Students who skipped the IIT entrance exam – JEE Advanced will be allowed an extra chance to appear for the test next year, the Joint Admission Board (JAB) decided today in an emergency meeting.

As per the statement by the official “To address the concerns of the affected candidates, while avoiding prejudice to other candidates, it has been decided to allow all the candidates, who had successfully registered to appear in JEE Advanced 2020 but were absent in the exam, to appear in JEE (Advanced) 2021, as a one-time measure’’.  

Currently, a candidate is allowed only two attempts at IIT entrance exam; however, those in their final year or second attempt who could not take the exam this year will be given a relaxation. The demand for extending the number of attempts was raised by students and academicians for quite a while now.

The number of students appearing for JEE Advanced 2020 was also a record low. Of the 2.5 lakh students who were eligible to appear only 1.5 lakh had appeared for the exam.

Further, it was decided that these candidates would be considered in addition to and not as part of the total number of candidates who would qualify from JEE (Main) 2021 for appearing in JEE (Advanced) 2021.

To ensure equal opportunity to all, the JAB has also decided that these candidates will not have to qualify for JEE (Main) 2021 and will be allowed to directly appear in JEE (Advanced) 2021 on the basis of their successful registration to appear in JEE (Advanced) 2020.. This relaxation of existing eligibility criteria will be in addition to the proportionate relaxation of age bar.