The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced the official schedule for the JEE Main 2026 examination. As per the current notification, the exam will be conducted across two sessions — January 2026 and April 2026.
While the exact dates for Session 2 are yet to be confirmed, candidates can stay updated through the official portal: jeemain.nta.ac.in. Students are advised to follow this page for continuous updates regarding registration, admit cards, and examination details.
JEE Main 2026 Exam Session-wise Schedule
| Session | Tentative Dates | Mode of Exam |
| Session 1 | January 21 – January 30, 2026 | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Session 2 | April 2026 (Exact schedule to be announced) | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
The January session is expected to be held during the last week of January 2026, as per the published academic calendar.
JEE Main 2026 Exam Date Session 1
| Online Submission of Application Form | 31 October to 27 November 2025 |
| Last date of successful transaction of fee through Credit/Debit Card/Net-Banking/UPI | 27 November 2025 |
| Announcement of the City of Examination | First Week of January 2026 |
| Downloading Admit Cards from the NTA website | 3 days before the exam |
| JEE Main January 2026 exam date (Session 1) | Between 21 to 30 January 2026 |
| Centre, Date, and Shift | As indicated on the Admit Card |
| Display of Recorded Responses and Answer Keys | February 2026 |
| Website(s) | jeemain.nta.nic.in |
| Declaration of Result on the NTA website | 12 February 2026 (Tentative) |
JEE Main 2026 Registration Details
The NTA will commence the registration process for Session 1 in October 2025, through the official website jeemain.nta.nic.in. Students who have completed or are currently appearing in Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics are eligible to apply.
The registration window for Session 1 is scheduled from:
October 31, 2025 – November 27, 2025
Candidates should carefully review the eligibility criteria, required documents, and exam guidelines before submitting the form.
JEE Main 2026 Exam – NTA Revised Eligibility Criteria
Only the top 2,50,000 candidates in JEE Main will be eligible to appear for JEE Advanced. According to the updated regulations, students are permitted to attempt the examination twice in two consecutive years. For JEE Main 2026, aspirants must have completed or be currently enrolled in their Class 12 (PCM) during 2024 or 2025.
To enhance their chances of securing a top rank, students are strongly encouraged to seek JEE Mentorship, which provides structured guidance and expert support throughout their preparation journey.
JEE Main Dates 2026
| Events | First Session Dates | Second Session Dates |
| JEE Main 2026 Application forms released on | 31 October 2025 | January 2026 |
| JEE Main 2026 application form last date | 27 November 2025 | February 2026 |
| Release date of JEE Main 2026 Admit Card | January 2026 | March 2026 |
| JEE Main 2026 exam date | Btw. 21 to 30 January 2026 | Btw. 01 to 10 April 2026 (Tentative) |
| Date for display of answer key | February 2026 | April 2026 |
| Declaration of result date | 12 February 2026 (Tentative) | April 2026 |
JEE Main 2026 Exam Timing (Day Schedule)
The NTA has scheduled the JEE Main 2026 examination to be held in two daily shifts. The morning session will be conducted from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and the afternoon session will take place from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Candidates are advised to refer to the official schedule for a complete breakdown of the exam timings.
| Session | Morning | Evening |
| Examination Timing | 9 am to 12 pm | 3 pm to 6 pm |
| Duration of exam | 3 hours | 3 hours |
| Entry process in the examination hall (checking, document verification, biometric registration) | 7:30 am to 8:30 am | 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm |
| Invigilator instructions | 8:30 am to 8:50 am | 2:30 pm to 2:50 pm |
| Candidates have to log in to read the instructions | 8:50 am | 2:50 pm |
| Exam starts | 9:00 am | 3:00 pm |
JEE Main Exam Duration 2026
The NTA will conduct the JEE Main 2026 examination in two sessions per day, each with a duration of three hours. Candidates appearing for both Paper 1 and Paper 2 will be provided an extended time window of 3 hours and 30 minutes.
The complete duration details for Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech), Paper 2A (B.Arch), Paper 2B (B.Planning), and the combined Paper 2A & 2B formats are outlined in the table below.
| Paper | Total Time Duration | |
| For Non-PwD/PwBD Candidates | *For PwD /PwBD Candidates (who are eligible for scribe) | |
| Paper 1 (B.E. / B. Tech.) | 03 hours | 04 hours |
| Paper 2A (B. Arch) | 03 hours | 04 hours |
| Paper 2B (B. Planning) | 03 hours | 04 hours |
| Paper 2A (B. Arch) and Paper 2B (B. Planning) | 03 hours 30 minutes | 04 hours 10 minutes |
*Note: – Compensatory time for PwD/PwBD Candidates of 20 minutes for a one-hour examination will be given to those who are eligible for Scribe.