The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) is one of the most competitive engineering entrance exams in India for students aspiring to secure admission into prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). The exam is conducted in two stages—JEE Main followed by JEE Advanced.
To appear for JEE Advanced 2026, candidates must first clear the JEE Main cutoff and satisfy all eligibility conditions. In this article, AcadXL explains how many students qualify for JEE Advanced 2026, category-wise selection details, cutoff percentiles, eligibility rules, and past-year trends.
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Number of Students Qualifying for JEE Advanced 2026
Every year, lakhs of students appear for JEE Main, but only a limited number move ahead to JEE Advanced. As per the official eligibility criteria:
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👉 Top 2.5 lakh candidates from JEE Main 2026 will be allowed to appear for JEE Advanced 2026.
The exact number will be officially announced after JEE Main 2026 results. The responsibility of conducting JEE Advanced 2026 lies with IIT Roorkee.
Category-Wise JEE Advanced Qualifiers from JEE Main 2026 (Expected)
Based on previous years’ trends, the category-wise distribution of students qualifying for JEE Advanced is expected to be:
|
Category |
Expected Number of Qualifiers |
|---|---|
|
OPEN (GEN) |
~96,000 |
|
GEN-EWS |
~25,000 |
|
OBC-NCL |
~67,000 |
|
SC |
~37,500 |
|
ST |
~18,800 |
|
PwD |
~3,950 |
|
Total |
~2,50,000 |
📌 These numbers may slightly vary depending on the final JEE Main cutoff percentiles.
How Many Candidates Qualify for JEE Advanced?
The number of students shortlisted for JEE Advanced depends on multiple factors:
- JEE Main cutoff percentile
- Category-wise reservation
- Total number of candidates appearing in JEE Main
- Overall difficulty level of the paper
Historically, the General category cutoff usually remains above 93 percentile, while cutoffs for reserved categories are lower.
Expected JEE Main Cutoff Percentiles for JEE Advanced 2026
|
Category |
Expected Cutoff Percentile |
|---|---|
|
General (OPEN) |
93.10 |
|
GEN-EWS |
80.38 |
|
OBC-NCL |
79.43 |
|
SC |
61.15 |
|
ST |
47.90 |
|
PwD |
0.00 |
Based on these percentiles, the expected number of qualifying candidates is:
|
Category |
Expected Qualifiers |
|---|---|
|
OPEN (GEN) |
96,187 |
|
GEN-EWS |
23,750 |
|
OBC-NCL |
64,125 |
|
SC |
35,625 |
|
ST |
17,812 |
|
PwD |
12,501 |
|
Total |
2,50,000 |
JEE Advanced 2026 Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must fulfill all eligibility conditions before applying for JEE Advanced 2026:
🔹 JEE Main Performance
Only the top 2.5 lakh candidates in JEE Main 2026 are eligible.
🔹 Age Limit
-
General Category: Born on or after 1 October 2001
-
SC / ST / PwD: Born on or after 1 October 1996 (5-year relaxation)
🔹 Number of Attempts
A candidate can attempt JEE Advanced only twice, in consecutive years.
🔹 Class 12 Eligibility
-
Candidates appearing for Class 12 in 2025 or 2026 are eligible
-
Those who passed Class 12 earlier are not eligible
🔹 Previous IIT Admission
Candidates previously admitted to any IIT (without preparatory course allotment) are not eligible.
🔹 Board Examination Clause
Candidates whose 2023–24 board results were declared on or after 18 June 2024 are eligible.
JEE Advanced 2025: Previous Year Analysis
In JEE Advanced 2025, around 2,50,243 candidates qualified from JEE Main. The category-wise details were:
|
Category |
Qualified Candidates |
|---|---|
|
OPEN (GEN) |
54,378 |
|
GEN-EWS |
25,009 |
|
OBC-NCL |
54,378 |
|
SC |
37,519 |
|
ST |
18,823 |
|
PwD |
3,950 |
📊 In comparison:
-
2024: ~48,248 qualified
-
2023: ~43,769 qualified
This shows a gradual increase in competition each year.
Final Takeaway – AcadXL Insight
✔ Only ~2.5 lakh students get a chance to appear for JEE Advanced
✔ Clearing JEE Main cutoff is mandatory but not sufficient—eligibility rules matter
✔ Strong fundamentals + smart exam strategy = higher chances of qualification
📌 JEE Advanced is not just about marks—it’s about ranking in the top percentile
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