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By Atul Harsha, Content Manager
JEE Main exam is one of the major national-level engineering entrances in India. JEE Main stands for Joint Entrance Examination (Main), and it is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The examination is used for admission to undergraduate engineering programs such as B.E. and B.Tech. at NITs, IIITs and other participating institutions. It also serves as an eligibility examination for JEE Advanced, used for admission to the IITs.
JEE Main and JEE Advanced are separate entrance examinations. JEE Main is used for admission to NITs, IIITs, CFTIs and other participating institutions. It is also an eligibility examination for JEE Advanced, which is used for admission to IITs.
JEE Main Paper 1 is a computer-based test covering Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. It contains multiple-choice questions and numerical-value questions. JEE Advanced is a separate examination with its own examination pattern.
If you are planning to pursue engineering after Class 12, JEE Main is one of the most important entrance exams you need to crack. The exam requires a combination of conceptual understanding, numerical ability, accuracy and time management.
The JEE Main exam is conducted in two sessions: Paper 1 for B.E./B.Tech. is held in January and April. You can appear in one or both sessions, based on the applicable application process and examination rules.
JEE Main is a national-level entrance examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). It is for admission to undergraduate engineering programs at prestigious central universities and other participating universities.
Paper 1 is the main paper for engineering aspirants. It is for admission to B.E. and B.Tech. programs, and it assesses candidates in three subjects: Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.
No. JEE Main is a separate examination that also works as a stepping stone in the IIT admission pathway. Performance in JEE Main is used to determine eligibility for JEE Advanced, subject to the conditions prescribed for that year. Apart from Paper 1, JEE Main also includes Paper 2A for B.Arch and Paper 2B for B.Planning.
JEE Main 2027 Session 1 dates are out; notification awaited
As of 13 October 2026NTA's examination calendar lists JEE Main 2027 Session 1 on 22, 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30 January 2027, with 31 January 2027 as a buffer date. NTA has marked these dates as tentative. The Session 2 dates and the JEE Main 2027 Information Bulletin are not out yet.
View the NTA examination calendar (PDF)NTA's examination calendar lists JEE Main 2027 Session 1 on 22, 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30 January 2027, with 31 January 2027 as a buffer date. NTA has marked these dates as tentative. The Session 2 dates are not announced yet. JEE Main was held in two sessions, January and April, in 2026. Whether 2027 follows the same plan will be confirmed in the official NTA notification, which is also not released yet.
For historical reference, JEE Main 2026 Session 1 (Paper 1) was held on January 21, 22, 23, 24 and 28, with Paper 2 for B.Arch/B.Planning on January 29. Session 2 was held on April 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8, 2026.
As a candidate, you must always check the official JEE Main website and NTA notices for the applicable year's application deadlines, correction windows, city intimation, admit card, and result dates.
| Dates | Upcoming Exam Events |
|---|---|
| Oct 2026 – Nov 2026 | JEE Main 2027 Session 1 RegistrationTentative |
| Dec 2026 | JEE Main 2027 Session 1 Correction WindowTentative |
| Jan 2027 | JEE Main 2027 Session 1 City SlipTentative |
| Jan 2027 | JEE Main 2027 Session 1 Admit CardTentative |
| 22 – 30 Jan 2027 | JEE Main 2027 Session 1 Exam |
| Feb 2027 | JEE Main 2027 Session 2 RegistrationTentative |
| Feb 2027 | JEE Main 2027 Session 1 Answer KeyTentative |
| Feb 2027 | JEE Main 2027 Session 1 ResultTentative |
| Dates | Past Exam Events |
|---|---|
| 10 Jun – 25 Jul 2026 | JEE Main 2026 JoSAA Seat Allotment |
| 20 Apr 2026 | JEE Main 2026 Session 2 Result & AIR |
| 12 – 14 Apr 2026 | JEE Main 2026 Session 2 Answer Key |
| Particulars | JEE Main Details |
|---|---|
| Exam name | Joint Entrance Examination (Main) |
| Commonly known as | JEE Main |
| Conducting body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Exam level | National level |
| Main purpose | Engineering and specified undergraduate admissions |
| Engineering paper | Paper 1 – B.E./B.Tech. |
| Subjects | Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics |
| Exam mode | Computer-Based Test |
| Number of sessions | 2 |
| Session 1 | January (22–24 and 28–30 January 2027, tentative) |
| Session 2 | April |
| Question type | Multiple-choice and numerical-value questions |
| Maximum marks for Paper 1 | 300 |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Medium | Multiple languages |
| Negative marking | Applicable |
| Main participating institutions | NITs, IIITs, CFTIs and other participating institutes |
| IIT pathway | JEE Main is an eligibility test for JEE Advanced |
NTA's official 2026 information states that JEE Main will be conducted in two sessions and that Paper 1 was conducted in CBT mode. The examination was offered in 13 languages.
2
Sessions a year
January & April
300
Max. marks, Paper 1
2026 reference
3 hrs
Duration
13
Languages offered
2026
| JEE Main Exam Features | JEE Main Exam Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Exam Level | National |
| Exam Frequency | Twice a year (January and April) |
| Exam Mode | Computer based |
| Exam Duration | 3 hours (4 hours for PwD candidates) |
| Total Marks | 300 marks (−75 to 300) for Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) |
| Question Types | MCQs and Numerical Value Questions (NVQs) |
| Marking Scheme | +4 for a correct answer, −1 for a wrong answer (applies to both MCQs and Numerical Value Questions), 0 if unattempted |
| Languages | English, Hindi, and 11 regional languages (Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu) |
| Exam Purpose | Admission to BE/BTech, BArch and Diploma in Engineering programmes |
| Next event | JEE Main 2027 Session 1 Exam — 22 Jan 2027 |
| Official Website | jeemain.nta.nic.in |
Check the JEE Main eligibility criteria on the official website released by NTA for the relevant year.
For general JEE Main eligibility, you need to satisfy certain conditions such as your latest qualification and year of passing Class 12. Other generic requirements prescribed by NTA are:
No. It is important to distinguish between eligibility to appear for JEE Main and eligibility for admission to a specific college. For this reason, you need to check the JEE Main Information Bulletin as well as the admission requirements of the institutes you are targeting. The official JEE Main portal publishes the relevant Information Bulletin and examination documents.
JEE Main registration is completed online through the official NTA/JEE Main portal.
The broad registration process is as follows:
Visit the official JEE Main website.
Open the registration/application link for the relevant session.
Complete the candidate registration process.
Enter personal and academic information.
Select the relevant paper and examination details.
Choose examination cities as permitted.
Upload the required documents, photograph and other information.
Pay the examination fee online.
Review the application carefully.
Submit the application form.
Save the confirmation page and application details for future reference.
If you wish to appear in both sessions, you need to follow the application and fee-payment process specified by NTA for the second session. NTA specifically stated for JEE Main 2026 that those who had already applied for Session 1 could use their previous application number and password when applying for Session 2.
Try to avoid creating multiple application forms. NTA always warns that candidates with more than one application number could be treated under unfair-means provisions.
The JEE Main 2027 admit card will be released online by the National Testing Agency (NTA) through the official JEE Main website. Session 1 exams start on 22 January 2027, so the Session 1 admit cards will be released before that date. The exact release date and download procedure will be confirmed in the JEE Main 2027 official notices. The current official website lists admit card notices for JEE Main 2026.
To download the JEE Main admit card, follow these steps.
Visit the official JEE Main website.
Look for the JEE Main 2027 Admit Card download link.
Select the relevant examination session.
Enter the required login details, such as the application number and date of birth/password.
Submit the details to access the candidate dashboard.
Open the admit card and check the examination date, shift, center and other details.
Download the admit card.
Take a printout and keep it safely for the examination day.
After downloading the admit card, make sure to verify:
The JEE Main application fee depends on your category, gender, number of papers chosen, and the location of the exam center.
Always refer to the latest updates regarding the registration fees for this exam. You should not rely on an old fee amount because examination fees can change between years.
The official JEE Main website provides the latest examination notices, application information, and candidate services.
For your reference, the 2026 fee for a single paper at an examination centre in India ranged from ₹500 to ₹1,000 depending on category and gender. Choosing more than one paper raised this to ₹1,000–₹2,000. The JEE Main 2027 fee has not yet been announced. Treat these 2026 figures as a planning reference only, not the 2027 fee.
For engineering aspirants, Paper 1 is the most relevant JEE Main paper. It is conducted for admission to B.E./B.Tech. programs and covers three subjects:
The examination is computer-based (CBT).
| Subject | Question Type | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | MCQ and Numerical Value | 100 |
| Physics | MCQ and Numerical Value | 100 |
| Chemistry | MCQ and Numerical Value | 100 |
| Total | MCQ and Numerical Value | 300 |
The Paper 1 examination is designed to test conceptual understanding, application of formulas, numerical ability and decision-making under time pressure.
Negative marking applies according to the question type and examination rules specified by NTA.
The JEE Main 2027 pattern has not yet been officially announced. For reference, the 2026 Paper 1 pattern had 75 questions and 300 marks, structured as follows:
Subject Section A Section B Total Questions
Mathematics 20 MCQs 5 Numerical Value Questions 25
Physics 20 MCQs 5 Numerical Value Questions 25
Chemistry 20 MCQs 5 Numerical Value Questions 25
Total 60 15 75
For the latest pattern:
The paper is conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode. Section A consists of multiple-choice questions, while Section B contains numerical-value questions. The 2025 change that discontinued optional questions in Section B continued into the 2026 pattern. You are now required to attempt all five numerical questions in each subject.
The exact number of questions, marking scheme, syllabus and paper pattern for JEE Main 2027 should be confirmed from the official 2027 Information Bulletin once released, as NTA can make changes from one examination year to another. The official JEE Main website currently lists the 2026 bulletin and syllabus.
The JEE Main syllabus is based primarily on the senior-secondary level Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics curricula prescribed for the examination.
The official JEE Main website publishes the syllabus for the relevant year.
Important areas include:
Mathematics requires both conceptual clarity and extensive problem-solving practice.
Important areas include:
Physics preparation should focus on understanding the physical meaning of formulas rather than memorizing equations.
Chemistry broadly includes Physical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry.
Important areas include:
The JEE Main result is released online by the National Testing Agency (NTA) through the official examination website. NTA releases the NTA Score for each session separately. For candidates who appear in both sessions, the better of the two total NTA Scores is considered for the overall ranking. The All India Rank (AIR) is compiled after Session 2.
The JEE Main scorecard contains the candidate's NTA Score (percentile) in each subject, overall NTA Score, and other examination details. You can access your results through the official website using your application number and date of birth or other login credentials specified by NTA.
Visit the official JEE Main website.
Open the JEE Main result/scorecard link.
Select the relevant examination session.
Enter the required login credentials.
Log in to the candidate dashboard.
Open the JEE Main result or scorecard.
Check the subject-wise and overall NTA Scores and other details.
Download and save the scorecard for future reference.
Keep your JEE Main scorecard and result details available while participating in counselling and applying for engineering admissions.
The JEE Main qualifying cutoff showed an increase in 2026. This reflects increased competition for JEE Advanced eligibility. The General category cutoff was 93.4123549 percentile, up from 93.1023262 in 2025. The cutoffs were 82.4164528 for Gen-EWS, 80.9232583 for OBC-NCL, 63.9172792 for SC and 52.0174712 for ST.
The increase was smaller for the General category. This is also the qualifying cutoff for JEE Advanced, not the admission cutoff for NITs, IIITs or other institutes. Admission depends on factors such as JEE Main rank, category, institute, branch and JoSAA counselling cutoffs.
93.4123549
General category
2026 qualifying percentile
82.4164528
Gen-EWS
2026
80.9232583
OBC-NCL
2026
63.9172792
SC
2026
52.0174712
ST
2026
2026 figures are a benchmark, not a 2027 forecast
This is the qualifying percentile for JEE Advanced eligibility, not an admission cutoff. For JEE Main 2027 aspirants, the 2026 figures are a useful benchmark, but the actual 2027 cutoff will depend on that year's difficulty and competition — students targeting competitive NITs or IIITs should aim well above the minimum qualifying percentile.
A general JEE Main 2027 selection process includes the following stages:
The official JEE Main website provides access to the JEE Main information, syllabus and examination-related resources. Previous year question papers and mock tests help you understand the exam pattern, question style and difficulty level.
Focus on practicing individual topics and then move on to full-length JEE Main mock tests under exam-like conditions. The analysis stage is especially important. After every mock test or previous year paper, record the questions you got wrong, took too long to solve, and solved correctly but were unsure about. These three categories can help identify different weaknesses, such as conceptual gaps, time-management issues and lack of confidence. Revisiting these questions and revising the related concepts can make subsequent practice more effective.
Begin by getting a clear understanding of the syllabus and examination pattern rather than jumping into random practice questions. Since the examination covers three subjects and a large number of concepts, divide your preparation into concept building, question practice, revision, and mocks.
Start by understanding how JEE Main is organized, before you begin studying.
Understanding the paper helps you build a realistic strategy. Each student can personalize the preparation journey based on their own weaknesses and strengths.
For Physics: Understand the physical principles behind equations, formulae and core governing concepts.
For Chemistry: Build a strong foundation in concepts, reactions, trends and calculations.
For Mathematics: Understand the methods and formulae that work for you, and practice different types of problems based on the same concept.
Avoid moving to advanced-level problems before you are comfortable with the basic JEE Main questions.
Daily problem-solving is super important for JEE Main. Do not measure preparation only by the number of questions solved. Give keen attention to the following:
After solving a question incorrectly, identify the reason for the mistake before moving on.
Mock tests are one of the most important parts of JEE Main preparation. A mock test helps students understand:
But simply taking mocks is not enough. The most important part is mock-test analysis. After every test, review incorrect questions, unanswered questions, guessed questions and questions that took unusually long.
If you repeatedly notice lags in a certain concept, taking more full-length tests alone will not solve the problem. You should return to the specific concepts, revise formulas, solve basic questions and then gradually move to timed JEE Main-level problems. The same approach should be used for all three subjects.
1. Class 11 & 12: NCERT — Useful particularly for understanding basic concepts and for topics where direct theory questions can appear.
2. H.C. Verma — Excellent for building conceptual understanding and learning how to approach problems.
3. Physics for JEE Main: Cengage / equivalent practice book — Use this mainly for additional practice.
4. JEE Main PYQs (chapter-wise).
Eventually, solve multiple years of JEE Main papers, including different shifts, because JEE Main is conducted across multiple shifts and NTA publishes session/answer-key material accordingly.
JEE Main scores are used in the admission process of NITs, IIITs, other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) and participating institutions, subject to their respective admission rules. The examination also serves as an eligibility test for JEE Advanced.
The JEE Main exam is used for admission to several engineering institutes across India. The score is primarily used for admission to NITs, IIITs and other government-funded technical institutes (GFTIs) through the JoSAA counselling process. Several state and private engineering colleges also consider JEE Main scores for admission to BTech programs.
Some of the colleges that accept JEE Main scores for engineering admissions include:
| Region | Examples of institutes accepting JEE Main score |
|---|---|
| West | VNIT Nagpur, SVNIT Surat, NIT Goa, IIIT Vadodara |
| South | NIT Tiruchirappalli, NIT Warangal, NITK Surathkal, IIIT Sri City |
| East | NIT Durgapur, NIT Jamshedpur, NIT Rourkela, IIIT Bhubaneswar |
| North | NIT Delhi, NIT Kurukshetra, IIIT Delhi, NSUT |
Note: JEE Main is also the qualifying examination for JEE Advanced. Admission to IIT BTech programs, however, is based on JEE Advanced, not directly on JEE Main rank.
Answers to what readers ask most often.
JEE Main stands for Joint Entrance Examination (Main). It is conducted by the National Testing Agency for undergraduate engineering and other specified admissions.
JEE Main is a national-level entrance examination conducted by NTA. Paper 1 is used for B.E./B.Tech. admissions and tests candidates in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
NTA does not prescribe a fixed time of day, or a fixed number of days after a session, for the JEE Main result. Candidates should check the official JEE Main website and NTA notices for the result announcement.
JEE Main uses a percentile-based system. NTA compares your performance against other candidates in your shift, not against a fixed marks scale.