Engineering
Aug 26, 2026
JEE Main 2027: NTA to Reintroduce 75% Eligibility Criteria for Board Marks
V
Vikram Malhotra
Aug 26, 2026
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While the 2026 admission cycle is nearing its conclusion with the final rounds of JoSAA counselling, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has already set its sights on the next year. In a notification released today, August 26, 2026, the NTA clarified that the 75% marks eligibility criteria (65% for SC/ST) in the Class 12 board examinations will be strictly enforced for the 2027 session. This announcement comes as a response to several petitions from student groups seeking a permanent relaxation of the rule.
Vikram Malhotra, a senior policy analyst for the NTA, stated that the criteria are essential to maintain the academic standard of the premier engineering institutions. 'The board exams represent a student's foundational understanding of the core sciences. Reintroducing this rule ensures that candidates entering the IITs and NITs have a balanced academic profile,' Malhotra noted. The NTA also confirmed that the JEE Main 2027 will be conducted in two sessions, tentatively scheduled for the last week of January and the first week of April.
In addition to the eligibility update, the NTA is considering a change in the exam's difficulty level for the Mathematics section. Following feedback from previous years where the Math section was deemed disproportionately difficult compared to Physics and Chemistry, a committee of experts is working on 'standardizing' the complexity. The goal is to ensure a more equitable distribution of time across all three subjects during the three-hour examination.
Prospective candidates have also been alerted about changes in the registration process. Starting next year, the NTA will implement a 'One-Time Registration' (OTR) portal, similar to the UPSC, which will store candidate data for all exams conducted by the agency. This is expected to reduce errors in the application forms and streamline the process for those appearing for both JEE and other exams like CUET. Coaching centers in Kota and Hyderabad have already begun advising students to focus equally on their board preparations alongside their JEE coaching to avoid falling short of the 75% threshold.
Vikram Malhotra, a senior policy analyst for the NTA, stated that the criteria are essential to maintain the academic standard of the premier engineering institutions. 'The board exams represent a student's foundational understanding of the core sciences. Reintroducing this rule ensures that candidates entering the IITs and NITs have a balanced academic profile,' Malhotra noted. The NTA also confirmed that the JEE Main 2027 will be conducted in two sessions, tentatively scheduled for the last week of January and the first week of April.
In addition to the eligibility update, the NTA is considering a change in the exam's difficulty level for the Mathematics section. Following feedback from previous years where the Math section was deemed disproportionately difficult compared to Physics and Chemistry, a committee of experts is working on 'standardizing' the complexity. The goal is to ensure a more equitable distribution of time across all three subjects during the three-hour examination.
Prospective candidates have also been alerted about changes in the registration process. Starting next year, the NTA will implement a 'One-Time Registration' (OTR) portal, similar to the UPSC, which will store candidate data for all exams conducted by the agency. This is expected to reduce errors in the application forms and streamline the process for those appearing for both JEE and other exams like CUET. Coaching centers in Kota and Hyderabad have already begun advising students to focus equally on their board preparations alongside their JEE coaching to avoid falling short of the 75% threshold.