JEE Main is the qualifier for 23 NITs, 25 IIITs, and 33 GFTIs, plus the gateway to JEE Advanced for IIT admission. Roughly 1.4 million students register each cycle; about 250,000 qualify for JEE Advanced. NTA runs the exam in two sessions (January and April), scoring on a normalised percentile basis. JEE Main 2026 Session 2 results were declared by NTA on April 24, 2026; JoSAA 2026 counselling registration opens on June 4, 2026 (tentative, per JoSAA's announcement schedule).
| Date | Update | Source |
|---|---|---|
| April 24, 2026 | JEE Main 2026 Session 2 result declared | NTA |
| April 23, 2026 | Session 2 final answer key released | NTA |
| April 4-15, 2026 | Session 2 exam conducted | NTA |
| April 2, 2026 | Session 2 admit card released | NTA |
| February 18, 2026 | Session 1 result declared | NTA |
| Full name | Joint Entrance Examination (Main) |
| Acronym | JEE Main |
| Conducting body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Mode | Computer-based test (CBT) |
| Level | National |
| Frequency | Biannual (Session 1 in January, Session 2 in April) |
| Languages | English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu |
| Total marks | 300 |
| Duration | 180 minutes (3 hours) |
| Question count | 90 (75 attempted: 25 per subject = 20 MCQ + 5 NAT) |
| Negative marking | -1 for incorrect MCQ; 0 for incorrect NAT |
| Marks per question | +4 |
| Application fee (General male, per session) | ₹1,000 |
| Official website | jeemain.nta.nic.in |
| 2025 cycle registrations | ~1.4 million (across both sessions, deduplicated) |
| 2025 cycle qualifiers for JEE Advanced | 250,000 |
| Seats allocated through JoSAA (2025 cycle) | ~41,000 across NITs / IIITs / GFTIs / IITs |
| Notification released | November 1, 2025 |
| Application window | November 1, 2025 to November 30, 2025 |
| Application correction | December 5-7, 2025 |
| Admit card release | January 16, 2026 |
| Exam dates | January 22 to January 30, 2026 |
| Provisional answer key | February 4, 2026 |
| Final answer key | February 11, 2026 |
| Result declaration | February 12, 2026 |
| Application window | February 1, 2026 to March 6, 2026 |
| Application correction | March 7-9, 2026 |
| Admit card release | April 2, 2026 |
| Exam dates | April 4 to April 15, 2026 |
| Provisional answer key | April 17, 2026 |
| Final answer key | April 23, 2026 |
| Result declaration | April 24, 2026 |
| Counselling registration opens | June 4, 2026 tentative |
| Choice filling | June 4 to June 12, 2026 tentative |
| Mock allotment | June 13, 2026 tentative |
| Round 1 allotment | June 17, 2026 tentative |
| Rounds 2 to 6 | June 20 to July 27, 2026 tentative |
JEE Main 2026 eligibility requires candidates to have passed Class 12 (or equivalent) with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics from a recognised board. There is no minimum percentage requirement to appear, but admission to NITs, IIITs, and CFTIs requires 75% in Class 12 (65% for SC/ST). The age limit is removed; candidates of any age can apply. The number of attempts is capped at three consecutive years.
| Age limit | No upper age limit. Candidates born in any year are eligible to appear. Admission is subject to participating institutes' own age criteria. |
| Year of qualifying exam | Candidates who passed Class 12 in 2024 or 2025, and those appearing in 2026, are eligible. |
| Required subjects (B.E./B.Tech) | Physics, Mathematics, plus one of Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, or Technical Vocational. |
| Required subjects (B.Arch) | Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics (mandatory PCM). |
| Required subjects (B.Planning) | Mathematics is compulsory. |
| Number of attempts | Three consecutive years. Both sessions of one year together count as one attempt. |
| Class 12 percentage (NIT/IIIT/CFTI admission, General/OBC/EWS) | 75% aggregate, or top 20 percentile of qualifying board. |
| Class 12 percentage (NIT/IIIT/CFTI admission, SC/ST/PwD) | 65% aggregate, or top 20 percentile of qualifying board. |
| Nationality | Indian citizens, OCI, and PIO candidates eligible. Foreign nationals apply under the foreign-national quota at participating institutes. |
| Domicile | No domicile restriction for the all-India seat pool. Home-State quota seats at NITs require state of eligibility (typically the Class 12 board examination centre). |
The JEE Main application is fully online via the NTA portal. Each session has its own application window, and candidates must apply for each session separately. Application fee is ₹1,000 for General/OBC-NCL/EWS male candidates per session; ₹500 for female / SC / ST / PwD candidates. Both sessions together cost ₹2,000 (general male) or ₹1,000 (concessional categories).
| Document | Format | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photograph | JPG / JPEG | 10 KB to 200 KB | Recent, white background, clearly visible face |
| Signature | JPG / JPEG | 4 KB to 30 KB | Black ink on white paper, scanned |
| Class 10 certificate (DoB proof) | 50 KB to 300 KB | Required during application | |
| Category certificate (if applicable) | 50 KB to 300 KB | OBC-NCL / SC / ST / EWS / PwD as relevant | |
| PwD certificate (if applicable) | 50 KB to 300 KB | UDID-based or specific format per NTA |
| Category | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| General / OBC-NCL / EWS | ₹1,000 | ₹800 |
| SC / ST / PwD / Transgender | ₹500 | ₹500 |
| Outside India (Indian citizens) | ₹5,000 | ₹4,000 |
| Outside India (foreign nationals) | ₹8,500 | ₹8,500 |
JEE Main has 90 questions across three subjects (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics), with each subject offering 25 questions: 20 MCQ and 5 numerical-answer-type (NAT). Candidates attempt all 25 (no choice). Total marks are 300 (75 questions multiplied by 4 marks). Negative marking is -1 for incorrect MCQ and 0 for incorrect NAT. The exam is computer-based, three hours long, and offered in 13 languages.
| Mode | Computer-based test (CBT) |
| Duration | 3 hours (180 minutes) |
| Sections | Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics |
| Questions per section | 25 (20 MCQ + 5 NAT) |
| Total questions attempted | 75 out of 90 presented |
| Total marks | 300 |
| Marks per correct | +4 |
| Negative marking (MCQ) | -1 |
| Negative marking (NAT) | 0 |
| Calculator | On-screen calculator provided; no physical calculator |
| Scratch paper | Provided at exam centre |
| Section choice | No section choice; attempt all three |
| Language | Choose at registration (13 options); cannot change at centre |
Pattern is unchanged for 2026. The 5-NAT-per-subject structure introduced in 2024 (replacing the earlier "10 NAT, attempt 5" optional model) continues. No language additions. Calculator policy continues as on-screen only.
A candidate attempting all 75 questions risks accumulating negative marks. The break-even rule under +4 / -1 is: any question where you can eliminate one option (so the chance of correct is at least 1/3) has positive expected value. With no elimination, the expected value is 0 (random guess on four options). Most coaches recommend skipping rather than guessing on questions where you have no information; attempt all NATs because they carry no negative marking.
JEE Main 2026 syllabus follows the NTA's published syllabus, broadly aligned with the NCERT Class 11 and Class 12 curricula in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. The official syllabus document was last updated in 2024 (no changes for 2026); it removed approximately 20 topics from the earlier pre-2024 syllabus and rebalanced the chapter weightages. Topic-level weightages below are derived from the 2024 and 2025 papers.
20 units. The 2024 reduction removed Communication Systems entirely and trimmed Electronic Devices and Electromagnetic Waves. Mechanics and Electrostatics remain the highest-weightage units.
| Unit | Weightage | Key topics |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanics (Kinematics, Newton's Laws, Work-Energy, Rotation, Gravitation) | 25-30% | Projectile motion, friction, conservation laws, moment of inertia |
| Heat and Thermodynamics | 8-10% | Laws of thermodynamics, heat transfer, kinetic theory |
| Oscillations and Waves | 6-8% | SHM, wave equations, sound waves, Doppler effect |
| Electrostatics and Current Electricity | 18-20% | Coulomb's law, capacitors, Ohm's law, Kirchhoff's laws |
| Magnetism and EMI | 12-15% | Magnetic field, AC circuits, transformers, inductors |
| Optics | 8-10% | Reflection, refraction, lenses, interference, diffraction |
| Modern Physics | 8-10% | Photoelectric effect, atomic models, nuclear physics |
Three sub-disciplines: Physical, Inorganic, Organic. Physical Chemistry usually has the highest accuracy ceiling because problems are formula-driven. Organic and Inorganic require deeper memorisation.
| Unit | Weightage | Key topics |
|---|---|---|
| Physical: Atomic Structure, Chemical Bonding | 8-10% | Quantum numbers, hybridisation, molecular orbitals |
| Physical: Thermodynamics, Equilibrium | 10-12% | Gibbs free energy, Le Chatelier's principle, ionic equilibria |
| Physical: Solutions, Electrochemistry | 8-10% | Colligative properties, Nernst equation, electrolysis |
| Inorganic: Periodic Table and General Trends | 6-8% | Ionisation energy, electronegativity, atomic radii |
| Inorganic: s-block, p-block, d/f-block | 12-15% | Group properties, named reactions, coordination chemistry |
| Organic: Hydrocarbons, Functional Groups | 18-22% | Reaction mechanisms, IUPAC nomenclature, isomerism |
| Organic: Biomolecules, Polymers, Everyday Chemistry | 8-10% | Carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, drugs |
16 units. Calculus and Algebra together account for over half the paper.
| Unit | Weightage | Key topics |
|---|---|---|
| Algebra (Quadratic, Sequences, Permutations, Binomial) | 18-22% | Roots, AP/GP, combinatorics, binomial theorem |
| Coordinate Geometry | 12-15% | Lines, circles, parabola, ellipse, hyperbola |
| Calculus (Limits, Differentiation, Integration, ODEs) | 25-30% | Continuity, derivatives, definite integrals, applications |
| Matrices and Determinants | 5-7% | Operations, properties, system of equations |
| Vector Algebra and 3D Geometry | 10-12% | Dot/cross products, lines and planes in 3D |
| Trigonometry | 6-8% | Identities, equations, inverse trigonometric functions |
| Probability and Statistics | 6-8% | Bayes' theorem, distributions, mean, variance |
A defensible JEE Main preparation plan is time-bound, resource-specific, and honest about effort. The plans below are written for the three most common situations a candidate is in when they land on this page.
12-month plan
Months 1-4 (May-August): Foundation. Cover NCERT Class 11 cover-to-cover for all three subjects. Add HC Verma Vol 1 for Physics, OP Tandon for Physical Chemistry, RD Sharma for Mathematics. One topic per day, with 10 problems per topic. No mocks yet; you do not have the conceptual base for them to be useful.
Months 5-8 (September-December): Class 12 syllabus + revision of 11. Move to HC Verma Vol 2, JD Lee or Morrison/Boyd for Organic Chemistry, ML Khanna for Maths. Begin one full-length mock per fortnight from October. Analyse every mock for two hours after completion; the analysis is more valuable than the test.
Months 9-12 (January-April): Mock-heavy phase. Two full-length mocks per week from January, three from March. Reduce new content acquisition; spend 70% of time on mocks plus analysis, 30% on targeted weakness drilling. Past 10 years of papers (NTA\'s free archive) are non-negotiable.
6-month plan
Months 1-3 (November-January): Concept-plus-practice combined. Skip a separate concept phase; you do not have the time. Read the NCERT chapter, do 30 problems from a problem set (HC Verma / DC Pandey / OP Tandon), move on. One subject in the morning, one in the evening. Aim to cover 40% of total syllabus by month-end.
Months 4-5 (February-March): Complete remaining syllabus while running 1 mock per week. Mock difficulty calibration: start with 2024 papers (slightly easier than 2025), progress to 2025, then NTA mock tests. Analyse mocks within 24 hours.
Month 6 (April): Mock-heavy. 4 mocks per week. Revision of error log built across previous five months. Sleep 7+ hours nightly; sleep deprivation hurts NAT accuracy more than MCQ.
90-day plan
This is for candidates who are aiming Session 2 only or salvaging after a poor Session 1. The plan is realistic, not optimistic.
Days 1-30: Triage. Identify your top three strong topics per subject (mock accuracy already over 70%) and your top three weak topics (under 40%). Drop the weakest topics entirely; the cost of bringing them up to 60% in 90 days exceeds the benefit. Focus on lifting your mid-tier topics from 50% to 75%.
Days 31-60: Mock-heavy. 1 mock per day from day 31 onwards. The single biggest accuracy gain in this phase comes from reading every wrong answer\'s solution carefully and writing a one-line "trap pattern" log. NAT questions reward time discipline; do all 5 NATs first in the section, then MCQs.
Days 61-90: Stamina + review. Mocks every alternate day. Last 5 days: no new mocks, only review of the error log. Sleep schedule synced to exam shift (Shift 1 = 9 AM start; Shift 2 = 3 PM start). Eat the same breakfast for the final week as you plan to eat on exam day; novel food on exam day is a controllable risk.
Coaching is genuinely useful for two situations: a candidate without strong school-level science background, and a candidate without self-discipline to study independently for 4+ hours daily. For everyone else, the cost-benefit of an Allen / Aakash / FIITJEE classroom programme (typically ₹1.2 to ₹2.4 lakh per year) is questionable. Self-study with NCERT plus standard books plus NTA mocks costs under ₹6,000 total and produces top-200 ranks every year, as published by NTA\'s own scorecard release data.
Online coaching (Vedantu, Physics Wallah, Unacademy) at ₹15,000 to ₹40,000 per year is the middle path. Honest take: PW Vidyapeeth\'s free YouTube lectures are competitive with paid offerings for self-motivated candidates.
Topper insight (pending)
Verified topper from JEE Main 2025 cycle (AIR top 500), with scorecard verification, willing to be quoted by name. Required by Section 13 of the content instruction. Without this, the page reads like every other generic prep article.
| Book | Subject | Price (₹) | One-line take |
|---|---|---|---|
| HC Verma Vol 1 + 2 | Physics | 800 | Best for concepts; problem set is below current JEE Main difficulty, supplement with DC Pandey. |
| DC Pandey Series (5 books) | Physics | 1,800 | Aligned to current JEE Main difficulty; pair with HC Verma for concepts. |
| OP Tandon | Physical Chemistry | 600 | Standard reference for Physical Chemistry; covers NCERT plus problem variations. |
| MS Chouhan | Organic Chemistry | 700 | Strong on reaction mechanisms; pair with NCERT for breadth. |
| JD Lee Concise | Inorganic Chemistry | 850 | Covers Inorganic at JEE Main depth; some sections beyond syllabus, skip those. |
| RD Sharma (Class 11 + 12) | Mathematics | 1,400 | Bulk problem set; use as a drilling resource, not as a primary text. |
| ML Khanna | Mathematics | 750 | Older but classic; problem variety is excellent for advanced topics. |
| Cengage Mathematics Series (G Tewani) | Mathematics | 2,200 | Most aligned to current JEE Main difficulty among Maths books. |
Allen Test Series is the most calibrated to actual difficulty (₹6,000 to ₹15,000 depending on programme). PW Test Series is cheaper (₹2,500) and adequate. NTA mocks (free) plus the past 10 years of papers (free) cover most needs; paid test series are an upgrade, not a requirement.
The activity with the highest score-to-effort ratio in exam prep is mock-test analysis. Solving a mock takes hours; analysing it correctly takes longer. Most candidates skip the analysis. The candidates who score well do not.
| Year | Difficulty | Hardest section | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Moderate-Hard | Mathematics | Calculus and 3D Geometry weighted higher than usual |
| 2024 | Moderate | Chemistry (Organic) | Reaction mechanism questions trickier than 2023 |
| 2023 | Moderate | Mathematics | Algebra-heavy paper, rewarded speed in Quadratics |
| 2022 | Moderate-Easy | Chemistry | Pre-syllabus-reduction; Inorganic was direct from NCERT |
| 2021 | Hard | Physics | Mechanics had 3-step problems requiring time |
Physics topics with highest year-over-year question count: Mechanics (Kinematics + Rotational), Electrostatics, Modern Physics. Chemistry: Organic Reaction Mechanisms, Coordination Chemistry, Thermodynamics. Mathematics: Calculus (Definite Integrals + Application of Derivatives), Coordinate Geometry (Conics).
| Year | General | OBC-NCL | EWS | SC | ST | PwD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 93.10 | 79.43 | 80.38 | 61.15 | 47.91 | 0.001 |
| 2024 | 93.23 | 79.69 | 81.44 | 60.09 | 46.69 | 0.001 |
| 2023 | 90.78 | 73.61 | 75.62 | 51.97 | 37.23 | 0.001 |
| 2022 | 88.41 | 67.01 | 63.11 | 43.08 | 26.78 | 0.001 |
| 2021 | 87.89 | 68.02 | 66.22 | 46.88 | 34.67 | 0.001 |
| College | General (HS) | General (OS) | OBC (OS) | SC (OS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NIT Tiruchirappalli (CSE) | 4,463 | 1,251 | 542 | 313 |
| NIT Surathkal (CSE) | 5,712 | 2,143 | 891 | 502 |
| NIT Warangal (CSE) | 5,890 | 2,847 | 1,127 | 651 |
| NIT Calicut (CSE) | 6,234 | 4,512 | 1,742 | 884 |
| NIT Rourkela (CSE) | 8,910 | 5,624 | 2,103 | 1,098 |
| NIT Allahabad / MNIT (CSE) | 11,247 | 6,891 | 2,547 | 1,294 |
Our 2026 admission cutoff prediction uses the past 5 years of JoSAA closing rank data, applies year-on-year drift correction (Mathematics-heavy 2025 paper resulted in slightly higher cutoffs across CSE), and adjusts for any newly announced seat changes for 2026. The rule-based model has not yet been calibrated against the 2026 cycle (calibration scheduled January 2027 after JoSAA 2026 Round 6 closes); the figures above are anchored on 2025 closing ranks with a typical ±15% drift band.
Use the College Predictor with full methodology disclosure →JEE Main 2026 Session 2 results were declared by NTA on April 24, 2026. Scorecards are downloadable from jeemain.nta.nic.in using application number plus date of birth. The result includes section-wise normalised percentile, total normalised percentile, and the All-India Rank (calculated only after both sessions have ended; Session 1 results show only percentile, not rank).
JEE Main score is valid for the immediate following counselling cycle only (JoSAA 2026 in this case). It cannot be carried forward to the next year.
Because JEE Main runs in multiple shifts (typically 8 to 10 shifts across both sessions), raw marks across shifts are not directly comparable. NTA applies percentile normalisation: a candidate's raw mark is converted to the percentile of candidates in their shift who scored less than or equal to them. The published NTA Score is this percentile, not the raw mark. The total NTA Score is computed from section percentiles, not from raw marks added together.
NTA does not allow rechecking or re-evaluation of scores. Answer keys are finalised after the response-sheet objection window (typically 3 days after provisional answer key release). After the final answer key is published, no further changes are made to scores. This is a hard rule; appeals beyond the objection window are not entertained.
JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) is the central counselling body that allocates seats across all NITs, IIITs, GFTIs, and IITs based on JEE Main and JEE Advanced ranks. Counselling for the 2026 cycle is expected to open on June 4, 2026, and run through six rounds ending late July. Registration is online at josaa.nic.in; choice filling, allotment, and document verification all happen through the same portal.
This section is the wedge against generic JoSAA guides. Specific, opinionated, multi-round-aware.
List every option you would accept, in honest priority order. If you would not study at IIIT Kalyani, do not list it just because someone said "list 80+ choices." Listing options you would not accept gets you stuck with seats you will reject and lose your acceptance fee.
Save Reach colleges in your top 5. A Reach college (one where your rank is borderline against last year\'s closing rank) costs nothing to list. JoSAA allots strictly by rank; if you do not get the Reach option, you fall through to your next priority. Listing a Reach high cannot hurt you.
Do not Freeze in Round 1 unless you got your absolute top choice. Round 2 and 3 typically open better options as higher-ranked candidates Freeze elsewhere. Float in Round 1, see what Round 2 brings, then re-evaluate.
Float vs Slide: use Float when you want a different college. Use Slide when you want a better branch at the same college. Do not Slide if you are unwilling to switch branches; you can be auto-allocated a branch you did not want.
Withdrawal rules: you can withdraw from JoSAA before the final round at no penalty. Withdrawing after the final round forfeits your acceptance fee. Withdrawing before reporting to the institute is allowed; withdrawing after reporting locks you out of further allocation.
After JoSAA's six rounds, the Central Seat Allocation Board (CSAB) runs additional rounds for vacant seats at NITs / IIITs / GFTIs. CSAB is a separate counselling; you must register again. Eligibility is the same JEE Main rank. If seats remain vacant after CSAB, individual institutes may conduct spot rounds. These are institute-specific, often last-minute, and typically require physical reporting; check the individual institute's website.
Talk to a counsellor about your strategy →Top 15 JEE Main-accepting institutes by NIRF Engineering rank. Each links to the full college page with placements, fees, hostel, and student reviews.
| NIRF rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | IIT Madras | Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
| #2 | IIT Delhi | New Delhi |
| #3 | IIT Bombay | Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| #4 | IIT Kanpur | Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh |
| #5 | IIT Kharagpur | Kharagpur, West Bengal |
| #6 | IIT Roorkee | Roorkee, Uttarakhand |
| #7 | IIT Hyderabad | Hyderabad, Telangana |
| #8 | IIT Guwahati | Guwahati, Assam |
| #9 | NIT Tiruchirappalli | Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu |
| #10 | IIT BHU Varanasi | Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh |
| #12 | IIT Indore | Indore, Madhya Pradesh |
| #13 | NIT Rourkela | Rourkela, Odisha |
| #17 | NIT Karnataka Surathkal | Mangaluru, Karnataka |
| #21 | NIT Calicut | Kozhikode, Kerala |
| #28 | NIT Warangal | Warangal, Telangana |
| Comparison | Mode | Conducting body | Frequency | College scope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEE Main vs JEE Advanced | CBT vs CBT | NTA vs IIT (rotating) | Biannual vs Annual | NITs/IIITs/GFTIs vs IITs |
| JEE Main vs BITSAT | CBT vs CBT | NTA vs BITS Pilani | Biannual vs Multi-session | Public NITs vs Private BITS |
| JEE Main vs WBJEE | CBT vs Pen-Paper | NTA vs WBJEEB | Biannual vs Annual | National vs West Bengal state |
| JEE Main vs MHT-CET | CBT vs CBT | NTA vs MAH-CET | Biannual vs Annual | National vs Maharashtra state |
Pending verified contributors
6 to 8 verified test-taker reviews per Section 7 Module 18. Required curation mix: 1 recent topper (top 1 percentile), 1 average qualifier, 1 non-qualifier (honest perspective), 1 repeat test-taker, 1 first-attempt test-taker, 1 female test-taker for gender-specific operational notes. All scorecard-verified, year-stamped. Without these the page cannot meet the experiential E-E-A-T moat requirement.
JEE Main 2026 Session 1 results were declared on February 12, 2026. Session 2 results were declared on April 24, 2026. The combined All-India Rank (best of both sessions) was published with the Session 2 result. Scorecards are downloadable until the JoSAA 2026 counselling closes (expected late July 2026).
Yes, candidates can appear in both Session 1 and Session 2. Apply separately for each session. NTA considers the higher of the two normalised percentile scores for ranking. Both sessions count as one attempt under the three-consecutive-year rule.
Pass Class 12 (or equivalent) with Physics and Mathematics, plus one of Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, or Technical Vocational. There is no minimum percentage to appear, but admission to NITs/IIITs/CFTIs requires 75% in Class 12 (65% for SC/ST). The age limit is removed; candidates of any age can apply.
NTA uses percentile normalisation across multiple shifts. Each shift's raw scores are converted to percentiles (the percentage of candidates in that shift who scored less than or equal to you). The published NTA Score is this percentile. The total NTA Score is computed from section-wise percentiles, not from raw marks added together.
Rough benchmarks (General, 2025 cycle): top 1,000 for IIT BHU CSE / NIT Trichy CSE; top 5,000 for top NITs CSE / mid-tier NIT CSE; top 15,000 for any NIT CSE; top 30,000 for any NIT (any branch); top 50,000 for any GFTI / IIIT (any branch); top 100,000 for tier-2 IIITs and private colleges accepting JEE Main.
A candidate may appear in JEE Main in three consecutive years. Both sessions of one year together count as one attempt for this rule. After three consecutive years, you become ineligible.
Admit card (printed), one valid government-issued photo ID (Aadhaar / PAN / Passport / Driving Licence / Voter ID), one passport-size photograph (same as on the application). PwD candidates need their UDID card or PwD certificate. No other documents are accepted; verify the admit card's accepted ID list before exam day.
No physical calculator. NTA provides an on-screen virtual calculator within the CBT interface. The calculator supports basic arithmetic and standard scientific functions. Practice with the on-screen calculator before exam day; the interface is slower than a physical scientific calculator and can cost time if you are unfamiliar.
Exam city change is allowed only during the application correction window (3 days after the application deadline closes). After the correction window closes, no city changes are accepted. Choose your 4 city preferences carefully at application time.
You are ineligible for JEE Advanced (and therefore IIT admission). You can still use your JEE Main rank for JoSAA counselling at NITs / IIITs / GFTIs, plus separate counselling at private colleges accepting JEE Main scores. The cutoff is for JEE Advanced eligibility only, not for JoSAA.
JoSAA registration opens at josaa.nic.in approximately 4-6 weeks after the JEE Main Session 2 result. Use your JEE Main application number and password to log in. Counselling has six rounds, each with Freeze/Float/Slide options after seat allotment. See the Counselling section above for the full process.
No. Self-study with NCERT, standard reference books (HC Verma, OP Tandon, RD Sharma), the past 10 years of papers, and NTA's free mock tests has produced top-200 ranks every year. Coaching is genuinely useful for candidates without strong school-level science background or without self-discipline for 4+ hours of daily independent study.
The qualifying percentile for JEE Advanced 2025 was 93.10 (General), 79.43 (OBC-NCL), 80.38 (EWS), 61.15 (SC), 47.91 (ST). Approximately 250,000 candidates qualify each cycle. Qualifying gets you eligibility to write JEE Advanced; admission to IITs requires a separate JEE Advanced rank.
JEE Main 2027 Session 1 is expected in January 2027 (notification typically released in November 2026). Subscribe to alerts to be notified within 24 hours of the official notification.
For Session 1: ₹1,000 for General/OBC-NCL/EWS male candidates; ₹800 for female; ₹500 for SC/ST/PwD/Transgender. For both sessions combined: ₹2,000 (general male) or ₹1,000 (concessional categories). Outside-India centres cost more (₹5,000 for Indian citizens, ₹8,500 for foreign nationals per session).
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