JEE Main 2026 Exam Guidelines: Dates, Pattern, Marking Scheme

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released important guidelines for students taking the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026 Session 1. These rules are for all subjects and explain how the exam will work, including the marking scheme. Students appearing for the exam are advised to read these instructions carefully to have a smooth exam experience.

The JEE Main 2026 Session 1 exams will take place on January 21, 22, 23, and 24, 2026 . Tomorrow, January 21, 2026 , marks the start of the first session.

For Paper 1 (BE/BTech), there will be two shifts each day:

• The first shift starts at 9 AM and ends at 12 noon .
• The second shift starts at 3 PM and ends at 6 PM .

Students must download their JEE Main admit card for 2026 from the official website: jeemain.nta.nic.in . The admit card has important details like your exam center and timings.

JEE Main 2026 Marking Scheme

It is important for all students to understand the marking scheme for the exam:

Guidelines for Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics (Paper 1)

This section is for students taking Paper 1 for BE/BTech courses. The paper has two parts, Section A and Section B, for each subject.

Section A (Maximum Marks: 80)

• This section has 20 multiple-choice questions for each subject (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics).
• Each question has four options. You must choose only one option that is the correct answer.
• Students should use any given constants in the question for calculations.
• Answers will be checked according to the JEE Main 2026 marking scheme mentioned above.

Section B (Maximum Marks: 20)

• This section has 5 questions from each subject (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics). You must attempt all 5 questions.
• The answers to these questions are numerical values.
• You must do calculations using any constants given in the questions. The final answer should be rounded off to the nearest whole number (integer).
• To enter your answer, use your mouse and the on-screen virtual keypad in the space provided.
• The marking scheme (4 marks for correct, -1 for incorrect) also applies to this section.

Guidelines for Aptitude Test (B.Arch and B.Planning)

This section is part of the exam for B.Arch and B.Planning courses.

• There will be 50 multiple-choice questions in this section.
• Each question has four options, and only one is the correct answer.

Guidelines for Drawing Test (B.Arch Paper)

Students appearing for the JEE Main B.Arch paper must follow these rules:

• There will be two questions in this section.
• Both questions carry equal marks and you must attempt both.
• You must draw your answers in the space provided on the drawing sheet. No extra drawing sheets will be given.
• You must bring your own drawing and graphics materials like pencils, color pencils, crayons, eraser, and a geometry box.
• Watercolours, poster colours, or acrylic colours are not allowed in the exam hall. Do not carry them.
• Make sure your drawings are neat and clean.
• You must give your drawing sheet to the invigilator before leaving the exam hall.
• Do not write your roll number, name, exam center address, place, or make any special sign anywhere on the test booklet or drawing sheet.

Guidelines for Planning Based Objective Type Questions (B.Planning Paper)

This section is for students taking the B.Planning paper.

• There will be 25 multiple-choice questions .
• Each question has four options, and only one is correct.
• Some questions are designed to check your thinking skills in English. These specific questions will only be in English, even if you chose another language for your exam paper.