The jee advanced eligibility criteria come in five parts, and missing even one shuts you out: rank among the top 2,50,000 in the JEE Main BE or BTech paper (counted category wise), fall within the age limit, stay within two attempts in consecutive years, have sat class 12 boards first in the exam year or the one before it, and never have accepted a seat at an IIT. Your class 12 subjects must include physics, chemistry and maths.
Passing these checks lets you write the exam. Getting an IIT seat through JoSAA needs one more thing, a class 12 aggregate of 75% or more (65% for reserved SC and ST students and for PwD students), or a rank within your board's top 20 percentile. Each part is explained below with the traps students most often fall into.
Exam at a glance
Conducted by
One IIT each year, for the Joint Admission BoardJEE Main rank
Top 2,50,000 in the BE or BTech paper, split by category, ties includedAge
Born on or after 1 October, 25 years before the exam year; 5 years relief for SC, ST and PwDAttempts
At most 2, in consecutive yearsClass 12
First appeared in the exam year or the year before, with physics, chemistry and mathsFor IIT admission
75% in class 12 (65% SC, ST, PwD) or top 20 percentile of the boardOfficial website
Criterion 1: your JEE Main rank and the category split
Only the top 2,50,000 candidates of the JEE Main BE or BTech paper (Paper 1) qualify, and that number is divided among categories. Anyone tied with the last candidate in a list is also included, so the real count is usually a little higher.
| Category | Share | Places |
|---|---|---|
| Open (common rank list) | 40.5% | 1,01,250 |
| Economically weaker section | 10% | 25,000 |
| OBC (NCL) | 27% | 67,500 |
| SC | 15% | 37,500 |
| ST | 7.5% | 18,750 |
Inside each category, 5% of places are kept for candidates with a disability (PwD). So the category you claim on the JEE Main form decides which list you compete in. Make sure the EWS or OBC NCL certificate you upload later matches that claim.
What jee advanced eligibility marks really means
There is no fixed score in JEE Main that makes you eligible. NTA ranks everyone, cuts each category list at its share of the 2,50,000 places, and then publishes the percentile of the last qualifier. That figure moves from session to session, depending on how many students wrote and how tough the shifts were.
Past qualifying percentiles by category are listed under JEE Main cut off, and for the marks needed after the Advanced paper itself, see JEE Advanced cut off. Both are cut offs, but they work at different stages.
The JEE Main qualifying cut off decides who may register for Advanced. The JEE Advanced cut off decides who gets a rank list place for JoSAA. Clearing the first does not guarantee the second.
Eligibility for JEE Advanced: the age rule
Your birth date has to fall on 1 October, or later, of the year 25 years before the exam. Candidates from SC, ST and PwD groups have a five year longer window. For OBC NCL and EWS candidates there is no age relaxation.
Keep a birth date proof ready at registration, and make sure it matches the date on your JEE Main record. A mismatch can hold up your registration.
JEE Advanced eligibility criteria on attempts and the class 12 year
Two sittings is the ceiling, and they have to come back to back, one year after the other. Separately, your first sitting of the class 12 (or equivalent) exam must be in the exam year or the year just before, with PCM among your subjects.
- Anyone who took class 12 two or more years before the exam is out, even with no Advanced attempt used.
- A drop year is therefore your only second chance. There is no third try later in college.
Ishaan wrote class 12 boards last March and scored a weak JEE Main rank. If he takes a drop year, this year's Advanced is his second and last eligible year, whether or not he registered last time. He should plan his drop year with that hard deadline in mind.
Criterion 5: no earlier IIT admission
You are not eligible if you were ever admitted to an IIT through JoSAA, whether you continued, left or had the admission cancelled after joining. Candidates whose seat was cancelled for some reasons before the final round, or who did not report online, can usually write again; the brochure lists the exact cases. Students admitted for the first time to an IIT preparatory course in the previous year may also appear.
The 75% rule for IIT admission
This rule does not stop you from writing JEE Advanced, but it decides whether you can take an IIT seat. You need one of the following in class 12:
| Category | Aggregate marks | Or |
|---|---|---|
| General, EWS and OBC (non creamy layer) | At least 75% | Board's top 20 percentile, within your category |
| SC, ST, PwD | At least 65% | Same top 20 percentile route |
Your board must have a pass result with at least five subjects.
Foreign nationals, OCI and PIO candidates
Foreign nationals do not need JEE Main and can register directly for JEE Advanced, though the rules on birth date, attempts and the board year bind them too. OCI and PIO card holders are split into two groups in the brochure: those who must follow the Indian route through JEE Main and those who may register directly. OCI and PIO candidates get no reserved seats.
Next steps once you are eligible
Use the JEE Advanced syllabus to map the two papers, and keep revising the JEE Main syllabus since your rank there is the gate. The JEE Main eligibility page covers age and attempts for the first exam, and other entrance tests are on the entrance exams hub.
Frequently asked questions
Is 75% in class 12 needed to write JEE Advanced?
No. The 75% rule (65% for SC, ST and PwD) applies only when you take an IIT seat through JoSAA. You can write JEE Advanced with lower marks, but you will not get an IIT seat unless you meet the 75% mark or sit in the top fifth of your board's passing students.
What is the attempt limit in JEE Advanced?
Two sittings, one right after the other. Because the class 12 year rule also applies, those two years are the year you finish class 12 and the year after.
What rank in JEE Main is needed for JEE Advanced?
You must be within the top 2,50,000 of the BE or BTech paper in your category list. The open list has 1,01,250 places, OBC NCL 67,500, SC 37,500, GEN EWS 25,000 and ST 18,750.
I passed class 12 two years ago. Can I still write JEE Advanced?
No. Your first class 12 board attempt has to be in the exam year or the previous one. Older passouts stay ineligible, whether or not they ever sat the Advanced paper.
Does JEE Advanced have an age cap?
Yes. Your birth date must be 1 October or later of the year 25 years before the exam, with five more years allowed for reserved SC and ST students and for PwD students.
Can I write JEE Advanced if I joined an NIT through JoSAA?
Yes. Only an earlier IIT admission blocks you. NIT, IIIT or other college seats do not affect your eligibility, provided you meet the other conditions.