JEE Main 2026 Registration LIVE: NTA to begin application process for BTech, BArch admission soon; eligibility

As per NIRF ranking 2025, the top 10 engineering colleges in India for pursuing BTech programmes are as follows:

NTA has reiterated that all eligible aspirants should ensure documents are updated before applying for JEE Main 2026. Any discrepancies in Aadhaar, UDID, or category certificate could result in rejection of the application. Updates, notifications, and instructions will be shared on jeemain.nta.nic.in.

The JEE Main exam will have two papers:

• Paper 1: For BE/BTech admissions, with sections in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
• Paper 2: For BArch and BPlanning courses. Includes Mathematics, Aptitude Test, and a Drawing/Planning test (Paper 2A for BArch, 2B for BPlanning).

Both papers will have multiple-choice questions and numerical answer-type questions, with negative marking applicable for incorrect answers.

To avoid discrepancies in the JEE Main 2026 application, NTA has asked candidates to update key documents in advance:

• Aadhaar Card: Ensure correct name, date of birth (as per Class 10 certificate), address, latest photograph, and father’s name.
• UDID Card (for PwD candidates): Must be valid and updated.
• Category Certificate: EWS, SC, ST, or OBC-NCL certificates should be current.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced that the registration window for JEE Main 2026 will open in October 2025. The exam is the first stage in the IIT admission process, where only around 33% of qualified candidates secure a seat. Candidates will have to submit the application form through the official website jeemain.nta.nic.in.

NTA will soon announce the JEE Main 2026 exam date on the official website at jeemain.nta.nic.in. The engineering entrance exam will be conducted in two sessions: session 1 in January 2026 and session 2 in April 2026. 

The list of documents required for JEE Main registration 2026 is as follows.

• Candidate's Photograph and signature
• Class 10 or Equivalent Certificate/Marks-sheet
• Identity proof
• PwD/PwBD/UDID Certificate

The steps to apply for the JEE Mains 2026 application process are as follows. 

• Visit the JEE Main official website, jeemain.nta.nic.in
• Login and fill in the details in the application form.
• Uploading the photo, signature, and Class 12 mark sheet.
• Verify all the details carefully and pay the required fee. 
• Download and keep a printout safe for reference.

The list of important topics for JEE Mains 2026 paper 1 syllabus is as follows. 

The JEE Mains 2026 syllabus is as follows. 

Candidates can apply for JEE Mains 2026 for three consecutive years. NTA allows candidates to appear for the JEE Mains 2026 exam six times. 

The JEE Mains 2026 cut-offs trends as per last year's, are as follows. 

The last year's marks vs percentile JEE Mains 2026 were as follows.

The JEE Main 2026 eligibility criteria are as follows. 

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will announce the JEE Mains 2026 registration link and other updates on the official website, nta.ac.in or jeemain.nta.nic.in.

The JEE Mains 2026 exam pattern for the BArch paper is as follows. 

JEE Mains 2026 paper 1 marks distribution for each section is as follows. 

Candidates will have to prepare for maths, aptitude and drawing test for BArch paper 2A and maths, aptitude test, and planning test for BPlan paper 2B.  The paper will comprise of 400 marks.

There are three sections for the JEE Mains 2026 syllabus paper 1, including mathematics, physics, and chemistry. The paper comprises 300 marks, having 100 marks for each section

The JEE Main 2026 eligibility criteria are as follows. 

NTA is yet to announce the JEE Main 2026 registration schedule. Once the JEE Mains 2026 registration schedule is announced, candidates will know about the registration and application fee payment last date soon. 

The steps to calculate the JEE Main 2025 answer key and response sheet are as follows. 

• Candidates will have to download the JEE Main 2025 answer key and response sheet.
• Then, candidates will have to compare each answer on the JEE Main response sheet 2025 with the JEE Main answer key.
• Note all the correct answers and the incorrect ones.
• Calculate your expected marks using the marking scheme. 

As per the JEE Mains marking scheme, candidates will be given four marks for each correct answer, and one mark will be deducted for an incorrect response. 

A few key tips to crack JEE Main 2026 without coaching are as follows.

• Start preparing early on
• Concentration in class where basic concepts are taught in schools
• Self-Study and make notes for each concept, topic
• Get familiar with the exam pattern and syllabus
• Solving previous years' papers

The NTA will activate the JEE Mains 2026 registration link on the official website, jeemain.nta.nic.in. For regular updates, candidates will have to visit nta.ac.in or jeemain.nta.nic.in.

Candidates can update and keep ready key documents before applying for JEE Main 2026. These include a valid Aadhaar card with the correct name, date of birth (as per Class 10 marksheet), latest photograph, address, and father’s name. Candidates with disabilities will have to ensure their Unique Disability Identity Card (UDID) is valid. Category certificates for EWS, SC, ST, and OBC-NCL candidates should also be updated to avoid discrepancies or rejection during the application process.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has not yet announced the JEE Main 2026 application form 2026 release date. The JEE Main application form is expected to be released in October on the official website, jeemain.nta.nic.in. As per the schedule, session 1 of the JEE Main exam will be conducted in January 2026, followed by session 2 in April 2026. Last year, the application window for JEE Main phase 1 began on October 28.

The JEE Main 2026 exam dates will be announced soon. Meanwhile, students can check the JEE Mains marks vs percentile for last year's exam from the table below.

A nine-member expert panel headed by Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi has been tasked with evaluating these issues. The panel includes representatives from CBSE, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, NIT Trichy, NCERT, and school principals from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navodaya Vidyalaya, and a private school. The committee will submit recommendations on aligning entrance exam difficulty with school-level learning.

Read More: JEE, NEET exams under review: Centre to study if difficulty matches Class 12 syllabus

The government is considering reviewing the difficulty level of national entrance exams like JEE and NEET. Sources indicate the review will examine whether these exams are in line with Class 12 curriculum standards. The aim is to ensure students do not have to rely heavily on coaching institutes, which many parents and educators say is driven by a gap between school-level teaching and exam requirements.

The JEE Mains 2026 total marks for paper 1 are given below.

The JEE Main 2026 exam pattern for paper 2 is as follows.

The JEE Mains 2026 exam pattern for paper 1 is as follows. 

The JEE Mains 2026 marking scheme is as follows. 

• MCQs: +4 marks for each correct answer and -1 mark for each wrong answer.
• Questions with numerical value answers: +4 marks for each correct answer and -1 for each wrong answer.
• Drawing Test: Two questions are evaluated out of 100 marks.

The passing marks for JEE Main are based on factors. 

• Candidates numbers
• Difficulty level of exam
• Total seats
• Candidates category
• Candidates performance
• Previous year's trends

 A candidate from Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir, has urged the media and public not to create “hype” around her case after two versions of her JEE Main 2025 marksheet emerged. The confusion began when conflicting versions of her JEE Main marksheets surfaced online. One version showed 84 percentile in session 1 and 99.845 in session 2, and another showed her securing 6.989 percentile in session 1 and 73.2808 percentile in session 2. 

73 or 99 percentile? JEE Main result questioned, J-K candidate says, ‘Don’t create hype

The testing agency last year discontinued the optional questions in section B of all subjects in JEE Main papers, including paper 1 for BE, BTech and paper 2 for BArch and BPlanning, which was introduced during the COVID pandemic. Candidates no longer have the flexibility to choose 5 out of 10 questions in section B. 

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has issued an advisory for students looking forward to appearing in the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) 2026. The testing agency has instructed the BTech, BArch and BPlanning aspirants to update their Aadhar, UDID card, category certificate (EWS, SC, ST, OBC-NCL) in advance to avoid discrepancies in the online application form.

Last year's JEE Mains number of qualified candidates from each category is as follows. 

As per last year's data, the JEE Main 2025 cut-offs increased slightly by 1% percentile for SC and ST as compared to 2024. 

JEE Main 2025 cut-offs increased by slight 1% percentile point for SC and ST compared to the previous year’s trends.

NTA allows candidates to appear for the JEE Mains 2026 exam six times. However,  candidates can appear for the exam only twice a year. JEE Mains attempts over three consecutive years make it a total of six attempts

NTA has announced that the JEE Mains 2026 registration will begin in October. As per last year's JEE Mains schedule, JEE Mains phase 1 exam registration commenced on October 28. 

For admissions to top IITs, IIT Madras has maintained the top position in the NIRF engineering category, whereas IIT Hyderabad has broken into the top 10, overtaking IIT Guwahati. 

NIRF Ranking Engineering 2025: Top 10 Colleges

NTA conducts the JEE Mains 2026 exam for aspirants preparing for engineering, architecture, and planning programmes at institutes such as the National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs). 

NTA will conduct the JEE Mains 2026 exam in two sessions in January and April. 

NTA has asked candidates to update their Aadhar card, UDID card, and category certificate with valid and accurate details to avoid any discrepancies, grievances or rejection at a later stage. 

JEE Main 2026: NTA issues advisory for BTech aspirants; asks to update Aadhaar, UDID, category certificates

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will announce the JEE Mains 2026 registration link and other updates on the official website, nta.ac.in or jeemain.nta.nic.in.