Has NTA released the JEE Main 2027 notification?#
Not fully. On 16 September 2026, NTA published its examination calendar up to March 2027. It lists JEE (Main) 2027 Session 1 on 22 to 24 January and 28 to 30 January 2027, with 31 January as a buffer date, and NTA describes these dates as tentative. As of 7 October 2026, the JEE Main 2027 information bulletin, the registration window and the Session 2 dates have not been released.
Until the bulletin is out, the most reliable guide is the JEE (Main) 2026 bulletin. Everything below that is marked "2026" comes from it. Check our JEE Main exam page and jeemain.nta.nic.in for the 2027 update.
JEE Mains exam date: key dates table#
For reference, this is how the 2026 cycle actually ran.
| Event | JEE (Main) 2026 |
|---|---|
| Session 1 registration | 31 October to 27 November 2025 |
| Session 1 Paper 1 exam | 21, 22, 23, 24 and 28 January 2026 |
| Session 1 Paper 1 result | 16 February 2026 |
| Session 2 registration | 1 to 25 February 2026 |
| Session 2 Paper 1 exam | 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 April 2026 |
| Final Paper 1 result and JEE (Advanced) cut-offs | 20 April 2026 |
In 2026, each Paper 1 exam day had two shifts: 9:00 am to 12:00 noon and 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm (IST).
Who can apply: JEE Main eligibility#
Under the 2026 bulletin:
- You must have passed Class 12 (or an equivalent exam) in 2024 or 2025, or be appearing for it in 2026.
- Candidates who passed Class 12 in 2023 or earlier were not eligible.
- For B.E./B.Tech admission to NITs, IIITs and other centrally funded institutes, Class 12 must include Physics, Mathematics and a language, plus one of Chemistry, Biotechnology, Biology or a technical vocational subject, plus any one other subject.
If the 2027 bulletin follows the same pattern, it would cover students who passed Class 12 in 2025 or 2026 or are appearing in 2027. This is not confirmed until NTA publishes the 2027 bulletin.
The 75% criteria for JEE Mains#
The 75% rule is not a condition for writing JEE Main. It is a condition for admission to NITs, IIITs and other CFTIs through JEE Main. The 2026 bulletin says candidates must have passed Class 12 with at least five subjects and:
- secured at least 75% aggregate marks (at least 65% for SC, ST and PwD candidates), or
- be within the category-wise top 20 percentile of successful candidates in their own Class 12 board examination.
JoSAA applies the same condition during counselling. If you are close to 75%, check your board's top 20 percentile cut-off once JoSAA publishes it, as it can be lower than 75% for some boards.
Age limit for JEE Main and number of attempts#
- Age limit: the 2026 bulletin states that there is no age limit for appearing in JEE (Main). Before admission, still read the rules of the institutes you apply to.
- Attempts: the bulletin limits attempts through the year-of-passing rule. For 2026, students who passed Class 12 in 2024 or 2025, or were appearing in 2026, could write the exam. That is a window of three consecutive years, and JEE Main has two sessions in each year.
- Two sessions: you may write one or both sessions. If you write both, your better total NTA score counts.
Note that JEE (Advanced), run by the IITs, has its own separate attempt rules.
How to register for JEE Main#
Registration is online only, on jeemain.nta.nic.in. In 2026 the process had these broad steps:
- Register with your basic details and create a login.
- Fill in the application form: personal details, Class 10 and 12 details, exam cities and question paper language.
- Upload your photograph and signature in the specified format.
- Pay the fee online.
- Download and save the confirmation page.
Read the 2027 bulletin before you start, because document and photo rules can change each year. Use your own mobile number and e-mail ID, since NTA sends all updates to them.
Exam pattern in brief#
Under the 2026 bulletin, JEE Main Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) was:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Mode | Computer-based test |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Subjects | Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics |
| Questions | 25 per subject: 20 MCQs (Section A) + 5 numerical value questions (Section B) |
| Total | 75 questions, 300 marks |
| Marking | +4 correct, −1 wrong, 0 unanswered, in both sections |
| Languages | 13: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu |
For how your marks become a percentile, see JEE Main marks vs percentile. For what to study first, see JEE Main chapter wise weightage.
What to do now#
With Session 1 tentatively in late January 2027, you have about three and a half months. Follow the 90-day plan in our guide on how to prepare for JEE Main 2027, keep an eye on jeemain.nta.nic.in for the bulletin, and register as soon as the window opens. More guides are in the JEE category.