JEE Main 2026: 75% Marks Mandatory in Class 12 for Admission, Know Details

Appearing and qualifying JEE Main 2026 will not guarantee admission to IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs. A total of 75% marks in five subjects in the Class 12 boards are mandatory for admission. Read below to know more.

JEE Main 2026 session 1 exam will be held between January 21 to 30, and the JEE Main second attempt date is between April 2 to 9. Candidates appearing for the exam this year must note that 75% marks in class 12 boards will be mandatory for admission to IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs. Without achieving 75% marks in the Class 12 boards, admission to IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs will not be possible, even if the candidate has a JEE Main rank.

For session 1 registered candidates, NTA will release the JEE Main 2026 advanced city intimation in first week of January, and the JEE Main 2026 session 1 admit cards will be available 3 to 4 days before the exam date allotted to the candidates.

JEE Main Admission Criteria 2026 for IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs

To apply for JEE Main, candidates do not require a minimum mark in their board exams. However, they will have to fulfil the minimum marks criteria during admission to the colleges.

For admission to the IITs, candidates have to qualify the JEE Main 2026 cutoff for JEE Advanced 2026. The cutoff marks will be mentioned with the JEE Main session 2 result. However, IITs also require the candidates to have 75% minimum marks in class 12 for admission.

Eligibility for Admission to NIT+ System (NITs, IIEST, IIITs, and Other-GFTIs):

• Candidates must pass class 12 (or equivalent) Board examination with a minimum of five subjects and secure at least 75% aggregate marks. There is no minimum subject wise minimum marks criteria.
• For SC, ST, and PwD candidates, the minimum marks should be at least 65%. There is no minimum subject wise minimum marks criteria.

OR

• Candidates must have passed class 12 (or equivalent) Board examination with a minimum of five subjects and be within the category-wise top 20 percentile of successful candidates in their respective Class 12 (or equivalent) board examination.

The five subjects that the candidates must pass in class 12 are:

Course	Subjects Requirement for Class 12 / Equivalent Qualifying Examination
For admission to BE/BTech	Physics Mathematics a language Anyone from the Chemistry/Biotechnology/Biology/Technical Vocational subjects Any subject other than the above four
For admission to BArch	Physics Chemistry Mathematics Two more subjects other than the above three
For admission to BPlan	Mathematics and four other subjects.

The JEE Main 2026 session 1 registration ended, and as per reports, NTA has received 14.5 lakh registrations this year. The JEE Main 2026 session 2 registration will start in the last week of January 2026.

Read More:

• JEE Advanced 2026 Exam Date Announced; IIT Roorkee to Conduct Exam on May 17
• JEE Main 2026: IIIT Hyderabad Allows Admission Without 75% Criteria Through UGEE
• Major Shift: JEE Main, NEET, CUET Could Begin in Class 11 and Twice a Year in April & November