JEE Mains 2026 Eligibility Criteria by NTA: Age Limit, Qualification & Attempts

JEE Mains 2026 Eligibility Criteria by NTA: Age Limit, Qualification & Attempts

Maniprabha SinghUpdated on 28 Nov 2025, 11:27 AM IST

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 authority will conduct the JEE Main entrance exam from January 21 to 30, 2026. Candidates can check the complete JEE Main 2026 eligibility criteria below.

This Story also Contains

  1. JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria by NTA
  2. JEE Main 2026 Educational Qualification
  3. JEE Mains 2026 Age Limit
  4. Number of Attempts in JEE Main
  5. JEE Main Eligibility by NTA for NITs, IIITs & GFTIs
  6. JEE Main 2026 Eligibility for Droppers
JEE Mains 2026 Eligibility Criteria by NTA: Age Limit, Qualification & Attempts
JEE Mains 2026 Eligibility Criteria by NTA: Age Limit, Qualification & Attempts

JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria by NTA

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.

JEE Main 2026 Educational Qualification

  • 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 Mains 2026 Age Limit

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 the 12th board exams in the said year only.

Number of Attempts in JEE Main

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.

JEE Main Syllabus: Subjects & Chapters
Select your preferred subject to view the chapters

JEE Main Eligibility by NTA for NITs, IIITs & GFTIs

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.

JEE Main 2026 Eligibility for Droppers

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)

Q: How much percentage is required for the JEE 2026 exam in 10+2?
A:

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.

Q: How many attempts can a candidate give for JEE Mains exam?
A:

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.

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Questions related to JEE Main

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to JEE Main ?

Hello,

Yes, you can be eligible , but it depends on how you passed Mathematics.

JEE Main
You are eligible if:

  • You passed Class 12 with Physics and Mathematics.

  • Mathematics was passed as a full subject from NIOS.

  • NIOS is a recognized board.

  • Having two marksheets is allowed.

You are not eligible if:

  • Mathematics was taken only as an improvement or additional without passing it as a full subject.

MHT-CET
You are eligible if:

  • You passed Class 12 with Physics and Mathematics.

  • Mathematics from NIOS is shown as a passed subject.

  • NIOS is recognized for Maharashtra admissions.

  • Mathematics was passed before the admission year.

You are not eligible if:

  • Mathematics is not shown as a passed subject.

Important

  • Mathematics must be a separate and passed subject.

  • Keep both marksheets during counselling.

Always check the current year information brochure before applying.

Hope it helps !

The marks needed for a 99+ percentile in the JEE Main January attempt depend on the difficulty of the paper and the total number of candidates. Generally, you need roughly *180–200* marks out of 300 to hit the 99+ percentile. The exact cutoff varies each session, so checking the official NTA percentile score calculator or previous year cutoffs gives a more precise idea.


Hello aspirant

JEE Main accepts NIOS, so you can appear if you meet the basic eligibility.

BITS does not accept marks from two different boards, so this option won’t work for BITS.

VIT and SRM generally accept NIOS, but having two separate mark sheets can be an issue. You should check their official eligibility rules before applying.

Thankyou I hope this help

Hello,

The NCHM JEE 2026 registration is expected to start in the second week of December 2025 .
The application form will be available online.
The last date to apply will likely be February or March 2026 .

The exact dates will be announced in the official notification.

Hope it helps !

Hello,

Here are some Government colleges that generally do not require 75% CBSE board criteria for admission through JEE mains based or university counselling.

  • Delhi technological university
  • Netaji subhas university of technology
  • Jamia milia Islamia
  • Aligarh Muslim university
  • College of engineering ,Pune
  • Jadavpur university, Kolkata
  • Punjab engineering college,  Chandigarh

I hope it will help you. Kindly check the latest eligibility rules for the specific year.

Thank you.