JEE Main 2026 (April 4th, Shift 1)
2026
Undergraduate Entrance
Joint Entrance Examination - Main
JEE Main is India's premier national-level engineering entrance exam, conducted twice a year by NTA for admission to B.E./B.Tech., B.Arch., and B.Planning programmes at NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs, and as the qualifying test for JEE Advanced (IIT admissions). JEE Main 2026 concluded in April 2026 with a record 15.5 lakh candidates; JEE Main 2027's official notification is expected around October–November 2026.
15.5 lakh+Candidates (2026, record)
67,323Total Seats via JoSAA (2026)
23 IITs, 31 NITs, 26 IIITs, 56 GFTIsParticipating Institutes
2 (January & April)Sessions Per Year
Free Practice Tests & Papers
5 availableImportant Dates
- JEE Main 2026 Cycle (for reference)
Final General-category cutoff for JEE Advanced eligibility: 93.41 percentile, released with the Session 2 result on April 20, 2026 - the highest in 4 years.
- JEE Main 2027 Official Notification
Not yet released. JEE Main 2026's notification came in October 2025, and 2025's followed the same pattern - this page will be updated the day NTA publishes the 2027 bulletin.
- JEE Main 2027 Session 1 Registration
Projected from the JEE Main 2026 cycle, when Session 1 registration opened Oct 31, 2025 and closed Nov 27, 2025.
- JEE Main 2027 Session 1 Exam
JEE Main 2025 and 2026 Session 1 both fell in the last week of January.
- JEE Main 2027 Session 2 Registration
- JEE Main 2027 Session 2 Exam
JEE Main 2025 and 2026 Session 2 both ran in the first eight days of April.
Exam Details & Pattern
Eligibility Criteria
- Must have passed Class 12 (or equivalent) with Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects; Chemistry/Biology/Biotechnology/Technical Vocational subject as the third subject (for Paper 1)
- Candidates appearing in Class 12 board exams in the same academic year are also eligible to apply - there is no minimum Class 12 percentage required just to sit JEE Main
- For admission to NITs/IIITs/GFTIs specifically (not to appear in the exam): minimum 75% aggregate in Class 12 (65% for SC/ST/PwD), OR a rank in the top 20 percentile of your own board's results that year - either route qualifies
- No upper age limit for JEE Main; NRI/OCI/PIO/Foreign nationals are also eligible
- Maximum of 6 attempts total, spread across 3 consecutive years (2 sessions per year)
Marking Scheme & Pattern
Total Questions (Paper 1)75 (25 each in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics) - all compulsory
Section A (each subject)20 MCQs - all compulsory
Section B (each subject)5 Numerical Value questions - all 5 compulsory (changed starting JEE Main 2025; earlier years allowed choosing any 5 of 10)
Marking Scheme (MCQ)+4 for correct, -1 for incorrect, 0 for unattempted
Marking Scheme (Numerical)+4 for correct, -1 for incorrect (negative marking added starting JEE Main 2025 - earlier years had zero penalty here)
Paper 2A (B.Arch.)77 questions, 400 marks - Mathematics (20 MCQ + 5 NVQ), Aptitude (50 MCQ), Drawing (2 tasks, pen-and-paper, evaluated separately)
Paper 2B (B.Planning)100 questions, 400 marks - Mathematics, Aptitude, and Planning-specific questions
Syllabus Overview
Physics
- Kinematics
- Laws of Motion
- Work/Energy/Power
- Rotational Motion
- Gravitation
- Properties of Solids & Liquids
- Thermodynamics
- Kinetic Theory of Gases
- Oscillations & Waves
- Electrostatics
- Current Electricity
- Magnetic Effects
- Electromagnetic Induction
- Electromagnetic Waves
- Optics (Ray & Wave)
- Dual Nature of Matter
- Atoms & Nuclei
- Electronic Devices
- Communication Systems
Chemistry
- Atomic Structure
- Chemical Bonding & Molecular Structure
- States of Matter
- Thermodynamics
- Equilibrium
- Redox Reactions
- Electrochemistry
- Chemical Kinetics
- Surface Chemistry
- Periodic Table & Properties
- Hydrogen
- s-block & p-block Elements
- d & f-block Elements
- Coordination Compounds
- Organic Chemistry Basics
- Hydrocarbons
- Haloalkanes & Haloarenes
- Alcohols/Phenols/Ethers
- Aldehydes/Ketones/Carboxylic Acids
- Amines
- Biomolecules
- Polymers
- Chemistry in Everyday Life
Mathematics
- Sets
- Relations & Functions
- Complex Numbers
- Quadratic Equations
- Sequences & Series
- Permutations & Combinations
- Binomial Theorem
- Matrices & Determinants
- Limits
- Continuity & Differentiability
- Integrals
- Differential Equations
- Coordinate Geometry (Straight Lines
- Circles
- Conics)
- 3D Geometry
- Vectors
- Statistics & Probability
- Mathematical Reasoning
- Trigonometry
Frequently Asked Questions
How many attempts are allowed for JEE Main?
Candidates can appear in JEE Main for a maximum of 6 attempts over 3 consecutive years (2 sessions per year). The best score across all attempts is considered for ranking.
Is JEE Main sufficient for IIT admission?
No. JEE Main qualifies candidates for JEE Advanced, which is the separate entrance exam for IITs. Admission to IITs requires qualifying JEE Advanced and securing an All India Rank (AIR) within the seat matrix.
What is the JEE Main percentile required for NIT admission?
For top NITs (like NIT Trichy, NIT Warangal, NIT Surathkal), a JEE Main percentile of 98.5+ is generally needed for competitive branches. For other NITs, a percentile of 90+ may suffice depending on the branch and category. For reference, the JEE Main 2026 General-category cutoff for JEE Advanced eligibility was 93.41 percentile.
When will JEE Main 2027 dates be announced?
NTA hasn't released anything official yet. Going by the JEE Main 2025 and 2026 pattern, the information bulletin typically arrives in October, with Session 1 registration opening within days of it. This page will be updated the moment NTA publishes it.
Are all Section B numerical questions compulsory now?
Yes. Starting with JEE Main 2025, NTA removed the earlier 'attempt any 5 of 10' choice - all 5 numerical questions per subject are now compulsory, and they now carry the same -1 negative marking as MCQs for a wrong answer. This is expected to remain unchanged for JEE Main 2027.
Is the 75% Class 12 criterion still required for NIT/IIIT admission?
Yes - this rule has not been removed, despite periodic rumors to the contrary. It applies only at the admission (JoSAA counselling) stage, not to appear in JEE Main itself. Candidates need 75% aggregate in Class 12 (65% for SC/ST/PwD) OR a rank in the top 20 percentile of their own board that year.
Will JEE Main and NEET be merged into one exam?
Not currently. A 'One Nation, One Entrance Exam' proposal has been discussed by a Parliamentary Standing Committee, but as of this update it remains at the discussion stage with no executive order. JEE Main and NEET UG continue to be conducted as separate exams.
