A group of JEE aspirants campaigning for a third attempt at JEE Advanced has written to the Ministry of Education and IIT authorities, arguing that the current eligibility rule clashes with other parts of India’s education policy.

At present, candidates can take JEE Advanced only twice, in two consecutive years, starting from the year they pass Class 12. A petition seeking more attempts has drawn over 12,000 signatures, according to media reports.

Raj Aryan, who is part of the campaign, shared three documents with EduKida: a response to recent comments by IIT Kanpur Director Manindra Agrawal, a note on what the group calls policy inconsistencies, and a data-based case for a third attempt.

What the IIT Kanpur Director said
Speaking to ThePrint, Prof. Agrawal said a year after Class 12 is enough time to prepare for JEE Advanced. He added that JEE Main data shows very few students do well on a third attempt.

“If a third attempt is allowed, it would require significant additional resources and time from a large number of students, while the number of students who eventually clear the examination may be very small,” he told ThePrint. “The concern is that a lot of students could end up investing another year and considerable resources without a commensurate outcome.”

He said relaxation could be considered in exceptional cases, such as a serious health issue or other genuine reasons a student could not use their two attempts. “The issue needs to be looked at from all perspectives,” he said.

He also noted that the petition is backed mainly by students who have not cleared the exam in two attempts, and estimated that “perhaps fewer than 100 of these 10,000 students may ultimately qualify” even if a third attempt were held.

No official decision on a third attempt has been announced so far. The campaigners say discussions on the issue are still going on.

How the aspirants have responded
In their response, the campaigners question the reading of JEE Main data. They point out that JEE Main itself allows attempts across three consecutive years. Students’ scores may fall in that third year, they argue, because they know they cannot sit for JEE Advanced, so the IIT goal is already out of reach and their motivation drops.

On the point that mostly unsuccessful candidates are behind the petition, they say it is natural for those affected by a rule to be the ones raising it.

They also challenge the idea that one year after Class 12 is enough. Students in big cities often start coaching from Class 9 or 10, they say, while many students in rural areas, government schools and state boards learn what JEE Advanced really demands only after their board results.

Two “inconsistencies” flagged by the group

A note prepared by JEE aspirant Vikash Kumar highlights two areas where, in the group’s view, the rules don’t line up.

The first is school attendance. CBSE requires 75% attendance in Class 12 and has acted against “dummy schools,” where students are enrolled only on paper while studying full-time at coaching centres. In November 2024, CBSE withdrew the affiliation of 21 schools and downgraded six others.

The note argues that a student who attends school regularly, as CBSE requires, effectively gets only one fully dedicated year for JEE Advanced: the drop year, which is also the last attempt. A student in a dummy school can prepare full-time for both attempts. “The cost of the rule falls on the student who followed it,” the note says. It adds that the group does not allege bad faith and calls it “a coordination gap” between CBSE and the IIT system, both of which come under the Ministry of Education.

The second point is the difference between JEE Main and JEE Advanced. JEE Main allows up to six attempts across three years, with two sessions a year. Its 2026 information bulletin says this gives students first-hand exam experience, a chance to improve, and a backup if they miss an exam for reasons such as board exams. The group says the same reasoning should apply to JEE Advanced, which has just one sitting a year, the first of them in the Class 12 board exam year.

What the data note argues
The group’s data-based note makes a broader case, drawing on figures from government surveys and education websites. It points to the gap between rural and urban students, citing JAB data that about 75% of candidates who qualify for IIT admission come from urban areas, and differences in access to coaching, laptops and the internet.

It estimates that around 22,000 second-year droppers clear the JEE Main cut-off each year but cannot take JEE Advanced. It also argues that a single attempt a year leaves no room for illness or emergencies, and links the “now or never” pressure to student stress, citing NCRB data on rising student suicides.

What the group is asking for

The aspirants have made three requests:

Allow three attempts at JEE Advanced.
Failing that, allow two attempts across three consecutive years, counted from the year of passing Class 12.
Ask the Ministry of Education to review how school attendance rules and the JEE Advanced attempt limit work together.

The data note also suggests a middle path: a third attempt open only to students who score above a high benchmark, such as the 98th or 99th percentile in JEE Main.