JEE Main 2027 Eligibility Criteria
NTA released the JEE Main 2027 eligibility criteria along with the application window for students aspiring to appear for the 2027 cycle, as per the latest notification dated October 24, 2026.
JEE aspirants must ensure that they meet the eligibility standards before they set out to fill the JEE Main 2027 application form. The last date to register is November 22, 2026, and with late fee of Rs.500, can register from November 23 to 26, 2026 for Session 1.
The Session 2 registrations will begin on January 5, 2027, and will conclude on February 3, 2027. Applicants who miss the deadline can also register from February 4 to 7, with a late fee.
Students who passed Class 12 or an equivalent exam in 2025, 2026, or 2027 are now eligible to take JEE Main 2027. Students must know that the eligibility for taking the JEE Main is different from the admission requirements set by NITs, IIITs, and other private universities for B.Tech.
The article below allows applicants to review everything related to the JEE Main 2027 eligibility criteria, reservation policies, age limitations, and other admission criteria set by the IITs, NITs, GFTIs, and other semi-private/private colleges.
Look below! Do you qualify for the JEE Main 2027 Exam?
The JEE Main 2027 eligibility criteria have been updated by NTA on the official website – jeemain.nta.nic.in. The official brochure was released on October 24, 2026. The following are the key parameters for the JEE Main 2027 eligibility criteria that all candidates must satisfy to appear for the exam.
Before filling out the JEE Main 2027 Application Form, candidates must meet the requirements.
Basic JEE Main 2027 Eligibility Requirements: Nationality
Your nationality should be Indian, meaning you must be a citizen/resident of India. Applications for JEE Main 2027 are also open to individuals of foreign origin, including NRIs, PIOs, OCIs, and foreign national candidates, but the application fee may vary.
How to complete eKYC via Meri Pehchaan/DigiLocker?
Meri Pehchaan is an integrated National Single Sign-on (NSSO) platform launched on 4th of July 2026 to give JEE Main applicants a unified user experience for identity authentication while registering for the exam.
Once authenticated via “Meri Pehchaan” Platform, they can securely access various integrated identity provider applications such as Jan Parichay, DigiLocker, and e-Pramman, without having to sign in (using a password) again and again.
Users have the option to sign up on the platform by providing essential information, including their name, date of birth, and phone number, and can finalize verification via eKYC using Aadhaar, PAN, Driving License, or APAAR ID.
The platform offers enhanced functionalities like multi-factor authentication, password-free login, and the capability to handle several accounts associated with one mobile number.
Is an Aadhaar Card mandatory to apply for the JEE Main 2027?
It is not mandatory to have an Aadhaar card in order to take the test. To be eligible for JEE Main, you can also utilize your valid passport number, Voter ID Card, APAAR ID, Driving License, ration card number, or any other kind of official identity.
Things to Keep in Mind
- Name & Date of Birth Match: Your selected ID’s name, date of birth, and photo must precisely correspond to the information on your Class 10 certificate or marksheet.
- Single Sign-On/eKYC: The Meri Pehchaan single sign-on portal is used for initial authentication during registration. You can use your Aadhaar, PAN card, driver’s license, or APAAR ID to validate your profile.
- Exam Centre Verification: On exam day, be sure to bring a physical photo ID that is original, current, and has not expired (photocopies or digital photos from your phone are typically not allowed).
JEE Main 2027 Eligibility Criteria: Qualifying Examination (QE)
If you pass any of the tests listed below in 2025, 2026, or the forthcoming year 2027, you will be qualified for JEE Main 2027.
- Final 10+2 exam administered by any accredited State or Central board, including ICSE and CBSE.
- Pre-university or intermediate exam administered by an accredited university or board.
- Final exam for the National Defence Academy’s (NDA) two-year Joint Services Wing program.
- The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) administers the S.S.E. test, which covers at least five courses.
- Any educational institution, board, or university examination in India or abroad that is acknowledged as comparable to the 10+2 final examination by the Association of Indian Universities.
- Board of Open Schooling and Skill Education (BOSSE), Sikkim.
Entrance Exams for Admission to IITs
- Diploma recognized by the State Board of Technical Education or the All India Council for Technical Education (lasting at least 3 years).
- S.C Vocational examination.
- General Certificate of Education (GCE) examination held in Sri Lanka, London, or Cambridge, at Advanced (A) level.
- Cambridge University High School Certificate Examination or International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma from the International Baccalaureate Office.
- If your qualifying exam is not a public one, you must have passed at least one public exam at a previous level, such as at board or pre-university level.
JEE Main 2027 Eligibility Requirements: Scores in the Qualifying exam
There are no minimum qualifying score requirements to enroll for JEE Main 2027. Each institution has its specific criteria for admitting students.
For entry into IIITs, NITs, and CFTIs taking part in JEE Main 2027 via the Central Seat Allocation Board, the All India Rank in JEE Main will be taken into account; however, you must have achieved a minimum of 75% marks in the 12th class exam or an equivalent exam, or be among the top 20 percentile of the 12th class exam administered by the respective Boards or equivalent examination.
If you belong to the SC/ST category, you must obtain a minimum of 65% marks in the 12th-grade examination.
| JEE Main 2026 Minimum Qualifying Marks In 12th/Equivalent Exam | |
| Candidate Category | JEE Main Qualifying Marks |
| General | General category candidates should have secured at least 75% marks in the 12th class examination
Or be in the top 20th percentile in the 12th class examination conducted by the respective boards. |
| SC/ST | For SC/ST candidates, the qualifying marks would be 65% in the 12th class examination. |
JEE Main 2027 Eligibility Criteria: Subjects in 12th Examination
To be eligible for B.E./B.Tech admission, you must have passed your Class 12 or an equivalent qualifying exam with Physics and Mathematics as mandatory subjects, in addition to one of the following: Chemistry, Biotechnology, Biology, or Technical vocational subjects.
To gain entry to the B. Arch program, it is essential to pass the qualifying exam that includes Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.
To be eligible for B. Planning, you must have completed the qualifying exam in Mathematics.
JEE Main 2027 Eligibility Criteria: Age Limitation
The JEE Main 2027 eligibility criteria have no age limits for students applying for the exam in 2027. If you completed your class 12th examination in 2025 or 2026, or are taking the class 12th examination in 2027, regardless of your age, you qualify to fill out the JEE Main 2027 application form.
Nonetheless, you must fulfil the age limit eligibility requirements of the institutions you wish to enroll in.
JEE Main 2027 Eligibility Criteria: Year of Qualification
You are eligible to take the JEE Main 2027 exam if you have completed your class 12th exams or other qualifying exams in 2025 or 2026, or if you will be sitting for them in 2027.
In other words, if you completed your class 12th exam (or another qualifying test) in 2024 or earlier, you are not qualified for fill out the JEE Main 2027 application form.
JEE Main Eligibility Requirements for 2027: Attempts
You are allowed to register for three total attempts. JEE Main 2027 Registration for January and April sessions will be considered a single attempt. This means that students who cleared their 12th class in 2026 or are appearing for 2027 can apply for JEE Main exams for 3 consecutive years, for a total of 6 attempts (2 attempts each year).
You will qualify to fill out the JEE Main 2027 application form and beyond.
JEE Main 2027 Eligibility Criteria: State of Eligibility
Applicants are required to complete the details concerning the “State Code of Eligibility” when applying for the JEE 2027 exam. This pertains to the code of the State where the candidate completed the Class XII (or Equivalent) qualifying exam.
Notes:
- It is crucial to understand that the State code of eligibility is NOT influenced by the candidate’s native location or current residence.
For instance, if a candidate takes the Class XII (or Equivalent) qualifying Examination from a school located in New Delhi and lives in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, then the candidate’s State code of eligibility will be Delhi and NOT Uttar Pradesh.
- If a candidate has completed the Class XII (or Equivalent) qualifying Examination in one State but took improvement exams in another State, the candidate’s State code of eligibility will be derived from the State where the candidate first passed the Class XII (or Equivalent) Examination and NOT from the State where improvement was attempted.
- Candidates who have cleared or are currently taking Class XII from the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and Board of Open Schooling (BOSSE) need to choose the State of Eligibility based on the State where the study Centre is situated.
- For Indian citizens completing the Class XII (or Equivalent) Examination from Nepal/Bhutan, eligibility will be assessed based on the permanent address in India provided in the candidate’s passport.
- The eligibility State code for Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) who pass the Class XII (or Equivalent) Examination in India is equivalent to that of Indian citizens. OCI students who have completed the Class XII (or Equivalent) Examination from a foreign institution qualify for All India quota seats (but NOT for Home State quota seats) in all NITs, IIITs, and Other-CFTIs.
JEE Main Eligibility 2027: Reservation Quotas
Indian citizens from specific categories are allowed entry via designated seats as per the regulations set by the Government of India. This reservation pertains to the admissions provided via JEE Main 2027. The JEE Main 2027 eligibility criteria for reservations are listed below:
|
JEE Main 2027 Reservation Criteria |
|
| Category | Reserved Seats |
| General category belonging to Economically Weaker Section (GEN-EWS) | 10% of seats in every course |
| Other Backward Classes belonging to the Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL) | 27% of seats in every course |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15% of seats in every course |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 7.5% of seats in every course |
| Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD) | 5% of seats in each of the GENERAL, GEN-EWS, OBC- NCL, SC, and ST categories |
JEE Main 2027 Eligibility Requirements for :
Admission to IIITs, NITs, and CFTIs via JEE Main 2027 for institutes involved with the Central Seat Allocation Board.
If you intend to apply for admission to IIITs, NITs, and CFTIs participating in JEE Main 2027 via the Central Seat Allocation Board, the admissions will rely on the All India Rank (AIR). You must have achieved a minimum of 75% marks in your 12th grade exam or fall within the top 20 percentile in the 12th grade exam (for the respective Boards).
If you belong to the SC/ST category, you must attain a minimum of 65% in the 12th grade and meet the subject combination eligibility requirements to gain admission into B.E./B.Tech. & B. Arch./B. Planning programs.
- E/B.Tech admissions to IIITs, NITs, and CFTIs – JEE Main 2027 Eligibility requirements: You must have completed your 10+2 examination with Physics and Mathematics as mandatory subjects along with one of the following subjects: Chemistry, Biotechnology, Biology, or Technical Vocational subjects.
- Arch/B. Planning admissions to IIITs, NITs, and CFTIs – JEE Main 2027 Eligibility requirements: You must have completed your 10+2 examination with Mathematics included as a subject.
JEE Main 2027 Eligibility Requirements: Entrance to Additional Institutions
NTA has recommended that technical institutes involved in JEE Main 2027 counselling via JoSAA/CSAB follow the eligibility standards of IIITs, NITs, and CFTIs. If any state opts to grant admission to engineering colleges associated with state universities, it must create a distinct rank list according to the criteria established by the state university.
JEE Main 2027 Eligibility Criteria (State Codes)
| Name of State or Union Territory | Code |
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands (UT) | AN |
| Andhra Pradesh | AP |
| Arunachal Pradesh | AL |
| Assam | AM |
| Bihar | BR |
| Chandigarh (UT) | CH |
| Chhattisgarh | CG |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli (UT) | DN |
| Daman & Diu (UT) | DD |
| Delhi/New Delhi | DL |
| Goa | GO |
| Gujarat | GJ |
| Haryana | HR |
| Himachal Pradesh | HP |
| Jammu & Kashmir | JK |
| Jharkhand | JH |
| Karnataka | KK |
| Kerala | KL |
| Lakshadweep (UT) | LD |
| Madhya Pradesh | MP |
| Maharashtra | MR |
| Manipur | MN |
| Meghalaya | MG |
| Mizoram | MZ |
| Nagaland | NL |
| Odisha | OR |
| Puducherry (UT) | PO |
| Punjab | PB |
| Rajasthan | RJ |
| Sikkim | SM |
| Tamil Nadu | TN |
| Telangana | TL |
| Tripura | TA |
| Uttar Pradesh | UP |
| Uttarakhand | UK |
| West Bengal | WB |
| Foreign/ OCI/ PIO/ Nepal / Bhutan | ZZ |
JEE Main 2027 Eligibility Requirements for Droppers and Repeaters
- Droppers in JEE Main: If you have taken a year off after your 10+2 exam or any other qualifying exam to concentrate on JEE Main 2027, you will be classified as a Dropper.
- Repeaters in JEE Main: If you took JEE Main in any prior year after finishing your 10+2 or another qualifying exam but failed to clear JEE Main and plan to take it again in 2027, you will be considered a repeater.
The JEE Main 2027 eligibility criteria for droppers and repeaters are as follows:
- There is no age restriction to take the JEE Main exam.
- You expected to have taken your 10+2 examination or another qualifying test in 2025 or 2026.
- To qualify for admission to IIITs, NITs, and CFTIs, you must have achieved a minimum of 75% in your 12th grade exam or be in the top 20 percentile of your respective board exams.
- If you are part of the SC/ST category, you must have achieved 65% in your 12th grade exam.
- You ought to have chosen a minimum of 5 subjects in the 12th standard qualifying exam.
- Nonetheless, you must meet the subject requirements for the institutions where you intend to enroll.
FAQs for JEE main Eligibility Criteria
Q1. Has the JEE 2027 eligibility criteria changed?
The eligibility and passing-year criteria for JEE Main 2027 stay aligned with the rolling-window approach, although the National Testing Agency (NTA) has implemented a four-tier system for checking question papers to enhance paper quality and minimize mistakes.
Q2. Is there a maximum age requirement for JEE Main 2027?
No, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has established no maximum age restriction for individuals taking JEE Main 2027.
Q3. What are the eligible passing years for Class 12?
You qualify if you completed Class 12 (or equivalent) in 2025 or 2026, or are taking the exam in 2027.
Q4. What is the minimum percentage needed in Class 12 to be eligible for JEE Main?
There is no minimum required percentage in 12th class to qualify for JEE Main 2027.
Q5. Will there be any new regulations for JEE Main 2027?
Yes, NTA now mandates a live webcam image taken immediately during the online registration process.
