JEE Advanced 2025: Students drop out of BTech courses, join coaching only to see third-attempt decision axed

NEW DELHI: In the first week of November, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur announced that from 2025 onwards, students would get three attempts at the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced. Soon after, Mithin Mondal, 19, dropped out of University of Calcutta’s BTech in opto-electronic engineering programme.

Mondal had already written the JEE Advanced twice – in 2023 and 2024 as the two attempts must be consecutive – without clearing. Having exhausted both chances at a seat in an IIT, he enrolled in Calcutta University’s technology campus in August. The Joint Admission Board - IIT Kanpur’s announcement of the JEE Advanced third attempt brought new hope and Mondal abandoned the programme he had joined. Then, on November 18, less than two weeks after the announcement, the Joint Admission Board (JAB) withdrew the decision, reverting to the existing two-attempt policy plunging Mondal and others into crisis.

“The course just started in October and after seeing the notification, I dropped out to prepare for JEE Advanced,” Mondal told Careers360. “ I enrolled in the college in August and didn't register for semester exams which were announced a few days ago. To prepare for JEE, I have requested a seat withdrawal approval as well and because the third round of counseling for WBJEE was still happening in November, my seat has already been taken. Now that the third attempt notification has been reversed, I don’t know what to do.”

Tanya Saxena had enrolled in BTech electrical and electronics engineering in JSS Academy of Technical Education, Noida, in September. “After the notification, I stopped attending classes which made me ineligible for the final semester examinations. I have been detained from internals because of low attendance,” said Saxena, originally from Agra. She, like Mondal, had written the IIT JEE Advanced twice.

While most of them took less drastic steps than Mondal and Saxena, a large number of students –Careers360 spoke to about a dozen – have spent thousands on JEE Advanced coaching, expecting another chance at an IIT seat. They now plan to move court against the Joint Admission Board’s decision to scrap the JEE Advanced third attempt it introduced on November 5.

Announced on Monday, the IIT JEE Advanced 2025 exam date is May 18, 2025 . Registration will begin only after the second session of JEE Main 2025.

Thousands spent on JEE Advanced 2025 coaching

Mondal has also invested Rs 87,000 in an online crash course for JEE Advanced preparation. Saxena spent Rs 5,000 on an online IIT JEE coaching and books for preparation.

In the notification restoring the JEE Advanced attempt limit to two and posted on jeeadv.ac.in, the JAB said: “This has been done after considering various competing requirements in the meeting of JAB held on November 15, 2024. This has resulted in restoring the earlier eligibility criteria followed since 2013. All other eligibility criteria remain the same.”

But by then, Neha Gupta had already spent Rs 10,000 on an online course and Aditya Kumar had borrowed money to buy books and join coaching.

Anmol Sharma, 19, from Auraiya in Uttar Pradesh, too, had shelled out Rs 4,000 on an online course. Having completed Class 12 in 2023, Sharma had appeared for JEE Main and JEE Advanced in 2023 and 2024 without success.

“In my town, completing 12th is a significant achievement. I learnt about competitive exams through peers and hoped to secure a good college. Since I couldn’t, I thought about trying again next year,” he said. “Double droppers weren't allowed to write the exam. But they reversed it in the notification. Many students have dropped out of their colleges and have invested a good amount of money in coaching courses. Some among them are from low-income backgrounds.”

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JEE Advanced Third-Attempt: Students drop out

Student community leader Utkarsh said: “Students have left top engineering institutes like National Institute of Technology (NITs), top state government colleges and many private institutions which now wouldn't allow them back. And even if they do, students have missed their mid semester exams and practicals, potentially forcing them to repeat a semester or an entire year,” he said.

Priyadarshan S left his BTech in EEE course at Anna University’s Trichy campus. “After I saw the notification, I requested withdrawal of my admission and vacated the hostel, only to see the move revoked. It just left me hanging,” he said.

JEE Advanced Attempt Limit: Call for Reconsideration

The reversal of the third attempt has impacted many students. “The reversal has had a huge impact on students both emotionally and mentally. Many students like me saw a ray of hope of last chance to achieve their dream of studying in prestigious IITs. But now it's no more. The notification caused a panic in students,” said Utkarsh, who doesn’t use a last name.

Many students have also reached out to the Ministry of Higher Education and JAB committee at IIT Kanpur, with no response.

Students demand a third attempt only for this year due to the havoc caused by the JAB’s policy flip-flop. They also plan to file a public interest litigation in court seeking the reinstatement of the third attempt and are asking those affected to get in touch via the email id, divyansh.rawat777@gmail.com.

“We demand that there should be a reconsideration of JEE Advanced attempt policy and the third attempt should be initiated atleast for this year,” stated Utkarsh.

Note: The email address included in this story has been published with the explicit permission of its owner and on the request of the students.