JEE Main 2026

JEE Main 2026 will be conducted in two sessions - Session 1 typically in January 2026 and Session 2 in April 2026. Exact dates will be announced by NTA on their official website. The exam is conducted in multiple shifts across several days. Candidates should regularly check jeemain.nta.nic.in for official announcements regarding registration dates and exam schedules.

Eligibility criteria for JEE Main 2026: (1) No age limit - there is no upper or lower age restriction, (2) Educational qualification - must have passed Class 12 or equivalent in 2024, 2025, or appearing in 2026, (3) Required subjects - Physics, Mathematics, and one of Chemistry/Biology/Biotechnology/Technical Vocational subject, (4) Minimum marks - 75% aggregate (65% for SC/ST/PwD) in qualifying examination, (5) Number of attempts - 3 consecutive years from the year of passing Class 12.

JEE Main 2026 Paper 1 for B.E/B.Tech consists of: (1) Three subjects - Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, (2) Total questions - 75 questions (25 each subject), (3) Total marks - 300 marks, (4) Duration - 3 hours, (5) Question types - 20 MCQs and 5 numerical questions per subject, (6) Marking scheme - +4 for correct, -1 for incorrect (MCQs only), (7) Mode - Computer Based Test (CBT) only. Each section has 30 questions total with 10 MCQs and 5 numericals to be attempted.

Application process for JEE Main 2026: (1) Visit official website jeemain.nta.nic.in, (2) Click on 'New Registration' and fill personal details, (3) Note down the application number, (4) Upload scanned documents - photograph, signature, and category certificate, (5) Pay application fee - Rs 1000 (GEN/OBC), Rs 500 (SC/ST/PwD/Girls), (6) Submit application and take printout. The process is completely online. Make sure to check eligibility before applying.

Application fee for JEE Main 2026: For General/OBC/EWS male candidates - Rs 1000 per paper, For SC/ST/PwD/all candidates (female) - Rs 500 per paper. For both Paper 1 and Paper 2: General/OBC male - Rs 2000, SC/ST/PwD/female - Rs 1000. Payment can be made through Credit Card/Debit Card/Net Banking/UPI. The fee is non-refundable once paid. Additional service charges may apply as per payment gateway.

Candidates can appear for JEE Main for three consecutive years from the year of passing Class 12 examination. For example, if you passed Class 12 in 2024, you can appear in 2024, 2025, and 2026. There is no age limit, but the 3-year attempt limit is strictly enforced. Both sessions of JEE Main in a single year count as separate attempts for eligibility purposes.

JEE Main is conducted by NTA for admission to NITs, IIITs, GFTIs, and serves as qualifying exam for JEE Advanced. JEE Advanced is conducted by IITs specifically for admission to 23 IITs. Only top 2.5 lakh candidates from JEE Main qualify for JEE Advanced. While JEE Main has two sessions (January and April), JEE Advanced is conducted only once a year. IITs require JEE Advanced rank, while NITs, IIITs accept JEE Main rank.

Qualifying marks (cutoff) for JEE Main 2026 will be announced after the exam. The cutoff is released in terms of percentile for different categories. Based on 2025 trends, General category cutoff was around 93 percentile, EWS around 80, OBC-NCL around 79, SC around 61, and ST around 47 percentiles. These are subject to change each year based on exam difficulty and candidate performance. Official cutoffs will be declared along with results.

Documents required for JEE Main 2026: (1) Recent passport size photograph (10KB-100KB, JPG/JPEG), (2) Signature (4KB-30KB, JPG/JPEG), (3) Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC/EWS) if applicable, (4) PwD certificate if applicable, (5) Class 12 mark sheet/pass certificate (if appearing, upload later), (6) Identity proof (Aadhar/PAN). All documents must be in specified format and size. Keep scanned copies ready before starting application.

Effective preparation strategy: (1) Understand syllabus and exam pattern thoroughly, (2) Focus on NCERT books for basics, especially Physics and Chemistry, (3) Practice previous year JEE Main papers (2020-2025), (4) Take mock tests regularly to improve speed and accuracy, (5) Identify weak areas and work on them, (6) Prepare short notes for quick revision, (7) Focus on conceptual understanding rather than rote learning, (8) For Mathematics, practice problem-solving daily, (9) For Physics, focus on understanding concepts and their applications, (10) For Chemistry, divide time equally among Physical, Organic, and Inorganic.