JEE Main 2027
Joint Entrance Examination (Main)
JEE Main is the national engineering and architecture entrance conducted by NTA twice a year. Its rank decides admission to NITs, IIITs and other centrally funded institutes through JoSAA/CSAB, and its top scorers qualify for JEE Advanced.
- Conducted by
- National Testing Agency (NTA)
- Mode
- Computer Based Test (CBT); the Drawing Test of Paper 2A is on paper
- Frequency
- Twice a year (Session 1 in January, Session 2 in April); the better NTA score counts
- Duration
- 3 hours (3 hours 30 minutes if both B.Arch and B.Planning are taken)
JEE Main 2027: Exam Date, Eligibility, Syllabus, Pattern
Updated on 18 October 2026 · Compiled from official National Testing Agency notices
JEE Main is India's biggest engineering entrance by volume and the gateway to both the NIT system and JEE Advanced. This page covers the upcoming 2027 cycle, using the completed 2026 cycle as the reference.
About JEE Main
JEE Main is the national level entrance examination for engineering and architecture, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) twice a year. It is meant for Class 12 science students who want B.E., B.Tech, B.Arch or B.Planning seats. Its rank decides admission to NITs, IIITs and other centrally funded institutes through JoSAA and CSAB counselling, and many state and private colleges also accept it. The top scorers qualify to take JEE Advanced for the IITs. The 2027 bulletin is awaited, and Session 1 is reported for 22 to 30 January 2027, which is unconfirmed until NTA notifies it.
JEE Main 2027 at a glance
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam name | Joint Entrance Examination (Main) |
| Conducted by | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Frequency | Twice a year (Session 1 in January, Session 2 in April); the better NTA score counts |
| Mode | Computer Based Test (CBT); the Drawing Test of Paper 2A is on paper |
| Duration | 3 hours (3 hours 30 minutes if both B.Arch and B.Planning are taken) |
| Language | English plus Hindi and 11 other languages, depending on the exam centre (13 languages in 2026) |
| Courses | B.E./B.Tech (Paper 1), B.Arch (Paper 2A), B.Planning (Paper 2B); also the eligibility test for JEE Advanced |
| Accepted by | NITs, IIITs, other centrally funded technical institutions (CFTIs), SPAs, many state engineering colleges and universities; qualifying test for IITs via JEE Advanced |
| Official website | jeemain.nta.nic.in |
Key dates
2027 notification and Session 1 registration
Not announced; late October to November 2026 expected
2027 Session 1 exam
22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30 January 2027; 31 January as buffer
2027 Session 1 result
February 2027 expected
2027 Session 2 registration and exam
Registration around February, exam in early April 2027 expected
What JEE Main is
The Joint Entrance Examination (Main) is conducted by the National Testing Agency, which has been entrusted with it by the Ministry of Education since 2019. Per the 2026 Information Bulletin, Paper 1 is held for undergraduate engineering admission at NITs, IIITs, other CFTIs and institutions funded or recognised by participating state governments. JEE Main is also the eligibility test for JEE Advanced, which is the route into the IITs. Paper 2 covers B.Arch and B.Planning.
The exam is held in two sessions a year. The bulletin explains why: it gives candidates a second chance to improve, reduces the need to drop a year, and keeps the exam from clashing with Board examinations that fall at different times across States and UTs. A candidate need not appear in both sessions.
Why it matters
- Your JEE Main All India Rank (AIR) is the only rank used for NIT, IIIT and other GFTI seats through JoSAA and CSAB.
- The top 2,50,000 candidates in the B.E./B.Tech paper (category-wise) become eligible for JEE Advanced, the gateway to the IITs.
- Many state counselling bodies and universities, including several state engineering counselling processes, use JEE Main ranks or scores for their own merit lists.
- The Paper 1 result is also used for other programmes such as integrated courses, B.Sc, B.Pharm and B.Des at institutions that accept it, as noted in the bulletin.
JEE Main at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Conducted by | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Papers | Paper 1 B.E./B.Tech; Paper 2A B.Arch; Paper 2B B.Planning |
| Mode | CBT; Drawing Test in Paper 2A on an A4 sheet with pen and paper |
| Duration | 3 hours per paper; 3 hours 30 minutes when both 2A and 2B are taken |
| Sessions (2026) | Session 1: 21-30 January 2026 window; Session 2: 2-9 April 2026 window (official bulletin) |
| Score | NTA score: percentile of the total, calculated shift-wise |
| Ranking rule | Best of the two sessions' total NTA scores; overall merit merges all shifts |
| Age limit | None (per the 2026 bulletin) |
| Official website | jeemain.nta.nic.in |
How admission works after JEE Main
NTA only conducts the exam. It does not give admission, and the bulletin says so plainly. After the result, the paths split.
- 1
Check whether you qualify for JEE Advanced
The top 2,50,000 candidates in Paper 1 qualify, subject to category-wise distribution. Qualifiers then register for JEE Advanced for IIT seats.
- 2
Register for JoSAA
JoSAA runs the joint seat allocation for IITs, NITs, IIITs and other GFTIs. NIT+ seats are allotted on JEE Main AIR; IIT seats on JEE Advanced rank.
- 3
Use CSAB for vacant seats
After JoSAA closes, the Central Seat Allocation Board runs special rounds for seats that remain vacant at NIT+ institutions.
- 4
Apply to state and other counselling
Home-state engineering counselling, university admissions and B.Arch/B.Planning counselling run separately and set their own rules.
Status for the 2027 cycle
As of 17 October 2026 NTA has not opened JEE Main 2027 registration or released the 2027 Information Bulletin. Everything described for 2027 here is based on the 2026 bulletin and on reported tentative dates, and the 2027 bulletin will override it.
Explore JEE Main 2027
- JEE Main DatesRegistration, exam and result timeline
- JEE Main Application FormSteps, fee, documents and photo rules
- JEE Main EligibilityWho can apply, attempts and age
- JEE Main Exam PatternSections, marks and marking scheme
- JEE Main SyllabusSubject-wise units and topics
- JEE Main Admit CardDownload steps and exam-day carry list
- JEE Main ResultScorecard, rank and what comes next
- JEE Main CutoffQualifying marks and admission cutoffs
- JEE Main CounsellingRounds, choice filling and documents
- JEE Main PreparationStudy plan, strategy and mistakes
- JEE Main All GuidesEvery guide, predictor and article
Frequently asked questions
Is JEE Main the same as JEE Advanced?
No. JEE Main is conducted by NTA and leads to NITs, IIITs and other institutes; it is also the qualifying test for JEE Advanced. JEE Advanced is conducted by one of the IITs on a rotating basis and is the route to the IITs.
Who conducts JEE Main?
The National Testing Agency, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education, has conducted JEE Main since 2019.
Does NTA give admission to colleges?
No. The bulletin states that NTA is responsible only for conducting the exam and not for admission to NIT+ institutions or any other institute.
Has JEE Main 2027 registration started?
Not as of 17 October 2026. NTA has not opened registration or released the Information Bulletin; watch jeemain.nta.nic.in.
What are the reported JEE Main 2027 Session 1 dates?
Education news sites report 22, 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30 January 2027, with 31 January as a buffer, from an NTA tentative calendar dated 16 September 2026. The dates are tentative.
How many sessions does JEE Main have?
Two a year, January and April. You may appear in one or both, and the best of the total NTA scores is used.
What is the JEE Main Paper 1 pattern?
75 questions and 300 marks in 3 hours: 25 questions per subject, 20 MCQs and 5 numerical. Correct gives +4, incorrect -1, unanswered 0.
Is there negative marking for numerical questions?
Yes. The 2026 bulletin gives -1 for an incorrect answer in Section B too.
What was the fee for JEE Main 2026?
For one paper at Indian centres: ₹1,000 General male, ₹800 General female, ₹900 Gen-EWS/OBC-NCL male, ₹800 for Gen-EWS/OBC-NCL female, and ₹500 for SC/ST/PwD/PwBD and third gender. Processing charges and GST are extra.
Is there an age limit?
No age limit, but the Class XII passing year must fall in the allowed window, which was 2024, 2025 or appearing in 2026 for the 2026 cycle.
How is NTA score calculated?
As a shift-wise percentile of the total raw score, up to 7 decimal places. It is not an average of subject percentiles.
What was the JEE Advanced qualifying cutoff in 2026?
General 93.4123549, Gen-EWS 82.4164528, OBC-NCL 80.9232583, SC 63.9172792, ST 52.0174712, General-PwD 0.0023186, as reported after the 20 April 2026 result.
Do I need 75% in Class 12?
Not for the exam. For NIT+ admission you need 75% (65% for SC/ST/PwD) or a top 20 percentile position in your board.
Which counselling accepts JEE Main?
JoSAA and CSAB for NITs, IIITs and GFTIs, plus many state counselling processes. IITs use JEE Advanced rank through JoSAA.
What is Paper 2A and 2B?
Paper 2A is for B.Arch (Mathematics, Aptitude, Drawing; 400 marks) and Paper 2B for B.Planning (Mathematics, Aptitude, Planning; 400 marks).
Who do I contact for help?
The 2026 bulletin listed helpline 011-40759000 (10:00 AM to 5:00 PM) and email jeemain@nta.ac.in.