JEE Main 2026 Exam Dates: From Registration in October to Result - Full Timeline

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially released the JEE Main 2026 exam dates for both sessions.

According to the schedule, Session 1 of the exam will be held from January 21 to January 30, 2026, while Session 2will take place from April 1 to April 10, 2026.

Like every year, the exam will be conducted in two shifts per day — morning and afternoon.

These two sessions give students a fair chance to improve their scores and increase their chances of getting into top engineering institutes like NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs.

The registration for Session 1 is expected to start in October 2025, followed by the second session form in January 2026 on the official website

The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main) is one of the most important national-level entrance exams in India. It is conducted every year by the  National Testing Agency (NTA) and acts as the gateway to top engineering and architecture colleges across the country.

Students who want to pursue courses like B.E., B.Tech, B.Arch, or B.Planning in institutes such as NITs, IIITs, and other government-funded technical colleges must appear for this exam.

The 2025 edition of JEE Main is being held in two sessions — one in January and another in April.

This system allows students to get two opportunities to perform their best, improve their scores, and increase their chances of securing admission to their dream college.

Here are the published dates:

SessionPaperExam DatesNotes
Session 1Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech)January 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, & 30, 2025 Multiple days so shifts are used.
Paper 2A/2B (B.Arch/B.Planning)January 30, 2025 Single day for these papers.
Session 2Paper 1April 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 2025 First half of April.
Paper 2A/2BApril 9, 2025 Architecture/planning paper.
Why Two Sessions?
  • Gives candidates another chance to perform better.
  • Helps spread exam load and reduce stress.
  • NTA can manage logistics, centres and shifts more efficiently across the year.
What a Candidate Must Know
  • You can apply for one or both sessions — whichever suits your preparation.
  • Each session has its own application start/last dates, admit cards, and exams.
  • The best score across sessions usually counts for admissions and ranking.
  • Keep an eye on shifting rules: Exam dates might be adjusted for various reasons.

Who Can Get Admission Through JEE Main?

Any, 12th pass or appearing students can get admission into government engineering colleges through the JEE Main exam.

Here’s how it works:

  • The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main) is conducted by NTA (National Testing Agency) every year.
  • It is used for admissions to undergraduate engineering, architecture, and planning programs (B.E., B.Tech, B.Arch, and B.Planning).
  • 12th pass candidates with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as subjects are eligible.

Through this exam, candidates can get seats in:

  • NITs (National Institutes of Technology)
  • IIITs (Indian Institutes of Information Technology)
  • GFTIs (Government-Funded Technical Institutions)
  • And many state-level government engineering colleges that use JEE Main scores for admission.

 Note: The IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) accept only JEE Advanced scores, and only candidates who qualify JEE Main are eligible to appear in JEE Advanced.

 Stages of the JEE Exam Process

The JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) happens in two stages:

StageExam NamePurposeWho Conducts It
Stage 1JEE MainFor admission to NITs, IIITs, GFTIs, and eligibility for JEE AdvancedNTA (National Testing Agency)
Stage 2JEE AdvancedFor admission to IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology)IITs themselves (on rotation basis)

JEE Main Session 1 and Session 2 Are Both Parts of JEE Main (Not JEE Advanced)

 JEE Main and JEE Advanced are two separate exams.

  • JEE Main → Conducted by NTA (National Testing Agency)
  • JEE Advanced → Conducted by IITs (for admission to IITs only)

Now, JEE Main itself is held in two sessions every year:

SessionWho Conducts ItWhen HeldPurpose
Session 1NTAJanuaryFirst attempt for students
Session 2NTAAprilSecond attempt (optional) – better your score

You can appear in either one session or both.
If you appear in both, your best score is considered for ranking and admission.

JEE Main Exam Structure

JEE Main itself has two papers depending on what you want to study:

PaperCourseSubjects CoveredType of Questions
Paper 1B.E. / B.TechPhysics, Chemistry, MathematicsObjective (MCQs + Numerical)
Paper 2AB.ArchMathematics, Aptitude, Drawing TestMix of objective & drawing-type
Paper 2BB.PlanningMathematics, Aptitude, Planning-related questionsObjective (MCQs)

 JEE Main Result & Admission Flow

StepProcess
①Appear for JEE Main (January or April session or both)
②NTA releases results and ranks (based on your best score)
③If you clear the cut-off, you qualify for JEE Advanced (optional)
④Participate in JoSAA counselling for NITs, IIITs, GFTIs
⑤Choose your preferred college and branch
⑥Get admission based on rank, category, and seat availability

 In Short:

  • Yes, 12th pass students can use JEE Main to get into government engineering colleges.
  • The exam has two stages (Main + Advanced).
  • JEE Main score helps you join NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs.
  • If you want IIT admission, you must also clear JEE Advanced.

National Testing Agency (NTA)

JEE Mains 2026

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