Overview
▼ What is the JEE Main Exam for?
The Joint Entrance Examination (Main), commonly known as JEE Main, is a national-level competitive entrance examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. It serves as the primary gateway for admission to undergraduate engineering and architecture programmes at some of India's most prestigious institutions.
JEE Main is conducted for two papers. Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) is held for admission to Bachelor of Engineering and Bachelor of Technology programmes at National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and other Government-Funded Technical Institutions (GFTIs) across India. Paper 2 is divided into Paper 2A (B.Arch) and Paper 2B (B.Planning), which are conducted for admission to Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Planning programmes respectively.
In addition to serving as a direct admission test, JEE Main also functions as a qualifying examination for JEE Advanced — the entrance test for the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). Only the top 2,50,000 rank holders in JEE Main Paper 1 are eligible to appear for JEE Advanced. The examination is conducted twice a year (Session 1 in January and Session 2 in April), and candidates may appear in one or both sessions, with the best score considered for ranking purposes.
▼ JEE Main 2026 Highlights
The table below provides a concise overview of the key features and parameters of the JEE Main 2026 examination:
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Exam Name | Joint Entrance Examination (Main) |
| Short Exam Name | JEE Main |
| Conducting Body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Frequency of Conduct | Twice a year (Session 1: January; Session 2: April) |
| Exam Level | National Level Exam |
| Mode of Application | Online |
| Mode of Examination | Computer-Based Test (CBT) — Online |
| Papers | Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) · Paper 2A (B.Arch) · Paper 2B (B.Planning) |
| Subjects (Paper 1) | Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics |
| Exam Duration | 3 Hours (for all papers) |
| Exam Timing | Shift 1: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM · Shift 2: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM |
| Total Marks (Paper 1) | 300 marks |
| Total Marks (Paper 2) | 400 marks |
| Languages | English, Hindi, Urdu, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu (13 languages) |
| Exam Centres | 323 cities (including 15 cities abroad) |
| Participating Colleges | 2,142+ (NITs, IIITs, GFTIs and other institutions) |
| Mode of Counselling | Online (via JoSAA / CSAB) |
| Official Website | jeemain.nta.nic.in |
▼ JEE Main 2026 Important Dates
JEE Main 2026 is conducted in two sessions. Session 1 was held in January 2026, while Session 2 is scheduled for April 2026. The official notification was released by NTA on October 31, 2025. The key dates for both sessions are listed below:
Session 1 — January 2026
- Application Start: October 31, 2025
- Application Last Date: November 27, 2025 (9:00 PM)
- Fee Payment Deadline: November 27, 2025 (11:50 PM)
- Admit Card Release: January 2026 (tentative)
- Exam Dates: January 21 – 30, 2026
- Result Declaration: February 12, 2026 (tentative)
Session 2 — April 2026
- Application Window: February – March 2026
- City Intimation Slip: March 21, 2026 (released)
- Admit Card Release: Last week of March 2026
- Exam Dates (Paper 1): April 2 – 6, 2026 & April 8, 2026
- Exam Dates (Paper 2A/2B): April 7, 2026
- Result Declaration: April/May 2026 (tentative)
Note: Candidates must apply separately for Session 1 and Session 2. Different exam centres may be chosen for each session. All dates are subject to change; candidates are advised to check the official website at jeemain.nta.nic.in for the latest updates.
▼ JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria
The National Testing Agency has released the JEE Main 2026 eligibility criteria along with the official notification. Candidates who qualify the Class 10+2 exam from a recognised board can apply for the JEE Main 2026 exam. The eligibility requirements cover educational qualifications, age limit, number of attempts, and the year of passing the qualifying examination.
| Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
| Educational Qualification | Passed Class 12 or equivalent with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as compulsory subjects from a recognised board. |
| Appearing Candidates | Candidates currently appearing in Class 12 (or equivalent) in 2025–26 are also eligible to apply. |
| Minimum Marks in Class 12 | General/EWS/OBC-NCL: 75% aggregate or top 20 percentile of their board. SC/ST/PwD: 65% aggregate. (Required for admission to NITs/IIITs/GFTIs, not for appearing in JEE Main.) |
| Age Limit | No upper age limit. General/EWS/OBC-NCL: born on/after 1 Oct 2001. SC/ST/PwD: born on/after 1 Oct 1996. |
| Number of Attempts | Maximum 3 consecutive years × 2 sessions/year = up to 6 attempts total. |
| Year of Passing Class 12 | Passed in 2024 or 2025, or appearing in 2026. Those who passed before 2024 are not eligible. |
| Nationality | Indian nationals, NRI, OCI, PIO, and foreign nationals are all eligible. |
| Eligibility for JEE Advanced | Must be among the top 2,50,000 rank holders in JEE Main Paper 1. |
Note: Candidates should carefully check these criteria before filling out the application form to ensure they meet all requirements. Providing false information may result in cancellation of candidature.
▼ JEE Main 2026 Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme
Understanding the exam pattern is the first and most important step in preparing for JEE Main. The NTA has maintained a consistent pattern over the years. For the 2026 session, the exam pattern for all three papers is as follows. Notably, from 2025 onwards, the option of selecting 5 out of 10 questions in Section B has been removed — candidates must now attempt all 5 compulsory numerical questions per subject in Paper 1.
Paper 1 — B.E./B.Tech
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Test Duration | 3 hours (180 minutes) |
| Subjects | Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics |
| Language of Examination | English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu |
| Type of Questions | Section A: 20 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) per subject Section B: 5 Numerical Value Questions (compulsory) per subject |
| Questions per Subject | 25 (20 MCQs + 5 Numerical) |
| Total Questions | 75 (all compulsory) |
| Marks per Subject | 100 |
| Total Marks | 300 |
| Marking Scheme (MCQs) | +4 for correct answer; −1 for incorrect answer; 0 for unattempted |
| Marking Scheme (Numerical) | +4 for correct answer; 0 for incorrect/unattempted (no negative marking) |
Paper 2A — B.Arch & Paper 2B — B.Planning
| Part | Paper 2A (B.Arch) | Paper 2B (B.Planning) |
|---|---|---|
| Part I — Mathematics (20 MCQs + 5 Numerical) | 25 questions = 100 marks | 25 questions = 100 marks |
| Part II — Aptitude Test (50 MCQs) | 50 questions = 200 marks | 50 questions = 200 marks |
| Part III — Drawing Test (2 questions) | 2 questions = 100 marks | 25 questions = 100 marks |
| Total Marks | 400 marks | 400 marks |
| Duration | 3 hours | 3 hours |
Tie-Breaking Policy (Paper 1 — B.Tech): When candidates obtain equal NTA scores, the tie is resolved in the following order: (1) NTA score in Mathematics, (2) NTA score in Physics, (3) NTA score in Chemistry, (4) Candidates with fewer incorrect responses in the paper.
▼ JEE Main 2026 Registration Fee
The JEE Main 2026 application fee must be paid online at the time of form submission. NTA has released the fee structure for JEE Main 2026. Candidates can pay the fee using Credit Card, Debit Card, Net Banking, or UPI. The fee varies based on category, gender, and exam centre location (India or outside India). GST and processing charges are additional and must be borne by the candidate.
| Category & Gender | Paper(s) | Exam Centres in India (₹) | Exam Centres Outside India (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General (Male) | Paper 1 or 2A or 2B (single) | ₹1,000 | ₹5,000 |
| General (Female) | Paper 1 or 2A or 2B (single) | ₹800 | ₹4,000 |
| Gen-EWS / OBC-NCL (Male) | Paper 1 or 2A or 2B (single) | ₹900 | ₹4,500 |
| Gen-EWS / OBC-NCL (Female) | Paper 1 or 2A or 2B (single) | ₹800 | ₹4,000 |
| SC / ST / PwD (Male & Female) | Paper 1 or 2A or 2B (single) | ₹500 | ₹2,500 |
| Third Gender | Paper 1 or 2A or 2B (single) | ₹500 | ₹3,000 |
| General / EWS / OBC-NCL (Male) | Multiple papers (any combination) | ₹2,000 | ₹10,000 |
| General / EWS / OBC-NCL (Female) | Multiple papers (any combination) | ₹1,600 | ₹8,000 |
| SC / ST / PwD (Male & Female) | Multiple papers (any combination) | ₹1,000 | ₹5,000 |
| Third Gender | Multiple papers (any combination) | ₹1,000 | ₹5,000 |
Note: GST and processing charges are additional and must be paid by the candidate. Candidates should fill in the application form carefully — only limited corrections will be allowed during the correction window. Submitting multiple application forms may result in cancellation of candidature.
▼ JEE Main 2026 Cutoff
The JEE Main 2026 cutoff will be officially released by NTA along with the final result after Session 2. The cutoff is the minimum percentile score required to qualify for admission to participating institutes or to be eligible for JEE Advanced. It is important to note that the qualifying cutoff (for JEE Advanced eligibility) and the admission cutoff (for NIT/IIIT/GFTI seat allotment) are two different benchmarks.
JEE Main 2026 — Expected Qualifying Cutoff (Category-wise)
| Category | JEE Main 2026 Expected Cutoff (Percentile) |
|---|---|
| General (UR) | 93 – 95 |
| OBC-NCL | 80 – 82 |
| EWS | 80 – 82 |
| SC | 60 – 62 |
| ST | 47 – 49 |
| Persons with Disability (PwD) | 0.001 – 0.01 (historically very low) |
Previous Year JEE Main Qualifying Cutoff (General Category)
| Year | General (UR) Percentile Cutoff |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 93.1023262 |
| 2024 | 93.2362181 |
| 2023 | 91.0000000 |
| 2022 | 100.0000000 |
| 2021 | 87.8992241 |
| 2020 | 90.3765335 |
JEE Main 2025 Qualifying Cutoff (All Categories)
| Category | JEE Main Cutoff 2025 (Percentile) |
|---|---|
| General | 93.1023262 |
| EWS | 80.3830119 |
| OBC-NCL | 79.4313582 |
| SC | 61.1526933 |
| ST | 47.9026465 |
| Persons with Disability (PwD) | 0.0079349 |
Note: The JEE Main 2026 qualifying cutoff will be officially announced after the completion of Session 2 (April 2026). The expected cutoff figures above are based on analysis of previous year trends and exam difficulty levels. Candidates are advised to aim for scores well above the cutoff to improve their chances of admission to top NITs and IIITs.