NTA will allow aspirants to make a total of six attempts for JEE Mains 2026 over three consecutive years. The JEE Main 2026 exam is scheduled for two sessions in January and April 2026. Candidates will be able to participate twice every year. Say candidates appearing for the JEE Main exam in 2026 will be able to appear two times in 2027 and 2028. Hence, JEE Main eligibility criteria 2026 allow candidates to appear in the JEE Mains over three consecutive years, making it a total of six attempts. Further, there are no age restrictions for appearing in the JEE Main 2026 exam per the eligibility criteria. Only candidates who have a valid qualification will be eligible to fill the JEE Main 2026 application form.
The NTA has clarified that the JEE Mains 2026 exam dates will not be changed even if they clash with any other national and state-level exams. "The NTA will not change the allotted date or shift of the examination for the candidates," it said.
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The JEE Main exam attempts in India are up to six times, with two attempts each year over three consecutive years. Since JEE Main is conducted in several international locations, the exam attempt rules remain the same for foreign students as well.
The JEE Main 2026 attempts for OBC are the same as the general. In fact, all the categories, including SC, ST, PWD, etc., are eligible for six attempts for JEE Mains 2026 over three consecutive years. Further, there are no restrictions on age for students appearing for JEE Main 2026, despite their categories.
NTA will be releasing the eligibility criteria for JEE Main 2026 on their official website. As per the eligibility criteria, students must complete twelve years of school education before applying for the JEE Main 2026. The JEE Main eligibility criteria 2026 are mainly inclusive of educational qualification, age limit, nationality, marks in class 12, required JEE Main percentage, and more.
Eligibility Criteria for IIT JEE Main 2026 | JEE Main Eligibility Criteria Details |
Age limit | There is no age limit |
Nationality | Indian Nationals, OCI, NRI, and foreign nationals |
Academic eligibility | Class 12 or equivalent level |
Year of the qualifying exam | 2024 / 2025 / 2026 |
Class 12th subjects |
|
Required 12th class percentage |
|
Limit of JEE attempts | Three consecutive years |
NTA is expected to release the JEE Main 2026 dates in October 2025, and the official notification will be released soon. Recently, the authorities have issued a notification on October 7, 2025, which states that JEE Main sessions 1 and 2 exams will be held in January and April 2026, respectively. Find below the tentative dates for JEE Main 2026.
Events | Tentative Dates |
JEE Main 2026 registration date session 1 | October 2025 |
NTA JEE Mains 2026 registration last date | December 2025 |
JEE Mains application form correction date 2026 | December 2025 |
City intimation slip | January 2026 |
Admit Card release date | January 2026 |
NTA JEE Mains 2026 exam date session 1 | Last week of January 2026 |
Events | Dates |
JEE Main 2026 registration date session 2 | First week of February 2026 |
JEE Mains 2026 registration last date | Last week of February 2026 |
Application Form Correction Dates | February 2026 |
JEE Main 2026 Session 2 exam date | First week of April 2026 |
On Question asked by student community
Hey there,
Your OBC-NCL certificate will not be valid for the JEE Mains 2026 application as it is from June 2024. You can apply for a new one as soon as possible. For the JEE Mains, the OBC-NCL certificate should be issued on or after 1 April 2025.
And as for your Aadhar, the mistakes in your name and Date of Birth will be an issue during the document verification process. The details should match your 10th-class certificate. So you will also need to update it as soon as possible.
Hope it helps!!!
Hello Satyam,
Yes, your EWS certificate is valid.
In Bihar, the EWS certificate can be issued by the Circle Officer, BDO, SDO, or DM. So a certificate signed by the Circle Officer (Revenue Officer) is acceptable.
If the format of your certificate is the same as the Central Government EWS format, then it is valid for JEE Main registration and also for JoSAA counselling. The heading “Government of Bihar” does not create any problem.
Just remember one point:
For
JoSAA 2026
, you will need an EWS certificate issued on or after 1 April 2025. Even if your current certificate works for registration, you must update it before counselling.
Hope it helps !
Hello murali
No, your son is not eligible for OBC NCL for IIT JEE because you fall in the "creamy layer" occupational category, regardless of your current employment status or family income. Students whose family income is less than Rs. 8 lakhs annually and they are not belong to the "creamy layer".
Note -
Thank You
Hello,
You can fill the JEE Main form even if you are a private candidate
Write the
name of the school/board from where you are appearing as a private candidate
.
If your Class 12 admit card or registration slip shows a school/centre name, use that exactly.
If your board lists you as a “Private Candidate” under the board name , then write:
CBSE – Private Candidate
(or your board name – Private Candidate)
Use the pin code of the examination centre/school mentioned on your Class 12 private candidate admit card or registration details.
If your board does not give any school address and only shows the regional office address, then use the regional office address pin code given by your board.
Hope it helps !
Hello Aspirant
You should not leave the OBC-NCL certificate ID blank in the JEE Main form it can create problems later.
NTA wants the certificate details while filling the form, not just at counselling. If you can, apply for the OBC-NCL certificate immediately so you get the ID on time.
If you fail to submit the certificate during counselling, your category will shift to General. It’s safer to enter OBC-NCL only if you’re sure you’ll get the certificate before counselling.
Hope it will help you
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