IIT Roorkee Announces New Five-Point Eligibility Criteria for JEE Advanced 2026.

IIT Roorkee has released the official five-point eligibility criteria for candidates aspiring to appear for JEE Advanced 2026. The institute confirmed that only students meeting all five requirements will be allowed to sit for the exam, which is scheduled for May 17, 2026. Candidates will also get two attempts in two consecutive years, along with specific academic and age-related conditions.

1. JEE Main 2026 Performance Requirement (Criterion A1)

• Candidates must rank among the top 2.5 lakh qualifiers of JEE Main 2026 (B.E./B.Tech).

• Category-wise distribution:

  • GEN-EWS: 10%

  • OBC-NCL: 27%

  • SC: 15%

  • ST: 7.5%

  • Open Category: 40.5%

• 5% PwD horizontal reservation applies across all categories.

• OCI/PIO (I) candidates are eligible only under the open and OBC/EWS categories without additional reservation (except PwD).

2. Age Limit (Criterion A2)

• General category candidates must be born on or after October 1, 2001.

• SC/ST/PwD candidates get five years of age relaxation, making them eligible if born on or after October 1, 1996.

3. Number of Attempts (Criterion A3)

• Students can appear for JEE Advanced only twice, and both attempts must be in consecutive years.

4. Class 12 Qualification (Criterion A4)

• Candidates must have appeared for Class 12 (or equivalent) in 2025 or 2026 with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as compulsory subjects.

• Students who first attempted Class 12 in 2024 or earlier are not eligible.

• Result declaration clarification:

  • If a board declared its 2023–24 results on or after June 18, 2024, candidates who appeared in 2024 are eligible.

  • If results were released before June 18, 2024 and a candidate’s result was withheld, they are not eligible.

5. Previous IIT Admissions (Criterion A5)

Candidates are not eligible if they:

• Accepted an IIT seat in previous years (as per JoSAA 2025 rules),

• Reported online/offline after seat allotment,

• Had their admission cancelled after joining an IIT.

Exceptions:

• Candidates pursuing an IIT preparatory course in 2025 may appear in 2026.

• Students allotted an IIT seat in JoSAA 2025 but who did not report, withdrew, or had their seat cancelled before the final round remain eligible, as long as they meet criteria A1–A4.

JEE Main 2026: Important Dates

The NTA has released the schedule for JEE Main 2026:

• Session 1: January 21–30, 2026

• Session 2: April 1–10, 2026

The national-level computer-based test for IIT B.Tech admissions will be held on May 17, 2026 at centres across India.