The National Testing Agency (NTA) has introduced new rules for how exam centres will be chosen for JEE Main 2026. This year, your exam centre will mostly depend on the address linked to your Aadhaar card. This important change aims to make sure students get an exam centre closer to their home. This will reduce the time and effort needed for travel on the day of this crucial engineering entrance exam.
Students applying for JEE Main 2026 will be allowed to pick up to four cities where they would like to take their exam. However, there is a clear rule: all these chosen cities must be within the state where the student currently lives or where their permanent home is located. The NTA has clearly stated that it will make every effort to give students an exam centre from the options they select during registration. This new system is designed for student comfort and ease.
How JEE Main 2026 Exam Centres Will Be Allotted
The NTA will primarily use the candidate’s present and permanent addresses to decide which exam centre to give. For most Indian students, the address on their Aadhaar card is considered their permanent address. This means it is very important that the address linked to your Aadhaar card is correct and up-to-date. If your Aadhaar address is old or does not match your current or permanent living situation, it is highly recommended to update it before applying.
During the JEE Main 2026 registration process, students must fill in both their current and permanent addresses with great care. It is crucial to double-check these details to avoid any issues later. After providing these addresses, candidates can then select up to four cities as their preferred exam centres. Remember, all these chosen cities must fall within the state of either your present or your permanent address.
| Basis for Allotment | Candidate’s present or permanent address (primarily Aadhaar address) |
| Number of City Choices | Up to four cities |
| Location of Choices | Must be within the state of present or permanent address |
What This Means For You
- No Need to Worry: If your Aadhaar address is already your current or permanent address, you don't need to do anything extra. Just ensure it's accurate.
- Fill Addresses Accurately: When you register for JEE Main 2026, make sure you enter both your current and permanent addresses very precisely. Mistakes here can cause problems with your centre allotment.
- Choose Closest Cities: Always pick the four cities that are nearest to your home. This will make your travel to the exam centre much easier and less stressful.
- Final Decision: Once the NTA allots an exam centre, that decision will be final. No requests for changes will be accepted after your centre has been assigned. This is why choosing your preferred cities carefully during registration is so important.
The NTA's goal is to make the exam experience as convenient as possible for all candidates. By linking centre allotments to residential addresses, they hope to solve common travel problems. This entire process will be automated, meaning computers will manage the selection and assignment of centres. This helps ensure fairness and transparency, removing any human bias from the allotment.
Special Cases and Assured Fairness
The NTA has also thought about specific situations. For example, if there are only a few candidates from a particular city, it might not be possible to set up a full exam centre there. In such cases, the NTA may combine two or more nearby cities. This way, all students are still accommodated without needing to travel very far.
For foreign candidates, both their present and permanent addresses will also be taken into account when assigning exam cities. These cities will be selected from a list of approved international centres. Furthermore, the NTA has given a strong assurance that the comfort and needs of all candidates will be given priority. This includes special attention to candidates with disabilities (PwD and PwBD), who will receive centres that are easily accessible and convenient for them.
To avoid any travel-related stress on exam day, students are highly encouraged to select their home city or cities very close to their residence as their preferred options. Planning this carefully during the application stage will help ensure a smoother and more focused exam experience for everyone taking the JEE Main 2026.
