Published: 10:55 am | 28 October 2025
The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) is one of India’s most prestigious entrance tests, serving as the gateway to top engineering institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs).
The exam is conducted at two levels — JEE Main and JEE Advanced — each with its own structure, purpose, and conducting authority.
If you’re planning to appear for IIT JEE 2026, this guide covers everything you need to know — from exam dates and eligibility to syllabus, preparation strategy, and career opportunities.
What is IIT JEE?
The IIT JEE (Indian Institute of Technology – Joint Entrance Examination) is a national-level entrance test conducted for admission into undergraduate programs in Engineering (B.Tech), Architecture (B.Arch), and Planning (B.Planning) & More at India’s premier technical institutions.
It is managed by:
- The National Testing Agency (NTA) for JEE Main
- The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) (on a rotational basis) for JEE Advanced
Through this exam, candidates can gain admission to:
- IITs → via JEE Advanced
- NITs, IIITs, GFTIs → via JEE Main
- Many state and private universities also accept JEE Main scores for B.Tech/B.E. admissions.
Key Points about IIT JEE
- This exam is only for students who have studied Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics (PCM) in Classes 11 and 12.
- It is meant only for students who wish to seek admission to India’s top technical institutions — including IITs, NITs, IIITs, GFTIs, and other reputed colleges — to pursue programs such as B.Tech, B.Sc, B.Arch, B.Planning, Dual Degree (B.Tech + M.Tech / M.Sc / MBA), and Integrated M.Tech.
- The JEE ensures admission into top government-funded technical institutes purely based on merit and performance.
Note – Path to Avoid Confusion
For B.Tech (Engineering) & Other Course:
- JEE Main (Paper 1) → JEE Advanced → Admission in IITs
- JEE Main (Paper 1) → Admission in NITs / IIITs / GFTIs & Others
For B.Arch (Architecture):
- JEE Main (Paper 2A) → Admission in NITs / GFTIs / SPAs (Not valid for IITs)
- JEE Main (Paper 1) → JEE Advanced → AAT (Architecture Aptitude Test) → Admission in IITs (Roorkee / Kharagpur)
⚠️ Important: JEE Main Paper 2 does not lead to IIT admissions. It is only accepted by NITs, GFTIs, and SPAs for B.Arch programs. To pursue B.Arch at IITs, students must qualify JEE Main Paper 1 + JEE Advanced + AAT.
For B.Planning (Planning):
- JEE Main (Paper 2B) → Admission in NITs / GFTIs
- (IITs do not offer B.Planning courses.)
IIT JEE 2026: Stages of IIT JEE Examination
i. JEE Main
Conducted twice a year by the National Testing Agency (NTA), the JEE Main serves as the qualifying examination for JEE Advanced. Its scores are used for admission into NITs, IIITs, GFTIs, and several state and private engineering colleges that accept JEE Main results.
ii. JEE Advanced
Conducted annually by one of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) on a rotational basis, the JEE Advanced is the final stage of the IIT admission process. It grants entry into various programs such as B.Tech, B.Sc, B.Arch, B.Planning, Dual Degree (B.Tech + M.Tech / M.Sc / MBA), and Integrated M.Tech offered by the 23 IITs across India.
Together, JEE Main and JEE Advanced form the foundation of India’s premier engineering admission system, identifying and selecting the most talented students for entry into world-class technical institutions.
IIT JEE 2026: Conducting Authorities (NTA & IITs)
i. National Testing Agency (NTA):
- The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts the JEE Main examination twice a year — typically in January and April.
- The agency is responsible for organizing, managing, and releasing results for JEE Main.
- It ensures transparency through standardized online testing procedures.
ii. Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs):
- The JEE Advanced examination is conducted annually by one of the IITs on a rotational basis under the guidance of the Joint Admission Board (JAB).
- Example: IIT Roorkee – 2026, IIT Kanpur – 2025, IIT Madras – 2024, IIT Delhi – 2023, IIT Guwahati – 2022
- The IITs also manage the JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) process for admissions to IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs.
IIT JEE 2026: Mode of Examination
The JEE (Main) 2026 and JEE Advanced 2026 examinations will be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode across designated centers in India and select foreign countries.
i. JEE Main 2026:
The examination will be held in the following modes:
• Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech): Conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.
• Paper 2A (B.Arch): Mathematics and Aptitude Test in CBT mode, while the Drawing Test is conducted in pen and paper (offline) mode on an A4-size drawing sheet.
• Paper 2B (B.Planning): Conducted entirely in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.
ii. JEE Advanced 2026:
Conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode only, consisting of two compulsory papers (Paper 1 and Paper 2). Each paper is of 3 hours duration.
IIT JEE 2026: Purpose of the Exam
The IIT JEE serves as a single national-level engineering entrance for admission to top technical institutions across India.
JEE Main Scores are used for admission into:
- NITs (National Institutes of Technology) – NIT Trichy, NIT Surathkal, NIT Warangal, NIT Rourkela, etc.
- IIITs (Indian Institutes of Information Technology) – IIIT Allahabad, IIIT Gwalior, IIIT Delhi, IIIT Hyderabad, etc.
- GFTIs (Government-Funded Technical Institutes) – Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra; Assam University; Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidyalaya; and Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology.
- State Engineering Colleges (depending on state-level policies): Several states such as Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, and Uttarakhand use JEE Main ranks for their centralized counseling and admissions.
- Select Private Universities and Colleges: Many reputed private institutions also accept JEE Main scores for admission. Examples include Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology (Patiala), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, and NIIT University.
JEE Advanced Scores are exclusively used for:
- Admission to 23 IITs across India, including both old and new campuses such as: IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Guwahati, IIT Roorkee, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Bhilai, IIT Goa, IIT Tirupati, IIT Jammu, and others.
Additionally, JEE ranks are accepted by some international universities (like NTU Singapore and the University of Cambridge for certain programs), further enhancing its global relevance.
IIT JEE 2026: Eligibility Criteria
i. Nationality / Citizenship
1. Indian Nationals: Eligible to apply for both JEE (Main) and JEE (Advanced) examinations as per standard eligibility criteria.
2. Foreign Nationals: Candidates who are not citizens of India (neither by birth nor by naturalization) are considered foreign nationals. Seats allotted to foreign nationals are supernumerary, with a cap of 10% of total seats in each course. Foreign nationals are not eligible for reservation benefits under GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, or PwD categories, and there are no separate female supernumerary seats within this quota. Foreign nationals are not required to appear for JEE (Main) and may register directly for JEE (Advanced), subject to fulfillment of all other eligibility requirements. For more details, visit https://jeeadv.ac.in/foreign.html.
3. OCI / PIO Candidates: In accordance with judicial pronouncements, the following provisions apply:
- OCI/PIO cards obtained after 04.03.2021: Treated as foreign nationals (OCI/PIO (F)). Eligible only for foreign supernumerary seats and cannot avail reservations under GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, or ST categories. Governed by the same eligibility conditions as foreign nationals.
- OCI/PIO cards obtained before 04.03.2021 and opting to be treated as Foreign Nationals: Treated as OCI/PIO (F). Eligible only for foreign supernumerary seats under the same rules as foreign nationals.
- OCI/PIO cards obtained before 04.03.2021 and opting to be treated at par with Indian Nationals: Treated as OCI/PIO (I). Eligible under the same rules as Indian nationals. Can compete for OPEN and OPEN-PwD categories and be included in the Common Rank List (CRL) and/or CRL-PwD. Also eligible for Female Supernumerary Seats, where applicable.
Important Notes: OCI/PIO (I) and OCI/PIO (F) candidates cannot claim reservation under GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, or ST categories. Candidates who obtained OCI/PIO cards before 04.03.2021 must choose their option (OCI/PIO (I) or OCI/PIO (F)) carefully at the time of JEE (Advanced) registration, as this choice cannot be changed later. Candidates found applying both as Indian (via JEE Main) and as foreign (direct JEE Advanced) will have their candidature cancelled for using unfair means.
ii. Age Criteria
JEE Main: There is no age limit for candidates appearing in JEE (Main) 2026. Candidates who have passed their Class XII / equivalent examination in 2024, 2025, or are appearing in 2026 can apply for JEE (Main) 2026, irrespective of their age. However, candidates must meet the age criteria of the institute(s) to which they seek admission.
JEE Advanced: Candidates should have been born on or after October 1, 2001. A relaxation of 5 years is provided to candidates belonging to SC, ST, and PwD categories, i.e., these candidates should have been born on or after October 1, 1996.
iii. Number of Attempts
⇒ JEE Main: Candidates can appear in JEE (Main) twice a year, making it a total of six attempts over three consecutive years.
⇒ JEE Advanced: A candidate can attempt JEE (Advanced) a maximum of two times in two consecutive years.
Additional Information:
- Class 12th (Same Year): Students appearing or passing Class 12th in the same year are fully eligible for both JEE Main and JEE Advanced.
- Class 12th + Single Year Drop: Students who passed Class 12th in the previous year and took a one-year drop are also eligible for both exams.
- Class 12th + Double Year Drop: Students who passed Class 12th two years earlier are eligible only for JEE Main but not eligible for JEE Advanced, as JEE Advanced allows attempts in only two consecutive years after Class 12th.
iv. Educational Qualification
JEE Main Eligibility
- Final exam of 10+2 system from any recognized Central/State Board (CBSE, CISCE, etc.).
- Intermediate/2-year Pre-University exam by recognized Board/University.
- Final exam of 2-year course of Joint Services Wing, NDA.
- Senior Secondary Exam by NIOS with at least five subjects.
- Any equivalent 10+2 exam recognized by AIU (India or abroad).
- Higher Secondary Certificate Vocational Exam.
- 3-year Diploma recognized by AICTE or State Technical Board.
- GCE (London/Cambridge/Sri Lanka) – Advanced (A) Level.
- Cambridge High School Certificate or International Baccalaureate Diploma.
- Class XII equivalent exam outside India – must have AIU equivalence certificate.
- If Class XII is not a public exam – must have passed one public (Board/Pre-University) exam earlier.
- No minimum marks required for JEE Main.
JEE Advanced Eligibility
- Must have qualified JEE Main and be among top 2,50,000 candidates (category-wise limit applied).
- Subjects Required: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics.
- JEE Advanced eligibility, must meet top 20 percentile in Class 12 or 75% marks in board exams (relaxed for SC/ST/PwD).
Eligible Boards
- CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education)
- State Boards recognized by AICTE
- International Boards (IB, Cambridge) with equivalent certificate
IIT JEE 2026: Reservation Criteria
The reservation for admissions through JEE Main and JEE Advanced 2026 follows the rules set by the Government of India.
Additional Details:
- Candidates must produce valid category certificates as per the latest Government format.
- OBC-NCL and EWS certificates must be issued on or after April 1, 2025.
- PwD candidates must have a disability of 40% or more and provide a valid certificate.
- Unreserved (General) candidates do not receive any category-based relaxation.
IIT JEE 2026: JEE Main vs JEE Advanced Comparison
IIT JEE 2026: Medium of Question Paper (Language Options)
i. JEE (Main) 2026
Drawing inspiration from the National Education Policy (NEP), the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) – 2026 will be conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) in thirteen (13) languages to promote regional inclusivity and accessibility across India.
List of Available Languages:
- English
- Hindi
- Assamese
- Bengali
- Gujarati
- Kannada
- Malayalam
- Marathi
- Odia
- Punjabi
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Urdu
Language-wise Examination Centres:
| Sr. No. | Language | Examination Centres |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | All Examination Centres across India |
| 2 | English and Hindi | All Examination Centres in India |
| 3 | English and Assamese | Examination Centres in Assam |
| 4 | English and Bengali | Examination Centres in West Bengal, Tripura, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands |
| 5 | English and Gujarati | Examination Centres in Gujarat, Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli |
| 6 | English and Kannada | Examination Centres in Karnataka |
| 7 | English and Malayalam | Examination Centres in Kerala and Lakshadweep |
| 8 | English and Marathi | Examination Centres in Maharashtra |
| 9 | English and Odia | Examination Centres in Odisha |
| 10 | English and Punjabi | Examination Centres in Punjab, Chandigarh, and Delhi/New Delhi (including Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Meerut, Noida/Greater Noida) |
| 11 | English and Tamil | Examination Centres in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands |
| 12 | English and Telugu | Examination Centres in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana |
| 13 | English and Urdu | All Examination Centres across India |
Important Notes:
- Note 1: The language option for the Question Paper must be selected carefully while filling out the online Application Form. Once submitted, it cannot be changed later.
- Note 2: The Question Paper will be available in both English and the language opted by the candidate.
- Note 3: In case of any discrepancy or difference in interpretation, the English version will be treated as the final and authoritative version.
ii. JEE (Advanced) 2026
The JEE (Advanced) 2026 examination, conducted by one of the IITs under the Joint Admission Board (JAB), will also offer candidates the flexibility of language choice.
Medium of Question Paper:
- The JEE Advanced 2026 Question Papers will be available in English and Hindi.
- Candidates must choose their preferred language while registering for the examination.
- The selected language option cannot be changed later.
- Both Paper 1 and Paper 2 will be provided in the same medium as opted by the candidate.
- In case of any ambiguity or difference in translation, the English version of the Question Paper will be treated as final.
Summary Table of Medium of Question Paper (Language Options)
| Exam | Languages Available | Change of Language Option | English Version Precedence |
|---|---|---|---|
| JEE (Main) 2026 | 13 Languages (English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu) | Not Allowed after form submission | Yes |
| JEE (Advanced) 2026 | English and Hindi | Not Allowed after registration | Yes |
IIT JEE 2026 Syllabus — JEE Main & JEE Advanced (Download)
The IIT JEE 2026 syllabus is divided into JEE Main and JEE Advanced.
Candidates should review the detailed syllabus PDFs to understand subject-wise topics and prepare strategically for all papers.
JEE Main
- JEE Main Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech.): Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.
- JEE Main Paper 2A (B.Arch.): Mathematics, Aptitude Test, and Drawing Test.
- JEE Main Paper 2B (B.Planning): Mathematics, Aptitude Test, and Planning.
JEE Advanced
- JEE Advanced 2026: Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics — higher-level conceptual and analytical syllabus including Architecture Aptitude Test for B.Arch aspirants.
IIT JEE 2026 Exam Pattern: Detailed Overview of JEE Main & JEE Advanced
The IIT Joint Entrance Examination (IIT JEE) 2026 is conducted in two stages — JEE Main and JEE Advanced.
Understanding the exam pattern of both stages is essential for effective preparation, as it helps candidates plan their strategy, manage time efficiently, and approach the exam with confidence.
JEE Main 2026 Exam Pattern
The JEE Main 2026 consists of three papers, each designed for different academic programs and evaluating candidates on specific subjects and skills. Let’s discuss each paper one by one:
- Paper 1: B.E. / B.Tech
- Paper 2A: B.Arch
- Paper 2B: B.Planning
JEE Advanced 2026 Exam Pattern
The JEE Advanced 2026 will be conducted by IIT Roorkee under the Joint Admission Board (JAB). It is the second stage of the IIT JEE and mandatory for admission into IITs.
JEE Advanced 2025 Paper 1 Structure
JEE Advanced 2025 Paper 2 Structure
IIT JEE 2026 Exam Session
JEE Main & JEE Advanced 2026 – Application / Registration Fee Details
JEE Main & JEE Advanced 2026 – Admission Criteria
Admission Criteria for NITs, IIITs, and CFITs (Through JEE Main)
Admission Basis: Admission is based on JEE Main (Paper 1) Rank.
Class 12 Performance Requirement:
- General / OBC / EWS: Minimum 75% marks in Class 12 or top 20 percentile in respective board.
- SC / ST: Minimum 65% marks in Class 12.
Applicable Institutes:
- National Institutes of Technology (NITs)
- Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs)
- Centrally Funded Institutes of Technology (CFITs)
Admission Criteria for IITs (Through JEE Advanced)
Admission Basis: Admission is through JEE Advanced Rank.
Class 12 Performance Requirement:
- General / OBC / EWS: Minimum 75% marks in Class 12 or top 20 percentile in respective board.
- SC / ST / PwD: Minimum 65% marks in Class 12.
Additional Requirement: Candidate must qualify JEE Main to be eligible for JEE Advanced.
Applicable Institutes: Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)
Academic Programs Offered Through JEE (Advanced)
The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) offer admission to various undergraduate and integrated degree programs in Engineering, Sciences, and Architecture through JEE (Advanced).
Note:
- Additional Details: Some IITs allow B.Tech. students to pursue B.Tech. (Honors), B.Tech. with Minor, or Interdisciplinary Dual Degree (B.Tech. in one discipline and M.Tech./M.S. in another), depending on academic performance and institute-specific criteria.
- The programs listed above are offered through JEE (Advanced) only. IITs also offer other programs such as B.Des. (Bachelor of Design), M.Tech., M.Sc. (Master of Science), M.Des. (Master of Design), Ph.D., etc., which have different admission procedures not covered under JEE (Advanced).
Important Links – IT JEE 2026
| Apply Online | Click Here |
| Download Syllabus (JEE Main) | Click Here |
| Download Syllabus (JEE Advanced) | Click Here |
| JEE (Main) 2025 Information Brochure (Notification) | Click Here |
| JEE (Advanced) 2025 Information Brochure (Notification) | Click Here |
| Courses Offered at Various IITs | Click Here |
| Official Website (JEE Main) | Click Here |
| Official Website (JEE Advanced) | Click Here |
Conclusion IIT JEE
IIT JEE 2026 serves as the gateway to India’s premier engineering institutes — the IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. With the inclusion of multiple languages and alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP), IIT JEE 2026 aims to make technical education more inclusive and accessible. Aspirants are advised to stay updated with the official notifications by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the Joint Admission Board (JAB), prepare strategically as per the syllabus, and practice regularly to secure a seat in their dream institute.
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