IIT Roorkee, the organising institute for JEE Advanced 2026, has released the detailed eligibility criteria for candidates wishing to appear for the exam next year. As per the guidelines, only the top 2,50,000 successful candidates across all categories in the JEE Main 2026 BE/BTech paper will be shortlisted, in accordance with a fixed category-wise distribution.
The institute has also reiterated conditions related to age, number of attempts and Class XII qualification.
JEE Main 2026: Only top 2.5 lakh qualifying candidates to be eligible for JEE Advanced
Under Criterion A1, candidates must be among the top 2,50,000 performers in JEE Main 2026 (BE/BTech paper). The shortlisting for JEE Advanced follows a rigid category-wise percentage: 10% GEN-EWS, 27% OBC-NCL, 15% SC, 7.5% ST and 40.5% OPEN, with 5% horizontal reservation for PwD candidates within each of these categories.
IIT Roorkee has clarified that the total may marginally exceed 2.5 lakh if “tied” ranks occur.
Category-wise distribution (JEE Advanced 2026 Shortlist)
| Category | Number of “Top” Candidates |
| OPEN | 96,187 + 5,063 PwD = 1,01,250 |
| GEN-EWS | 23,750 + 1,250 PwD = 25,000 |
| OBC-NCL | 64,125 + 3,375 PwD = 67,500 |
| SC | 35,625 + 1,875 PwD = 37,500 |
| ST | 17,812 + 938 PwD = 18,750 |
| Total | 2,50,000+ (in case of ties) |
IIT Roorkee has also noted that OCI/PIO (I) candidates are not eligible for any reserved category benefits, except under OPEN-PwD if applicable. They must qualify strictly in the OPEN lists.
Age criteria for JEE Advanced 2026
To be eligible, candidates must have been born on or after October 1, 2001. A relaxation of five years applies to SC, ST and PwD candidates, meaning they should have been born on or after October 1, 1996.
Additionally, a candidate can appear for JEE Advanced only twice in two consecutive years, meaning prior attempts must fall within this two-year window.
Story continues below this ad
JEE Advanced number of attempts
The exam maintains its long-standing rule of allowing only two attempts in two consecutive years. This means students must plan their Class XII and JEE Main timelines carefully, as any earlier appearance than 2025 immediately disqualifies them from appearing in 2026.
Class XII (or equivalent) appearance requirement
Candidates should have appeared in Class XII (or equivalent) for the first time in 2025 or 2026, with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as mandatory subjects. This condition remains one of the most critical eliminators for aspirants.
IIT Roorkee has clarified what counts as an “appearance”
Even if a board result was declared—regardless of whether exams were held—the year will be treated as the candidate’s first appearance. A withheld result will also be considered as appearance for that year.
Students who wrote Class XII in 2024 or earlier are not eligible, irrespective of the subject combination or number of attempts.
Story continues below this ad
However, there is a specific exception: If a board declared Class XII results for the 2023–24 academic year on or after June 18, 2024, then candidates who appeared in 2024 from that board will be considered eligible, provided they satisfy the remaining criteria. If the board released results before this date but a particular candidate’s result was withheld, they will not be eligible.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
