JEE Main Requirements & Prerequisites
Everything you need to know before registering for the JEE Main, eligibility, cost, format, and what to expect on exam day.
Cost
~$10 (INR 650-750)
Provider
NTA (National Testing Agency)
Validity
Annual exam
Available
India
Education
Check official exam requirements
Experience
3-5+ years of professional experience typically required
Specific Requirements
- No age limit. The National Testing Agency states plainly that there is no age restriction for appearing in JEE (Main).
- You must have passed Class 12 or an equivalent qualifying examination in 2024 or 2025, or be appearing in 2026, to sit JEE (Main) 2026.
- Accepted qualifying examinations include CBSE and state board 10+2, two-year pre-university examinations, the NIOS senior secondary examination with at least five subjects, the National Defence Academy Joint Services Wing final examination, GCE A level, the Cambridge High School Certificate, the International Baccalaureate Diploma, an AICTE-recognised diploma of at least three years, and the Board of Open Schooling and Skill Education, Sikkim.
- Candidates who completed Class 12 outside India or from an unlisted board need an equivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities.
- For admission to the NIT and IIIT system you additionally need at least 75 percent aggregate in Class 12 with a minimum of five subjects, relaxed to 65 percent for SC and ST candidates, or a place in the top 20 percentile of successful candidates in your board.
- For JEE (Advanced) eligibility you must place in the top 2,50,000 successful candidates across all categories in Paper 1.
- A valid, non-expired original photo identity document is required at the centre, and the name on it should match your application.
- Aadhaar details should be updated with your current photograph, name, date of birth, gender, and address before the examination, because they are used for verification at the centre.
- No coaching enrolment, project, or work experience is required at any stage.
Number of Questions
75 questions in Paper 1: 25 per subject, made up of 20 Section A multiple-choice questions and 5 Section B numerical-value questions. All 75 are compulsory.
Duration
3 hours, or 180 minutes, for Paper 1. PwD and PwBD candidates eligible for a scribe receive 4 hours. Paper 2A and Paper 2B are also 3 hours; taking both together allows 3 hours 30 minutes.
Question Format
Section A: objective multiple-choice questions with one correct or most appropriate answer, Section B: questions answered by entering a numerical value, rounded to the nearest integer, using the mouse on an on-screen virtual numeric keypad, Paper 2A adds a 50-question Aptitude Test and a 2-question Drawing Test taken offline on A4 drawing sheet, Paper 2B adds a 50-question Aptitude Test and 25 planning-based multiple-choice questions
Passing Requirement
No pass mark. The JEE (Advanced) 2026 threshold admitted the top 2,50,000 Paper 1 candidates across all categories, distributed as 101,250 OPEN, 25,000 GEN-EWS, 67,500 OBC-NCL, 37,500 SC, and 18,750 ST, with 5 percent horizontal reservation for PwD candidates inside each of those five groups.
How It Is Delivered
Computer Based Test at allotted examination centres in India and abroad. Entry, frisking, biometric registration, and document verification run 7 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. for the first shift and 1 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. for the second. The physical keyboard is disabled throughout the test.
Languages Offered
English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu
Visit the official NTA (National Testing Agency) certification page
Create an account and select your exam
Choose a test center or online proctoring option
Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
Score Scale
Raw score out of 300 for Paper 1, converted to NTA percentile scores from 0 to 100, calculated to seven decimal places
Score You Need
No pass mark. The JEE (Advanced) 2026 threshold admitted the top 2,50,000 Paper 1 candidates across all categories, distributed as 101,250 OPEN, 25,000 GEN-EWS, 67,500 OBC-NCL, 37,500 SC, and 18,750 ST, with 5 percent horizontal reservation for PwD candidates inside each of those five groups.
How It Is Calculated
Each correct answer adds four marks and each incorrect answer subtracts one, in both Section A and Section B. Because shifts receive different papers, the National Testing Agency normalises by percentile rather than by marks: your percentile is the count of candidates in your shift scoring at or below you, divided by the shift total, times 100, computed to seven decimal places. The highest raw score in each shift becomes 100. Percentiles across all shifts of both sessions are merged, and the better of a candidate's two total NTA scores is used.
When You Get Results
Results follow the schedule in the Information Bulletin for each session; for JEE (Main) 2026 the Session 2 result was to be declared by 20 April 2026. The sequence is provisional answer key with a paid challenge window, then the final answer key on which the result is compiled, then NTA scores and All India rank. Records are preserved for 90 days after the result is declared.
In raw terms: The National Testing Agency publishes no fixed marks-to-percentile conversion, and cannot, because the conversion is recomputed for every shift from that shift's own distribution. Where category cut-offs differ across shifts, the bulletin states the lowest percentile among them becomes the cut-off for all candidates in that category.
- Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo)
- Appointment confirmation email
- For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet
What are the prerequisites for the JEE Main?
No age limit. The National Testing Agency states plainly that there is no age restriction for appearing in JEE (Main).. You must have passed Class 12 or an equivalent qualifying examination in 2024 or 2025, or be appearing in 2026, to sit JEE (Main) 2026.. Accepted qualifying examinations include CBSE and state board 10+2, two-year pre-university examinations, the NIOS senior secondary examination with at least five subjects, the National Defence Academy Joint Services Wing final examination, GCE A level, the Cambridge High School Certificate, the International Baccalaureate Diploma, an AICTE-recognised diploma of at least three years, and the Board of Open Schooling and Skill Education, Sikkim.. Candidates who completed Class 12 outside India or from an unlisted board need an equivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities.. For admission to the NIT and IIIT system you additionally need at least 75 percent aggregate in Class 12 with a minimum of five subjects, relaxed to 65 percent for SC and ST candidates, or a place in the top 20 percentile of successful candidates in your board.. For JEE (Advanced) eligibility you must place in the top 2,50,000 successful candidates across all categories in Paper 1.. A valid, non-expired original photo identity document is required at the centre, and the name on it should match your application.. Aadhaar details should be updated with your current photograph, name, date of birth, gender, and address before the examination, because they are used for verification at the centre.. No coaching enrolment, project, or work experience is required at any stage..
How much does the JEE Main cost?
The JEE Main exam costs ~$10 (INR 650-750). This includes the exam fee only, study materials are additional.
How do I register for the JEE Main?
Visit the official NTA (National Testing Agency) certification page → Create an account and select your exam → Choose a test center or online proctoring option → Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
What should I bring to the JEE Main?
Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo). Appointment confirmation email. For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet.
Ready to prepare for JEE Main?
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