National Testing Agency (NTA)
JEE Main 2026 is a national level entrance exam conducted by NTA for admission into NITs, IIITs, and other engineering colleges in India. Check exam dates, eligibility, exam pattern, and admission process.
Exam Name
Joint Entrance Examination (Main)
Conducting Body
National Testing Agency (NTA) / JEE Apex Board (JAB)
Exam Level
National UG exam for B.Tech, B.Arch, B.Plan
Frequency
Twice a year (January and April)
Mode
CBT for BE/B.Tech/B.Plan; Drawing section of B.Arch in PBT
Duration
3 hours (B.Tech/B.Arch/B.Plan), 3.5 hours for B.Arch + B.Plan, 4 hours for PwD
Papers & Marks
Paper 1 (B.Tech) 300; Paper 2A (B.Arch) 400; Paper 2B (B.Plan) 400
Marking Scheme
+4 correct, -1 incorrect, 0 unattempted
Languages
English, Hindi, Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil, Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Odia, Telugu, Urdu
Scores Accepted
Qualifying exam for NITs, IIITs, GFTIs; gateway to JEE Advanced
Exam Centres
400 cities in India, 24 outside India
| Official notification | October 19, 2025 |
| Application form release | October 31, 2025 |
| Application window | October 31 – November 27, 2025 (9:00 PM) |
| Fee payment deadline | November 27, 2025 (11:50 PM) |
| Form correction | December 1 – 2, 2025 |
| City slip | January 8, 2026 |
| Admit card | January 17, 2026 |
| Exam dates | Paper 1: Jan 21, 22, 23, 24 & 28, 2026 | Paper 2: Jan 29, 2026 |
| Provisional answer key | By February 4, 2026 |
| Result | February 12, 2026 |
Status: Session 1 exam completed. Answer key released on February 4, 2026. Results will be announced by February 12, 2026.
| Notification + applications | February 1, 2026 |
| Application deadline | February 25, 2026 |
| Form correction | February/March 2026 |
| City slip | March 2026 |
| Admit card | March/April 2026 |
| Exam dates | April 2 – 9, 2026 |
| Answer key | April 2026 |
| Result | April 2026 |
Note: Session 2 registration will open in February 2026. Candidates can attempt both sessions, and the best score will be considered for final ranking.
| Paper | Sections | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (B.Tech/B.E) | Section A (MCQ) + Section B (NAT) in Physics, Chemistry, Maths | 300 | 180 minutes |
| Paper | Sections | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 2A (B.Arch) | Section A (MCQ) Maths & Aptitude, Drawing; Section B (NAT) Maths | 400 | 180 minutes |
| Paper 2B (B.Plan) | Section A (MCQ) Maths, Aptitude, Planning; Section B (NAT) Maths | 400 | 180 minutes |
JEE Main syllabus is based on the Class 11 and Class 12 syllabus covering Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Candidates should refer to the official NTA syllabus for detailed topics.
Mathematics
CorePhysics
CoreChemistry
CorePhysical
Inorganic
Organic
B.Arch Aptitude & Drawing
Paper 2ADrawing
Sketching scenes and activities from memory (urban, landscape, rural contexts).
B.Plan Planning
Paper 2BNote: The city slip is informational only. It shows your assigned exam city, but the exact exam centre will be mentioned in your admit card.
Important: Carry a printed copy of your admit card and a valid photo ID to the exam centre. Entry is strictly prohibited without these documents.
NTA releases a provisional answer key, accepts challenges, then publishes the final key along with results.
Important: Session 1 registration is now closed. Session 2 registration will open on February 1, 2026. Keep all documents ready for quick registration.
Yes, candidates can appear in both sessions. Your best percentile score across the two sessions will be considered for final ranking and admissions. It's recommended to attempt both sessions to maximize your chances.
JEE Main is conducted by NTA for admission to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. JEE Advanced is conducted by IITs for admission to IITs, ISM, and IISc. To appear for JEE Advanced, you must first qualify JEE Main and be among the top 2.5 lakh rank holders.
Candidates can appear for JEE Main in three consecutive years after passing Class 12. There is no age limit for appearing in JEE Main, but specific age criteria may apply for admission to certain institutes like NITs.
There is no specific qualifying percentile for JEE Main itself. However, for admission to NITs/IIITs/GFTIs, candidates must have 75% marks in Class 12 (65% for SC/ST) or be in the top 20 percentile of their board. For JEE Advanced eligibility, you need to be in top 2.5 lakh in JEE Main.
During the correction window (typically 1-2 days after registration closes), you can change exam city preferences. However, the final exam centre within your city is assigned by NTA and cannot be changed. Check your city intimation slip and admit card for exact centre details.
Some of the top institutions accepting JEE Main scores include: