JEE Main 2026

Official Schedule for NITs Admission 2026

Exam Overview

Application Start

S1: 31 Oct 2025 | S2: 01 Feb 2026 (Closed)

Application Deadline

S1: Closed | S2: 13 Mar 2026 (Closed) (Re-opened)

Exam Date

S1: 21-29 Jan 2026 (Concluded) | S2: 02-08 Apr 2026

Mode
CBT Center

About JEE Main 2026

The JEE Main is a major entrance examination for students seeking admission to NITs. The exam is conducted in CBT Center mode, with the exam scheduled for S1: 21-29 Jan 2026 (Concluded) | S2: 02-08 Apr 2026. It is one of the important exams for 2026 admissions in India and is conducted annually to fill seats across participating institutions.

The application process opens from S1: 31 Oct 2025 | S2: 01 Feb 2026 (Closed) and the last date to apply is S1: Closed | S2: 13 Mar 2026 (Closed) (Re-opened). Candidates are advised to complete their registration well before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical issues. All applications must be submitted online through the official portal. Keep your academic documents, photograph, and signature ready before starting the registration process.

JEE Main scores are accepted by 24 institutes across India, including NIT Tiruchirappalli (Trichy), NIT Rourkela, NIT Karnataka (Surathkal). The complete list of participating institutions includes: NIT Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) (Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu); NIT Rourkela (Rourkela, Odisha); NIT Karnataka (Surathkal) (Mangaluru, Karnataka); NIT Calicut (Kozhikode, Kerala); NIT Warangal (Warangal, Telangana); MNIT Jaipur (Jaipur, Rajasthan); VNIT Nagpur (Nagpur, Maharashtra); NIT Durgapur (Durgapur, West Bengal); NIT Silchar (Silchar, Assam); NIT Patna (Patna, Bihar); NIT Jalandhar (Jalandhar, Punjab); MNNIT Allahabad (Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh); NIT Delhi (Delhi, Delhi); SVNIT Surat (Surat, Gujarat); NIT Srinagar (Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir); MANIT Bhopal (Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh); NIT Jamshedpur (Jamshedpur, Jharkhand); NIT Meghalaya (Shillong, Meghalaya); NIT Kurukshetra (Kurukshetra, Haryana); NIT Hamirpur (Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh); NIT Puducherry (Karaikal, Puducherry); NIT Agartala (Agartala, Tripura); NIT Goa (Cuncolim, Goa); NIT Andhra Pradesh (Tadepalligudem, Andhra Pradesh). Candidates will be allotted seats based on their rank in the entrance exam along with the counselling process.

For the most current and accurate information on JEE Main 2026 — including admit card release, syllabus, exam-day instructions, answer key, and result announcement — candidates should regularly check the official website at https://jeemain.nta.nic.in/. Bookmark the page and set reminders for key dates to avoid missing any deadlines.

How to Apply for JEE Main 2026

  1. Visit the Official Website — Go to JEE Main official website and click Apply Online or New Registration.
  2. Register and Create Account — Enter your name, email, and mobile number. Verify via OTP.
  3. Fill the Application Form — Complete personal details, educational qualifications, exam city preferences, and category information.
  4. Upload Documents — Upload your passport-size photograph, signature, and Class 10/12 mark sheets as per specifications.
  5. Pay the Application Fee — Pay online via card, net banking, or UPI before S1: Closed | S2: 13 Mar 2026 (Closed) (Re-opened). Save the payment receipt.
  6. Submit and Download Confirmation — Review, submit, and download your confirmation page. The admit card will be released before the exam (S1: 21-29 Jan 2026 (Concluded) | S2: 02-08 Apr 2026).

Frequently Asked Questions – JEE Main 2026

The JEE Main 2026 exam is scheduled for S1: 21-29 Jan 2026 (Concluded) | S2: 02-08 Apr 2026. The exam is conducted in CBT Center mode. Candidates must download their admit card from the official website before the exam. Check the official website for any last-minute schedule updates.

The last date to apply for JEE Main 2026 is S1: Closed | S2: 13 Mar 2026 (Closed) (Re-opened). The application window opened from S1: 31 Oct 2025 | S2: 01 Feb 2026 (Closed). Apply well before the closing date to avoid server congestion. Ensure fee payment and document upload are completed before the deadline, as late applications are typically not accepted.

JEE Main 2026 scores are accepted by NIT Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) (Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu); NIT Rourkela (Rourkela, Odisha); NIT Karnataka (Surathkal) (Mangaluru, Karnataka). In total, 24 institutes participate in the JEE Main admissions process. Candidates must check each institute's individual cutoff and eligibility criteria on the official counselling portal.

The JEE Main 2026 application form opened/opens from S1: 31 Oct 2025 | S2: 01 Feb 2026 (Closed). Registration is online through the official portal. You need a valid email ID, mobile number, and scanned copies of your photograph and signature. Submit the form with the required application fee before S1: Closed | S2: 13 Mar 2026 (Closed) (Re-opened).

To apply for JEE Main 2026, candidates typically need: a valid email ID and mobile number, Class 10 and 12 mark sheets, a recent passport-size photograph, a scanned signature, and a government-issued photo ID. Reserved category candidates may also need caste/category certificates. Always refer to the official notification for the exact and updated document checklist.

JEE Main 2026 is conducted in CBT Center mode. Candidates appear at designated centres across India. Admit cards must be downloaded from the official website and carried to the exam hall along with a valid photo ID.

More Questions About JEE Main & Related Exams

Session 1 (Jan 21-30) allows early attempts while boards are ongoing. Session 2 (Apr 2-9) gives time to improve after boards. You can appear for one or both - best score is considered for ranking. Most toppers attempt both for safety.

Focus on JEE Main first as it covers 90% of the syllabus for other exams. Private exams like BITSAT (April), VITEEE (Mar-Apr), and SRMJEEE (Apr) often have overlapping content. Apply to 3-5 backup options based on your JEE mock scores.

MHT-CET (Maharashtra) follows state board syllabus with PCM+PCB combined. KCET (Karnataka) includes 1st and 2nd PUC syllabus. WBJEE (West Bengal) has slightly different weightage. AP EAPCET and TS EAMCET closely follow respective state boards.

For top 10 NITs (CS/IT): 98-99+ percentile. For core branches at top NITs: 95-97 percentile. Top IIITs (IIIT-H, IIIT-D): 98+ percentile. Home state quota gives significant advantage - plan accordingly.

Yes. BITSAT, VITEEE, MET are completely independent exams. BITS Pilani doesn't consider JEE scores at all. VIT and Manipal also conduct their own exams. Several students secure these seats even with moderate JEE performance.

No late registration is allowed for JEE Advanced. Top 2.5 lakh JEE Main qualified candidates must register within the tight window (usually 10-14 days). Missing this means no IIT admission for that year. Set multiple reminders.

Yes, but with caution. CSAB Special Rounds fill vacant seats in NITs/IIITs/GFTIs. Cutoffs often drop significantly, offering a chance for lower rankers. However, it's risky—you must be willing to lose your partial admission fee if you don't take the allotted seat.

The 75% aggregate in Class 12 boards (or top 20 percentile) is mandatory for admission to NITs, IIITs, and IITs, even for droppers. If you missed this, consider independent universities (VIT, BITS, Thapar) which have their own criteria.

JEE Main: You can attempt in 3 consecutive years after Class 12, with 2 sessions per year — giving you up to 6 attempts total. JEE Advanced: Only 2 attempts in consecutive years. Droppers must use these carefully — plan both sessions from the first year itself.

JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) runs 6 rounds of counselling for IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs using your JEE ranks. You fill in course preferences in order of priority, and seats are allotted based on rank and availability. Accepting a seat requires paying a partial fee. You can upgrade in later rounds. Missing any round deadline forfeits your allotment.