JEE Main Admit Card 2026 LIVE: NTA issues exam day guidelines; shift timings, dress code

JEE Main 2026 will be conducted in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode for Paper 1 (BTech) and Paper 2B (BPlanning). For Paper 2A (BArch), the Mathematics and Aptitude sections will be held in CBT mode, while the Drawing Test will be conducted offline (pen-and-paper) on an A4 drawing sheet.

In JEE Main 2026, Numerical Value Questions (Section B) will also carry negative marking, with +4 marks for correct answers and –1 mark for incorrect attempts. Unanswered or review-marked questions without a numerical entry will get 0 marks. If a numerical question is found incorrect or dropped after answer key verification, all candidates of that shift will be awarded +4 marks. Candidates must use the given constants (if any) and round answers to the nearest integer

The JEE Main 2026 marking scheme awards +4 marks for a correct or most appropriate MCQ answer and deducts –1 mark for incorrect attempts. Unanswered or “marked for review” questions without any option selected get 0 marks. If more than one option is correct, candidates selecting any correct option will receive full marks, while if all options are correct, all attempted responses will be awarded +4 marks.

The JEE Main 2026 admit card issued by the National Testing Agency contains all essential information for candidates. It includes the exam date, shift timing, reporting time, and the complete address of the exam centre. Candidates can also find their application number, roll number, and category details on the hall ticket. The admit card highlights important exam-day instructions, including biometric verification, dress code, and items allowed inside the examination hall.

As per NTA guidelines, candidates should not wear clothes with big buttons or shoes with thick soles.

Yes, you can bring a clear, transparent water bottle to the JEE Main exam, but it must have no labels or markings.

The JEE Main cut-off ranks for BTech Mechanical Engineering at NITs under the Home State open category vary widely. Top NITs remain highly competitive, with Surathkal closing at 12,126, Tiruchirappalli at 14,978, and Warangal at 17,643.

Also read: JEE Main 2026: NIT BTech mechanical engineering cut-offs and rank variations across institutes

Mobile phones are not allowed inside the JEE Main exam centre or exam hall.

For the JEE Main exam 2026, candidates need to bring their printed JEE Main admit card, an original photo ID (like Aadhaar, Passport, PAN, or Voter ID), and 1–2 passport-sized photos that match their application.

JoSAA data show that NIT Tiruchirappalli’s CSE programme closed at AIR 4,569 under the Home State open category, while the Other State quota closed at AIR 1,449 for gender-neutral and 2,599 for female-only candidates.

Also read: JEE Mains 2026: How tough is NIT Tiruchirappalli's BTech CSE? Category-wise cut-off trends

Candidates can download the JEE Main session 1 admit card from jeemain.nta.nic.in using their valid login credentials.

Candidates appearing for the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 first shift should follow the given exam-day schedule.

The NTA will begin the JEE Mains 2026 from tomorrow in dual shifts. Female candidates who are appearing for the IIT JEE Main 2023 exam should also follow the dress code.

• Candidates should not wear any kind of dupatta or scarf.
• Students should not wear any kind of jewelry or ornaments.
• They should also make sure their dress does not have any kind of metallic items.
• Candidates must wear light and comfortable clothes keeping in mind the season and weather on the day of exam.
• Candidates must not wear goggles, rings, bracelets or any such items.

Candidates will be awarded four marks for each correct answer, whereas one mark will be deducted for each wrong response. Notably, no marks will be deducted for unanswered questions.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has issued advisory for candidates going to appear in the JEE Mains 2026. Candidates are advised to read the Subject-Specific Instructions (Annexure 1) and General Instructions mentioned in the Question Paper and abide by the same. They should also go through all Instructions given in the Admit Card and the Information Bulletin of JEE (Main) 2026.

Moreover, Sikh candidates are permitted to wear their religious articles such as "KARA" and "KIRPAN".

Candidates seeking admission to engineering programmes will appear in the JEE Mains 2026 written test tomorrow in dual shifts. Here is the timeline of exam day which includes closing gate, opening gate timings, other important instructions. 

• 7 am - The JEE Main exam centres will open the entry gates.
• 7 am to 8:30 am - The NTA will allow entry inside the exam hall. Candidates will have to go through the admit card, and photo ID verification process, biometric registration, record of manual attendance by invigilator.
• They are required to provide one passport size photograph, same as the one uploaded in the JEE Main application form 2026. One passport size photograph will be pasted on the attendance sheet at the centre. Photocopies or images stored in mobile phones will not be accepted.
• Candidates will be allowed to carry the documents, transparent bottle and ball point pen inside the exam hall.
• 8.30 am to 8.50 am - Instructions will be given by the invigilators on the conduct of the exam. Students are required to find their roll number and get seated on time.
• 8.50 am - Candidates will be allowed to log in to the JEE Main exam and read instructions.
• 9 am to 12 noon - The JEE Main January shift 1 exam will commence and end at 12 noon.

Male candidates who will be appearing in JEE Main 2023 exam are advised to follow the below-mentioned JEE dress code on the day of the exam

• Candidates must not wear dresses made of metallic items. Metallic items cause problems during frisking and should be avoided.
• Candidates are not allowed to wear a cap or muffler or any cloth that covers the head.
• Students must wear light-weight comfortable clothes to avoid discomfort during writing the exam.
• Wearing any kind of jewelry or ornaments is strictly prohibited.
• Candidates must not wear goggles, rings, bracelets or any of such items.

Candidates will have to ensure that the QR code and barcode are clearly visible on the JEE Main 2026 admit card at the time of download. On the exam day, candidates are required to carry the same photo ID that was uploaded during the application process and is mentioned on the admit card for identity verification.

Candidates who qualify in JEE Main 2026 will be eligible to appear for JEE Advanced 2026. The registration window for JEE Advanced will be open from April 23 to May 2, 2026. Registrations can be completed online via the official website jeeadv.ac.in. Engineering aspirants are advised to keep track of all official notifications to ensure timely participation in the next stage of admissions.

The JEE Main 2026 BTech exams will be conducted from January 21 to 24 and January 28. Each day has two shifts: the first shift runs from 9 am to 12 pm and the second shift from 3 pm to 6 pm. The BArch and BPlan exams are scheduled on January 29. Candidates should report to the exam centre well before the start of the exam to complete verification procedures.

Engineering aspirants should visit the official website at jeemain.nta.nic.in and enter their application number and password to access the admit card. The NTA has advised candidates to verify all personal details and exam information carefully. Those facing difficulties in downloading the hall ticket can contact the NTA helpline at +91-11-40759000 or email jeemain@nta.ac.in for assistance. Admit cards for the remaining exam dates will be released two to three days before the respective exams.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has issued the JEE Main 2026 session 1 admit cards. The exams are scheduled from January 21 to 24 for BTech courses, with BArch and BPlan papers on January 29, 2026. Candidates can download their hall tickets from the official website jeemain.nta.nic.in using their application number and password.

NTA has rescheduled the JEE Main 2026 Jan 23 exam due to the celebration of Saraswati Puja, however, the new date is yet to be announced by the board.

The chapter-wise weightage for mathematics in JEE Main 2026 is provided in the table below.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will issue the JEE Mains 2026 admit card for January 28 and 29 exams soon. Here are the steps given below to download the exam hall ticket.

• Visit the official website at jeemain.nta.nic.in.
• Click on the JEE Main 2026 admit card link on the homepage.
• Log in using the application number and password.
• Submit the details to access the admit card.
• Download the JEE Main 2026 admit card.
• Take a printout for use on the exam day.

According to the previous year's JEE mains paper analysis, the overall difficulty level for the JEE Mains session 1 was comparatively easy compared to the session 2 exams.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026 session 1 exams from January 21 to 29 for BTech, BArch and BPlanning admissions.

Candidates will soon be able to download the JEE Mains 2026 exam hall ticket through the official website at jeemain.nta.nic.in for the exams scheduled on January 28 and 29.

As per the  Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) 2025 report by IIT Kanpur, a total of 28,705 candidates chose the BTech CSE programme for 4-year BTech admissions, while another 24,123 selected Electrical Engineering, and 21,412 opted for Mechanical Engineering.

As per the JEE Main 2026 marking scheme, for every correct answer, four marks are awarded in MCQs, and one mark is deducted for each incorrect response. For numerical value questions, candidates receive four marks for a correct response, and there is no negative marking for incorrect answers. No marks are deducted for unattempted questions. 

JEE Main 2026 Marks Calculation: How NTA evaluates scores? Raw marks to percentile process

The JEE Main 2026 dress code for male candidates is as follows. 

• Clothes should not have large buttons, and shoes with thick soles are not allowed
• Candidates must not wear clothing that contains metallic items, as metallic items cause problems during frisking and should be avoided.
• Students are not allowed to wear a cap, muffler, or any cloth over their heads. 
• Candidates must wear lightweight, comfortable clothes to avoid discomfort while writing the exam.
• Candidates must not wear accessories such as goggles, rings, bracelets, or any such items.

NTA has rescheduled the JEE Main 2026 Jan 23 exam due to the celebration of Saraswati Puja, however, the new date is yet to be announced by the board. 

JEE Main closing ranks at IIT Bombay for Aerospace Engineering admissions are as follows.

For JEE Main 2026, qualifying scores vary by category: General – 95+ percentile (~180–200+ marks), OBC/EWS – 82+ percentile (~100–170 marks), SC/ST – 64.5+ percentile (~60–130+ marks). Top NITs/IITs require 99+ percentile (~240+ marks).

A 99.2 percentile in JEE Mains usually corresponds to an All India Rank of 8,000–12,000, typically around 8,400–9,600, depending on exam difficulty and number of candidates.

BTech civil engineering is regaining stability in demand after years of decline, according to JEE Main cut-off trends at NITs. The highest 2025 closing rank was 17,304 at NIT Trichy, followed by 22,901 at NIT Karnataka and 25,239 at NIT Warangal, while mid-range NITs like Allahabad, Bhopal, and Nagpur saw ranks between 35,000–45,000, showing moderate competition.

Also read: JEE Main 2026: BTech civil engineering cut-offs at NITs show steady demand after years of decline

The exam centre is mentioned on the JEE Main admit card. By downloading the hall ticket, candidates can check their allotted city and exam centre.

JoSAA data shows IIT Bombay’s Aerospace Engineering closing ranks have steadily declined. Last year, 17,209 candidates chose AE, while BTech CSE remained the most popular with 28,705 applicants, followed by Electrical Engineering with 24,123. The CSE closing rank for the open category dropped slightly to 66 in 2025.

Also read: JEE Main 2026: IIT Bombay Aerospace Engineering closing ranks fall steadily; course-wise seat matrix

As per the JEE Main 2026 schedule, session 1 will be held on January 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, and 29, 2026.

Over the past two years, IIT Hyderabad’s AI closing ranks have gone up for open, SC, and ST categories, while BTech CSE ranks have slightly dropped. For AI, the open category rose from 875 to 861, SC from 251 to 222, and ST from 89 to 83. For CSE, open ranks fell from 656 to 673, SC from 182 to 198, and the SC cut-off slightly increased from 82 to 80.

Also read: JEE Main 2026: IIT Hyderabad AI cut-off rises for open, SC, ST; CSE sees dip in closing ranks

Scoring 75 marks in JEE Main is considered moderate. It may give a qualifying percentile of around 73–87, depending on the exam shift, but it is usually not enough for top NITs or IIITs, which typically require 180+ marks or around 99 percentile.

JEE Main has three papers. Paper 1 for BE, BTech is of 300 marks, with 4 marks for each correct answer and minus 1 for each wrong answer. Paper 2A for BArch and Paper 2B for BPlan are of 400 marks each, with the same marking scheme, except the Drawing section in B.Arch, which carries 100 marks.

An 87.5 percentile in JEE Main is considered above average, but usually not high enough for admission to top NITs or IITs.

NIT Tiruchirappalli has had the highest BTech CSE cut-offs among NITs over the past three years, closing at rank 1,449 in 2025, 1,224 in 2024, and 1,509 in 2023. NIT Surathkal and NIT Warangal follow as the next most competitive, closing at 1,827 and 2,409, respectively, in 2025.

Also read: JEE Main 2026: NIT Tiruchirappalli, Surathkal, Warangal retain highest BTech cut-offs among NITs

Based on the issuance of admit cards for the exam to be held on January 21, it is expected that the NTA will release the JEE Main 2026 admit cards for the exams to be held on January 28 and 29, four days before the exam, i.e., on January 24.

The JEE Main admit card download link will be activated online soon at jeemain.nta.nic.in. 

The cut-offs for BTech Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) at IIT Guwahati under the gender-neutral open category have dropped from 623 last year to 792 this year. In contrast, BTech Biosciences and Bioengineering continues to be the least competitive branch, closing at 10,727 in 2025 and 9,178 in 2024.

Also read: JEE Main 2026: IIT Guwahati CSE cut-off drops; BTech biosciences still least competitive

The NTA has released JEE Main 2026 hall tickets for exams on January 21 to 24, while JEE Main admit cards for January 28 and 29 are yet to be issued.

To download the JEE Main admit card 2026, candidates will have to use their valid JEE Mains 2026 application number and date of birth or password.

The JEE Main 2026 admit card can be downloaded from the official website, jeemain.nta.nic.in, using valid login details such as the application number and password.

The JEE Main 2026 admit card for the exams to be held on January 28 and 29 will be issued soon on the official website, jeemain.nta.nic.in.

Engineering aspirants who qualify JEE Main 2026 will be eligible to appear for the JEE Advanced exam 2026. Candidates can register for JEE Advanced 2026 from April 23 to May 2, through the official website, jeeadv.ac.in.

NTA has issued JEE Mains hall ticket 2026 for BTech entrance exams from January 21 to 24 exam on the official website, jeemain.nta.nic.in. Candidates can download JEE Mains 2026 admit card using their application number and password.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct the JEE Main 2026 session 1 BTech, BArch, BPlanning exams from January 21 to 29 in two shifts.