JEE Main Eligibility Criteria 2026 - NTA has released the JEE Main 2026 eligibility criteria on the official website, jeemain.nta.nic.in. Candidates can check the JEE Main eligibility criteria 2026 on this page. Only those candidates who meet all the guidelines and will be allowed to appear for JEE Mains 2026. Before completing the JEE Main 2026 registrations, candidates must understand the eligibility criteria set by NTA. The session 2 JEE Mains 2026 application process is being conducted from February 1 to 25, 2026.The authority will held the JEE Main entrance exam for session 2 from April 2 to 9, 2026. Candidates can check the complete JEE Main 2026 eligibility criteria below.
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NTA has released the JEE Main 2026 exam eligibility norms on jeemain.nta.nic.in. Aspirants must satisfy the JEE Main eligibility criteria set by NTA to secure a seat in a top engineering college. Before filling out the JEE application form, make sure to check the JEE Main eligibility by NTA.
Get expert advice on college selection, admission chances, and career path in a personalized counselling session.
Only Class 12 (10+2)/Intermediate qualified candidates are eligible to apply for JEE Mains 2026.
Candidates appearing for qualifying exams in 2026 are also eligible to appear.
They must have Physics, Mathematics, and Chemistry/Biology as compulsory subjects in 12th standard.
The year of qualifying 12th class must be 2024 or 2025 or 2026.
JEE Main age limit for 2026 is not there. NTA hasn’t specified any minimum or maximum age criteria to apply for JEE Main 2026. However, aspirants must qualify for the 12th board exams in the said year only.
There are 6 attempts in three consecutive years allowed for JEE Main aspirants. Including 2 attempts of 2026 in January and April. NTA holds the JEE Mains exam in 2026. The best score from the January & April sessions will be considered for providing the rank. Based on the JEE Main rank, candidates will get admission to engineering colleges in India. Candidates can appear in one or both sessions of JEE Main.
Candidates belonging to General/EWS/OBC categories must have a minimum of 75% marks in the 12th board examination to get admission to premium engineering colleges like NITs, IIITs, and more. Whereas, the minimum marks required for SC/ST category candidates are 65%. Candidates must be listed in the top 20th percentile of their respective board exams.
Candidates who qualified for the 12th board exams in 2025 or 2026 are eligible for JEE Mains 2026. They need to satisfy the above JEE Main eligibility criteria by NTA to apply for the exam without any issue.
Candidates must ensure their Class 12 subjects are the same as mentioned in the eligibility notice. It is suggested to keep the mark sheets and ID proof ready during the application.
JEE Main, commonly known as the Joint Entrance Exam (Main). The National Testing Agency (NTA) is responsible for holding the test. It is a national-level entrance test to get admission to the best engineering institutes like NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General candidates need to score a minimum of 75% of marks in 10+2 from a recognised institution to be eligible for admission to JoSAA participating colleges.
The JEE Mains exam will be conducted twice every year. In this way, a candidate can appear consecutively 6 times after the completion of the 12th standard.
On Question asked by student community
Hi,
You can use the following link to predict your rank. https://engineering.careers360.com/jee-main-college-predictor
All the best!
Hi,
Yes, you can repeat Class 12 from another board like MP Board, NIOS, or through CBSE improvement/private candidate to improve your percentage for the JEE 75% criteria.
But changing as a regular school student in the middle of a session is usually difficult because boards have strict transfer rules.
Hello Dear Student,
With an 88.97 percentile , your estimated CRL may be around 1.15–1.45 lakh .
Getting core branches in top NITs through JoSAA can be difficult in the General category. However, you still have decent chances in:
Possible nearby options include:
With your scores, you still have quite a few good options, especially because of UP domicile and female quota advantages.
Good possibilities include:
• Institute of Engineering and Technology Lucknow → ECE/AI-related branches possible
• Harcourt Butler Technical University → good core/electronics branches
• Kamla Nehru Institute of Technology →
Hello Dear Student,
With a CRL rank of 4,00,477 and SC rank of 27,365 , getting top NITs or IIITs is very difficult.
However, you may still have slight chances in:
Among top 100 Universities Globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2026
Last Date to Apply: 30th May | Ranked #43 among Engineering colleges in India by NIRF | Highest Package 1.3 CR , 100% Placements
Recognized as Institute of Eminence by Govt. of India | NAAC ‘A++’ Grade | Upto 75% Scholarships | Only JEE Scores Accepted
NAAC A+ Grade | Ranked 503 Globally (QS World University Rankings 2026)
NAAC A++ Grade | Recognized as Category-1 Deemed to be University by UGC | 41,000 + Alumni Imprints Globally
33.5 LPA-Highest Package | Up to 100% scholarship worth 30 CR