JEE Advanced Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit, Percentage and Reservations

The JEE Advanced 2026 eligibility criteria will be set by the IIT Roorkee, which is the exam organising institution for the current academic year. JEE Advanced eligibility criteria are that the candidate must have qualified JEE Main with a required cutoff and be among the top 2,50,000 qualifiers in JEE Main 2026.

The candidate must be born after Oct 1, 2001 to apply for the JEE Advanced 2026 examination. It is crucial to meet the JEE Advanced eligibility criteria to register for the exam. In this article, we will discuss the eligibility criteria, age limit, relaxation in eligibility criteria for reserved category candidates, and more.

Who Is Eligible for JEE Advanced 2026?

Candidates who have appeared for the JEE Main exam and qualify among the top 2.5 lakh students will be eligible for JEE Advanced 2026 for admission into IITs. Given below are the important pointers about JEE Advanced eligibility criteria 2026:

Criteria	Description
Performance in JEE Main 2026	Top 2,50,000 AIR holders of JEE Main 2026
Performance in 10+2	75% marks in 10+2 (unreserved category) 65% marks in 10+2 (reserved category)
Age Limit for JEE Advanced	For the General Category candidates, they should be born on or after 1/10/2001 For SC/ST/PWD the candidates should be born on or after 1/10/1996
Previous Seat Booking at IITs	The candidate must not have been admitted to an IIT/ISM (irrespective of whether or not he/she continued in the program) to meet the JEE Advanced eligibility criteria 2026.
Number of Attempts	Two attempts in two consecutive years

JEE Advanced Eligibility Criteria 2026 for B.E./B.Tech and B.Arch

If you are aiming for admission into IITs for BE, BTech, or BArch programs, you must meet the eligibility criteria required for each course. Students seeking admission into BArch courses must attempt the Architecture Aptitude Test (AAT) after qualifying for JEE Advanced 2026.

Given below is the JEE Advanced eligibility criteria for BE, B.Tech, and BArch:

Criterion	Eligibility Requirement
Performance in JEE Main 2026	Top 2,50,000 qualifiers in Paper 1 of JEE Main 2026 (including all categories)
Category-Wise Reservation (out of 2.5 lakh)	- GEN-EWS: 10% (25,000)  - OBC-NCL: 27% (67,500)  - SC: 15% (37,500)  - ST: 7.5% (18,750)  - OPEN: 40.5% (1,01,250)  - PwD across all categories: 5% horizontal reservation
Educational Qualification (Class 12 / Equivalent)	Must have passed Class 12 in 2025 or 2026 with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as compulsory subjects
Minimum Percentage in Class 12	- General/OBC: 75% marks or Top 20 percentile in respective board  - SC/ST/PwD: 65% marks or Top 20 percentile
Improvement Exam Rule	Best of two attempts in 2025 and 2026 will be considered for eligibility
Number of Attempts Allowed	Maximum 2 attempts in 2 consecutive years
Age Limit	- General: Born on or after October 1, 2001  - SC/ST/PwD: Born on or after October 1, 1996
Prior IIT Admission Rule	Not eligible if previously admitted to any IIT/ISM, even if admission was canceled or seat was accepted
Exception (Preparatory Course)	Candidates admitted to IIT preparatory course in 2025 are eligible to apply
B.Arch-Specific Eligibility	Must qualify JEE Advanced and appear for the Architecture Aptitude Test (AAT) separately
B.Plan Availability	Not offered through JEE Advanced. B.Plan programs are available via JEE Main only
Equivalent Exams to Class 12	- 3-year diploma recognized by AICTE/State Board  - NIOS (5-subjects)  - NDA Joint Services Wing (2-year course)

Is There an Age Limit for JEE Advanced 2026?

Yes, JEE Advanced has a specific age limit requirement. You will required to carry a valid birth certificate, class 10 and 12 mark sheet during the document verification process. Given below is the category-wise JEE Advanced age limit:

• General & OBC-NCL Candidates: Must be born on or after October 1, 2001.
• SC, ST, and PwD Candidates: Eligible if born on or after October 1, 1996 (5-year relaxation).

What Is the Minimum Percentage Required for JEE Advanced 2026?

There is no minimum percentage requirement for JEE Advanced 2026 in class 12 due to post-pandemic relaxations. However, the candidate must have passed all five subjects in the qualifying examination, including the mainstream subjects such as Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

Earlier, candidates needed at least 75% marks in 12th (65% for SC/ST), but this requirement has been waived off in recent years due to disruptions caused by COVID-19.

JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria Relaxation for Reserved Categories (SC/ST/OBC)

The conducting authorities have made certain relaxations in the JEE Advanced eligibility criteria 2026 in terms of age limit, number of seats reserved, etc. However, all the candidates applying for JEE Advanced 2026 must qualify JEE Main 2026 exam with a required cutoff. 

Given below are the relaxations for reserved categories inthe JEE Advanced eligibility criteria:

Category	Age Limit Relaxation	Minimum Marks in Class 12	Reservation in JEE Main AIR (All India Rank)	Other Benefits
SC (Scheduled Caste)	Up to 5 years relaxation (Born on or after October 1, 1999, instead of 1994)	65% in Class 12 or equivalent (for JEE Advanced)	15% of seats in NITs, IIITs, and CFTIs	Relaxed cut-off in JEE Main qualifying percentile
ST (Scheduled Tribe)	Up to 5 years relaxation (Born on or after October 1, 1999, instead of 1994)	65% in Class 12 or equivalent (for JEE Advanced)	7.5% of seats in NITs, IIITs, and CFTIs	Relaxed qualifying marks; fee concessions in counselling
OBC-NCL	No specific age relaxation beyond general limit	75% in Class 12 or Top 20 percentile (for JEE Advanced)	27% reservation in NITs, IIITs, and CFTIs	Must have valid OBC-NCL certificate issued after April 1, 2025
GEN-EWS (Economically Weaker Section)	No age relaxation	75% in Class 12 or Top 20 percentile (for JEE Advanced)	10% of seats reserved	Must submit valid EWS certificate after April 1, 2025
PwD (Persons with Disabilities)	Additional 5-year age relaxation	Same academic criteria as respective category	5% horizontal reservation in each category	Requires valid PwD certificate as per government norms

Conclusion

Students planning their admission in IITs must meet the JEE Advanced eligibility criteria set by the authorities. Candidates must not only qualify in JEE Main 2026 but also rank among the top 2,50,000 to be considered for JEE Advanced

To avoid disqualification at any stage, it's essential that applicants carefully review the eligibility rules, maintain valid certificates, and ensure timely documentation