A total of 56,880 candidates qualified in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced-2026, representing a 4.6% jump over last year, with Bihar’s Shubham Kumar topping the exam required to get into leading Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
Eligible candidates will now compete for 18,951 undergraduate engineering (BTech) seats across 23 institutes of technology. This means that only one in three eligible candidates will get an IIT seat through Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) counselling.
46,773 men and 10,107 women
According to the results announced by IIT Roorkee, which conducted the exam this year, 46,773 of the eligible candidates were men and 10,107 were women – the highest number of women who qualified for the exam.
Read also | JEE-Advanced 2026: 5,552 candidates from IIT Kanpur district crack exam, three in top 100
Kumar, a resident of Gaya who wrote the exam at IIT Delhi, bagged the top spot, scoring 330 out of a maximum of 360 marks. Arohi Deshpande, who hails from Pune and also wrote the exam at IIT Delhi, topped among the female candidates with a score of 280, ranking 16th on the Combined Ranking List (CRL).
CRL is a comprehensive merit list prepared on the basis of the aggregate marks of candidates, irrespective of their category.
“I’m so excited”
Kumar attributed his success to hard work and the guidance of his teachers. “I am very excited. I applaud my hard work and the contributions of my professors and fellow students,” Kumar said.
Read also | JEE Advanced 2026: Quartet from Chandigarh makes it to the top 100 list
Jatin Chahar from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, who stayed away from his family in Sikar to prepare, came third, scoring 319 points. He said the struggle of living away from his parents has paid off. “Offline study materials, personal doubt clearing sessions with mentors, and group study formed part of my routine and laid the foundation for my success,” he said.
Darsh Sikka from Delhi, who ranked 10th with a score of 311, said he worked hard for two years to get a seat in the Indian Institute of Technology. Sika, who graduated from DPS RK Puram, said he knew from his early teens that mathematics would be pivotal in any career he chose.
“I joined a coaching institute in Class 11 and followed the usual strategy adopted by serious aspirants – consistent study and multiple mock tests,” the 17-year-old said.
IIT Roorkee Director Kamal Kishore Pant congratulated the candidates and encouraged them to participate in the counseling and seat allotment process. “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the candidates who have qualified for JEE (Advanced) 2026. This achievement is a testament to their dedication, perseverance and academic excellence. All eligible candidates are encouraged to participate in the counseling and seat allotment process in JoSAA 2026, irrespective of their Class 12 (or equivalent) scores.”
Under the counseling eligibility rules of IITs, candidates must either secure aggregate marks of at least 75% in Class 12 (65% for SC, ST and PwD candidates) or be among the top 20 successful candidates in their respective school boards.
Of the 187,389 candidates registered for the entrance exam, 179,694 appeared for the JEE Advanced exam held on May 17 in around 221 cities in India.
In the region-wise results – the 23 IITs are divided into seven regions, each of which coordinates a specific institute for the organization and administration of JEE Advanced and related administrative tasks across the country – most of the candidates, 14,294, qualified from IIT Madras region, while Guwahati region accounted for the least number of successful candidates, 2,883.
Of the top 10 finalists, five are from IIT Delhi region, three from Madras, and two from Bombay region.
