The number of candidates registering for the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE)-Advanced after clearing the JEE-Main has seen picking up from 61.5 per cent in 2022 to 76 per cent in 2023. This is a considerable jump after witnessing a gradual drop in number of candidates registering for JEE Advanced from 2014 to 2022.

As the registration window for JEE Advanced completed on Monday, out of a total of 2.5 lakh candidates who qualified for the exam, close to 1.9 lakh have registered for the entrance test for admission to the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IITs). Out of these 1.46 lakh are boys whereas 44,000 are girls, according to information provided by IIT Guwahati, which is organising IIT for the JEE Advanced this year.

A total of 1.9 lakh boys had qualified for JEE Advanced, however, only 1.46 lakh registered for the test. Whereas the total number of girls who had qualified was 60,000 and only 44,000 registered for the JEE Advanced. A little over 100 foreign nationals have registered for the JEE Advanced whereas around 400 Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) candidates have registered for the June 4 test. There are no test centres in foreign countries. All candidates will have to appear for the test in designated exam centres in India.

Bishnupada Mandal, Chairman for the JEE Advanced 2023, told The Indian Express: “Even as the number of students registering for JEE Advanced continues to be lesser than those who qualify, in comparison with the previous years; the registrations have increased considerably. Last year out of 2.6 lakh candidates who qualified, only 1.6 lakh had registered for the JEE Advanced. This year, the number of students who qualified has dropped, whereas the number of students registering for the JEE Advanced has increased, compared to last year.”

In the past nine years, the number as well as percentage of students was lowest in 2021 when only 1.5 lakh of the 2.6 lakh eligible candidates — 58.1 per cent — registered to take the final examination, which would determine admissions to 23 IITs across the country. At 64.1 per cent, the previous year (2020) had 1.60 lakh students registering out of the 2.5 lakh who had passed the JEE-Main. A steady drop could also be noticed across the years at 79 per cent, 78.6 per cent, 77.4 per cent, 71.7 per cent, and 71.7 per cent in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, respectively.