JEE Main 2026 exam held smoothly on January 21. The National Testing Agency (NTA) successfully conducted the first day of the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 exam on January 21. Over 2.6 lakh students appeared for the exam across India, with an attendance rate of about 96% .
Exam Day Details
The JEE Main exam, important for admission to engineering colleges, was held in two shifts. The NTA reported that the exam went smoothly at all centres. To ensure a fair process, Aadhaar-based verification was used to confirm the identity of students. Special help was provided to students with disabilities (PwD).
Attendance Numbers
On January 21, a total of 1,33,626 candidates were scheduled for the first shift, and 1,27,562 appeared, showing an attendance of 95.46%. In the second shift, 1,34,631 candidates were scheduled, with 1,28,938 appearing, which is 95.77% attendance. The Aadhaar verification was also successful, with over 95% of students verified in both shifts.
| Particulars | Shift 1 | Shift 2 |
| Scheduled Candidates | 1,33,626 | 1,34,631 |
| Candidates Appeared | 1,27,562 | 1,28,938 |
| Attendance | 95.46% | 95.77% |
| Aadhaar Verified Candidates | 1,22,367 | 1,23,703 |
| Aadhaar Verification % | 95.93% | 95.94% |
| PwD Candidates | 417 | 430 |
Exam Smoothness
The NTA worked with state and local authorities, exam centre staff, and police to make sure the exam day was free of problems. The agency said it is committed to making sure the exam process is fair and accurate.
Upcoming Dates
The JEE Main 2026 Session 1 exam is scheduled to continue until January 30, 2026. The NTA has also announced that the JEE Main 2026 Session 2 exam will be held from April 2, 2026, to April 9, 2026. Applications for Session 2 are expected to start in the last week of January 2026.
