JEE Advanced attempts: IIT Council reviewing 2-attempt rule after 12,000 aspirants sign petition
By TUF News Desk · Published 15 October 2026 · 4 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
The IIT Council has started discussing whether the two-attempt rule for JEE Advanced should change. IIT Kanpur director Prof Manindra Agarwal confirmed the talks in a conversation with ET Education on October 14.
The pressure is coming from aspirants. A petition asking for a third attempt has collected 12,139 signatures on Change.org. It asks for one of two changes: three attempts across three consecutive years, or the same two attempts spread over a three-year window instead of two. Hindustan Times reported that students also petitioned the union education ministry, the IIT Council and the Joint Admission Board with the same demands.
Right now, the rule is strict. A candidate can attempt JEE Advanced at most twice, in two consecutive years, and the first attempt has to be taken in the year the student passes Class 12. That is where the friction lies. JEE Main lets students appear up to six times over three consecutive years, two sessions each year. The top 2.5 lakh JEE Main qualifiers can sit for JEE Advanced, but the second stage of the same selection system offers far less room to recover from a bad day.
The petitioners argue that the gap is unfair. Health issues, family emergencies or a single bad exam day can decide a student’s future, and the number of IIT seats would not change either way. JEE Main would still act as the first filter, they say, so a third attempt would not increase competition. Some also point to NEET-UG, which puts no cap on attempts and no upper age limit.
What the IITs are weighing
Prof Agarwal flagged a cost that is easy to miss. When a third attempt was allowed in earlier years, only a tiny share of third-attempt candidates actually qualified. His worry is that a large number of students would spend another year and a lot of coaching money on an attempt that helps almost no one. “See, it is a very tricky subject,” he told ET Education.
There is also recent history to reckon with. In November 2024, the Joint Admission Board briefly raised the attempt limit to three, then restored the two-attempt rule within the same month after weighing competing requirements. The Supreme Court later allowed only a limited group of candidates, those who had withdrawn from courses between November 5 and November 18, 2024, to register for JEE Advanced 2025. It did not order a general third attempt.
For students planning for JEE Advanced 2027, the honest position is that nothing has changed yet. Prof Agarwal gave no timeline and did not confirm whether the eligibility criteria for the next cycle would be altered. The discussions, he said, do not amount to a decision.
The two proposals on the table
The campaign offers the Council two ways forward. The first is three attempts in three consecutive years. The second keeps the attempt count at two but gives candidates three years to use them. Both target the same problem: the current rule leaves no gap-year option that preserves eligibility.
Whether the Council formally considers either proposal before the next exam cycle is the question that matters now. IIT Kanpur will not be the only voice in the room. The decision rests with the Council and the Joint Admission Board, which set the eligibility rules.
Students should keep tracking the official JEE Advanced portal rather than acting on speculation. And for those weighing options beyond the IITs, our guide on central, state and private universities breaks down the alternatives in the Indian system.
Frequently asked questions
How many attempts are allowed for JEE Advanced right now?
Candidates can attempt JEE Advanced a maximum of two times in two consecutive years, with the first attempt taken in the year they pass Class 12.
Has the third attempt for JEE Advanced been approved?
No. The IIT Council has only begun discussing the rules. Prof Manindra Agarwal said the discussions do not amount to a decision, and he gave no timeline.
How many times can I attempt JEE Main?
JEE Main allows up to six attempts across three consecutive years, with two sessions each year.
Frequently asked questions
How many attempts are allowed for JEE Advanced right now?
Candidates can attempt JEE Advanced a maximum of two times in two consecutive years, with the first attempt taken in the year they pass Class 12.
Has the third attempt for JEE Advanced been approved?
No. The IIT Council has only begun discussing the rules. Prof Manindra Agarwal said the discussions do not amount to a decision, and he gave no timeline.
How many times can I attempt JEE Main?
JEE Main allows up to six attempts across three consecutive years, with two sessions each year.
Sources: ET Education, Hindustan Times