Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The National Testing Agency (NTA) is set to conduct the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026 in its usual two-session format. According to official sources, Session 1 will be held in January 2026 and Session 2 is scheduled for April 2026.
The official notification for both sessions is expected to be released in November 2025. This announcement brings relief and clarity to lakhs of engineering aspirants, as there will be no changes in the exam pattern or syllabus. The structure introduced in 2025 will remain in place for JEE Main 2026, JEE mentor Harpreet Singh said.
He added that each paper will consist of 75 questions in total, divided equally among Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics — 25 questions per subject. The questions will be of two types: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and numerical value-based questions.
Importantly, there will be no optional questions in Section B this year. All questions must be attempted, unlike earlier formats where candidates could skip some numerical questions.
The marking scheme remains unchanged. Students will receive four marks for each correct answer and one mark will be deducted for each incorrect response, including in the numerical sections. Questions left unanswered will not attract any negative marking.
The syllabus will also remain consistent with the previous year’s, based primarily on the NCERT curriculum for Classes 11 and 12. Students preparing for the examination should continue their studies with the current syllabus and avoid speculation about any major changes.
Registration for Session 1 is expected to begin in the first week of November 2025 and will close in early December. A short correction window will be provided in mid-December to allow candidates to make changes to their application forms. The examination for Session 1 is likely to take place in the last week of January or the first week of February 2026.
For Session 2, registrations will open in February 2026, with the exam expected to be held in mid-April. As in previous years, students can appear in either one or both sessions.
The best score out of the two will be considered for ranking and admission purposes. With the exam format remaining stable, students are advised to focus on building strong fundamentals, solving previous years’ papers and taking mock tests under timed conditions.
Experts suggest using the first session as a benchmark and improving scores in the second session, if needed.
