New Delhi, March 9, 2026: The roadmap to India’s most prestigious engineering institutions is now clear. IIT Roorkee, the organizing institute for the JEE Advanced 2026, has officially released the complete examination schedule. Aspirants aiming for a seat in the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) can now mark their calendars for the big day: Sunday, May 17, 2026.
The announcement brings a sense of urgency and clarity to the lakhs of students currently preparing for the JEE Main sessions. Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the key dates, eligibility rules, and application details you need to know.
Key Dates for Your Calendar
The registration process is strictly time-bound, and candidates are advised to complete their applications well before the deadline to avoid technical glitches.
| Event | Date |
| Registration for Foreign Nationals | April 6, 2026 |
| Registration for Indian Nationals | April 23 – May 2, 2026 |
| Last Date for Fee Payment | May 4, 2026 |
| Admit Card Download Window | May 11 – May 17, 2026 |
| JEE Advanced 2026 Exam Date | May 17, 2026 (Sunday) |
| Result Declaration | June 1, 2026 (10:00 AM) |
Eligibility Criteria: The “Top 2.5 Lakh” Rule
Not every student who clears JEE Main can sit for the Advanced stage. To be eligible for JEE Advanced 2026, candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Performance in JEE Main: Only the top 2,50,000 successful candidates (including all categories) from JEE Main 2026 Paper 1 are eligible.
- Age Limit: Candidates should have been born on or after October 1, 2001. SC, ST, and PwD candidates receive a 5-year relaxation (born on or after October 1, 1996).
- Number of Attempts: A candidate can attempt JEE Advanced a maximum of two times in two consecutive years.
- Class 12 Marks: Students must have appeared for their Class 12 (or equivalent) exams for the first time in either 2025 or 2026. They must also secure at least 75% aggregate marks (65% for SC/ST/PwD) or be in the top 20 percentile of their respective boards.
Examination Pattern
The exam will be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode and consists of two mandatory papers. Both papers will feature sections on Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
- Paper 1: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
- Paper 2: 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM
How to Apply
Once the portal opens on April 23, eligible candidates can follow these steps:
- Visit the official website: jeeadv.ac.in.
- Log in using your JEE Main 2026 Application Number and password.
- Fill in additional details, including choice of examination cities (you can select up to eight).
- Upload required documents (Class 10/Birth Certificate, Class 12 Marksheet, and Category Certificates).
- Pay the registration fee (₹3,200 for General/OBC-NCL; ₹1,600 for Female/SC/ST/PwD candidates).
With JEE Main Session 2 concluding on April 9, students will have roughly five and a half weeks of dedicated time to pivot their strategy toward the more complex, multi-concept problems that define the JEE Advanced.