The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially announced the exam dates and registration schedule for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026. This year the first session of the exam will take place from January 21 to 30, 2026 . Students who wish to improve their scores or could not appear in the first session will have another opportunity during the second session , scheduled from April 1 to 10, 2026 . Both sessions allow students to attempt the exam twice, and the best score will be considered for ranking.
Mark your calendars for the application process. The registration window for JEE Main 2026 Session 1 is expected to open in October 2025 . For Session 2, the application forms will be available from the last week of January 2026 . Students must complete their registration within these specified periods to be eligible for the exam.
JEE Main 2026 Important Dates at a Glance
| Event | Dates |
| JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Exam | January 21 to 30, 2026 |
| JEE Main 2026 Session 2 Exam | April 1 to 10, 2026 |
| JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Registration | October 2025 |
| JEE Main 2026 Session 2 Registration | Last week of January 2026 |
Increased Exam Centres and Special Provisions
To ensure that more students can appear for the exam without facing major travel issues, the NTA has decided to increase the number of exam cities for JEE Main 2026. This move aims to improve accessibility and make the examination process more inclusive for engineering aspirants from all parts of India.
Furthermore, special arrangements will be made for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) candidates. These provisions will help provide a supportive and comfortable environment for them to take the exam, ensuring equal opportunities for everyone.
Aadhaar Card for Quick Registration
The NTA will use Aadhaar authentication to collect some important details directly from candidates. During the JEE Main 2026 registration process, your name , date of birth , gender , photograph , and address will be taken from your Aadhaar record maintained by UIDAI. This method helps to ensure accuracy of information and simplifies the form-filling process for students.
However, it is important to remember that Aadhaar cards do not contain parent details. Therefore, students will need to manually fill in the required information about their parents during the online application for JEE Main 2026.
Resolving Name Mismatches
Students might sometimes find that their name on the Aadhaar card does not exactly match the name on their Class 10 certificate. If you face such a situation, NTA will provide an option during the registration process to resolve this discrepancy. It is crucial for students to pay close attention to this. For detailed instructions on how to handle name mismatches, students should refer to the NTA advisory that was issued on November 6, 2024 . Following the official guidance will ensure a smooth registration without any issues later on.
