In a significant change for aspiring engineers, the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced has updated its eligibility guidelines, impacting the number of attempts, age limit, and Class 12 criteria. These changes offer candidates more flexibility in pursuing their goal of securing a seat in India’s premier engineering institutions.
Increased Attempts for JEE Advanced
The number of attempts for JEE Advanced has been increased from two to three, giving students three consecutive years to qualify. This change provides more time for candidates to refine their preparation, reducing the pressure to succeed within just two attempts. The updated rule is effective for all new candidates from 2025 onward.
Revised Age Limit Guidelines
For JEE Advanced 2025, candidates must have been born on or after October 1, 2000. For candidates belonging to SC, ST, or PwD categories, a five-year relaxation is applied, allowing those born on or after October 1, 1995, to be eligible. This adjustment ensures a fair opportunity for candidates across various social categories.
Eligibility Through JEE Main and Category-Based Shortlisting
To be eligible for JEE Advanced, candidates must be among the top 2,50,000 qualifiers in the BE/BTech paper (Paper I) of JEE Main 2025. Candidates will be shortlisted based on the following category distribution: 10% for GEN-EWS, 27% for OBC-NCL, 15% for SC, 7.5% for ST, with the remaining 40.5% open to all candidates. A 5% horizontal reservation within each category is also in place for PwD candidates.
Clarification for OCI/PIO Candidates
Following a Supreme Court decision from February 2023, OCI and PIO cardholders with cards issued before March 4, 2021, will be considered Indian nationals for seat allocation. However, they are only eligible under the OPEN category or OPEN-PwD, without access to any other reserved category benefits.
Class 12 Requirements for 2025 Exam
To be eligible for JEE Advanced 2025, candidates must have completed their Class 12 (or equivalent) exam in 2023, 2024, or 2025 with mandatory subjects in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. However, candidates who first took the Class 12 exam in 2022 may also apply, provided their board released results after September 21, 2022.
This eligibility expansion gives candidates greater flexibility while ensuring fairness in line with academic timelines. With this new structure, candidates have more time and opportunity to achieve their academic aspirations through JEE Advanced.
4o
