JEE Main 2027 Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit, Qualification, Attempts

JEE Main 2027 eligibility criteria are set by the National Testing Agency (NTA). You need to meet these conditions before you apply. The exam has no age limit. You do not need a minimum percentage in Class 12 to apply, but the subjects you studied in Class 12 matter. You also need to have passed Class 12 in the right year.

JEE Main 2027 Eligibility – Quick Overview

Age Limit for JEE Main 2027

There is no age limit for JEE Main 2027. NTA removed the upper age limit starting from JEE Main 2021. You can apply at any age as long as you meet the other conditions.

If you qualify for JEE Advanced 2027 and want admission to an IIT, a separate age rule applies. You must be below 25 years as of 1 October 2027. For SC, ST, and PwD candidates, the limit is 30 years. This rule is for JEE Advanced and IIT admission, not for JEE Main itself.

Qualifying Examination

You must have passed Class 12 (10+2) or an equivalent examination from a recognised board or university. The following are accepted as equivalent qualifications:

• Two-year Pre-University Certificate or course
• Higher Secondary Certificate Examination
• Intermediate or any two-year examination recognised by a Central or State Board
• Final year of a two-year course of the Joint Services Wing of the National Defence Academy
• Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)
• H.S.C. Vocational Examination
• A-level examination or International Baccalaureate Diploma with Physics and Mathematics

You must have studied at least five subjects in your qualifying examination. A four-subject Class 12 certificate is not accepted.

Year of Passing Class 12

NTA follows a three-year window for JEE Main eligibility. For JEE Main 2027, you are eligible if you:

• Are appearing in Class 12 for the first time in 2027
• Passed Class 12 in 2026 (one year before the exam year)
• Passed Class 12 in 2025 (two years before the exam year)

Candidates who passed Class 12 in 2024 or earlier are not eligible for JEE Main 2027. There are no exceptions to this rule regardless of how many times you have appeared before.

Class 12 Subject Requirements

The subjects you must have studied in Class 12 depend on which programme you want to apply for.

For B.Tech and B.E.

You need Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects. You also need at least one of the following as your third subject:

• Chemistry
• Biology
• Biotechnology
• Technical Vocational Subject

For B.Arch

You need Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. For admission to NITs, IITs, and other centrally funded institutions, you must also have 50% or more aggregate marks in Class 12. This 50% condition is for the B.Arch admission requirement, not for applying to JEE Main.

For B.Planning

You need Mathematics as a compulsory subject. The other subjects in your Class 12 do not affect your eligibility for B.Planning.

Minimum Marks in Class 12

There is no minimum percentage in Class 12 to apply for JEE Main 2027. NTA does not set a marks cut-off at the application stage.

However, to get admission to IITs, NITs, IIITs, and other centrally funded technical institutions through JoSAA counselling after JEE Main, you must meet one of these two conditions:

• Score 75% or more aggregate in Class 12, or
• Be in the top 20 percentile of all students in your state board

For SC, ST, and PwD candidates, the minimum aggregate is 65% instead of 75%. This percentage condition applies to the five subjects you took in Class 12. If you do not meet this condition, your JEE Main score will not be used for JoSAA admission even if your rank is high.

Number of Attempts

JEE Main 2027 will be conducted in two sessions: Session 1 in January 2027 and Session 2 in April 2027. You can appear in one or both sessions. Each session counts as one attempt for that year.

NTA does not set a total cap on how many times you can appear in JEE Main across all years. But your eligibility depends on the year you passed Class 12, and that limits the window. If you passed Class 12 in 2025, you are eligible for JEE Main 2025, 2026, and 2027. Once 2027 is over, you will not be eligible again for any future JEE Main unless NTA changes the policy.

Within your eligibility window, you can appear in all sessions that fall in the three years. Your best NTA score across all sessions in a given year is used for ranking. Scores from different years are not combined.

Gap Year Policy

Taking a gap year after Class 12 does not make you ineligible for JEE Main 2027. As long as you passed Class 12 in 2025 or 2026, you are eligible even if you did not apply immediately after passing.

You do not need to submit a gap year certificate or give a reason for the break at the JEE Main application stage. NTA does not ask for this. Some colleges and institutions may ask about the gap separately during their own admission process, but that is not a JEE Main requirement.

Diploma Candidates

Diploma holders are not eligible for JEE Main through the standard route. JEE Main is for candidates who completed Class 12 (10+2) or an equivalent examination, not a diploma awarded after Class 10.

If you completed a three-year diploma after Class 10 from a State Board of Technical Education, you are not eligible to appear in JEE Main for B.Tech first-year admission. You may, however, be eligible for lateral entry to B.Tech second year at some institutions. That is a separate admission process and does not go through JEE Main.

If you completed a diploma after Class 12, you can still use your Class 12 certificate as the qualifying examination for JEE Main, provided it meets all the other conditions (year of passing, subjects, and the five-subject requirement).

Nationality

You must be an Indian citizen, Non-Resident Indian (NRI), Overseas Citizen of India (OCI), or Person of Indian Origin (PIO) to apply under the general category. Foreign nationals may apply under a separate foreign national quota available at specific institutions. NTA will confirm the accepted nationalities in the official JEE Main 2027 information bulletin when it is released.

How to Check If You Are Eligible

Go through each condition before you fill the application form:

• Did you pass Class 12 in 2025 or 2026, or are you appearing in 2027? If yes, you meet the year condition.
• Did you study Physics and Mathematics in Class 12? If yes for B.Tech, check you also have Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, or a technical subject.
• Did you study five subjects in Class 12? Check your marksheet.
• Check your Class 12 aggregate if you plan to apply to NITs, IITs, or IIITs after JEE Main. You will need 75% (or 65% for SC/ST/PwD).

NTA releases the official JEE Main 2027 information bulletin before the application window opens. Always read the bulletin for the exact eligibility conditions, as NTA may update them from the previous year.