Entrance Exam · Polytechnic Diploma · 2026 cycle

JEECUP — eligibility, test scheme, reservation & fees

Conducted by Joint Entrance Examination Council, Uttar Pradesh ·Official sources only ·Last checked 14 Oct 2026

The Uttar Pradesh Joint Entrance Examination (Polytechnic), run by the Joint Entrance Examination Council since 1986-87, fills diploma seats in UP's government, aided and private polytechnics. This page follows the 2026 information brochure; the 2027 brochure had not been published when it was checked.

Conducted by
Joint Entrance Examination Council, UP (Lucknow) [1]
Engineering diploma
Class 10 with at least 35% · age 14+ [1]
Paper
100 MCQs · 400 marks · 2 hours 30 minutes [1]
Fee per application
₹300 · ₹200 SC/ST [1]
Mapped Institutions & Degrees439 verified institutions · by state & city

Polytechnic Diploma (all engineering branches)State polytechnic admission after Class 10 (merit or entrance)

Andhra Pradesh16
Assam12
Bihar17
Chhattisgarh8
Delhi NCR5
Gujarat16
Haryana33
Jammu & Kashmir8
Jharkhand15
Karnataka7
Kerala25
Madhya Pradesh18
Maharashtra32
Meghalaya1
Odisha19
Punjab25
Rajasthan43
Tamil Nadu24
Uttar Pradesh57
Uttarakhand50
West Bengal8
Compare all Polytechnic Diploma (all engineering branches) colleges in the finder
01 Overview & governing authority

One council, one online test, every UP polytechnic

JEECUP is conducted by the Joint Entrance Examination Council, Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow), which has held the state's polytechnic entrance since 1986-87. Its merit list and online counselling fill diploma seats in engineering, pharmacy, design, management and second-year lateral entry across government, aided and private polytechnics. [1]

JEECUP 2026 calendar (brochure; dates can change) [1]

JEECUP 2026 calendar (brochure; dates can change)
StepDate
Online applications15 Jan – 30 Apr 2026
Corrections to the form26 – 30 Apr 2026
Admit cards8 May 2026
Entrance tests (all groups, online)15 – 22 May 2026
Result30 May 2026
Online counselling opens1 Jun 2026
Last date for admission through counselling31 Jul 2026

Watch jeecup.admissions.nic.in for the 2027 brochure; the rules below are the 2026 ones. [1]

02 Academic eligibility

Class 10 with 35% for engineering — Class 12 for pharmacy and lateral entry

Main course groups (Table-1 of the 2026 brochure) [1]

Main course groups (Table-1 of the 2026 brochure)
GroupCourseLengthMinimum qualificationTest subjects
ADiploma in engineering / technology3 yearsClass 10 with at least 35%Mathematics 50% · Physics and Chemistry 50%
BAgricultural engineering3 yearsClass 10 with at least 35%Mathematics 50% · Physics and Chemistry 50%
CFashion design, home science, textile design and similar2–3 yearsClass 10 with at least 35%English and Hindi comprehension 20% · Reasoning 50% · General awareness 30%
DModern office management, library and information science2 yearsIntermediate (10+2)Comprehension 30% · Reasoning 35% · Numerical ability 10% · General awareness 25%
EDiploma in Pharmacy2 yearsIntermediate with Physics and Chemistry plus Mathematics or BiologyPhysics and Chemistry 50% · Biology or Mathematics 50%
GPost-graduate diplomas (computer application, marketing and others)1–2 yearsGraduateComprehension 20% · Numerical 15% · Reasoning 30% · Intelligence 20% · General awareness 15%
  • Group K — lateral entry to the second year: High School plus a matching ITI trade, or Intermediate with vocational / technical subjects or science. Up to 10% of each course's intake is open to lateral entry, and these students must also clear the first-year subjects set for them.
  • Age: at least 14 years on 1 July 2026 (born on or before 1 July 2012); Group I courses need 16. The brochure sets no upper age limit.
  • Health: a doctor's fitness certificate is needed before admission; Group I (aeronautical) also needs freedom from colour blindness.
  • Students sitting their qualifying exam in 2026 may apply, but must show the pass certificate at counselling. [1]
03 Exam scheme & marking matrix

100 questions, 4 marks each, 2½ hours on a computer

Every JEECUP 2026 paper [1]

Every JEECUP 2026 paper
ItemRule
ModeOnline computer-based test, questions shown in Hindi and English
Questions100 multiple-choice questions, four options, one correct
Marks4 for each correct answer — 400 in all
Duration2 hours 30 minutes
Wrong or two-answer questionsFull 4 marks to everyone who attempted it
  • The brochure prints no deduction for a wrong answer, and questions can be marked for review before submitting.
  • A mock test opens on the portal two days before the exam.
  • Choose four exam districts in order of preference; the council may allot any district. Reach the centre two hours early for biometric registration — only a black or blue ball pen is allowed, and calculators and phones are banned. [1]
04 Reservation & category quotas

UP's vertical quotas plus four horizontal ones

Reservation in diploma admissions through JEECUP 2026 [1]

Reservation in diploma admissions through JEECUP 2026
CategoryShare of seats in each course
Scheduled Caste21%
Scheduled Tribe2%
Other Backward Class27%
EWS10%
Dependents of freedom fighters (horizontal)up to 2%
Sons and daughters of UP defence personnel (horizontal)up to 5%
Persons with disabilities (horizontal)up to 5%
Women (horizontal)up to 20%
  • Only one horizontal reservation can be used.
  • A reservation certificate in the council's format must be shown at counselling; if it is missing or the claim is false, the seat is cancelled and the candidate is not moved to another category.
  • Vimukt jatis get no reservation and cannot claim it as Scheduled Tribe. [1]
05 Registration steps & fees

Up to three applications, ₹300 each

  • Step 1 — Register on jeecup.admissions.nic.in with your Aadhaar number (it is used to download the admit card) and a working mobile number and e-mail for OTPs.
  • Step 2 — Pick groups: Group A, Group E and one of the other groups (B, C, D, F, G, H, I, K1–K8, L) — at most three applications, each paid for separately.
  • Step 3 — Pay online by net banking, debit or credit card or UPI, and choose four exam districts.
  • Step 4 — Correct the form in the correction window if needed, then download the admit card and carry it with Aadhaar or another photo ID. [1]

JEECUP 2026 application fee [1]

JEECUP 2026 application fee
CategoryFee per application
General / OBC₹300
SC / ST₹200

Bank charges are extra and the fee is not refunded in any case. [1]

06 Career horizons & mapped institutions

From a UP polytechnic diploma into B.Tech

An engineering diploma with at least 45% (40% for SC/ST) lets a student join the second year of B.Tech in AKTU-affiliated colleges through UPTAC lateral-entry counselling; a pharmacy diploma does the same for B.Pharm. [2]

07 Official sources & verification

Where these facts come from

Every fact on this page is taken from the official files below, read on 14 October 2026. Exam bodies change rules, fees and dates every cycle — open the current bulletin before you apply.

  1. JEECUP — Information Brochure, UP Joint Entrance Examination (Polytechnic) 2026 (Hindi) (opens in a new tab) council history, timetable, course groups, eligibility, age, exam pattern and marking, reservation, application steps and fee · Last checked 14 Oct 2026
  2. AKTU — UPTAC Information Brochure 2026-27 (opens in a new tab) lateral entry to B.Tech / B.Pharm for diploma holders · Last checked 14 Oct 2026

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