Do you dream of studying at an IIT? If yes, you are not alone. Every year, lakhs of students prepare for the JEE exam hoping to get into one of the top engineering colleges in India. The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are famous for their world-class education, expert faculty, and strong placements. But getting into an IIT is not just about scoring well in the JEE exams. You also need to meet certain percentage criteria in your Class XII board exams.
Many students often ask, “How much percentage do I need to get into an IIT?” This is an important question because your board exam marks can affect your eligibility, even if you do well in JEE. In this article, we will explain the percentage rules in simple language. You will also learn what to do if your marks are below the required level. Let’s get started.
To get admission into any IIT, students must qualify in both JEE Advanced and their Class XII board exams. Here are the detailed requirements based on different categories.
How Much Percentage Required For IIT?
There is no percentage requirement in Class 10. For IIT admission, Class 12 marks matter. General, OBC-NCL, and GEN-EWS candidates must score 75% or be in the top 20 percentile. SC, ST, and PwD candidates need 65% or top 20 percentile. Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics must be taken in the first attempt, with at least five subjects in total. Along with this, you must qualify in JEE Advanced.
Class XII Board Exam Eligibility Criteria for IIT Admission
To get admission into IITs, one important rule is that you must meet certain eligibility criteria related to your Class XII board exams or an equivalent examination. This section explains all the details about what you need to qualify from your board exams to become eligible for IIT admission.
| Eligibility Aspect | Requirement |
| Compulsory Subjects | Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics |
| First Attempt Year | 2024 or 2025 |
| Minimum Subjects | At least 5 subjects including PCM, Language, and 1 optional |
| Minimum Aggregate Percentage | General/EWS/OBC-NCL: 75%, SC/ST/PwD: 65% |
| Alternative Eligibility | Top 20% of passing candidates in board (category-wise) |
| Improvement Exams | Allowed to improve marks or percentile |
| Multiple Boards | Marks from only one board allowed |
| Grading Boards | Percentage equivalence certificate needed |
| Diploma / 3-Year Course | Final year marks considered |
| Semester System | Final two semester marks considered |
Compulsory Subjects: You must have studied Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics in your Class XII board exams. These three subjects are necessary because the IIT JEE exams focus on them. Without having these subjects, you will not be eligible for admission.
First Attempt Rule: You must appear for your Class XII or equivalent board exam for the first time in either 2024 or 2025. This means you should not have passed Class XII before 2024 if you want to apply for IIT admission in 2025. This rule ensures that students appearing for IIT admissions are recent Class XII exam takers.
Minimum Subjects Required: You must have appeared for at least five subjects in your Class XII exams. These five subjects must include:
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Language (like English or any other official language)
- One optional subject of your choice
The board marks for these five subjects will be considered for eligibility calculation.
Minimum Percentage Requirement for IIT
The IIT admission eligibility requires you to meet a minimum percentage in your Class XII board exams. The required percentage depends on your category:
| Category | Minimum Aggregate Percentage Required |
| General / EWS / OBC-NCL | 75% |
| SC / ST / PwD | 65% |
Aggregate marks mean the total percentage across the selected five subjects combined, not just in Physics, Chemistry, and Maths.
Subjects Considered for Percentage Calculation
To calculate the aggregate percentage for eligibility, IITs consider marks from the following subjects:
| Subject Type | Description |
| Physics | Must be a compulsory subject |
| Chemistry | Must be a compulsory subject |
| Mathematics | Must be a compulsory subject |
| Language | The highest scoring language subject taken |
| Best Optional Subject | The optional subject in which you scored highest |
Note:
- If you took more than one language subject, only the one with the highest marks will be counted.
- For the optional subject, IIT will pick the one in which you scored the highest marks to help you meet the percentage requirement.
Top 20 Percentile Criteria (Alternative Option)
Instead of the minimum percentage rule, IITs also accept students who belong to the top 20% of their respective board’s passing candidates in the same academic year. This is called the Top 20 Percentile Criterion.
- You must be in the top 20 percentile of students in your category (General, SC, ST, etc.) in your board exams.
- This means you should rank in the top 20% of all students who passed the board in your category.
This criterion helps students who may not have scored the fixed percentage but performed well compared to others in their board.
How Percentile is Calculated: Percentile calculation is based on the marks of students who appeared and passed the board exam in the same academic year. Marks from different years or improvement exams cannot be mixed for this calculation.
Improvement Exams: Sometimes, students want to improve their marks by reappearing in board exams. The rules allow you to:
- Reappear in all subjects in improvement exams to qualify under the Top 20 Percentile.
- Or reappear in some subjects and secure at least 75% aggregate marks (65% for reserved categories).
This means you can improve your overall percentage or your position in the top 20% by retaking exams.
Special Cases and Exceptions
Multiple Board Appearances: If you have appeared for board exams from more than one board (for example, state board and NIOS), you must choose marks from only one board for IIT eligibility. You cannot combine marks from two different boards.
Grading System Boards: Some boards do not give marks but only grades. In that case, you must get a percentage equivalence certificate from your board or the education authority. Without this certificate, your eligibility cannot be confirmed.
Improvement Exams and Best of Two Attempts: If you appeared in all subjects again in 2025 after appearing in 2024, IITs will consider the best marks from the two attempts for eligibility calculation.
Diploma or 3-Year Course Students: If you completed a diploma or a 3-year course before Class XII equivalent, only your final year marks will be considered for eligibility.
Semester System Students: If your board follows the semester system, then marks from your final two semesters will be taken to calculate your percentage for eligibility.
JEE Advanced 2025 Eligibility Criteria
To get admission into any IIT, you must clear JEE Advanced. But before you can appear for JEE Advanced, you need to qualify based on a set of eligibility criteria. These rules are very specific and apply to all students. If you do not meet even one of them, you cannot write the exam.
There are five main criteria that every student must satisfy. These include your JEE Main performance, age, number of attempts, Class XII marks, and past admission status in IITs. Let us look at each of these in detail.
| Criterion | Condition |
| A1 – JEE Main Performance | Be among top 2,50,000 rankers in JEE Main 2025 (Paper 1) |
| A2 – Age Limit | Born on or after Oct 1, 2000 (General/OBC/GEN-EWS); Oct 1, 1995 (SC/ST/PwD) |
| A3 – Attempts | Max two attempts in consecutive years |
| A4 – Class XII Exam | Appeared for Class XII in 2024 or 2025 only |
| A5 – IIT Admission Status | Should not have been admitted to any IIT before (unless withdrawn as allowed) |
1) Performance in JEE Main 2025
You cannot directly apply for JEE Advanced. First, you must appear for JEE Main 2025. Only the top 2,50,000 rank holders in JEE Main (Paper 1 – B.E./B.Tech) are allowed to appear for JEE Advanced.
The ranks are chosen based on performance and category. The list includes students from all categories—General, OBC-NCL, GEN-EWS, SC, ST, and PwD. Here is the category-wise breakdown of the 2,50,000 candidates:
- General (OPEN) – 1,01,250 students (40.5%)
- GEN-EWS – 25,000 students (10%)
- OBC-NCL – 67,500 students (27%)
- SC – 37,500 students (15%)
- ST – 18,750 students (7.5%)
There is also a 5% horizontal reservation for PwD candidates in each category. That means 5% of the seats in each category are reserved for students with physical disabilities. To qualify, you must write JEE Main 2025 and secure a place in the top 2.5 lakh students based on your category rank, not just your overall score.
Important Tip: Do not confuse JEE Main qualifying marks with Class XII marks. These are two separate conditions.
2) Age Limit
The second eligibility rule is based on your date of birth. Only students within a certain age range can appear for JEE Advanced 2025.
- If you belong to the General, OBC-NCL, or GEN-EWS category, you must be born on or after October 1, 2000.
- If you belong to the SC, ST, or PwD category, you get a 5-year relaxation. So, you must be born on or after October 1, 1995.
Even if you meet all other conditions, failing to meet the age requirement will make you ineligible. You must show your birth certificate or school records as proof during registration.
Tip: Always double-check your age eligibility before preparing for JEE Advanced to avoid disappointment later.
3) Number of Attempts
You can appear for JEE Advanced only two times, and these attempts must be in consecutive years.
- If you appeared for the first time in 2024, you can appear again in 2025.
- If you did not appear in 2024 and are planning to take it in 2025, then this will be your first attempt.
- If you appeared for the exam in 2023, and again in 2025, then you are not eligible, because the attempts are not in consecutive years.
You do not need to appear for JEE Advanced in two years in a row unless you want to. But once you do, the clock starts, and you cannot skip a year between attempts.
4) Class XII (or Equivalent) Examination
Your Class XII (or equivalent) board exam marks also matter for JEE Advanced eligibility. You must satisfy the following conditions:
- You must have appeared for the Class XII examination for the first time in 2024 or 2025.
- If you appeared before 2024 (for example, in 2023 or earlier), you are not eligible to appear for JEE Advanced 2025.
Exception to the Rule:
Some students could not get their Class XII results in time because their board declared the result after June 28, 2023. These students will still be considered as first-time candidates for 2024, even though their official appearance was in 2023. This exception applies only to specific boards that delayed results, like some state boards during COVID years or due to administrative delays. You must check with the JEE Advanced official website to see if your board falls under this exception.
Note: Improvement exam candidates must follow special rules. If you appeared in 2024 and want to improve in 2025, you must reappear in all five subjects to be considered as a 2025 candidate.
5) No Prior Admission in IITs
The last condition is related to your previous admission status in any IIT. You must not have been admitted to any IIT before, regardless of the course or branch. This rule includes:
- Students who accepted admission through JoSAA and joined any IIT.
- Students who were admitted and then left the program.
- Students who paid the fee and did not withdraw their seat.
You are still ineligible even if you did not attend a single class after joining. As soon as your admission is confirmed by an IIT, the rule applies.
Exception to the Rule:
In 2024, the Supreme Court allowed a special case. Students who:
- Got a seat in an IIT through JoSAA 2024, and
- Withdrew from the program between November 5 and 18, 2024, are still eligible for JEE Advanced 2025.
These students must not have attended any classes and must have completed the withdrawal process in time.
This exception was made due to specific legal cases and student petitions. It may not apply in future years.
Conclusion
Admission to IITs requires more than just clearing the JEE Advanced exam. You must also meet the minimum percentage or percentile criteria in your Class XII board exams. For General, OBC-NCL, and GEN-EWS students, the minimum required is 75% aggregate. For SC, ST, and PwD candidates, it is 65%.
If you do not meet the marks requirement, you can still qualify by being in the top 20 percentile of your board. Improvement exams are also an option, but you must be careful to follow the correct process.
In addition to these academic rules, you must also meet the age limit, number of attempts, and other eligibility conditions for JEE Advanced. Special rules apply to foreign nationals and students with OCI/PIO status.
Always double-check your board exam marks, category certificate, and attempt status before applying. Admission to an IIT is a dream for many. With the right preparation and clear understanding of the rules, you can turn that dream into reality. Stay focused, keep your goals clear, and follow all the guidelines carefully. Good luck!
FAQs
1) Is there any percentage requirement in Class 10 for IIT?
No, IIT admissions do not require any minimum percentage in Class 10 exams. The main focus is on your Class 12 marks and JEE exam performance. Class 10 results do not affect eligibility, so you only need to meet the criteria set for Class 12 and JEE.
2) What if I don’t get 75% in Class 12 but clear JEE Advanced?
If you score less than 75% in Class 12 but qualify for JEE Advanced, you can still be eligible for IIT admission. This is possible if you are in the top 20 percentile of your board exam based on your category. This acts as an alternative eligibility route.
3) Can I combine marks from two different boards to meet the 75% rule?
No, you cannot combine marks from different boards or from different years to meet the minimum percentage requirement. Your eligibility must be based on the marks obtained in a single board exam in one academic year only. Mixing results is not allowed for IIT eligibility.
4) Are improvement exam marks accepted for IIT eligibility?
Yes, improvement exam marks are accepted. You can appear for improvement exams to increase your aggregate marks to 75% or 65%. Alternatively, you can reappear in all subjects to qualify under the top 20 percentile criteria. Make sure you follow the rules set by the exam authorities.
5) Is it compulsory to take Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics in Class 12?
Yes, taking Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics in your first attempt of Class 12 is compulsory for IIT admission. These subjects are mandatory because IITs offer engineering courses that require strong knowledge in these areas. Without PCM, you cannot qualify for IIT.
