There is no single IIT entrance exam. Admission happens through two stages: JEE Main, conducted by NTA, which every engineering aspirant takes, and JEE Advanced, which only the top-ranked JEE Main qualifiers can appear for. Your JEE Advanced rank is what actually decides IIT admission through JoSAA counselling.

The IIT admission process follows a fixed sequence: register for and appear in JEE Main, qualify for JEE Advanced, clear it with a good rank, then register for JoSAA counselling, fill your preferred IITs and branches, and accept the seat allotted across the counselling rounds. Document verification and fee payment complete the admission.

You need a valid JEE Advanced rank along with a Class 12 qualification in the science stream with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. In most years, candidates must also secure either 75% aggregate in Class 12 or fall in the top 20 percentile of their board, with some category-based relaxations. Since criteria are revised from time to time, always confirm the latest requirements on the official JoSAA portal before applying.

Roughly 12–14 lakh students register for JEE Main, around 2.5 lakh qualify for JEE Advanced, and only about 17,000–18,000 seats are available across all IITs. This puts the overall IIT admission rate at roughly 1%, and it is far lower for top branches like Computer Science at the older IITs.

There is no single last date, because admission runs through an exam-and-counselling cycle. JEE Main registration typically opens around November, the exams are held in January and April, JEE Advanced follows around May–June, and JoSAA counselling and seat acceptance usually conclude by July–August. For the confirmed IIT admission 2026 last date, track the official NTA and JoSAA portals, and start preparing well before registration opens.

You do not pay a separate admission fee to an IIT. During counselling you pay a small seat acceptance fee, and after joining you pay semester tuition — at most IITs this works out to roughly ₹2–3 lakh per year for the general category, plus hostel and mess charges. Fee waivers and concessions are available for SC, ST, PwD and lower-income students, so check the specific IIT's fee structure.

Keep these ready: Class 10 and Class 12 marksheets and certificates, JEE Main and JEE Advanced admit cards and scorecards, date of birth proof, a valid photo ID such as Aadhaar, recent passport-size photographs, the provisional seat allotment letter, and fee payment receipts. Category, EWS or PwD candidates should also carry the relevant certificates for verification.

Follow the standard route: qualify in JEE Main, then earn a top rank in JEE Advanced, since IIT Bombay usually closes its most popular branches — especially Computer Science — within the first few hundred All India Ranks in the general category. During JoSAA counselling, list IIT Bombay high in your choices, compare previous years' opening and closing ranks for your target branch, and lock your seat in the earliest round possible.

Admission to IIT Delhi also goes through JEE Advanced and JoSAA counselling — there is no separate entrance test for the institute. Focus on a rank that matches your chosen branch: core branches like Computer Science and Electrical close at much better ranks than newer or less popular branches. Study the JoSAA opening and closing rank data for IIT Delhi across recent years to set a realistic rank target.

Start with the full syllabus and chapter-wise weightage, build your basics on NCERT, then move to one standard reference book per subject. Solve previous years' questions chapter by chapter, take a full-length mock test every week, and maintain an error notebook for revision. Since JEE Mains is held in two sessions, treat the first attempt as a benchmark and use the gap before the second attempt to improve your weakest areas.

The best time to begin JEE preparation after 10th is in the summer break before Class 11 — that gives you a full two-year runway alongside the Class 11 and 12 syllabus, which overlaps heavily with the exam. Use the gap to strengthen fundamentals in Physics, Chemistry and Maths, and set a realistic weekly timetable before school pressure begins.

For most students, serious JEE preparation takes about two years, starting from Class 11. Droppers who dedicate a focused year after Class 12 can also crack it with 5–6 hours of disciplined daily study. What matters more than duration is consistency — regular revision, mock tests and doubt-clearing across the entire preparation period.

No, coaching is not compulsory for JEE — a meaningful number of toppers crack it every year through self-study, online lectures and test series. Coaching mainly provides structure, peer competition and doubt support, so if you are disciplined and have access to good resources and guidance, you can prepare independently. Judge your own study habits honestly before committing to expensive classroom programs.

Build your own system: follow NCERT first, add one standard book per subject, learn from free or low-cost online lectures, and solve at least 10 years of previous papers. Take weekly full-length mock tests in exam conditions, analyse every mistake, and stay connected to online doubt-solving communities. Many self-study aspirants also work with a mentor to keep their plan and accountability on track.

IIT JEE coaching fees for classroom programs typically cost ₹1–2 lakh per year, so a two-year course can run between ₹2–4 lakh depending on the institute and city. Online programs and test series are considerably cheaper. Before paying, compare batch size, faculty quality and past results, because a high fee does not guarantee a good rank.