JEE Main Exam Dates 2026 – NTA JEE Main Session 1 & Session 2 Schedule

JEE Main 2026 is a national-level engineering entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to NITs, IIITs, GFTIs, and other top engineering institutes in India. The exam will be held in two sessions—January and April 2026—allowing candidates to attempt twice, with the best score considered for ranking and eligibility for JEE Advanced.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will set the JEE Main 2026 exam in two shifts. The JEE Main 2026 first session will be conducted in January 2026, and the second session will be conducted in April 2026. The two sittings will provide the candidates with a chance to perform in two sittings and will alleviate the pressure, which means that the candidate will be able to score higher.

Students are allowed to appear in either a single session or both sessions and the highest score between the two attempts will be taken into consideration during the final ranking.

To be better prepared and plan better, candidates are encouraged to have a well-organized plan of study. You can also see our JEE Main Preparation Strategy and be properly guided.

JEE Main Exam Dates 2026 (Tentative Schedule)

As per the tentative schedule released by NTA, the expected session-wise exam dates are given below:

• JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Dates:
   21 January 2026 to 30 January 2026

• JEE Main 2026 Session 2 Dates:
   2 April 2026 to 9 April 2026

The exam will be conducted on multiple days and in multiple shifts. The exact date, shift, and exam centre details will be mentioned on the candidate’s admit card.

JEE Main Exam Dates 2026

With our extensive table detailing the JEE Main 2026 exam dates for the upcoming session in January, you can stay updated and prepare ahead of time. You may stay informed about important JEE Main exam dates 2026, such as registration deadlines, exam dates, results announcements, and more, by using this table. Make sure you are prepared for the JEE Main 2026 by putting these important dates on your calendar.

Events	Session 1 (January Session)	Session 2 (April Session)
JEE Main 2026 Notification	31st October 2025	1st week of February 2026
JEE Main 2026 Application Form Starts	31st October 2025	1st week of February 2026
JEE Main 2026 Application Form Ends	27th November 2025 (9:00 pm)	1st week of March 2026
Last Date to Pay Registration Fee	Till 27th November 2025 (11:50 pm)	1st week of March 2026
Application Correction Window	1st – 2nd week of December 2025	1st – 2nd week of March 2026
Advance City Intimation Slip	1st week of January 2026	3rd week of March 2026
JEE Main 2026 Admit Card	3rd week of January 2026 (3–4 days before exam)	3 days before the exam date
JEE Main 2026 Exam Dates	Between 21st and 30th January 2026	2nd – 9th April 2026
Provisional JEE Main 2026 Answer Key	January / February 2026	April 2026
Final JEE Main 2026 Answer Key	1st week of February 2026	2nd week of April 2026
JEE Main 2026 Result	By 12th February 2026	By 20th April 2026
JEE Main 2026 Counselling	May / June 2026

What is JEE Main 2026?

JEE Main 2026 is a national-level engineering entrance examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). It is held for admission to undergraduate engineering programs in NITs, IIITs, and other centrally funded technical institutions across India. JEE Main is also the qualifying exam for JEE Advanced, which is required for admission to IITs. The exam tests candidates in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.

The main features of JEE Main 2026 are broken down as follows:

• Eligibility: Students who have passed Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics (PCM) in Class 12 or its equivalent are eligible.
• Exam Structure: Two-phased examination, with Paper 1 for BE/BTech and Paper 2 for BArch and BPlan, conducted in January and April.
• Paper 1: There are 75 questions carrying a total of 300 marks, with 20 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and 5 numerical value type (NVT) questions in each of the subjects: Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
• Paper 2: BArch will have 77 questions, while BPlan will have 100 questions with a total of 400 marks. It emphasizes general aptitude, drawing, and mathematics.
• Exam Duration: 2 hours for Paper 2B (BPlan) and 3 hours for Papers 1 and 2A (BArch).
• Selection Process: JEE Advanced 2026 is the second step after clearing the JEE Main exam in the selection process for admission to IITs. The top 2,50,000 rankers will be eligible to appear for JEE Advanced 2026. Other candidates may apply for admission to participating NITs and other colleges using their JEE Main 2026 scores

JEE Main 2026 Exam Schedule

The table below illustrates the schedule of the JEE Main 2026 exam in detail. It gives the start times of the tests, directions, and admission times and has morning and afternoon sessions. This timetable should have a good and efficient exam day that all aspirants will enjoy.

Session	Morning Shift	Evening Shift
Exam Time	9:00 AM to 12:00 PM	3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Duration of Examination	3 Hours	3 Hours
Entry to Exam Hall	7:30 AM to 8:30 AM	2:00 PM to 2:30 PM
Instructions by the Invigilators	8:30 AM to 8:50 AM	2:30 PM to 2:50 PM
Candidates Log In	8:50 AM	2:50 PM
Test Starts	9:00 AM	3:00 PM

JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria- Who Can Apply?

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the official JEE Main eligibility criteria 2026 for students appearing for the exam. Before filling the application form, candidates must review the detailed eligibility requirements, such as educational qualification, age limit, number of attempts, and required subjects.

Below are The Key Requirements for JEE Main 2026

• Nationality: Candidates must be Indian citizens. Foreign Nationals, NRIs, PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin), and OCIs (Overseas Citizens of India) are also eligible to apply.
• Educational Qualification: Students who have passed or are appearing in Class 12 (or equivalent) in 2024, 2025, or 2026 are eligible.
• Age Limit: There is no age limit for appearing in the JEE Main 2026 exam. However, candidates must satisfy the age criteria of the institute they seek admission.
• Number of Attempts: Candidates can appear in JEE Main for three consecutive years from the year they pass Class 12.
• Minimum Marks: There is no minimum percentage requirement in Class 12 to appear for JEE Main.
• Exam Boards: The qualifying examination must be from a recognised Central or State Board (CBSE, ICSE, NIOS, or State Boards).
• JEE Main 75% Marks Rule: The 75% marks rule is not applicable for appearing in the JEE Main exam. However, to secure admission into NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs, candidates must score at least:
• 75% marks in Class 12 (for the General category) or
• 65% marks (for SC/ST category)

Conclusion

One of the important exams for the students wishing to join some of the best engineering and architecture institutes in India is JEE Main 2026. It is administered in two sessions, January and April 2026, where candidates are given the opportunity to take it twice and can get the highest score, where the best performance is taken into account in ranking. Knowledge of the entire examination program, eligibility, examination pattern and crucial dates enables the students to organize their preparation programs well ahead of time and prevent last-minute problems. As a regular method, the aspirants need to update themselves with the official NTA updates and exercise disciplined study and practice to appear in JEE Main 2026 and be eligible to get admission to their preferred colleges.

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