Can I get admission to IITs based on my JEE Main exam score?

Yes, admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) is based on the scores obtained in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main. However, there are several factors and criteria that need to be considered in the admission process. Let's break down the details:

JEE Main Exam
- JEE Main is a national-level entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to undergraduate engineering programs in various institutions, including the IITs.
- It consists of two papers: Paper 1 for B.E./B.Tech courses and Paper 2 for B.Arch/B.Planning courses.
- The exam is conducted in online (computer-based) as well as offline (pen and paper-based) mode.

Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible for admission to the IITs, candidates must meet certain criteria, including age limit, educational qualifications, and number of attempts.
- Candidates must have passed their 10+2 or equivalent examination with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as compulsory subjects.
- They must have scored a minimum of 75% aggregate marks (65% for SC/ST candidates) or be in the top 20 percentile of their respective boards.

JEE Main Score
- The JEE Main score is used for shortlisting candidates for the JEE Advanced exam, which is the second stage of the IIT admission process.
- The JEE Main score is calculated based on the raw marks obtained by the candidates in each subject (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics).
- The raw marks are then normalized to calculate the NTA score, which is used for ranking the candidates.
- The final JEE Main score is the percentile obtained by the candidate, which determines their ranking among all the test takers.

JEE Advanced Exam
- Only the top 2,50,000 candidates (including all categories) who qualify the JEE Main are eligible to appear for the JEE Advanced exam.
- JEE Advanced is a more competitive exam and is conducted by one of the IITs.
- The final admission to the IITs is based on the scores obtained in the JEE Advanced exam, along with other eligibility criteria such as age, category, and medical fitness.

Counselling and Seat Allocation
- After the JEE Advanced exam, a centralized counseling process called JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) is conducted for seat allocation in the IITs and other participating institutions.
- Candidates are required to register, fill in their choices of courses and colleges, and participate in the counseling process.
- Seats are allocated based on the JEE Advanced ranks, category, and available vacancies in the desired courses.

In conclusion, while the JEE Main exam score is an important factor in the admission process to the IITs, it is not the sole criteria. The final admission is based on the JEE Advanced exam score, along with other eligibility criteria and the counseling process.