JEE Advanced guide
The IIT entrance, from the 2026 information brochure — two compulsory papers on one day, five eligibility criteria that must all hold, and a marking scheme revealed only in the paper itself.
- Conducted by
- The seven Zonal Coordinating IITs
- Papers
- Two, both compulsory, same day
- Duration
- 3 hours each
- Held in 2026
- 17 May 2026
- Attempts
- At most two, in consecutive years
- Prerequisite
- Top 250,000 in JEE Main Paper 1
- Marking scheme
- Given in the paper’s instructions
What is JEE Advanced?
JEE Advanced is the entrance examination for the IITs. The seven Zonal Coordinating IITs conduct it under the Joint Admission Board, and its result is the basis for admission to IIT Bachelors, Integrated Masters and Dual Degree programmes.
IIT Roorkee was the organising institute for 2026.
Last reviewed 14 September 2026 · Source: jeeadv.ac.in (official document)
Who can sit JEE Advanced?
A candidate must meet all five 2026 criteria: a top-250,000 finish in JEE Main Paper 1, birth on or after 1 October 2001, at most two attempts, first Class 12 appearance in 2025 or 2026, and no earlier IIT admission.
SC, ST and PwD candidates get five years’ age relaxation. Foreign nationals do not write JEE Main; they register directly and meet criteria of their own.
One exception to criterion 4, in the brochure’s words: if a Class XII board “declared the results for the academic year 2023-24 on or after June 18, 2024, then the candidates of that Board who appeared for their Class XII (or equivalent) examination in 2024 are also eligible”.
| 1 · JEE Main performance | Among the top 250,000 successful candidates, all categories included, in the B.E./B.Tech. paper of JEE Main 2026 |
|---|---|
| 2 · Age | Born on or after 1 October 2001; SC, ST and PwD candidates on or after 1 October 1996 |
| 3 · Attempts | At most two, in two consecutive years |
| 4 · Class 12 appearance | First appeared for Class 12 (or equivalent) in 2025 or 2026, with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics compulsory — or in 2024, if that board declared its 2023-24 results on or after 18 June 2024 |
| 5 · Earlier IIT admission | Never admitted to an IIT programme, whether or not the candidate continued; a first-time 2025 preparatory-course student may appear |
| Category shares of the 250,000 | 10% GEN-EWS, 27% OBC-NCL, 15% SC, 7.5% ST and 40.5% OPEN, with 5% for PwD within each |
| For IIT admission | At least 75% aggregate in Class 12 (65% for SC, ST and PwD), or the category-wise top 20 percentile of the board — with PCM compulsory |
Last reviewed 14 September 2026 · Source: jeeadv.ac.in (official document)
What is the JEE Advanced paper pattern?
Two compulsory three-hour papers on the same day, each with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics sections. The brochure fixes no question count or marking scheme: those appear in the instructions at the examination.
The brochure says negative marks may apply to some questions. Only candidates who sit both papers are ranked, and a subject’s marks are its Paper 1 and Paper 2 parts added together.
| Paper | Time (IST) | Sections |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 09:00–12:00 | Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics |
| Paper 2 | 14:30–17:30 | Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics |
Languages: English and Hindi; a candidate may switch between them at any time during the examination.
PwD candidates, and candidates with less than 40% disability who have difficulty writing, get one hour of compensatory time per paper.
Last reviewed 14 September 2026 · Source: jeeadv.ac.in (official document)
What is the JEE Advanced syllabus?
The brochure prints it in Annexure-I: separate syllabi for Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, and one for the Architecture Aptitude Test. It publishes no chapter-wise weightage, so this guide gives none.
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Architecture Aptitude Test (for B.Arch.)
Last reviewed 14 September 2026 · Source: jeeadv.ac.in (official document)
What does JEE Advanced lead to?
A JEE Advanced rank makes a candidate eligible for an IIT seat, allocated through JoSAA’s common process; the same process allocates NIT, IIIT and GFTI seats on JEE Main ranks.
- JEE Main Paper 1NTA
The B.E./B.Tech. paper. Its All India Rank is the only rank CSAB and JoSAA use for NIT, IIIT and CFTI seats, and the top 250,000 successful candidates, all categories included, become eligible for JEE Advanced.
Last reviewed 14 September 2026 · Source: jeemain.nta.nic.in (official document)
- JEE AdvancedZonal Coordinating IITs
Conducted by the seven Zonal Coordinating IITs under the Joint Admission Board. Its result is the basis for admission to the IITs’ Bachelors, Integrated Masters and Dual Degree programmes; only candidates who sit both papers are ranked.
Last reviewed 14 September 2026 · Source: jeeadv.ac.in (official document)
- JoSAAJoint Seat Allocation Authority
One online process allocates seats across IITs, NITs, IIITs and other Government Funded Technical Institutes. A JEE Advanced rank makes a candidate eligible for an IIT seat; candidates fill in their preferred courses and institutes.
Last reviewed 14 September 2026 · Source: jeeadv.ac.in (official document)
Last reviewed 14 September 2026 · Source: jeeadv.ac.in (official document)
When is JEE Advanced?
JEE Advanced 2026 was held on 17 May 2026, with results on 1 June and the Architecture Aptitude Test on 4 June. The 2027 date had not been announced when this guide was last reviewed.
Every date listed here has passed. The next cycle’s dates appear once the conducting body announces them.
| Exam | Date | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| JEE Advanced — registrationFor JEE Main 2026 qualified candidates. | 23 April – 2 May 2026 | Held | IITs |
| JEE Advanced | 17 May 2026 | Held | IITs |
| JEE Advanced — results | 1 June 2026 | Held | IITs |
| Architecture Aptitude Test (AAT)Registration 1–2 June 2026; results 7 June 2026. | 4 June 2026 | Held | IITs |
Checked against the official sources on 14 September 2026. Confirm on the conducting body's site before you rely on a date.
Last reviewed 14 September 2026 · Source: jeeadv.ac.in (official document)
Coaching for JEE Advanced at Zigyan
Zigyan prepares students for JEE Advanced in the Class XI, Class XII and dropper programmes. Every result we publish is a named student with their rank.
JEE Advanced, answered
How many times can I attempt JEE Advanced?
At most twice, in two consecutive years. The brochure also requires a first Class 12 appearance in the current or previous year, so a gap year does not preserve the second attempt.
Last reviewed 14 September 2026 · Source: jeeadv.ac.in (official document)
Does the pattern really change every year?
The 2026 brochure fixes only the frame — two compulsory three-hour papers with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics — and leaves the marking scheme to the instructions in the paper. Read them in the hall.
Last reviewed 14 September 2026 · Source: jeeadv.ac.in (official document)
Do I need 75% in Class 12 to write JEE Advanced?
No. The 75% aggregate (65% for SC, ST and PwD), or a category-wise top-20-percentile board result, is required for admission to an IIT after qualifying — not for writing the paper.
Last reviewed 14 September 2026 · Source: jeeadv.ac.in (official document)
What is the Architecture Aptitude Test?
A three-hour English-language test for B.Arch. at IIT (BHU) Varanasi, IIT Kharagpur and IIT Roorkee, open only to JEE Advanced qualifiers. It is pass or fail, with no separate ranking.
Last reviewed 14 September 2026 · Source: jeeadv.ac.in (official document)
Do foreign nationals need JEE Main to sit JEE Advanced?
No. The 2026 brochure says foreign nationals who studied at the 10+2 level do not write JEE Main; they register directly for JEE Advanced. Indian nationals and OCI/PIO (I) candidates must write JEE Main.
Last reviewed 14 September 2026 · Source: jeeadv.ac.in (official document)
Official sources
Every fact in this guide was read from the conducting bodies’ own pages and documents. Confirm on them before you rely on a date or rule — they change from cycle to cycle.
16 JEE Advanced selections in 2026
Top rank AIR 168. Every result we publish is a named student with their rank.