JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must fulfil all eligibility requirements set by the National Testing Agency (NTA) to appear for JEE Main 2026. Failure to meet any of these criteria may result in disqualification of the application and cancellation of admission. Candidates are strongly advised to read the complete eligibility criteria carefully before filling the application form.

The key eligibility criteria are as follows:

• Age Limit
• Minimum Percentage Required
• Number of Attempts
• Year of Appearance in Qualifying Examination
• Mandatory Subjects
• Qualifying Examinations

Age Limit

There is no upper age restriction for JEE Main 2026. Candidates who passed Class XII or its equivalent in the years 2024, 2025, or are appearing in 2026 are eligible to appear for the examination. However, candidates should note that individual institutes may have their own age requirements for admission, which must be fulfilled separately.

Minimum Percentage Required

Candidates are no longer required to achieve a minimum percentage in Class XII to appear for JEE Main 2026 for B.E./B.Tech courses. However, candidates must meet the minimum percentage criteria specified by the respective institutes to which they seek admission. These criteria vary across NITs, IIITs, and other participating institutions.

Number of Attempts

As per the latest NTA guidelines, candidates can appear for JEE Main twice a year (Session 1 in January and Session 2 in April). Candidates may appear in one or both sessions to improve their performance. The total number of attempts is limited to three consecutive years starting from the year the candidate first appears for Class XII or equivalent examination.

Year of Appearance in Qualifying Examination

• Candidates who have passed Class XII or equivalent in 2024, 2025, or are appearing in 2026 are eligible for JEE Main 2026.
• Candidates who passed Class XII or equivalent in 2023 or earlier are NOT eligible.

List of Qualifying Examinations

The following examinations are recognized as equivalent to Class XII for the purpose of JEE Main 2026 eligibility:

• Final examination of the 10+2 system conducted by any recognized Central or State Board (CBSE, ICSE, etc.).
• Intermediate or two-year Pre-University examination conducted by a recognized Board or University.
• Final examination of the two-year course at the National Defence Academy, Joint Services Wing.
• Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) with a minimum of five subjects.
• Higher Secondary Certificate Vocational Examination.
• Three-year diploma programme recognized by AICTE or a State Board of Technical Education.
• General Certificate Education (GCE) examination (London, Cambridge, Sri Lanka) at the Advanced (A) level.
• Cambridge University High School Certificate Examination.
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma from the International Baccalaureate Office, Geneva.
• Any examination conducted by a Public School, Board, or University in India or abroad recognized as equivalent to Class XII by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

Important: Candidates who have completed Class XII or equivalent from a board outside India or from a board not listed above must obtain an equivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). If the Class XII examination is not a public examination, the candidate must have passed at least one public (Board or Pre-University) examination previously.

Mandatory Subjects for JEE Main 2026

Candidates must have studied and passed the following subjects in their Class XII or equivalent examination to be eligible for respective papers:

Subject Eligibility – Detailed Breakdown

For Paper 1 (B.E. / B.Tech):
Candidates must have passed the qualifying examination with the following five subjects:

• Physics
• Mathematics
• One language
• Any one subject from: Chemistry / Biology / Biotechnology / Technical Vocational Subject
• Any other subject (other than the four mentioned above)

For Paper 2A (B.Arch):
Candidates must have passed the qualifying examination with:

• Physics
• Chemistry
• Mathematics
• Two additional subjects (any discipline)

For Paper 2B (B.Planning):
Candidates must have passed the qualifying examination with:

• Mathematics
• Four other subjects (any discipline)

Eligibility for NRI / PIO / OCI / Foreign National Candidates

In addition to the eligibility criteria mentioned above, Indian nationals residing overseas, Persons of Indian Origin (PIO), Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), and Foreign Nationals are eligible to apply for JEE Main 2026 and seek admission to technical institutions in India under the DASA (Direct Admission of Students Abroad) Scheme.

DASA (Direct Admission of Students Abroad) Scheme

As notified by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, the DASA Scheme (commonly known as the ‘NRI Quota’) allows the following categories of candidates to pursue technical education in India:

• Foreign Nationals (FNs) studying in any country (including India).
• Wards of Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs).
• Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card holders.
• Non-Resident Indians (NRIs).

Eligible candidates under the DASA Scheme can seek admission to:

• National Institutes of Technology (NITs)
• Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs)
• Other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs)

Note: Admission to Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) is not covered under the DASA Scheme and requires qualifying through JEE Advanced.

CIWG (Children of Indian Workers in Gulf) Scheme

The CIWG Scheme is a special category under the DASA Scheme exclusively for NRI students from Middle Eastern countries. This scheme offers additional benefits and seats reserved for students from:

• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• Oman
• Kuwait
• Qatar
• Bahrain

Through the CIWG Scheme, eligible students can gain admission to India’s premier engineering institutions including NITs, IIITs, and other CFTIs. Admission is granted across various engineering streams such as:

• Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE)
• Computer Engineering (CE)
• Mechanical Engineering (ME)
• Information Technology (IT)
• Software Engineering
• And other core engineering disciplines

Important Instructions for Overseas Applicants

• Overseas candidates must ensure that their name as entered in the JEE Main application form exactly matches the name appearing on their passport and other supporting documents.
• Candidates applying under DASA or CIWG categories must select the appropriate category in the application form and pay the applicable fees for ‘Outside India’.
• Foreign National candidates are not required to obtain an equivalence certificate if their qualifying examination is recognized by AIU. In case of doubt, an AIU equivalence certificate must be submitted.
• For detailed guidelines on DASA and CIWG schemes, candidates should visit the official DASA website.

This page is updated for JEE Main 2026. All eligibility criteria are as per official NTA notifications. Candidates are advised to refer to the official information bulletin for the most current updates.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria

1. What are the eligibility criteria for JEE Main 2026?

Candidates must have passed or be appearing in Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as core subjects from a recognized board.

2. Is there an age limit for JEE Main?

There is generally no strict upper age limit; however, candidates must meet the year-of-passing criteria specified in the official notification.

3. How many attempts are allowed for JEE Main?

A candidate can appear for JEE Main for three consecutive years, with multiple sessions available each year.

4. Are diploma students eligible for JEE Main?

Yes, diploma holders can apply for certain categories, but they should check official guidelines for detailed eligibility conditions.