What is JEE Main Session 2?

JEE Main Session 2 is the second sitting of JEE Main, held in April in recent years (2-8 April in 2026). Session 1 is in January. You can appear in one or both sessions, and NTA uses your best NTA Score (percentile) for rank calculation. For the 2027 cycle, registration has not opened; reported tentative Session 1 dates are 22-30 January 2027 and Session 2 is expected in April 2027, both unconfirmed by NTA.

JEE Main Session 1 vs. Session 2 — Key Differences

Aspect	Session 1	Session 2
When	January/February	April
2026 Dates (history)	Jan 21–29, 2026	Apr 2–8, 2026
2027 Dates (reported, unconfirmed)	Jan 22–30, 2027 (tentative)	Expected April 2027 (not announced)
Syllabus	Full JEE Main syllabus	Full JEE Main syllabus (same)
2026 Result	16 February 2026	20 April 2026
JEE Advanced cutoff	Not used separately	Combined with S1 for eligibility
Typical competition	Largest candidate pool	Often perceived as tougher (no official data)

Why Session 2 Matters More for Most Candidates

For candidates still in Class 12, Session 1 (January) often overlaps with board exam preparation. Many students do not perform at their peak in Session 1. Session 2 in April generally comes after board exams are mostly complete (or just ending), allowing better focus on JEE preparation. Drop-year candidates typically target Session 2 as their primary attempt.

The best strategy: treat Session 1 as a real practice exam (not as casual as a mock test, but without excessive pressure). Use Session 1 feedback — which topics were weaker, exam hall time management, question difficulty — to refine preparation for Session 2. See JEE Main 2027 Session 1 vs Session 2, the 2027 exam dates tracker, registration differences between sessions, and the JEE Main 2027 registration page. Droppers can check registration for droppers and repeaters and the eligibility criteria.

NTA Score Calculation Across Sessions

If you appear in Session 1 and Session 2, NTA calculates your NTA Score for each session independently (using percentile normalisation within that session). Then NTA selects your best NTA Score across all sessions and uses that for the final merit list. This is used for JEE Advanced eligibility and JoSAA counselling rank.