JEE Main 2026: Notification Soon, Exam Date, Application Form, Syllabus, Eligibility and Question Paper
JEE Main 2026 exam shall be held in the month of January and April, i.e. two times a year. The JEE Main registration is expected to begin from November 2025. The candidates who wish to seek admission to NITs, IIITs and GFTIs need to qualify JEE Main exam for taking up B.E/ B.Tech/ B.Arch/ B.Plan. Know all about the NTA JEE Main exam 2026 exam on this page.
JEE Main 2026
The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct the JEE Mains 2026 examination in two sessions, January and April. The Joint Entrance Examination – JEE (Main) is organised for admissions to UG Engineering admissions in B.E/ B.Tech/ B.Arch/ B.Plan. It is also an eligibility test for JEE (Advanced), which is also organised every year for entry into IITs.
JEE Main is a crucial entrance test for candidates seeking admission to the NITs, IIITs, IITs and other institutions of similar stature. The syllabus for JEE Main is based on Class 11 and Class 12 Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
JEE Main 2026 Exam: Highlights of the Exam
NTA JEE Mains is held each year two times a year. The best of two is taken into consideration if a candidate appears for both the sessions. The test is held for admission to three courses-
- JEE Main Paper 1: The JEE Main Paper 1 will have Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. There shall be a total 75 questions, 25 questions of 4 marks each from Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
- JEE Main Paper 2A: This is also called the Architecture exam. It has Mathematics, Drawing and General Aptitude questions. In Paper 2A, 25 questions of 4 marks each will be from Mathematics, 2 questions from drawing and 50 questions of 4 marks each from General Aptitude.
- JEE Main Paper 2B: The Planning exam (Paper 2B) will have Mathematics, Planning and General Aptitude. The Planning paper (2B) will have 25 questions from Mathematics, 25 from Planning and 50 from General Aptitude, each question of 4 marks.
JEE Main 2026 Overview
For the JEE Main exam, each year more than 10 lakh students appear for admission to NITs, IIITs and GFTIs. Candidates preparing for the JEE Main 2026 exam can check various details related to the exam in the table here.
| Particulars | Details |
| Name of exam | Joint Entrance Examination (Main) or JEE Main |
| Conducting body | National Testing Agency |
| Level of exam | Undergraduate |
| Exam frequency | Twice a year, in January and April |
| Mode of exam | Online, as a computer-based test |
| Number of candidates appearing in JEE Main | Around 10 lakh |
| Courses offered | BTech, BArch and BPlan |
| Exam duration | 3 hours 4 hours for PwD |
| Total marks | 300 marks for Paper-1 (BE/BTech) 400 marks for Paper-2A (BArch) 400 marks for Paper-2B (BPlan) |
| Marking scheme | +4 for each correct response -1 for each incorrect response |
| Total Questions | 75 questions in Paper 1 (BE/BTech) 77 questions in Paper 2A (BArch) 100 questions in Paper 2B (BPlan) |
| Language of paper/exam | 13 languages- English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu |
| JEE Main 2026 official website | jeemain.nta.nic.in |
| JEE Main contact details | NTA Telephone Number: 0120-6895200 NTA Email ID: jeemain@nta.ac.in NTA Helpline: 8178359845 | 8287471852 | 9650173668 | 9599676953 | 8287471852 |
JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria
The candidates who fulfill the given eligibility criteria are only eligible to apply for JEE Main exam. The criteria for filling out the JEE Main application form is given below:
- Only Indian citizens can apply. However, Foreign Nationals, NRIs (Non-Resident Indians), PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin), and OCIs (Overseas Citizens of India) are also eligible.
- Candidates must have completed/ appearing in Class 12.
- There is no age limit for appearing in the exam
- Candidates can appear in JEE Mains for three consecutive years from the year of passing Class 12.
- Foreign Nationals, NRIs (Non-Resident Indians), PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin), and OCIs (Overseas Citizens of India) need not appear in JEE Mains if applying for admission to IITs. For admission to NITs/IIITs, they need to appear in JEE Mains and register through DASA for admission.
JEE Main Minimum Age Criteria
There is no age limit to appear for JEE Main exam 2026. Candidates who have passed class XII / equivalent examination in 2024, 2025 or are appearing in 2026, irrespective of their age, can appear in JEE (Main) - 2025 examination.
JEE Main 75% Marks Criteria
Candidates need not secure at least 75% marks to appear for JEE Mains. The criteria of 75% marks in class 12 is applicable at the time of admission to NITs, IIITs and other GFTIs. However, many institutes no minimum marks criteria for admission.
JEE Main State Code of Eligibility
State code of eligibility means the code of the State from where the candidate has passed the Class 12 (or equivalent) qualifying examination. With this, a candidate becomes eligible to appear in JEE (Main) - 2026. For example, if a candidate appears for the Class 12 qualifying examination from an Institution in New Delhi and is a resident of Noida, Uttar Pradesh, then the candidate’s State code of eligibility will be Delhi and NOT Uttar Pradesh.
JEE Main Subject Criteria in the Qualifying Exam
The subject criteria for qualifying JEE Main exam is given in the table.
| Program | Qualifying Exam Requirements |
| B.E/BTech | Physics, Mathematics, and any one of (Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, or Technical Vocational Subjects) |
| B.Arch | Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry |
| B.Plan | Mathematics |
How to Apply Online for JEE Main 2026 Exam?
JEE Main application form 2025 can be filled online using the following stages:
Registration – Enter name, mobile number, and email ID.
Fill details – Enter personal, educational, and exam preference details.
Upload documents – Photo and signature in the required format.
Pay fees – Complete fee payment online.
JEE Main 2026 Application Form Fees
It is mandatory for all the candidates to pay the application fee as per their categories. Without successful fee payment, the application form will not be accepted. The category wise fee is given in the table below.
| Category | Fees |
| Male candidates of Unreserved/ EWS/OBC category | For Centres in India - Rs. 1,000 For Centres Outside India - Rs. 5,000 |
| Female candidates in the Unreserved/EWS/OBC category | For Centres in India - Rs. 800 For Centres Outside India - 4,000 |
| SC/ST/PwD/Transgender category candidates | For Centres in India - Rs. 500 For Centres Outside India - 2,500 |
JEE Main Application Form Correction 2026
NTA gives the opportunity to make corrections in the JEE Main application form 2026. The form can be corrected online on the date specified by the NTA. The procedure to make corrections in the application form will be available only after closure of apply online. Only certain details can be modified, though, by the candidates.
JEE Main 2026 Exam Pattern
The NTA JEE Main exam is held in online mode. There are three papers, Paper 1 is for BE/BTech, Paper 2A for BArch, and Paper 2B for BPlan. The duration of the exam is 3 Hours. For each correct answer, 4 marks is awarded while 1 mark is deducted for each incorrect answer marked by the candidate. In the given table, we have shared the detailed JEE Main exam pattern 2026 for Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3.
JEE Main 2026 Exam Pattern for BTech (Paper 1)
| Particulars | Details |
| Mode of exam | Online (Computer-Based Test) |
| Subjects Covered | Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics |
| Type of questions | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) Numerical Value Answer (NAV) type questions |
| Total number of questions | 75 Questions |
| Total duration of exam | 3 hours |
| Subject-wise number of questions | Physics- 20 MCQ and 5 Numerical Value Questions Chemistry- 20 MCQ and 5 Numerical Value Questions Mathematics- 20 MCQ and 5 Numerical Value Questions |
| Marking scheme | 4 Mark for the correct answer 1 Mark deducted for an incorrect answer |
| Language of paper | Total 13 languages (Assamese, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu in addition to Hindi, English, and Gujarati) |
JEE Main Exam Pattern 2025 for BArch (Paper 2A)
| Particulars | Details |
| Mode of exam | Online (Computer-based test) except drawing section |
| Subjects covered | Mathematics General Aptitude Drawing |
| Type of questions | Multiple choice questions (MCQ) Numerical value answer (NAV) type questions Drawing question |
| Total number of questions | 77 |
| Subejct-wise number of questions | Mathematics- 20 MCQ and 5 NAV General Aptitude- 50 MCQ Drawing- 2 questions on drawing |
| Total duration of exam | 3 hours |
| Marking scheme | 4 Mark for the correct answer 1 Mark deducted for an incorrect answer |
| Language of paper | Total 13 languages (Assamese, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu in addition to Hindi, English, and Gujarati) |
JEE Main 2025 Exam Pattern for BPlan (Paper 2B)
| Particulars | Details |
| Mode of exam | Online (Computer-based test) |
| Subjects covered | Mathematics, General Aptitude and Planning |
| Total number of questions | 100 |
| Subject-wise number of questions | Mathematics- 30 (20 MCQ and 5 NAV) General Aptitude- 50 Planning- 25 |
| Total duration of exam | 3 hours |
| Type of questions | Multiple choice questions (MCQ) and Numerical Value Questions (NAV) in Mathematics Multiple choice questions (MCQ) in General Aptitude and Planning |
| Marking scheme | 4 marks for every correct answer 1 mark deducted for every incorrect answer |
| Language of paper | Total 13 languages (Assamese, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu in addition to Hindi, English, and Gujarati) |
How Many Candidates Register for JEE Mains Each Year: Check Past Year Trend
The table below highlights the total number of candidates registered in JEE Mains 2025 and the number of candidates who appeared in the exam in various years.
| Year | No. of Registered Students | No. of Students Appeared |
| 2025 | January- 13,11,544 | January- 12,58,136 |
| April- 10,61,840 | April- 9,92,350 | |
| 2024 | January- 1231874 | January- 1170036 |
| April - 1179569 | April - 1067959 | |
| 2023 | January - 860064 | January - 823967 |
| April - 931334 | April - 883367 | |
| 2022 | June - 872970 | June - 769604 |
| July - 622034 | July - 540242 | |
| 2021 | February - 652628 | February - 621033 |
| March - 619641 | March - 556248 | |
| July - 709611 | July - 543553 | |
| August - 767700 | August - 481419 | |
| 2020 | 8,58,000 | 8,00,532 |
| 2019 | January - 9,29,198 | January - 8,74,469 |
| April - 9,35,755 | April - 8,81,096 | |
| 2018 | 10,43,739 | 10,01,543 |
| 2017 | 1186454 | Online Exam - 165635 |
| Offline Exam- 956716 | ||
| 2016 | 12,07,257 | Online Exam- 10,22,808 |
| Offline Exam- 1,72,058 | ||
| 2015 | 13,04,646 | Online Exam- 11,05,135 |
| Offline Exam- 1,87,782 |
JEE Main 2026 Exam Question Paper PDF
The official JEE Main question paper 2026 will be made available along with the official answer key. The JEE Main question paper allows the candidates to know the questions that have been asked in the exam. Candidates should practice the JEE Main previous year question papers in order to make themselves acquainted with the exam pattern, revise the syllabus.
Check other competitive exams below
Trending Exams: NEET | CUET | JEE Advanced | GATE | AILET
Trending
FAQs
- What is JEE Main 2026 exam eligibility?+The eligibility criteria for JEE Main 2026 exam is to have completed/ appeared in Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Candidates who have passed class XII / equivalent examination in 2024, 2025 or are appearing in 2026, irrespective of their age, can appear in JEE (Main) exam.
- What is JEE Main full form?+JEE Main full form is Joint Entrance Examination – Main (JEE-Main), formerly All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE). The exam is composed of two papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2. Paper 1 is for those who wish to take admissions in B. Tech/B.E courses. Paper 2 is further segregated into two parts, Paper 2A for B. Arch courses, and Paper 2B for B.
- How many times is the JEE Main exam held?+The National Testing Agency conducts JEE Main exam twice in a year. It is initially held in January and then in April. Candidates can appear either once in each session or in both sessions. The best of two scores will be considered for preparing the JEE Main result.
- What is the difference between JEE Main Paper 1 and Paper 2?+The JEE Main Paper 1 and Paper 2 have a basic difference in the subject that the candidates study. JEE Main Paper 1 is for those candidates who wish to take admission in B. Tech/B.E courses, whereas Paper 2 has further two parts - Paper 2A for B. Architecture courses, and Paper 2B for B. Planning.
- What is the difference between JEE Main and JEE Advanced?+JEE Main exam is held each year for admission to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs and other private and government institutions. On the other hand, the top 2.5 lakh candidates are eligible to appear for IIT exam, i.e. JEE Advanced.
- How many times is JEE Main exam conducted in a year?+The JEE Main exam is conducted two times a year. The first session is conducted in January, while the second session is held in April. If a candidate appears for both the sessions, then best of two scores is taken for consideration.
- What is the syllabus for JEE Main 2026 Exam?+JEE Main syllabus is divided for Paper 1,2 and 2A. The JEE Main Syllabus for Paper 1 (B.E./B. Tech) with subjects that are Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. The Paper 2 syllabus is for the B.Architecture with Mathematics General Aptitude Drawing as its subjects. Lastly, Paper 2A syllabus is for B.Planning with subjects that are Mathematics, General Aptitude and Planning.
- What is JEE Main Exam?+The full form of JEE Main is Joint Entrance Examination – Main. It is a national-level engineering entrance examination in India that is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) two times a year. JEE Main exam is used for admission to undergraduate engineering programs at NITs, IIITs and GFTIs. It is also the qualifying test for appearing into JEE Advanced exam.