Archive · 6 Oct 2026
JEE Advanced 2026 Sees SC, ST and Women Qualification Gains
JEE Advanced is an exam students take to qualify for a chance to study at an IIT.
In 2026, more students qualified than in 2025, even though about the same number registered.
The qualification rates for SC and ST candidates went up.
The rates for general-category and OBC-NCL candidates went down.
Women’s qualification rate was 23.4%, the highest reported in six years.
A total of 56,880 students qualified.
Qualifying does not mean a student automatically gets an IIT seat.
Students also need to take part in counselling, where seats are allocated based on factors including rank and preferences.
The 2026 seat allocation involved 18,861 IIT seats.
JEE Advanced qualifiers increased to 56,880 in 2026 from 54,378 in 2025, while registrations were nearly unchanged.
SC candidates’ qualification rate rose to 50.16% from 40.41%; ST candidates’ rate rose to 42.14% from 33.99%.
General-category and OBC-NCL qualification rates fell to 39.8% and 17.5%, respectively.
Women’s qualification rate reached 23.4%, its highest level in the six-year period from 2021 to 2026.
Of 56,880 qualifiers, 52,559 registered for JoSAA counselling; the 2026 IIT seat allocation involved 18,861 seats.
- Who
- Candidates in JEE Advanced 2026, including SC, ST, general-category, OBC-NCL and women candidates.
- What
- The results showed more qualifiers overall, rising SC and ST qualification rates, and a six-year high for women.
- When
- The 2026 results, compared with 2025 and, for women’s qualification rate, the 2021–2026 period.
- Where
- JEE Advanced and IIT admissions in India; the examination analysis was conducted by IIT Roorkee.
- Why
- The reports describe changes in qualification rates but do not establish their cause.
Groups with rising qualification rates
Groups with falling qualification rates
Category qualification trends
Groups with rising qualification rates
SC and ST qualification rates rose to 50.16% and 42.14%, respectively.
Groups with falling qualification rates
General-category and OBC-NCL qualification rates declined to 39.8% and 17.5%, respectively.
- Total qualifiers
- 56,880 in 2026, up from 54,378 in 2025
- Registrations
- 187,389 in 2026, compared with 187,223 in 2025
- Candidates who appeared for both papers
- 179,694 in 2026
- SC qualification rate
- 50.16% in 2026, up from 40.41% in 2025; 15,856 SC candidates qualified
- ST qualification rate
- 42.14% in 2026, up from 33.99% in 2025; 6,379 ST candidates qualified
- Women candidates
- 43,112 registered, 40,562 appeared for both papers and 10,107 qualified; the qualification rate was 23.4%
- JoSAA counselling
- 52,559 qualifiers registered; 4,321 did not participate in choice filling
- IIT seat allocation
- 18,861 seats in 2026; women’s share was reported as 20.22%
