JEE Main Eligibility Criteria 2026: Age Limit, Marks Required, Number of Attempts, and More

JEE Main Eligibility Criteria 2026

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has specified JEE Main eligibility criteria 2026 for aspirants aiming to take JEE Main 2026. Candidates must have completed 10+2 or an equivalent qualification with Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects, plus one of Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, or a technical vocational subject, for admission to BE/BTech programs, with no upper age limit.​ JEE Main 2026 qualifiers to meet these academic benchmarks as per the official notification, ensuring smooth JEE Main 2026 registration and exam attempts without age barriers.

For the January session exam, the JEE Main application form 2026 is active for registration, and the applicants fulfilling the eligibility criteria can fill out the application form for the JEE Main January session exam between October 31 to November 27, 2025. On the other hand, candidates are advised to go through the JEE Main syllabus 2026 for the best preparation and knowledge of the exam.

JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria Highlights

Aspirants who are preparing for the JEE Mains 2026 must check the JEE Mains eligibility criteria overview below in the table:

JEE Main Eligibility Criteria 2026: Educational Qualification

Candidates who are going to appear for the JEE Main 2026 exam must check the JEE Main Educational Eligibility 2026. For the ease of the candidates, we have also provided a graphic representation of the JEE Main 2026 eligibility. Check the NTA JEE Main 2026 eligibility criteria below:

JEE Main Educational Qualification 2026 

 The JEE Mains educational qualifications are different for all the papers: papers 1, 2A, and 2B. Check the paper-wise educational qualification required below:

JEE Main Paper 1 Educational Qualification 2026: Paper 1 comprises the streams B.Tech and B.E. Aspirants must have qualified or appearing in 10+2 with Physics and Mathematics along with any subject prescribed below:

• Chemistry 
• Biology
• Biotechnology, or 
• Vocational Subjects (Technical)

Also Read: JEE Main Syllabus

JEE Main Paper 2A Educational Qualification 2026: Paper 2A is for BArch (Bachelor of Architecture) and to opt for Paper 2A the aspirant must have studied 10+2 with Maths, Physics, and Chemistry as compulsory subjects 

JEE Main 2B Educational Qualification 2026: Paper 2B is for BPlan (Bachelor of Planning). Aspirants who are going to opt for Paper 2B must have studied 10+2  with Mathematics as one of the compulsory subjects. 

JEE Mains Age Limit Criteria 2026

There is no upper age limit to appear for the JEE Mains exam. The aspirants can take the Mains exam at any point of age. However, they have to meet the number of attempts eligibility to appear for the exam.

Also Read: JEE Main Physics Syllabus 

JEE Main Sesssion Eligibility Criteria 2026: Course Wise

Candidates who want to appear for the JEE Main exam have to meet the JEE Main course-wise eligibility criteria 2026. Candidates must have relevant subjects in 10+2 to appear in the NTA JEE Main exam. Check the JEE Main course eligibility below:

• For B.E/B.Tech: Physics, Mathematics, and any one of Chemistry, Biology, or Technical Vocational Subjects.
• For B.Arch: Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.
• For B.Plan: Mathematics.

JEE Main 2026 State Eligibility

Aspirants have to provide their state in the JEE Mains application form to appear for the exam. There are certain clauses providing the state in the application. Check the state eligibility criteria for JEE Mains 2026 below:

• Aspirants have to provide the state from which they have qualified for their higher secondary, and not the state from which they belong 
• If the aspirants have taken the supplementary exam to improve their marks on 10+2 from a different state, then they have to provide the name of the state from which they have taken the supplementary exam
• The aspirants who belong to the nationality of Nepal and Bhutan have to provide the state where they are residing in India

Check the list of  States and Union Territories from where the candidates can apply and satisfy the JEE Main Eligibility Criteria 2026. Check the state and union territory eligibility criteria for the JEE Main 2026 exam in the table below: 

Also Read: JEE Main Exam Dates 2026 

Candidates must check the state code along with the JEE Main Eligibility Criteria 2026. The state code will be required to fill out the JEE Main Application Form 2026. Check the state codes for the JEE Main state eligibility in the table below:

JEE Main Marks Eligibility in Class 12th

There are no marks eligibility in Class 12th for the aspirants to appear for the JEE Main2026 exam. However, to get admission to the top IITs, NITs, IIITs, and other premium colleges of India, the aspirants must have secured an aggregate percentage of 75 in class 12th or have secured 65% aggregate marks along with being in the top 20% of candidates who took the JEE Mains exam.

JEE Main Qualifying Exam Eligibility Criteria 2026

Aspirants must check the list of exams that they have to qualify to appear for the exam. Check the list of exams below:

• You must have pursued 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics from a recognised board of central or state like CBSE or DBSE.

Or, 

• You must have completed two two-year courses from the National Defence Academy (NDA)

Or, 

• You must have qualified for higher secondary from NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) along with 5 subjects

Or, 

• Must have qualified for the 3-year diploma course affiliated with AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education)

Or, 

• If you’re an aspirant from a different country (Sri Lanka/Cambridge/London), then you must have qualified for the GCE exam (General Certificate of Education exam) at the Advanced level, i.e., Level A

Also Read: JEE Main Maths Syllabus 

Number of Attempts Allowed in JEE Main Exam

Aspirants are allowed to take the JEE Main exam three times in a consecutive year. The first attempt can be taken while appearing for the final exam, the second attempt can be taken after qualifying for the exam, and the third attempt can be taken after the drop year. For example, some who have qualified for their higher secondary exam in 2024 can take the JEE Main exam in the following years:

• 2024
• 2025 
• 2026

Also Read: JEE Main Chemistry Syllabus 

JEE Main Eligibility Criteria for Droppers 2026

Candidates who are going to take the JEE Mains exam must check the dropper's eligibility to appear for the JEE Main exam. Candidates who have dropped and will not meet the eligibility criteria listed below will not be allowed to fill out the application form. Check the JEE Main Eligibility criteria for droppers 2026 below 

• Aspirants who have dropped a year must have qualified for the higher secondary (10+2) in 2024, 2025, or 2026. 
• Only three consecutive attempts are allowed for JEE Mains
• Must have studied Physics, Chemistry, and Maths as compulsory subjects in 10+2
• There is no upper age limit to appear for the JEE Mains exam for any aspirant

Also Read: JEE Main Best Books 2026

JEE Main Reservation of Seats

Reservations in the JEE Main exam are determined on the basis of categories and regulations of the Government of India. Candidates can check the category wise regulation for the reservation of seats in the JEE Main exam below:

Check the categories which are eligible for the seat reservations below:

• Other Backward Classes (OBC) if they belong to Non-Creamy Layer (NCL)

• Scheduled Castes (SC)

• Scheduled Tribes (ST)

• Persons with Disability (PwD) with 40% or more disability

Category-Wise JEE Main Reservation of Seats

The candidates can check the percentage of seats reserved for the allocated categories in the table below. According to the latest reservation policy, no modifications have been made to the reservation policy. Check the reservation of seat percentage in the table below according to the categories:

JEE Main Reservation of Seats (Institute-Wise)