Candidates should be among the top 2,50,000 successful candidates (including all categories) in B.E./B.Tech. paper of JEE (Main) 2026.

The percentages of various categories of candidates to be shortlisted are: 10% for GEN-EWS, 27% for OBC-NCL, 15% for SC, 7.5% for ST, and the remaining 40.5% is OPEN for all. Within each of these five categories, 5% horizontal reservation is available for PwD candidates.

The following table shows the order to be followed while choosing the top 2,50,000 candidates in various categories based on the performance in B.E./B.Tech. paper of JEE (Main) 2026:
Category-wise distribution of top 2,50,000* candidates (Criterion A1) * The total number of candidates may be slightly greater than 2,50,000 in the presence of “tied” ranks / scores in any category.

OCI/PIO (I) candidates are not eligible for benefits of any kind of reservation (e.g., GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST) with the exception of OPEN-PwD. That is, Sl No. (3) to (10) in the above table are not applicable for such OCI/PIO (I) candidates and these candidates are required to be in the rank list in Sl. No. 1 and/or 2 in the above table.

Candidates should have been born on or after October 1, 2001. Five years age relaxation is given to SC, ST, and PwD candidates, i.e. these candidates should have been born on or after October 1, 1996.

A candidate can attempt JEE (Advanced) maximum of two times in two consecutive years.

A candidate should have appeared for the Class XII (or equivalent) examination for the first time in either 2025 or 2026 with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as compulsory subjects.

Candidates who had appeared in Class XII (or equivalent) examination for the first time in 2024 or earlier, are NOT eligible to appear in JEE (Advanced) 2026, irrespective of the combination or number of subjects attempted/offered.

* By appearance in Class XII (or equivalent) examination, it is meant that the Board concerned declared the result for that year irrespective of whether or not examination was conducted. It will be considered as an appearance even if the result of a particular candidate got withheld.

However, if the examination Board of Class XII (or equivalent) declared the results for the academic year 2023-24 on or after June 18, 2024, then the candidates of that Board who appeared for their Class XII (or equivalent) examination in 2024 are also eligible to appear in JEE (Advanced) 2026, provided they meet all the other eligibility criteria. In case the examination Board of Class XII (or equivalent) declared the results for the academic year 2023-24 before June 18, 2024 but the result of a particular candidate was withheld for whatever reason, then the candidate will not be eligible to appear in JEE (Advanced) 2026.

A candidate should NOT have been admitted to an IIT under any academic program that is listed in JoSAA Business Rules of 2025, irrespective of whether or not the candidate continued in the program OR accepted an IIT seat by reporting "online" / at a "reporting centre" in the past. Candidates whose admission to IITs was cancelled (for whatever reason) after joining any IIT are also NOT eligible to appear for JEE (Advanced) 2026.

Candidates who have been admitted to a preparatory course in any of the IITs for the first time in 2025 can appear in JEE (Advanced) 2026.

The candidates who were allocated a seat in an IIT through JoSAA 2025 but (i) did not report “online” / at any "reporting centre" OR, (ii) withdrew before the last round of seat allotment, OR, (iii) had their seat cancelled (for whatever reason) before the last round of seat allotment for IITs, are eligible to appear for JEE (Advanced) 2026.

However, in all of the above cases, the candidate is also required to fulfil the conditions mentioned from Criterion A1 to Criterion A4.