- JEE Main rank. You must be in the top 2,50,000 of the JEE Main B.E./B.Tech paper (Paper 1) of the same year, counted category-wise: OPEN 1,01,250, GEN-EWS 25,000, OBC-NCL 67,500, SC 37,500, ST 18,750. Each category includes 5% for PwD candidates. Ties can push the total slightly above 2.5 lakh. (2026 figures; the split is 40.5% / 10% / 27% / 15% / 7.5%.)
- Age. For 2026 you had to be born on or after 1 October 2001. SC, ST and PwD candidates get 5 years of relaxation (born on or after 1 October 1996). The cut-off date usually moves forward by one year each cycle, so for 2027 expect 1 October 2002 (1 October 1997 for SC, ST, PwD) until the 2027 brochure confirms it.
- Number of attempts. At most two attempts, and they must be in two consecutive years.
- Class 12 year. For 2026 you must have first appeared in Class 12 (or equivalent) in 2025 or 2026 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as compulsory subjects. Following the same rule, for 2027 this is expected to be 2026 or 2027. 'Appeared' means your board declared a result, even if it was withheld.
- No earlier IIT admission. You must not have already taken admission in an IIT programme through JoSAA in an earlier year, even if you left later. Joining an IIT preparatory course for the first time does not count. If you were allotted a seat but did not report, or withdrew before the last round, you are still eligible.
- Class 12 marks for IIT admission. To take an IIT seat after JEE Advanced you must also either score at least 75% aggregate in Class 12 (65% for SC, ST, PwD) or be in the top 20 percentile of your board for your category, with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics compulsory. This is not needed to sit the exam, only for admission.
- Foreign nationals and OCI/PIO (F). They do not need JEE Main and register directly on the JEE Advanced portal. Age, attempt and Class 12 rules are the same. Their seats are supernumerary (up to 10% per course).
Sources: jeeadv.ac.in · jeeadv.ac.in