The National Testing Agency (NTA) has commenced online registration for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026 Session 1. JEE Main is a national-level entrance examination for undergraduate engineering and architecture admissions. Candidates can apply on the official website, jeemain.nta.nic.in. The application window for Session 1 closes on November 27 . Session 1 exams will run from January 21 to 30 , while Session 2 dates are revised to April 2 to 9 .
Application and Key Dates
The application deadline for JEE Main 2026 Session 1 is November 27, 2025 . All fee payments must be completed by 11:50 pm on this date. The NTA will declare results for Session 1 by February 12, 2026 .
Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must have qualified Class 12 or an equivalent examination in the last three years to be eligible for JEE Main 2026. There is no upper age limit for applicants.
Virtual Calculator Policy
The NTA has clarified that a virtual calculator will not be permitted during JEE Main 2026. The agency stated that an earlier mention of virtual calculator use in the information bulletin was a “typographical error.”
JEE Main 2026 Exam Pattern Overview
JEE Main 2026 features two distinct papers. Paper 1 is for Bachelor of Engineering (BE) and Bachelor of Technology (BTech) courses. Paper 2 caters to Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) and Bachelor of Planning (BPlanning) courses. Both papers include Section A (Multiple Choice Questions) and Section B (Numerical Answers).
Detailed Exam Structure
The specific breakdown of subjects and questions for each paper is as follows:
| Course | Subjects / Parts | Section A (MCQs) | Section B (Numerical) | Total Questions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BE / BTech (Paper 1) | Physics Mathematics Chemistry |
20 | 5 (Attempt 5 out of 10) | 75 (25 per subject) |
| BArch (Paper 2) | Part I – Mathematics | 20 | 5 (Attempt 5 out of 10) | 77 (25 Maths, 50 Aptitude, 2 Drawing) |
| Part II – Aptitude Test | 50 | |||
| Part III – Drawing Test | 2 questions | |||
| BPlanning (Paper 2) | Part I – Mathematics | 20 | 5 (Attempt 5 out of 10) | 100 (25 Maths, 50 Aptitude, 25 Planning) |
| Part II – Aptitude Test | 50 | |||
| Part III – Planning | 25 |
For BE/BTech (Paper 1), Physics, Mathematics, and Chemistry each contain 20 MCQs and 10 numerical questions (5 to be attempted). This totals 75 questions, with 25 questions per subject.
BArch (Paper 2) includes Part I Mathematics (20 MCQs, 5 numerical out of 10), Part II Aptitude Test (50 objective questions), and Part III Drawing Test (two questions).
BPlanning (Paper 2) consists of Part I Mathematics (20 MCQs, 5 numerical out of 10), Part II Aptitude Test (50 objective questions), and Part III Planning (25 objective questions).
Expanded Exam City Network
The NTA has expanded the number of JEE Main exam cities for 2026. The examination will now be conducted in 323 cities , an increase from 284 previously.
CBSE Coordination for Scheduling
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has asked its affiliated schools to share Class 11 registration details with the NTA. This aims to prevent scheduling conflicts between JEE Main exams and the CBSE Class 12 board exams in 2026.