• Only those candidates (General Category) who are 25 years or less on October 1 of the admission year are eligible to appear in JEE Main. However, in case of Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Persons with Disabilities (PwD) candidates, upper age limit is relaxed by 5 years, i.e. SC, ST and PwD candidates with 30 years of age on or after October 1 of the admission year are eligible to apply for JEE Main. 
• Only those candidates, who have passed their class 12th exam or any equivalent qualifying examination in the preceding year of the admission and a year before the preceding year or those who are appearing in their class 12th exam or any equivalent qualifying examination in the same admission year of JEE Main are eligible to appear in the engineering entrance test. 
• Candidates must have taken at least five subjects in class 12th/ qualifying examination in order to be eligible for writing JEE Main.
• The number of attempts, which a candidate can avail at JEE Main shall be limited to three.

New Eligibility Criteria of JEE Main 

• Applicants who are in possession of Aadhaar, shall enter Aadhaar number, name, date of birth & gender in online application for JEE Main for the purpose of his/her identity and authentication thereof.
• Applicants not yet enrolled for Aadhaar, are required to make application for Aadhaar enrolment in case he/she is entitled to obtain Aadhaar as per section 3 of Aadhaar Act. Such applicant may visit any Aadhaar enrolment facilitation centres set up in JEE Main exam cities.
• Aadhaar Card Enrolment Centres - In order to facilitate such applicants who are not having Aadhaar, the CBSE has specially set up facilitation centres in each city of examination for the purpose of Aadhaar enrolment. The applicants can approach such facilitation centres who will not charge any amount from any applicant for Aadhaar enrolment. These applicants who have enrolled for Aadhaar and have not received Aadhaar should enter 28 digit Aadhaar Enrolment ID printed on the Aadhaar enrolment slip at the time of filling online application form for JEE Main.
• Aadhaar Enrolment Registration Number - In case Aadhaar enrolment facility is not available at the facilitation centres, the applicants should submit a request for Aadhaar enrolment. The facilitation centre will issue a registration number to such applicants. This registration number should be entered by the applicants at the time of filling online application form for JEE Main.
• Provision for J&K, Meghalaya and Assam applicants - The applicants who have passed or appearing in Class XII examination from the states of J&K, Assam & Meghalaya need to enter the passport number, ration card number, bank account number or any other valid Govt. identity number provided they should select the city of examination in these states only.
• According to CBSE officials, all Indian candidates should possess Aadhaar card issued by UIDAI. The new eligibility criteria of JEE Main introduced by the exam authority means that applicants will not be able to submit online applications without filling their Aadhar numbers. In case, the applicants do not hold Aadhar numbers then they will be required to get it first, to apply for the entrance exam.
• At the time of filling application form of JEE Main, the candidates is required to enter their Aadhaar number, name, date of birth & gender which will be validated with the UIDAI’s data.
• Candidates should have Aadhar Card issued by UIDAI, which must enlist the details like candidates' name, date of birth & gender and Aadhaar number, in order to fill the JEE Main application form.
• The applicants must ensure that the details provided in the Aadhaar card need to match with that of their school records.
• In case, the candidates' details in both, the school records and Aadhaar card do not match, then the candidates will get it rectified in either of them.
• Applicants entitled for Aadhaar Card under "Section 3" of Aadhaar Act are required to register for their Aadhaar card. For this, they may visit to Aadhaar Enrollment Centre located in the nearby area.