IIT Roorkee changes rules for JEE Advanced 2026; only these candidates will now be eligible to appear for the exam.

IIT Roorkee has released new rules for JEE Advanced 2026, including stricter age limits, attempts, 12th-grade qualifications, and IIT admission requirements.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Roorkee) has released new eligibility rules for JEE Advanced 2026. The institute provided this information through an official notice. The new rules are issued in five points and are mandatory for every candidate to meet.

According to the notice, to appear for JEE Advanced 2026, a candidate must first secure a place among the top 250,000 successful candidates in JEE Main 2026 (B.E./B.Tech paper). The percentage of seats for reserved categories will remain the same as before, and PwD candidates will receive 5% reservation in each category.

Age limit rules have also been released. General category candidates must be born on or after October 1, 2001, while SC, ST, and PwD candidates will be given a 5-year relaxation. For reserved categories, the date of birth must be on or after October 1, 1996.

Rules regarding exam attempts have also been clarified. Candidates will be able to take JEE Advanced only twice, and that too in two consecutive years. This means that the opportunity is limited and preparation must be completed within the stipulated time.

Changes in this rule also

A major change has been made to the rules related to the 12th exam. Only candidates who first took the 12th board exam in 2025 or 2026 will be eligible for JEE Advanced 2026. Candidates who completed their 12th grade in 2024 or before will not be eligible for this exam. However, if a board releases the 2023–24 results on or after June 18, 2024, candidates who appeared for the exam in 2024 will be considered eligible. If the board withholds the results, the candidate will not be considered eligible.

Clear rules have also been issued for candidates already admitted to IITs. If a candidate was previously allotted a seat at an IIT, took admission, reported, or later had their seat cancelled, such candidates will not be eligible for JEE Advanced 2026. However, candidates enrolled in preparatory courses in 2025 and those who received an IIT seat in JoSAA 2025 but did not report will be able to appear for the exam.

Dates also released

NTA has also released the exam dates for JEE Main 2026. Session 1 of the Mains will be held between January 21 and 30, 2026, while Session 2 will be held between April 1 and 10, 2026. IIT Roorkee will conduct the JEE Advanced 2026 computer-based exam on May 17, 2026.