JEE Main Eligibility Criteria 2026, Age Limit, Marks Required

JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria 2026 

The eligibility criteria for JEE Main 2026 will soon be released on the official website of the National Testing Agency (NTA)  jeemain.nta.ac.in. These criteria will outline essential requirements such as educational qualifications, age limit, nationality, minimum marks, required subjects, and other key conditions that candidates must meet to appear for the exam.

The official eligibility criteria for JEE Main 2026 have not been released yet. However, based on the previous year’s guidelines, candidates are advised to stay updated with the latest announcements from NTA. As mentioned earlier, key eligibility aspects such as age limit, number of attempts, qualifying marks, and subject requirements are expected to remain similar to those of 2025. It is important for candidates to review these details carefully to ensure they meet all necessary requirements.

 Keep in mind : It is crucial for the aspirants to go through JEE Main information bulletin of the official website very well in order to avoid any confusion

JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria Highlights

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has not yet officially announced the eligibility criteria for JEE Main 2026. Until the updated information is released, candidates are advised to refer to the previous year’s guidelines. Before filling out the JEE Main application form, applicants must ensure they meet all the eligibility conditions specified by NTA to avoid disqualification at any stage of the admission process.

Eligibility Based on Qualifying Examination for JEE Main 2026

As the JEE Main 2026 eligibility criteria have not been announced yet, the candidates are recommended to follow the JEE Main previous year eligibility criteria as a reference until the official information is released. The candidates should have passed one of the following qualifying examinations to be eligible for JEE Main:

1. Candidates must have passed their Class 12 (10+2) or equivalent examination in 2024, 2025, or be appearing in 2026.
2. The qualifying exam must be from a recognized Central or State Board such as CBSE, ICSE, or any state education board.
3. Candidates from NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) with five subjects are also eligible.
4. Senior Secondary School Examination by recognized boards.
5. Intermediate or two-year Pre-University Examination.
6. Final examination of the two-year course of the Joint Services Wing of the National Defence Academy.
7. Any Public School/Board/University examination in India or abroad recognized as equivalent to the 10+2 system.
8. Cambridge University’s High School Certificate Exam or International Baccalaureate Diploma.
9. Must have studied Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects.
10. Additionally, one of the following: Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, or Technical Vocational Subject.
11. Candidates must have taken at least five subjects in their qualifying exam to be eligible.
12. Those who passed the qualifying examination before 2024 or will appear after 2026 are not eligible to apply.
13. Candidates with a diploma can apply for JEE Main for B.E./B.Tech, but they are not eligible for admission to NITs, IIITs, or CFTIs through JEE Main.
14. Eligibility based on the qualifying exam will be strictly verified during the counselling and admission process. Providing false or incorrect details can lead to disqualification.
    

JEE Main 2026 Age Limit Criteria

For JEE Main 2026, there is no age restriction for candidates. Students who have passed their Class 12 examination in 2023, 2024, or are appearing in 2025 are eligible to apply. Each candidate is allowed a maximum of three consecutive attempts, with the exam conducted twice a year—in January and April. However, while there is no age limit for appearing in the exam, students must fulfill the specific age criteria set by individual institutes like IITs, NITs, IIITs, and other CFTIs at the time of admission.

Eligibility Based on Year of Passing for JEE Main 2026

The official eligibility criteria for JEE Main 2026 have not been released yet. In the meantime, candidates can refer to the previous year’s criteria for guidance. As per the JEE Main 2025 guidelines, students who passed their Class 12 or equivalent examination in 2023 or 2024, or are appearing in 2025, were eligible to apply. Those who passed in 2022 or earlier were not eligible. It is expected that similar criteria will be followed for JEE Main 2026 as well, but candidates are advised to wait for the official announcement from NTA for confirmation.

State Code of Eligibility for JEE Main 2026

The State Code of Eligibility refers to the state or Union Territory from which a candidate passed their qualifying examination (typically Class 12). It determines eligibility for state quotas in institutions like NITs, IIITs, and other centrally funded technical institutions. Notably, it is based on the location of the board exam, and not on the candidate’s birthplace, native state, or current residence .

The State Code of Eligibility for JEE Main 2026 is determined by the location of the Class 12 board examination, not the candidate’s place of birth or residence. For instance, if a student resides in Noida (Uttar Pradesh) but completed their Class 12 from a school in Delhi, their State Code of Eligibility will be Delhi (DL). 

In the case of improvement exams, if a candidate originally passed in one state but appeared for improvement in another, the code of the original state (where they first passed Class 12) will be considered. For NIOS or open schooling candidates, the relevant state code is based on the location of their study centre, not their residence. 

Furthermore, international students, including Indian nationals, OCI, PIO, or NRI candidates who completed their qualifying exams abroad, must use the state code corresponding to their permanent Indian address as mentioned in their passport. However, OCI/PIO candidates who passed their Class 12 abroad are not eligible for the Home State quota, but they can still apply under the Other State or All India quotas.

State Code List

Note: For admissions to NITs, IIITs, and other CFTIs, the applicants should fulfill eligibility criteria with reference to their State Code of Eligibility. Nevertheless, this requirement does not hold good in the case of admission to IITs.

JEE Main 2026 Eligibility for NITs, IIITs, and CFTIs Admissions

To be eligible for admission to National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs), candidates must meet one of the following academic requirements:

• Secure a minimum of 75% marks in their Class 12 board examination (for General category), or
• Be in the top 20 percentile of successful candidates in their respective Class 12 board examination.
• For SC/ST candidates, the minimum required percentage is 65%.

Eligibility for B.Arch and B.Planning through JEE Main 2026

• B.Arch/B.Planning Aspirants must have passed the 10+2 or equivalent examination from a recognized board with a minimum aggregate of 50% marks.

Subject Requirements for JEE Main 2026 Admissions

To be considered for admission to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs based on JEE Main 2026 scores, candidates must have the following subject combinations in their Class 12:

• B.Tech/B.E:
  
  • Compulsory Subjects: Physics and Mathematics
  • Optional Subject (any one of): Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, or Technical Vocational subject
• B.Arch:
  
  • Compulsory Subjects: Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry
• B.Planning:
  
  • Compulsory Subject: Mathematics

JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria for Droppers 

The dropper eligibility criteria in JEE Main 2026 will likely continue to be relaxed like every year. Following past trends, the conditions below are most likely to apply:

• No age restriction will be there for the candidates sitting for JEE Main 2026.
• Applicants must have cleared their Class 12 exam in the year 2024, 2025, or 2026.
• Maximum three consecutive attempts are most probably going to be permitted to write the JEE Main exam.
• Applicants are required to obtain the minimum marks as per JEE Main norms of eligibility.
• They should have covered at least five subjects in Class 12 or the qualifying test, with Mathematics, Chemistry, and Physics being compulsory subjects.

To help aspirants prepare effectively for the JEE Main 2026 exam, we’ve provided a set of useful resources. Click on the links below to explore eligibility criteria, syllabus, exam pattern, and chapter-wise weightage.

JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria FAQ’s