The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially announced the exam and registration dates for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026. The Session 1 exam will take place from January 21 to 30, 2026 , with registration opening in October 2025 . The Session 2 exam is scheduled for April 1 to 10, 2026 , and its registration window will open in the last week of January 2026.
A significant change in the JEE Main 2026 registration process involves the auto-fetch feature for candidate details. Information such as name, date of birth, gender, photograph, and address will be automatically retrieved from UIDAI using Aadhaar authentication. This measure aims to streamline the application process and reduce data entry errors. Candidates will only need to manually enter details not available in Aadhaar, like their parents’ names. NTA has confirmed that applicants will have an option to edit details if there is a name mismatch between their Aadhaar card and Class 10th marksheet.
Concerns among students and parents regarding exam centre allocation based solely on Aadhaar address have been addressed. NTA clarified that previous advisories were misinterpreted. The agency confirmed its commitment to increasing the number of JEE Main exam cities to ensure wider reach and ease for engineering aspirants. Additionally, NTA plans to enhance facilities for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) candidates appearing in JEE Main 2026.
Key Dates for JEE Main 2026
|
Event |
Date |
|---|---|
|
JEE Main 2026 Registration Date for Session 1 |
October 2025 onwards |
|
JEE Mains Session 1 Exam Date |
Between January 21 to 30, 2026 |
|
JEE Main Session 2 Registration Date |
Last week of January 2026 onwards |
|
JEE Main Exam Date for Session 2 2026 |
Between April 1 to 10, 2026 |
JEE Main 2026 Application Process
To apply for the examination, candidates must follow these steps:
- Registration: Visit jeemain.nta.nic.in. Click on the JEE Main 2026 application form link and register as a ‘New Candidate’.
- Form-Filling: Log in with registered details and complete the application form section by section.
- Document Upload and Fee Payment: Upload required documents, including scanned images of photo and signature, and pay the application fee online.
Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must meet specific requirements to be eligible for JEE Main 2026:
- Applicants must be Indian citizens. Foreign Nationals, NRIs, PIOs, and OCIs are also eligible.
- Candidates must have completed or be appearing in their Class 12 examinations.
- There is no age limit for JEE Mains.
- No minimum marks are required in Class 12 to appear for the exam.
- Candidates can attempt the JEE Mains exam for three consecutive years from their Class 12 passing year.
Benefits of Multiple Sessions
The bi-annual format of the JEE Main exam offers several advantages:
- Candidates receive two opportunities to improve their scores.
- If a candidate misses one session, they have another chance without waiting a full year.
- The best score from the two sessions will be considered for ranking.
Expected Application Fee
The JEE Main registration fee is determined by gender, category, and exam city. While official 2026 fees are pending, they are expected to remain consistent with the previous year. For 2025, male candidates from the Unreserved/EWS/OBC category paid Rs 1,000 (India) or Rs 5,000 (outside India). Female candidates in the same categories paid Rs 800 (India) or Rs 4,000 (outside India). SC/ST/PwD/Transgender candidates paid Rs 500 (India) or Rs 2,500 (outside India).
Important Reminders
NTA advises candidates to prepare necessary documents in advance and submit their applications early to avoid last-minute technical issues. The agency strictly warns against submitting multiple application forms. Once the registration period closes, NTA will open a form correction window, allowing edits to details such as exam city, educational information, paper choice, and category.