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JEE Counselling

2026

JoSAA

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JEE Counselling 2026

Your complete guide to JEE Main, JEE Advanced, college admissions, counselling & seat allotment

JEE Main 2026JEE Advanced 2026
23
IITs
31
NITs
26
IIITs
67,323
JoSAA 2026 Total Seats

What is JEE?

JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) is the umbrella name for India's two-stage national engineering entrance test. The first stage, JEE Main, is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) across two sessions each year — January and April — and determines admission to the NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs through JoSAA counselling. It also acts as the screening exam for the second, tougher stage.

The second stage, JEE Advanced, is conducted once a year in May by one of the IITs on a rotating basis (IIT Roorkee conducted the 2026 edition). Only candidates who rank among the top qualifiers in JEE Main — roughly the top 2.5 lakh — are eligible to attempt it. Clearing JEE Advanced is the only route into any of the 23 IITs.

For the 2026 admission cycle, JEE Main Session 1 and Session 2 have already concluded, and JEE Advanced 2026 was held in May with results declared on June 1. JoSAA counselling for the 2026 academic year has since run its course, allocating seats across IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. Students preparing for the next cycle (JEE Main/Advanced 2027) can use this page as a map of how the exam and counselling system fits together.

JEE Main vs JEE Advanced

AspectJEE MainJEE Advanced
Conducting bodyNational Testing Agency (NTA)An IIT, on a rotating basis (IIT Roorkee conducted JEE Advanced 2026)
FrequencyTwice a year — Session 1 (January) and Session 2 (April)Once a year — held in May
EligibilityPassed/appearing Class 12 with Physics, Maths & Chemistry/BioMust rank among the top ~2.5 lakh qualifiers in JEE Main
Attempts allowedUp to 3 consecutive years (6 sessions total), no age limitMaximum 2 attempts, in consecutive years only
Exam formatMCQs + numerical-value questions, 300 marks, 3 hoursMCQs, multiple-correct, integer & matrix-match types across 2 papers, 360 marks
Difficulty levelModerate to highVery high — designed to test deeper conceptual application
Colleges unlocked31 NITs, 26 IIITs, GFTIs and other participating institutes23 IITs exclusively
Counselling bodyJoSAA (for NITs/IIITs/GFTIs) + state counselling boardsJoSAA (for IITs) — same unified counselling as JEE Main

The Complete Pathway: Exam to Admission

Not every student needs to take both exams. Here's how the journey branches depending on your target colleges.

1

Step 1 — JEE Main (NTA)

Every aspirant starts here. JEE Main is held in two sessions — January and April. Your best percentile across both sessions is considered. This single exam already makes you eligible for NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs via JoSAA.

2

Step 2 — JEE Advanced (optional, for IITs)

If you rank among the top ~2.5 lakh JEE Main qualifiers and want a shot at an IIT, you register separately for JEE Advanced, held once in May by a rotating IIT. Skipping this step is fine if you're only targeting NITs/IIITs/GFTIs.

3

Step 3 — JoSAA Counselling

After results, both JEE Main and JEE Advanced qualifiers register on the same JoSAA portal. You fill one unified preference list covering IITs (if JEE Advanced-qualified), NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs (via JEE Main rank).

4

Step 4 — Seat Allotment

JoSAA runs seat allotment across multiple rounds based on your rank, category, and choices filled. You can accept, upgrade (float), or exit at each round, culminating in document verification and admission at the allotted institute.

Key point: If you only want an NIT, IIIT, or GFTI seat, you can skip JEE Advanced entirely — your JEE Main rank alone is used by JoSAA for these institutes. JEE Advanced is required only if an IIT seat is your goal, and both paths converge at the same JoSAA counselling process.

Quick Links

JEE Main 2026

Complete guide to JEE Main exam dates, syllabus, pattern & preparation

JEE Advanced 2026

IIT entrance exam with complete details on eligibility & preparation

JoSAA Counselling

Complete counselling process for IITs, NITs, IIITs & GFTIs admission

College Predictor

Predict which college you can get based on your JEE rank

Seat Matrix

Complete seat matrix for all IITs, NITs, IIITs & GFTIs

Closing Ranks

Previous year closing ranks for all colleges and courses

JEE Resources

Previous Year Papers

Download JEE Main & Advanced papers from past years

Syllabus

Complete syllabus for JEE Main & Advanced

Exam Pattern

Detailed exam pattern for both JEE Main & Advanced

Exam Calendar

Important dates for JEE Main, Advanced & counselling

Explore Colleges

IITs

23 Indian Institutes of Technology

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NITs

31 National Institutes of Technology

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IIITs

26 Indian Institutes of Information Technology

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GFTIs

Government Funded Technical Institutes

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions students ask about JEE Main, JEE Advanced, and the counselling process

1
What is JEE and how many exams are there?
JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) is India's national-level engineering entrance exam system with two stages: JEE Main, conducted by the NTA, and JEE Advanced, conducted by the IITs on rotation. JEE Main alone is enough to get into NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs through JoSAA. JEE Advanced is a separate, tougher exam only for candidates targeting the 23 IITs.
2
What is the difference between JEE Main and JEE Advanced?
JEE Main is conducted by NTA in two sessions (January and April) and leads to admission at NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. JEE Advanced is conducted once, in May, by a rotating IIT and leads exclusively to the 23 IITs. Only the top scorers from JEE Main — roughly the top 2.5 lakh candidates — are eligible to attempt JEE Advanced. JEE Advanced also has a distinct question format (multiple-correct, integer-type, matrix-match) and a markedly higher difficulty level.
3
Do I need to appear for JEE Advanced if I only want an NIT?
No. JEE Main rank alone is sufficient for admission to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs through JoSAA counselling. JEE Advanced is only required if you want a seat at one of the 23 IITs. Many students who are confident about an NIT seat choose to skip JEE Advanced altogether, though attempting it costs nothing extra if you've already qualified via JEE Main.
4
How many attempts are allowed in JEE Main and JEE Advanced?
JEE Main allows up to 3 consecutive years of attempts from the year you pass Class 12, with 2 sessions per year — effectively up to 6 total attempts. There is no upper age limit. JEE Advanced allows a maximum of 2 attempts, and only in consecutive years immediately after passing Class 12.
5
Is there an age limit for JEE Main or JEE Advanced?
There is no age limit for JEE Main — candidates of any age can apply as long as they meet the Class 12 qualifying criteria. JEE Advanced similarly has no upper age limit, but candidates must have passed Class 12 for the first time in the two years immediately preceding the attempt (or be appearing for the first time in the current year).
6
Which colleges can I get through JEE Main vs JEE Advanced?
JEE Main rank is used by JoSAA for seats at 31 NITs, 26 IIITs, and GFTIs (Government Funded Technical Institutes) — several hundred institutes in total. JEE Advanced rank is used exclusively for seats at the 23 IITs. Both ranks feed into the same JoSAA counselling process, so qualifying JEE Advanced does not remove your NIT/IIIT eligibility — you can fill choices for both IITs and NITs together.
7
What happens after I qualify JEE Main or JEE Advanced?
After results are declared, eligible candidates register for JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) counselling — the single, unified process that allocates seats across all IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. You fill a preference list of institute-branch combinations, and seats are allotted across multiple rounds based on rank, category, and the choices you've filled. Candidates who don't want an IIT/NIT/IIIT seat (or miss the cutoff) can also look at state-level counselling or private engineering colleges.
8
What is the JEE Main cutoff to qualify for JEE Advanced?
The JEE Main qualifying cutoff for JEE Advanced is announced by NTA after results and varies by category each year — it is set so that roughly the top 2.5 lakh unique candidates (combined across categories) become eligible. The cutoff percentile for General category is typically in the low-to-mid 90s, with lower percentile cutoffs for EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PwD categories.

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