JEE Main 2026 Session 1 logs 96.26% attendance till Jan 24, over 10 lakh appear: NTA

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has issued an official status update on the JEE (Main) 2026 Session 1 exams as of January 24, 2026. So far, 10,76,486 candidates were scheduled to take the test, and 10,36,211 of them have appeared, taking the overall attendance rate to 96.26%.

Among those who have taken the exam till now, 9,96,774 candidates have successfully completed Aadhaar verification, which is 96.19% of the total appearances recorded. The NTA also said 3,453 PwD candidates have registered for the current session.

The agency stated that the exam process has remained smooth, and attributed it to effective coordination with State and District authorities, along with orderly conduct by candidates at test centres.

JEE (Main) is held for admission to undergraduate engineering courses and is also used as the eligibility exam for JEE Advanced.

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The 2026 Session 1 exams began on January 21 and are scheduled for January 21, 22, 23, 24 and 28 in two shifts for BE/BTech. The BArch and BPlan paper will be conducted on January 29 in a single shift.

The exam is being conducted in computer-based mode at authorised centres in India and overseas.

JEE Main 2026: Aadhaar biometrics and ID checks

The NTA is using Aadhaar-based biometric verification at exam centres to confirm candidates’ identities. Students have been asked to ensure their Aadhaar biometric authentication is unlocked on the exam day to avoid issues during entry. Attendance will be recorded through biometric verification along with manual signing on attendance sheets.

For identity verification, candidates must carry an original, valid photo ID—the same one submitted during the application process. The agency has clarified that photocopies or ID images stored on mobile phones will not be accepted.

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Candidates must also bring their JEE Main admit card downloaded from the official website (jeemain.nta.nic.in), preferably printed on an A4 sheet in colour.

Additionally, candidates should carry at least two passport-size photographs that match the image uploaded in the application form. One photograph will be pasted on the attendance sheet at the centre. If there is a mismatch between the uploaded photo and the photograph produced on exam day, candidates may be asked to provide relevant documents in original or attested copies signed by the school principal/headmaster or a Class-1 gazetted officer.