International Students And Jee-Advanced: Eligibility And Options

The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) is a two-part engineering admission exam held annually in India. JEE-Advanced is considered one of the toughest exams in the world, with an unpredictable paper pattern and a low acceptance rate. In 2024, only 26% of candidates who took the exam qualified. The exam is open to Indian nationals and, as of 2025, foreign nationals are also eligible to register and take the exam directly without having to take the JEE-Mains. This new rule also applies to OCI cardholders with Overseas Citizenship of India.

Foreign students can take the JEE Advanced exam without appearing for the JEE Mains

The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) is a critical milestone for aspiring engineers who want to secure a seat at prestigious institutions like IITs and NITs. The JEE consists of two parts: the Main test and the Advanced test. The JEE Advanced is considered one of the toughest exams in the world. The exam is conducted by the seven zonal Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs): IIT Roorkee, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, and IIT Guwahati.

Foreign national students can directly appear for the JEE Advanced exam for admission to IITs, without having to take the JEE Main exam. However, they must fulfil other eligibility criteria. Foreign students must provide identity proof in the form of a Citizenship Certificate/Foreign Passport and/or OCI/PIO Card. They must also have studied at the 10+2 level or equivalent, and been born on or after October 1, 2000. In addition, OCI/PIO candidates who obtained their OCI/PIO cards before March 4, 2021, have the option to apply for the JEE Advanced exam as foreign nationals or at par with Indian nationals.

It is important to note that while foreign national students can skip the JEE Main exam, students abroad must qualify for the JEE Main and be among the top 2,50,000 candidates to appear in the JEE Advanced exam. Additionally, foreign nationals are not eligible for reservations in IITs, and the seats allotted to them are supernumerary with a cap of 10% of the total number of seats in every course.

The JEE Advanced exam is open to OCI/PIO cardholders

OCI/PIO cardholders who obtained their cards before March 4, 2021, have the option to apply for the JEE Advanced exam as foreign nationals or at par with Indian nationals. Those who choose the latter option will be subject to the same eligibility conditions as Indian nationals. It is important to note that this choice is binding and cannot be changed at a later stage.

OCI/PIO cardholders who obtained their cards after March 4, 2021, will be considered foreign national candidates and will be subject to different eligibility criteria. Foreign national candidates are not required to take the JEE Main exam and can register directly for the JEE Advanced exam. However, they must fulfil other eligibility criteria, and their seats are supernumerary with a cap of 10% of the total number of seats in every course.

The JEE Advanced exam is accepted not only in India but also in some foreign universities for admission to UG courses. Some foreign universities that accept JEE scores include the National University of Singapore, Queen's University Belfast, and all universities in Germany.

Foreign students are not eligible for reserved category seats

The reservation policy as per the Government of India norms will be applicable to supernumerary seats. The Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) will set out the detailed procedure for implementation. Candidates who are foreign nationals, including those who have studied abroad at the 10+2 level or equivalent, are outside the ambit of any reservation categories. This includes GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PwD (Persons with Disability) categories.

Seats allotted to foreign candidates are supernumerary, with a cap of 10% of the total number of seats in every course. Foreign nationals are not entitled to the benefit of reservation under any category. This means that foreign students cannot claim reserved seats for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC) Non-Creamy Layer (NCL), and General Economically Weaker Sections (General-EWS).

OCI/PIO candidates who obtained their OCI/PIO cards before 04.03.2021 have the option to apply for JEE Advanced as foreign nationals or at par with Indian nationals. However, they are not entitled to the benefit of reservation under the GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, or ST categories for seat allocation.

The JEE Advanced exam is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)

The JEE Advanced exam is a highly challenging assessment, recognised as one of the toughest exams in the world. It is conducted annually by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) on a rotating basis. IITs are among the most prestigious institutes in India, offering internationally recognised engineering and technology education. The JEE Advanced is open only to those who pass the JEE Main exam, which is a screening process to select candidates for the advanced test. The JEE Advanced exam is a single-stage examination consisting of two compulsory papers, each three hours long, testing candidates' comprehension and analytical skills in physics, chemistry and mathematics. The number and type of questions, marking scheme and total marks vary from year to year, adding to the exam's difficulty.

The JEE Advanced is conducted for entry into 23 IITs, as well as other prestigious universities. The exam is organised by one of seven zonal IITs: IIT Roorkee, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras and IIT Guwahati. These institutes take turns in conducting the exam under the guidance of the Joint Admission Board (JAB). The JEE Advanced is a highly competitive exam, with a low acceptance rate, and success is a significant achievement.

The JEE Advanced has a long history, with the first IIT, the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, established in 1951. From 1955 to 1960, admissions to IIT Kharagpur were conducted through a national examination, followed by interviews and counselling sessions. In 1961, the IIT-JEE was introduced as the Common Entrance Exam (CEE). Over the years, the exam format has evolved, with changes such as the discontinuation of the English test and the introduction of additional screening tests and exams.

The JEE Advanced is not just limited to Indian students; foreign universities also accept JEE scores for admission into their undergraduate courses. For example, Queen's University Belfast considers JEE scores, and the National University of Singapore encourages applicants with exceptional JEE scores. Additionally, all universities in Germany accept JEE scores for undergraduate admissions.

The JEE Advanced exam is considered one of the toughest exams in the world

The JEE Advanced exam is an entrance exam for students seeking admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT). It is considered one of the toughest exams in the world due to various reasons. Firstly, the exam is highly competitive, with only the top 2,50,000 JEE Main rank holders eligible to sit for the JEE Advanced exam. Out of these 2.5 million aspirants, only 10,000-12,000 students will secure a seat at an IIT, resulting in a qualification rate of around 4%. This intense competition puts a lot of pressure and stress on students, affecting their mental and physical well-being.

Secondly, the JEE Advanced exam is known for its challenging nature. It tests candidates' logical and analytical skills through unconventional and distorted questions. The exam covers an extensive syllabus from both the 11th and 12th-grade curricula, and candidates must study the material thoroughly to achieve a good rank. The exam consists of two papers, each with a three-hour time limit, making it a demanding six-hour-long computer-based test. Additionally, the exam's difficulty level is impacted by the limited availability of qualified teachers in India, which affects the overall faculty output at IITs.

Furthermore, the JEE Advanced exam is constantly evolving, with new elements introduced each year since its inception in 2012. This dynamic nature of the exam makes it challenging for students to anticipate the exact scope and format of the test. The exam's reputation as one of the toughest in the world is also influenced by the prestige associated with the IITs. They are considered the premier institutes in India, offering some of the most prestigious engineering positions. As a result, the JEE Advanced exam attracts a large number of aspirants, with approximately 1000 candidates competing for each available seat.

The JEE Advanced exam is not just recognized in India but has also gained recognition from foreign universities. Some universities worldwide accept JEE scores for admission to their undergraduate programs. For example, Queen's University Belfast takes JEE scores into consideration, and the National University of Singapore encourages applicants with outstanding JEE scores. Additionally, all universities in Germany accept JEE scores for admission to their undergraduate courses.

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