More than 10,000 women have qualified for JEE Advanced for the first time in six years, marking a significant rise in female representation in the premier engineering entrance examination.

Of the 43,112 female candidates who registered for JEE Advanced 2026, 40,562 appeared in both papers and 10,107 qualified. The exam was conducted by IIT Roorkee on May 17.

Compared to the previous year, the qualification rate for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates rose by 9.8 percentage points. The rise was 8.1 percentage points for candidates from Scheduled Tribes (ST). In 2026, almost 15,856 SC candidates and 6,379 ST candidates met the requirements.

Women qualified in the IIT-JEE Advanced 2026 exam results

This year, women candidates saw a significant increase. Among registered female candidates, the qualification rate was 23.4%; among women who appeared in both papers, it was 24.9%, the highest percentage in 6 years. 

Currently, 17.76% of JEE Advanced 2026 qualifiers are women. Over a longer period, the growth is also apparent. 4,570 women were eligible in 2016. The number has increased by more than 121% during the past ten years, reaching 10,107 in 2026.

SC, ST candidates in JEE Advanced 2026 exam results

Of the 56,880 candidates that qualified for JEE Advanced 2026, SC and ST candidates together made up 22,235, or around 39 per cent. Additionally, the qualification rates for SC and ST were greater than those for the General category. Between 2025 and 2026, the General category qualification rate decreased from 43% to 39.8%.

Top female candidate in IIT JEE Advanced 2026 exam results

With 280 marks, the top-performing female candidate achieved All India Rank 77. She received marks of 93 in Chemistry, 86 in Physics, and 101 in Mathematics. The allocation of IIT seats has continued to reflect the increase in female representation.