JEE Advanced AAT Eligibility 2027: Criteria and Rules

JEE Advanced AAT eligibility works as a chain. You can sit the Architecture Aptitude Test only if you have qualified in JEE (Advanced) of the same year, and you can take a B.Arch seat at an IIT only if you pass AAT and meet the Class XII performance rule. The rules on this page come from the JEE (Advanced) 2026 information brochure released by IIT Roorkee, the latest official version as of October 2026.

The year-based rules, such as the age cut-off date and the Class XII years, move forward by one year each cycle. This page shows the 2026 rules and explains each link in the chain, so you can check where you stand and what to confirm when the 2027 brochure is released.

Table of Contents

• AAT eligibility at a glance

• The eligibility chain for AAT

• JEE (Advanced) eligibility criteria

• Qualifying in JEE (Advanced)

• Class XII performance for admission

• Foreign nationals and OCI/PIO (F) candidates

• Who is not eligible

• Eligibility checklist before AAT registration

• Registration and documents

AAT Eligibility at a Glance

The Eligibility Chain for AAT

1. Be eligible for JEE (Advanced): Meet all five criteria listed below.

2. Qualify in JEE (Advanced): Score the category-wise minimum in each subject and in aggregate to be included in a rank list.

3. Register for and pass AAT: Register in the short window after the JEE (Advanced) result and be declared PASS.

4. Meet the Class XII rule: Satisfy the performance criterion to be admitted to an IIT.

JEE (Advanced) Eligibility Criteria

Indian nationals and OCI/PIO (I) candidates must meet every one of the five criteria at the same time. Foreign nationals follow a separate set of criteria in the brochure.

Criterion 1: Performance in JEE (Main)

You must be among the top 2,50,000 successful candidates, across all categories, in the B.E./B.Tech. paper of JEE (Main). This matters for architecture aspirants: the B.Arch paper of JEE (Main) does not make you eligible for JEE (Advanced) or AAT.

The shortlist is split by category: 10% GEN-EWS, 27% OBC-NCL, 15% SC, 7.5% ST and 40.5% OPEN, with 5% horizontal reservation for PwD candidates within each.

The total can be slightly higher when scores are tied. OCI/PIO (I) candidates are not eligible for category reservation except OPEN-PwD.

Criterion 2: Age limit

Criterion 3: Number of attempts

You can attempt JEE (Advanced) at most two times, in two consecutive years. Plan your AAT preparation with this in mind, because AAT can only be taken in a year you qualify in JEE (Advanced).

Criterion 4: Appearance in Class XII

For 2026, you must have appeared in Class XII (or equivalent) for the first time in 2025 or 2026, with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as compulsory subjects. Candidates who first appeared in 2024 or earlier were not eligible, with one exception in the brochure for boards that declared 2023-24 results on or after 18 June 2024.

Criterion 5: Earlier admission at IITs

You must not have been admitted to an IIT under any programme listed in the previous year's JoSAA business rules, whether or not you continued. Candidates who joined an IIT preparatory course for the first time in the previous year, and some candidates who were allotted a seat but did not report or withdrew before the last round, can still appear. Check the brochure for the exact cases.

Qualifying in JEE (Advanced)

Only candidates who reach the minimum percentage of marks in each subject and in aggregate are included in a rank list, and only they can register for AAT. The 2026 minimums were:

The brochure notes that the minimum aggregate percentage may be lowered later if required. You must also appear in both Paper 1 and Paper 2 to be ranked.

Class XII Performance for Admission

Passing AAT is not the last check. To be admitted to B.Arch at an IIT, you must meet at least one of these two criteria, with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as compulsory subjects:

• 75% rule: Pass Class XII with at least five subjects and at least 75% aggregate marks (65% for SC, ST and PwD candidates).

• Top 20 percentile rule: Pass Class XII with at least five subjects and be within the category-wise top 20 percentile of successful candidates of your board.

The aggregate is calculated on Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, one language (the higher-scoring one if you took more than one) and one other subject (the highest-scoring). Marks not out of 100 are scaled to 100, and all marksheets must come from the same board. The brochure confirms the same rule applies to B.Arch admission.

Foreign Nationals and OCI/PIO (F) Candidates

Foreign nationals and OCI/PIO (F) candidates follow a separate set of four criteria. They do not need to write JEE (Main) and may register for JEE (Advanced) directly, in addition to the 2,50,000 Indian national candidates.

• Age: Born on or after 1 October 2001 for 2026, with relaxation where a minimum stint in the armed forces is mandatory in the candidate's country.

• Attempts: A maximum of two attempts in two consecutive years.

• Class XII: First appearance in Class XII (or equivalent) in 2025 or 2026 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

• Earlier IIT admission: The same restriction on earlier IIT admission as for Indian nationals.

Seats for these candidates are supernumerary, limited to up to 10% of seats programme-wise, and allotted when their common rank list rank is the same as or better than the OPEN gender-neutral closing rank. B.Arch seats still require a PASS in AAT.

Who Is Not Eligible

• Outside the JEE (Main) shortlist: Candidates not in the top 2,50,000 of the B.E./B.Tech. paper, including those who took only the B.Arch paper of JEE (Main).

• Not qualified in JEE (Advanced): Candidates who missed a subject or aggregate minimum, or missed one of the two papers.

• Outside the age or Class XII window: Candidates born before the cut-off date or who first appeared in Class XII too early.

• Third attempt: Candidates who have already used two attempts.

• Did not register for AAT: Registration happens only in the short window after the result; missing it means you cannot sit AAT that year.

Eligibility Checklist Before AAT Registration

Run through this list as soon as the JEE (Advanced) result is out, because the AAT window is short.

The brochure does not ask for drawing as a school subject. The Class XII subject rule is about Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, and drawing ability is tested in the AAT paper itself.

Registration and Documents

AAT registration takes place on the JEE (Advanced) online portal. In 2026 it ran from 10:00 IST on 1 June to 17:00 IST on 2 June. No separate admit card is issued; you carry the printed JEE (Advanced) admit card and an original photo ID. PwD candidates who need compensatory time or a scribe must submit the form during registration.