JEE Main eligibility, attempts and the 75% rule

Every year some candidates secure a JEE Main rank good enough for an NIT and then cannot take the seat. Their problem is not the rank. It is Class 12: they did not meet the board-marks condition that applies at admission. Others miscount their attempts and plan a drop year they are not eligible for.

Eligibility has two layers, and it helps to keep them apart:

1. Eligibility to write JEE Main — set by NTA.
2. Eligibility to be admitted to NITs, IIITs and other centrally funded institutions — set through JoSAA and the institutes.

A candidate can clear the first and fail the second.

Who can write JEE Main

Under recent NTA bulletins:

• You must have passed Class 12 or an equivalent exam, or be appearing in it in the exam year.
• For Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech), your Class 12 subjects should include Physics and Mathematics, along with one of Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology or a technical vocational subject.
• There is no age limit for JEE Main itself. Individual institutes may have their own conditions, so read their rules too.
• There is no minimum Class 12 percentage to write the exam.

How many attempts you get

You can write JEE Main in the year you pass (or appear in) Class 12 and in the two following years — three consecutive years. Each year usually has two sessions, January and April, and both sessions in one year count as that year's attempt.

So a candidate who passed Class 12 in 2024 is no longer eligible for JEE Main 2027, while one who passed in 2025 is in their third and final year.

The 75% rule for NITs, IIITs and CFTIs

For admission to NITs, IIITs and other centrally funded technical institutions through JoSAA, recent rules require one of these:

• at least 75% aggregate in Class 12 (65% for SC and ST candidates; check the current rules for PwD candidates), or
• a place in the top 20 percentile of your board's successful candidates in that year, in your category.

Your JEE rank does not override this. A 99.5 percentile with 72% in boards (for a General candidate outside the top 20 percentile) will not get you an NIT seat through JoSAA.

How the aggregate is worked out

The aggregate is generally taken over five subjects in Class 12 — usually Physics, Mathematics, one of Chemistry/Biology/Biotechnology/technical vocational subject, a language, and one more subject. Which five count, and what happens when you have more, is set out in the JoSAA rules for your year.

A worked example shows why the "other" subjects matter. Suppose a candidate scores:

Aggregate = 375 ÷ 500 × 100 = 75.0% — exactly on the line. Losing a single mark in English or the fifth subject would take the candidate below 75% (374 ÷ 500 = 74.8%), despite strong PCM scores.

The top 20 percentile route

If your aggregate is below 75%, you may still qualify if you are in the top 20 percentile of your board. Boards (or JoSAA) publish the cut-off marks for the top 20 percentile category-wise each year. In a strict board, that cut-off can sit below 75%; in a lenient one, well above it. You cannot know it in advance, so do not rely on it.

JEE Advanced and the IITs

JEE Main Paper 1 is also the qualifying exam for JEE Advanced. In recent years, roughly the top 2,50,000 candidates across all categories (with category-wise shares) have qualified to register.

JEE Advanced has its own rules, set by the organising IIT and printed in its information brochure, including:

• a limit on attempts — in recent years, two attempts in two consecutive years;
• a year-of-passing condition for Class 12;
• a Class 12 performance condition for IIT admission in recent years.

These rules have been revised more than once in the last few years, which is exactly why you must read the current brochure rather than a coaching summary.

Documents to keep ready

Counselling moves quickly, and a missing document can cost you a round. Keep these ready well before results:

• Class 10 certificate (for date of birth) and Class 12 marksheet.
• Category certificate (SC, ST, OBC-NCL or EWS) in the format and validity period JoSAA asks for.
• PwD certificate, if applicable.
• A valid photo ID and the same name spelling across all documents.

OBC-NCL and EWS certificates usually need to be issued within a specified period, so check the validity date instead of reusing an old certificate.

What eligibility means for your plan

• Treat boards as part of JEE. The 75% condition makes board marks non-negotiable. Our guide to balancing boards and JEE Main shows how to fit both in.
• Count your years before a drop. If you are in your final eligible year, the drop year must be planned with that in mind. See the dropper plan.
• If you want an IIT, check JEE Advanced's attempt rule separately. It is tighter than JEE Main's.

Quick self-test

1. A candidate passed Class 12 in 2025. What is the last year they can write JEE Main?
2. A General candidate has 74% in Class 12 and is not in the top 20 percentile of the board. Can they get an NIT seat through JoSAA?
3. An SC candidate has 66% aggregate. Do they meet the Class 12 condition?
4. Does writing both sessions in one year use up two attempts?

Answers

1. 2027 — the year of passing plus two following years.
2. No. They meet neither the 75% nor the top-20-percentile condition.
3. Yes. The threshold for SC and ST candidates is 65%.
4. No. Both sessions in a year count as that year's attempt.

Checklist

• Confirm your Class 12 subjects meet the Paper 1 requirement.
• Write down your three eligible years.
• Set a board target of at least 80% to give yourself a margin over 75%.
• Check the validity dates on your category certificate.
• Read this year's NTA bulletin and JoSAA rules yourself.