shall get 15% scholarship on Tuition Fee.
- Candidates with JEE Main percentile score of more than 90 (Ge
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
No. While there is an overlap, the GUJCET syllabus is more aligned with state-level board books and is less advanced than JEE Main.
V
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a week ago
Adamas University cutoff 2026 is out for Round 3 admission to the BTech courses. The cutoff is based on JEE Main entrance exam scores, followed by WBJEE counselling.
In the General AI category, the third-round cutoff ranks ranged between 395391 and 1180505 for BTech admission. With the lowest closing
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
GL Bajaj Institute of Technology and Management considers JEE Main score for admission in BTech course. The seats are allotted via UPTAC Counselling. Students can also get admission in BTech based on their Class 12 scores. However, preference is given to candidates with JEE Main score. They need to
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered a week ago
BTech admission at GGU is based on JEE Main scores. After seat acceptance at reporting centre student must have to report physically to the institute for final admission as per the timeline given by JoSAA/ CSAB/ Spot counselling.
G
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
According to the Lucknow University Cutoff 2026, the rank needed for getting admission in this university is 629691 for the category of General AI. Therefore, this category of students should obtain the rank of 629691 or less than this rank for being eligible for admission in this university.
It shou
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Lucknow University CSE cutoff 2026 for the General AI category was 131278 in the last round, and for the BTech CSE (AI) course, the cutoff was 149797 in the same round. To know the last round BTech CSE cutoff for other categories, see the table below.
| Category | BTech CSE | BTech CSE (AI) |
|---|---|---|
| General | 131278 | 149797 |
| OBC | 152450 | 168280 |
| SC | 330025 | 365271 |
| ST | 1020632 | 759618 |
| EWS | 145455 | 157942 |
| PWD | 1264633 | 1150097 |
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
No, JEE Main is not mandatory for admission in BTech programme of SOA University. It is optional. Aspirants can also appear for SAAT conducted by deemed-to-be university for admission in BTech.
N
Guide-Level 15
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