Can diploma students apply for JEE Main 2025: The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main is one of the most sought after exams for admission into undergraduate engineering courses in India. Though the primary eligibility criteria to appear in JEE Main examination is 10+2, there is a scope for diploma graduates to apply for the exam too. Hence diploma students can also apply for JEE Main 2025, only when they fulfil all the eligibility conditions. As per the guidelines, JEE Main for polytechnic students, will need a three year diploma from a recognized university and will be eligible to appear in JEE Main examination. To apply for JEE Main 2025, the diploma candidates must fulfill the age, educational qualification and other eligibility conditions specified by the authority in that specific year. After qualifying in JEE Main exam 2025 the diploma candidates will be directly admitted to the IIT into first year and not the second/lateral entry. For more information regarding diploma to degree admission through JEE, candidates are advised to go through the article below.
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Diploma holders are eligible to apply for JEE Main 2025; however, their performance in JEE Main and the results will not be considered for admission to Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) or National Institutes of Technology (NITs). Candidates can, however, appear for the JEE Advanced exam, and their admission to IITs will be based on the JEE Advanced score.
Diploma holders have to fulfill the age criteria which infers that the age of the candidates must not be above 25 years as on the 1 st October of the year in which they are appearing for the test. They also have to meet the educational qualification requirement for conformance to the Joint Admission Board (JAB) tests to be admitted into the IITs.
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Even though the syllabus of JEE primarily consists of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as subjects in which the students complete their class twelfth standard, polytechnic diploma holders may face difficulties in certain areas. However, to at least increase their chances for passing the exam, diploma holders must work hard and prepare seriously and intensely.
The eligibility criteria to appear for JEE Main 2025 are as follows:
JEE Main | JEE Advanced | |
Age Requirement | For appearing in the JEE Main 2025, there is no age limit for the candidates | Candidates must have been born on or after October 1, 2000, to be eligible for JEE Advanced 2025. |
Qualifications | Candidates should have completed their Class 12 or equivalent exam from a recognized Indian board. | Candidates must have secured at least 75% aggregate marks (65% for SC, ST, and PwD candidates) in their Class 12th or equivalent examination from a recognized Indian board in 2023 or 2024. |
Subject Combination | The candidate must have studied Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics in their Class 12 or equivalent coursework. | Candidates who have appeared for the class 10+2 examination in 2024 and 2025 with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as compulsory subjects are eligible for the JEE Advanced 2025 Exam. |
Maximum Number of Attempts | There is no prescribed upper age limit for the JEE Main exam. Applicants can avail of attempts for 3 consecutive years after passing out from school. Since the JEE Main exam is held twice a year, this means that the aspirants can avail 6 attempts for the exam. | A candidate can attempt JEE (Advanced) maximum of two times in two consecutive years. |
JEE Main rules for diploma candidates are, the students who completed their diploma are not directly joined the JEE Advanced through their diploma qualification. All the same, upon the completion of the diploma, they can pursue some form of horizontal transfer to meet the requirements for admission to colleges and universities’ engineering programs. Consequently, lateral entry enables diploma holders to pursue engineering courses, often at the second year of study based on the volatile existing policies. However, they can continue to higher education for engineering but they cannot join JEE Advanced right after their diploma course.
Yes, Diploma candidates can appear for the JEE Main exam after qualifying in the eligibility conditions. But the candidates will not be considered for admission into the NIT’s through the JEE Main scores. The main reason to attempt and qualify the JEE Main exam is to appear for the JEE Advance exam. Only those candidates who qualify in JEE Advance will be given admission into the IIT’s. JEE Main 2025 diploma candidate guidelines will be mentioned in the official JEE Main notification 2025.
JEE Main 2025 applications are open to diploma holders. However, their position and JEE Main result will not be useful for getting into Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs).
Diploma holders can apply for JEE Main 2025 by following these steps:
Visit the official websites of JEE Main at jeemain.nta.ac.in.
Go to the section, JEE Main 2025 Application.
Please type in your name, your phone number, your e-mail address and all the other compulsory fields of contact information.
To apply, one has to provide the personal, academic and contact data in the fields which are located in the application form.
Upload scanned copies of your signature and photograph in the format as prescribed by the University.
Further, online application fee payment can be made through net banking, debit or credit card.
Once the form is completed, submit it and print the confirmation document for your records.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, an applicant who possesses a diploma can secure an admission to IIT by passing JEE Main and JEE advanced.
Yes, Candidates can get lateral entry into a B.Tech programme after doing a diploma in engineering (polytechnic).
The candidates who have completed their diploma courses are not allowed for admission to the undergraduate programs in NITs through JEE Main.
Yes, Diploma students are allowed to apply for the JEE Main examination and also for the JEE Advanced examination.
On Question asked by student community
The approximate annual cost for 11th/12th PCM and JEE coaching is around 1.5 to 3.5 lakhs for institutes, excluding hostel and mess fees. The total fees including hostel as well as mess fees can rise upto 4.5 to 6.5 lakhs and above, depending on location and institute quality.
Hi dear candidate,
You can anytime visit our official website to find the previous 10 years JEE Mains question papers with solutions. Kindly refer to the link attached below to download them in PDF format:
JEE Main Last 10 Years Question Papers with Solutions (2025 to 2015)
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Hello,
For JEE Main and JEE Advanced , the cut-offs are lower for ST category students. Here is a simple idea based on recent trends:
JEE Main qualification for ST : Around 50–60 marks is usually enough to qualify for JEE Advanced.
JEE Advanced qualification for ST : You just need to clear the JEE Main cut-off, then appear for Advanced.
To get good NITs or IITs , you will need higher marks.
For NITs (Hyderabad or good branches), try for 120+ marks in JEE Main .
For IITs , even with ST quota, you should aim for at least 80–100+ marks in JEE Advanced for decent branches.
Since you are from ST category and Hyderabad , you don’t need 300 marks in JEE Main. Try to score as high as possible to get better branches, but even moderate marks can qualify you.
Hope it helps !
Yes, you can. If you do 11th from CBSE in 2025 and 12th from NIOS in 2026, then you are allowed to attempt JEE. NIOS is a valid board, so you can give JEE in 2026 and again in 2027. Just take admission on time and pass your 12th exams.
For the JEE 2026, priority-wise, high weightage chapters include Integral
1. Calculus, Coordinate Geometry, Vectors, 3D Geometry, Complex Numbers, and Quadratic Equations in Maths
2. Semiconductors, Current Electricity, Work, Power and Energy, and Gravitation in Physics
3. Organic Chemistry Containing Oxygen, Hydrocarbons, and P-Block Elements in Chemistry.
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