Many students worry about their Class XII marks when aiming for IIT admissions. Some may not score well in their first attempt and wonder if they can take improvement exams to increase their chances. A common question arises: Does IIT accept improvement marks?
This article answers that question in a clear and simple way. It explains the rules for using improvement marks in IIT admissions, how IITs treat such marks, and what students need to do to stay eligible. We also discuss the two main options students have: qualifying through 75% aggregate marks or through the top 20 percentile of their board.
If you are thinking about improving your board marks, this guide will help you decide the best approach. Read each section carefully to avoid mistakes. Following the correct method can help you stay eligible for IITs and move one step closer to your dream.
Does IIT Accept Improvement Marks?
Yes, IITs accept improvement marks, but with conditions. You can qualify through either 75% aggregate (65% for SC/ST/PwD) by improving one or more subjects, or via the top 20 percentile by reappearing in all five subjects. Only the latest marksheet with five valid subjects is considered.
Performance in Class XII (or Equivalent) Board Examination for Admission to IITs
To get admission into any IIT, students must meet certain performance criteria in their Class XII (or equivalent) board examination. It is not enough to only clear JEE Advanced. Students must also satisfy one of the two main conditions related to their Class XII marks.
These criteria are important for final admission into IITs after clearing JEE Advanced. Students must have studied Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as compulsory subjects. Also, their Class XII examination must include at least five subjects. Let’s understand both criteria in detail.
Criterion 1: 75% Aggregate Marks Rule
Students must have passed Class XII (or equivalent) board examination with at least five subjects and scored a minimum of 75% aggregate marks.
For SC, ST, and PwD candidates, the minimum required percentage is 65%.
This is a direct method. If a student scores 75% (or 65% for SC/ST/PwD) in five required subjects, they satisfy this eligibility condition.
Subjects Considered for Aggregate Marks: The aggregate marks will be calculated using these five subjects:
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- One language (if the student has taken more than one language, the one with higher marks will be considered)
- One other subject (any subject other than the above four; the subject with the highest marks will be used)
All five subjects must be from the same academic year. Marks from different years or different boards are not allowed to be combined.
If Marks Are Not Out of 100
If any subject is not marked out of 100, then the marks will be scaled to make them out of 100. This way, the total will be scaled to 500 marks.
Example:
- If a subject is out of 80 marks and a student scores 60, then it will be converted as: (60/80) × 100 = 75 marks.
- This method applies to all subjects not marked on a 100-mark scale.
Criterion 2: Top 20 Percentile Rule
Students can also qualify by being in the top 20 percentile of successful candidates in their respective board. This rule is based on board-wise and category-wise percentiles.
This means the student must be in the top 20% scorers in their board exam (for their category) in the year they first appeared for Class XII.
Category-Based Percentiles: Percentiles are calculated separately for each category, like:
- General
- GEN-EWS
- OBC-NCL
- SC
- ST
- PwD
Improvement Exams and Eligibility
Students appearing for improvement exams have two options:
- Improve one or more subjects to reach 75% (or 65%) aggregate marks. In this case, only the new marksheet will be considered. Previous marks will not be added or combined.
- Reappear in all five subjects to qualify through the top 20 percentile route.The percentile will be calculated based on the performance in all subjects in the new marksheet.
Students cannot mix these options. They must choose one path only.
Important Conditions for Class XII Board Performance
To ensure fairness and consistency, JEE authorities follow strict rules for calculating eligibility based on Class XII marks.
Here are the key rules:
- Marksheets must be issued by the same board: Students cannot submit marks from two different boards. All five subjects must be from the same board and same academic year.
- If a board gives only grades and no equivalent percentage, then the student must get a certificate from the board that clearly shows the percentage. If the student fails to get this certificate, the decision of the JEE Advanced Committee will be final.
Special Rules for Different Education Systems
Different boards and states follow different marking systems. JEE Advanced takes this into account. The following rules apply to various cases:
- 10+2 System (Class XI and XII combined): Only Class XII marks will be considered.
- Two-Year Intermediate Courses: Only the final year’s marks will be considered. If marks for both years are given separately, then only the second year marks will count.
- Three-Year Diploma Courses: Only the final year marks will be considered.
- Semester System: Marks from the last two semesters will be used to calculate the percentage.
- Subjects Not Evaluated in Final Year: If any of the five required subjects (PCM, Language, Other) are not evaluated in the final year, then marks from previous years will be taken for those subjects.
- Aggregate Only, No Subject-Wise Marks: If the board gives only overall aggregate marks, and no subject-wise marks, then that aggregate will be accepted as it is.
Special Case for Students Reappearing in All Subjects
If a student first appeared in Class XII in 2024 and reappears in all subjects in 2025 for any reason, the better of the two performances (2024 or 2025) will be considered for eligibility.
This is a special benefit provided to students who make a full attempt to improve their performance.
Result Declaration Dates Matter
If the board declares the Class XII result for 2023 on or after June 28, 2023, then that attempt is treated as 2024. Such students are eligible to appear in JEE Advanced 2025. But if the result was declared before June 28, 2023, then 2023 will be considered the first attempt. If your result was withheld, it will still be counted as an appearance.
Basic Eligibility Criteria for IIT Admissions
To get admission into any Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), students must first qualify in the JEE Advanced 2025 exam. But before that, they need to meet certain eligibility conditions. These conditions are clearly listed by the exam authorities and must be fulfilled without exception.
This section explains the eligibility criteria in a simple and detailed manner. There are different rules for Indian nationals (including OCI/PIO treated as Indian), and for foreign national candidates (including OCI/PIO treated as foreign). Let’s go step by step.
| Criteria | Indian/OCI (I) | Foreign/OCI (F) |
| JEE Main 2025 | Required – Top 2,50,000 in B.E./B.Tech | Not required |
| Age Limit | Born on or after Oct 1, 2000 (SC/ST/PwD: 1995) | Same; relaxable for military service |
| No. of Attempts | Max 2 in 2 consecutive years | Same |
| Class XII Year | First appearance in 2024 or 2025 | Same |
| Class XII Subjects | PCM required | PCM required |
| Previous IIT Entry | Not admitted or joined any IIT | Same |
| Reservation | As per category | No reservation |
| Identity Proof | Aadhaar, Passport, or School ID | Foreign Passport or OCI/PIO Card |
Eligibility Criteria for Indian Nationals and OCI/PIO (Category I)
Indian citizens and OCI/PIO candidates who are treated as Indian nationals must meet five eligibility conditions to appear for JEE Advanced 2025.
Let’s discuss each of them.
Criterion A1 – Performance in JEE Main 2025
To appear for JEE Advanced 2025, you must first qualify in JEE Main 2025. But not everyone who passes JEE Main can sit for JEE Advanced.
Only the top 2,50,000 candidates from the JEE Main B.E./B.Tech paper can appear for JEE Advanced 2025. The selection of these 2,50,000 students depends on their performance and category.
Category-Wise Distribution The 2,50,000 candidates are selected as follows:
| Category | Top Candidates Allowed |
| OPEN | 96,187 |
| OPEN-PwD | 5,063 |
| GEN-EWS | 23,750 |
| GEN-EWS-PwD | 1,250 |
| OBC-NCL | 64,125 |
| OBC-NCL-PwD | 3,375 |
| SC | 35,625 |
| SC-PwD | 1,875 |
| ST | 17,812 |
| ST-PwD | 938 |
Note: The actual number may go beyond 2,50,000 if there are tie scores.
Reservation Policy
- 27% seats for OBC-NCL
- 15% for SC
- 7.5% for ST
- 10% for GEN-EWS
- 5% seats within each category are reserved for PwD candidates.
Important Rule for OCI/PIO (I) Candidates: If you are an OCI/PIO treated as an Indian national, you do not get any reservation benefits. You must be selected within the OPEN or OPEN-PwD categories only. You cannot claim OBC, SC, ST, or GEN-EWS benefits.
Criterion A2 – Age Limit
You must be born on or after October 1, 2000. If you belong to the SC, ST, or PwD category, you get a five-year relaxation. You must be born on or after October 1, 1995. There is no age relaxation for General, OBC-NCL, or GEN-EWS categories.
Criterion A3 – Number of Attempts
You can appear for JEE Advanced a maximum of two times, and that too in two consecutive years.
- For example, if you appeared for the first time in 2024, you can appear again in 2025.
- If you did not appear in 2024, you can directly appear in 2025, if eligible.
You cannot skip a year and come back. The attempts must be back-to-back.
Criterion A4 – Class XII (or Equivalent) Examination
You must have appeared for the Class XII (or equivalent) examination for the first time in either 2024 or 2025.
- You must have had Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as compulsory subjects.
- Candidates who appeared in 2023 or earlier are not eligible, even if they did not appear in all subjects or did not pass.
Important Points:
- The term “appeared” means the board declared the result, even if the exam was not held due to some reason (like a pandemic).
- If your result was withheld, it still counts as an appearance.
- However, if your board declared the 2023 result after June 28, 2023, then you are considered a 2024 candidate and are eligible for JEE Advanced 2025.
Exception: The Supreme Court of India has allowed a special exception. If you withdrew from your course between November 5 and November 18, 2024, you may be allowed to appear in JEE Advanced 2025. You must check Annexure VI of the official brochure for full details.
Criterion A5 – Previous Admission to IITs
If you have already been admitted to an IIT, then you cannot appear in JEE Advanced 2025.
This includes:
- Students who got a seat and joined an IIT
- Students who accepted a seat and reported online or offline
- Students whose admission was cancelled
Eligibility Criteria for Foreign Nationals and OCI/PIO (F) Candidates
If you are not a citizen of India and hold a foreign passport, you are considered a foreign national. This also includes OCI/PIO candidates who are not treated as Indian nationals.
Important Notes for Foreign Nationals
- You do not need to write JEE Main 2025.
- You can directly register for JEE Advanced 2025 if you meet the conditions.
- You will be considered separately, not included in the 2,50,000 candidate limit.
- Your seats will be supernumerary, meaning extra seats added on top of the existing ones.
- A maximum of 10% of total seats in each program can be offered to foreign nationals.
- You cannot claim any reservation benefits, such as OBC, SC, ST, GEN-EWS, or female reservation.
Proof of Identity: You must show valid proof, such as:
- Foreign passport, or
- OCI/PIO card, or
- Citizenship certificate
Without proper identity proof, your registration will not be accepted.
Eligibility Conditions for Foreign Nationals (Criterion B1 to B4)
Foreign nationals must meet these four criteria:
- Criterion B1 – Age Limit: You must be born on or after October 1, 2000.
- Criterion B2 – Number of Attempts: You can attempt JEE Advanced only twice in two consecutive years. Same as Indian nationals. No gap is allowed between attempts.
- Criterion B3 – Class XII (or Equivalent) Examination: You must have passed the Class XII (or equivalent) exam for the first time in 2024 or 2025, with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
- Criterion B4 – Previous IIT Admission: You must not have been admitted to any IIT in the past. This includes Accepting a seat (online or offline), Joining an IIT and then withdrawing or Having your seat cancelled
Exception: If your country requires compulsory armed forces service, you may get a year relaxation. Again, a valid certificate is needed.
If your board declared 2023 results after June 28, 2023, you are considered as 2024 candidates, and eligible. If your country requires compulsory military service before or after Class XII, you can get age relaxation. But you must upload a certificate from your country’s authority confirming this.
Conclusion
Improvement exams give students a second chance to qualify for IITs. Yes, IITs accept improvement marks, but only under specific conditions. You must meet the eligibility through either the 75% aggregate marks rule or the top 20 percentile of your board. If you plan to go with the 75% rule, you can improve only one or more weak subjects. However, if you choose the percentile-based route, you must reappear in all five required subjects.
Always remember, IITs consider only the latest marksheet. They do not combine old and new marks. Your final result must include Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, a language subject, and one more approved subject.
Before taking any decision, go through the JEE Advanced brochure carefully. It has the latest and final rules. Take help from teachers or counsellors if needed. A smart and informed decision about improvement can keep your IIT dream alive and achievable.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) Can I improve only Physics and Chemistry and still qualify via 75% aggregate?
Yes. If your new marks in Physics and Chemistry help you reach 75% aggregate, you are eligible. Make sure your marksheet has five required subjects.
2) If I fail in my first attempt but pass in improvement, am I eligible?
Yes. If your new marksheet shows all subjects passed and meets the 75% or top 20 percentile rule, you can apply.
3) Does IIT consider the best of five subjects automatically?
No. IITs only consider five fixed subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, a language subject, and one more approved subject. They do not pick your highest scores from different subjects.
4) Can I choose between 75% and top 20 percentile?
Yes. You can choose whichever path makes you eligible. But to use the top 20 percentile, you must reappear in all subjects.
5) If I write improvement in just one subject, can I still be eligible via percentile?
No. For percentile-based eligibility, you must reappear in all five subjects. Partial improvement is valid only for the 75% route.
