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Exam guides

JEE Advanced Complete Guide 2027

The only route into the IITs — two papers on one day, and a paper structure that deliberately changes every year.

JEE Advanced — quick facts
Conducted by
One of the seven zonal IITs
Papers
Two, compulsory, same day
Duration
3 hours each — 6 hours total
Attempts
Two, in consecutive years
Prerequisite
Top ~2.5 lakh in JEE Main
Pattern
Changes annually by design
There is no fixed pattern. Read the instructions every single year.

JEE Advanced intentionally changes its paper structure. The number of questions per section, the question types and the marking scheme all vary between the two papers and between years. Students who walk in assuming last year's rules lose marks before they have solved anything. The figures below are indicative, based on 2025.

Papers2Paper 1 + Paper 2
Per paper3 hrs6 hours on the day
Total marks~360Varies by year
Single MCQ+3/−1Section 1
Multi MCQ+4Partial and negative
Integer+4/0No negative marking
Eligibility

Five criteria, all of which must hold

01

JEE Main rank

Among the top candidates in JEE Main Paper 1 — approximately 2.5 lakh across all categories, allocated by the published category split.

02

Age limit

Born on or after 1 October of the qualifying year defined by the organising IIT, with the standard five-year relaxation for SC, ST and PwD candidates.

03

Attempts

A maximum of two attempts, and they must be in consecutive years. Unlike JEE Main, a gap year does not preserve the attempt.

04

Class 12 year

Must have appeared in Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics in the current year or the one before.

05

No prior IIT admission

Candidates who have previously accepted an IIT seat are not eligible, regardless of whether they continued the course.

75% for IIT admission — again, not for appearing

To take up an IIT seat after qualifying, a candidate needs 75% aggregate in Class 12 (65% for SC/ST/PwD) in PCM subjects from the same board, or a place in the top 20 percentile of that board. It is not a requirement for writing the paper.

Common questions

JEE Advanced, answered

How many times can I attempt JEE Advanced?
Twice, and the attempts must be in consecutive years. Unlike JEE Main, taking a gap year does not preserve the attempt — this catches people out every cycle.
Does the pattern really change every year?
Yes, deliberately. The number of questions per section, the question types and the marking scheme all vary between the two papers and between years. Read the instructions in the hall as though you have never seen the paper before, because in a meaningful sense you have not.
Do I need 75% in Class 12 to write JEE Advanced?
No. The 75% aggregate, or a top-20-percentile board rank, is required to take up an IIT seat after qualifying. It is an admission requirement, not a requirement for writing the paper.

13 JEE Advanced selections in 2026

Top rank AIR 168. Every result we publish is a named student with a rank you can check.

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