JEE Advanced Complete Guide: Eligibility, Attempts, Fees & Full Process Explained

What is JEE Advanced?

JEE Advanced (Joint Entrance Examination – Advanced) is a national-level entrance exam. If you are aiming for IITs, this is the exam you must clear. Through JEE Advanced, you can get admission into IITs, IISc Bengaluru, IISERs, IIPE, IIST, RGIPT, and some other top institutes in India.

But one important thing you should know—you can appear for JEE Advanced only after qualifying JEE Main, because it is the second stage of the JEE exam. Also, it is consider one of the toughest exams in India.

Number of Attempts

Now you might be thinking, how many times can you attempt it?
You can appear for JEE Advanced only 2 times, and that too in two consecutive years. There should be no gap between attempts.

Registration Process for JEE Advanced

Let me make this clear for you:
The registration process starts after the JEE Main Session 2 results are declared. This happens every year.

Also, not everyone can register—only the top 2,50,000 candidates from JEE Main (B.E./B.Tech.) are allow to appear for JEE Advanced.

JEE Advanced FAQs

Registration for Foreign / OCI / PIO Candidates

If you are a foreign national or OCI/PIO candidate, your process is a bit different.

• Your registration starts earlier, even before JEE Main Session 2 results.
• You are not require to appear for JEE Main.
• IITs provide direct eligibility for JEE Advanced in this case.

Courses Offered in IITs

Once you clear JEE Advanced, you get access to various top programs in IITs. Here’s a clear table for you:

Program	Full Name	Duration
B.Tech	Bachelor of Technology	4 years
B.S.	Bachelor of Science	4 years
B.Arch	Bachelor of Architecture	5 years
Dual Degree B.Tech–M.Tech	Bachelor of Technology + Master of Technology	5 years
Dual Degree B.S.–M.S.	Bachelor of Science + Master of Science	5 years
Integrated M.Tech	Integrated Master of Technology	5 years
Integrated B.S.–M.S.	Integrated Bachelor of Science + Master of Science	5 years
Dual Degree B.Tech–MBA	Bachelor of Technology + MBA	5 years
Dual Degree B.S.–MBA	Bachelor of Science + MBA	5 years

JEE Advanced 2026 Overview

Check the important information related to JEE Advanced 2026 in table below:

Detail	Information
Exam Date	17 May 2026 (Sunday)
Conducting IIT	IIT Roorkee
Mode of Exam	Computer-Based Test (CBT)
Papers	Two papers (Paper 1 & Paper 2)
Duration	3 hours each paper
Subjects	Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics (in both papers)

JEE Advanced Eligibility & Registration 2026

Here’s what you need to know before applying:

• Only the top 2,50,000 candidates from JEE Main 2026 (B.E./B.Tech paper) can register.
• If there is a tie in marks/rank, the number may go slightly above 2,50,000.
• You can attempt JEE Advanced only 2 times, and that too in consecutive years (no gap allowed).

75% Marks Criteria (Important)

To be eligible, you must satisfy at least one condition:

• You must have passed Class 12 (or equivalent) with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
• Your board exam should have at least 5 subjects.
• You must score minimum 75% aggregate marks in these subjects.

Relaxation

• For SC, ST, and PwD candidates, the requirement is 65% instead of 75%.

JEE Advanced Category-wise Distribution of 2,50,000 Candidates

This total is divid into categories, and each category also has a 5% PwD quota.

Category	% of 2,50,000	Approx. Seats
OPEN	40.5%	1,01,250 (incl. 5,063 PwD)
GEN EWS	10%	25,000 (incl. 1,250 PwD)
OBC NCL	27%	67,500 (incl. 3,375 PwD)
SC	15%	37,500 (incl. 1,875 PwD)
ST	7.5%	18,750 (incl. 938 PwD)

Total = 2,50,000 candidates

How Shortlisting Works (Simple Understanding)

Let me explain this in an easy way:

• First, candidates diffrenciate into categories (OPEN, EWS, OBC, SC, ST).
• Then, 5% PwD quota apply within each category.
• After that, candidates are select base on National Rank (NR) within each category.

In simple terms:

If an SC candidate has a better rank, they will be selected within the SC quota first, even before OPEN seats are filled. The same logic applies to all categories.

JEE Advanced OCI / PIO (I) Candidates Rule

If you are an OCI/PIO (I) candidate, then:

• You cannot use reservation categories (EWS, OBC, SC, ST).
• You can only apply under: OPEN category and OPEN PwD category.

So basically, you compete within the 1,01,250 OPEN seats pool.

JEE Advanced Age Limit 2026

General Candidates

• Must be born on or after 1 October 2001

Relaxation (SC/ST/PwD)

• Get 5 years relaxation
• So, eligible if born on or after 1 October 1996

Class 12 Year Criteria

• You must have appeared for Class 12 for the first time in 2025 or 2026
• PCM (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics) must be compulsory subjects
• If you repeat Class 12, only your first attempt year consider.

Who is NOT Eligible for JEE Advanced 2026?

First, let’s be very clear about disqualification:

• If you first appeared in Class 12 in 2024 or earlier, then you are not eligible.
• Even if you: Appear again in 2025 or 2026 and Change your subject combination.

Note – If your first Class 12 appearance was in 2024 or before → you cannot give JEE Advanced 2026.

What does “First Appearance” actually mean?

This is very important to understand:

• “Appearance” means the year your board declared your result
• Even if: Your exam was not conducted and Your result was withheld.

 Still, that year will count as your first attempt.

Also, if you reappear or try to improve marks later, it does NOT reset your attempt year.

JEE Advanced 2026 Special Relaxation (Late Board Result Case)

Now there is one important exception, so listen carefully:

If your Class 12 (2023–24 session) result was declared on or after 18 June 2024, then:

• You can eligible for JEE Advanced 2026

But if your board declared the result before 18 June 2024, then:

• Your attempt is counted as 2024
• And you become not eligible for 2026

So here, eligibility depends on your board result declaration date, not just your exam year.

Who is NOT Eligible due to IIT Admission?

This is another strict rule:

• If you were admitted to any IIT through JoSAA 2025, then you are not eligible, even if: You left the course later, You reported but didn’t continue.

Simple Rule – Once you accept or join an IIT seat, you cannot appear in JEE Advanced again.

Who is STILL Eligible (Special Cases)?

Now let’s see the exceptions where students are still allow:

Preparatory Course Candidates 2025

• If you joined an IIT preparatory course in 2025 for the first time,
• Then you are eligible for JEE Advanced 2026

Candidates Who Got Seat but Did NOT Join IIT Advanced 2026

You are still eligible if in JoSAA 2025:

• You did not report to the IIT
• You withdrew before the final round
• Your seat was cancel before the last round

JEE Advanced Important Condition

Even if you fall under eligible cases:

You must still satisfy all main criteria:

• Top 2,50,000 in JEE Main
• Correct Class 12 year

Age limit

• Other academic rules (A1–A4)

If any one of these fails, you are not eligible, no matter what.

JEE Advanced Reservation Categories

Category	Reservation %	Meaning
OPEN	40.5%	General (no reservation)
GEN EWS	10%	Economically Weaker Section
OBC NCL	27%	Other Backward Classes (Non-Creamy Layer)
SC	15%	Scheduled Castes
ST	7.5%	Scheduled Tribes

Who is a Defence (DS) Quota Candidate?

So, if you’re wondering what DS quota means, here’s the simple explanation:

DS candidates are children of defence or paramilitary personnel who were:

• Killed in action, or
• Permanently disabled during war or even peacetime operations

IIT Seats under DS Quota

• Each IIT offers 2 seats under DS category
• These seats are supernumerary, which means:

They are extra seats, not taken from the regular intake

Female Supernumerary Seats (Reservation for Girls)

FAQs

But remember:

• Foreign national girls (OCI/PIO F, SAARC, etc.) are NOT eligible for these seats

How are these IITs seats filled?

• Completely based on JEE Advanced rank (CRL)
• No extra relaxation is given
• Female candidates must meet all standard eligibility criteria (age, marks, etc.)

Seat Pool Size

• The goal is to ensure at least 20% female representation in IITs
• These seats are supernumerary (extra)
• They do not affect OPEN or reserved category seats

Foreign Nationals & OCI/PIO (F) Candidates

Now let’s understand how this category works.

Who is considered a Foreign National?

• Anyone who is not an Indian citizen
• Includes OCI/PIO (F) candidates

Do they need JEE Main?

• No, they do NOT need to appear for JEE Main
• They can directly register for JEE Advanced 2026

Do they come under the 2,50,000 limit?

No,

They are separate from the 2,50,000 Indian candidates

They have a separate supernumerary pool

JEE Advanced 2026 Eligibility for Seat Allotment

A foreign/OCI (F) candidate will get a seat only if:

• Their CRL rank is equal to or better than the OPEN category closing rank
• They meet all GEN category eligibility conditions

JEE Advanced Seat Matrix – Seats for Foreign Candidates

• These seats are supernumerary (extra)
• Limited to maximum 10% of total seats in each IIT/program

They do NOT fall under any reservation category:

• No GEN EWS
• No OBC
• No SC/ST
• No PwD

Also, there is no separate female quota within foreign seats

JEE Advanced 2026: Documents Required

Foreign candidates must submit:

• Passport or Citizenship Certificate
• OCI/PIO card (if applicable)

JEE Advanced 2026 Registration Fee (India Centres)

Here’s a clear table for fees:

Category Group	Sub Category	Fee
Indian Nationals	Female candidates (all categories)	Rs. 1600
	SC / ST / PwD	Rs. 1600
	All other candidates (GEN / EWS / OBC male)	Rs. 3200
OCI/PIO (I)	Female (GEN & PwD)	Rs. 1600
	OPEN (GEN PwD)	Rs. 1600
	OPEN (GEN)	Rs. 3200
Foreign Nationals & OCI/PIO (F)	SAARC countries	100 USD
	Non-SAARC countries	200 USD

JEE Advanced 2026: Registration Fee – Exam Centres in Foreign Countries

If you are choosing exam centres outside India, here’s the fee structure:

Category Group	Sub Category	Fee (USD)
Indian Nationals & OCI/PIO (I)	All	200 USD
Foreign Nationals & OCI/PIO (F)	SAARC Countries	200 USD
	Non-SAARC Countries	300 USD

Official Website

You should always check updates from the official site: jeeadv.ac.in

JEE Advanced 2026 Admit Card

Here’s something many students get confused about, so let me clarify:

• The admit card is released about one week before the exam (mid-May).

It contains important details like:

• Your name
• Parent’s name
• Date of birth
• Exam centre
• Exam timing
• Reporting time
• Important instructions

Make sure you check all details carefully after downloading it.

JEE Advanced 2026 Response Sheet

• After the exam, IIT releases your response sheet
• It is usually available within 4–5 days after the exam
• You can check what answers you marked

Important – This is JEE Advanced NOT the answer key, just your recorded responses.

JEE Advanced 2026 Answer Key (Provisional)

• The answer key is released about 1 week after the exam
• If you find any mistake, you can challenge it
• The challenge window is open for 2 days

JEE Advanced 2026 Final Answer Key

• After reviewing all challenges, IIT releases the final answer key.
• It is usually released about 1 week after the objection window closes.

 This final key is used to prepare results.

JEE Advanced Exam Pattern 2026

Let me simplify the pattern for you:

• 2 compulsory papers (Paper 1 & Paper 2)
• Jee Advanced Exam Duration: 3 hours each and 4 hours for PwD candidates
• Each paper includes: Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics

Types of Questions

• Numerical value questions
• MCQs (single correct)
• MCQs (multiple correct)

 Also remember:

• Partial marking exists
• Negative marking is applied in many sections

JEE Advanced 2026 Registration Timeline

For Foreign Nationals & OCI/PIO (F)

Event	Date & Time
Registration Start	6 April 2026 (10:00 IST)
Last Date to Apply	2 May 2026 (23:59 IST)
Last Date for Fee Payment	4 May 2026 (23:59 IST)
Portal	jeeadv.ac.in / jeeadv.nic.in

 These candidates do NOT need JEE Main.

For JEE Main Qualified Candidates (Indian Nationals, etc.)

Event	Date & Time
Registration Start	23 April 2026 (10:00 IST)
Last Date to Apply	2 May 2026 (23:59 IST)
Last Date for Fee Payment	4 May 2026 (23:59 IST)
Portal	jeeadv.ac.in / jeeadv.nic.in

Other Institutes Accepting JEE Advanced Rank

Apart from IITs, some top institutes also accept JEE Advanced scores.

Institute	Type / Location
IISc Bengaluru	Top science institute (BS / UG programs)
IISER Berhampur	Odisha
IISER Bhopal	Madhya Pradesh
IISER Kolkata	West Bengal
IISER Mohali	Punjab
IISER Pune	Maharashtra
IISER Thiruvananthapuram	Kerala
IISER Tirupati	Andhra Pradesh
IIST Thiruvananthapuram	Space & aerospace (ISRO)
RGIPT Rae Bareli	Petroleum & energy
IIPE Visakhapatnam	Petroleum & energy

JEE Advanced 2026 Counselling (Important Points)

Let me explain this simply:

• These institutes usually do not conduct separate entrance exams.
• They use your JEE Advanced rank (AIR).
• Admission is mostly done through JoSAA counselling.
• Some institutes may have separate counselling processes.

Rank requirement:

• IIT CSE needs very high rank
• But with ranks around 20,000 – 50,000+, you can still get good institutes like IISER, RGIPT, IIPE

FAQs