JEE Main 2026 Exam Pattern, Eligibility Criteria and Cutoff Marks – Check Complete Details

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the JEE Main 2026 notification for the January Session. This national-level entrance exam is conducted for admission into B.Tech, B.E, B.Arch, and B.Planning courses offered by NITs, IIITs, GFTIs, and other top engineering institutions across India. Students preparing for engineering admission can check here the detailed JEE Main 2026 exam pattern, minimum eligibility, and previous year cut-off trends.

JEE Main 2026 Exam Pattern

The JEE Main exam pattern 2026 will follow the same structure as the previous years, with separate papers for Engineering and Architecture courses. The exam is conducted in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode across multiple shifts in English, Hindi, Telugu, and other regional languages.

Paper 1 – B.E/B.Tech:

– Duration: 3 hours (180 minutes)

– Subjects: Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics

– Total Questions: 90 (Candidates need to answer 75)

– Each subject has 20 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and 10 Numerical Value Questions (any 5 to be answered)

– Total Marks: 300

– Marking Scheme: +4 marks for correct answer, −1 mark for incorrect MCQ, and no negative marking for numerical questions

Paper 2A – B.Arch:

– Duration: 3 hours

– Subjects: Mathematics (Part I), Aptitude Test (Part II), and Drawing Test (Part III)

– Total Marks: 400

Paper 2B – B.Planning:

– Duration: 3 hours

– Subjects: Mathematics, Aptitude, and Planning-Based Questions

– Total Marks: 400

The questions are based on the NCERT syllabus of Classes 11 and 12. Candidates can appear in either one or both sessions (January and April). The best of the two scores will be considered for final merit.

Minimum Eligibility Criteria for JEE Main 2026

– Candidates must have passed the Class 12 (Intermediate) or equivalent examination in 2024 or 2025, or be appearing in 2026.

– There is no upper age limit for appearing in JEE Main 2026.

– Candidates must have studied Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects along with one of Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, or Technical Vocational Subject.

– For admission into NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs, the candidate should have at least 75% marks in Class 12 (65% for SC/ST category) or be in the top 20 percentile of their respective board examinations.

JEE Main 2026 Cutoff (Expected and Previous Year Trends)

The JEE Main cutoff 2026 will be announced after the results, but candidates can check the previous years’ qualifying percentiles for reference. These percentiles are the minimum required to qualify for JEE Advanced and to be considered for NIT/IIIT counselling.

JEE Main 2025 Cutoff Percentile (Qualifying Marks):

– General Category: 93.10 percentile

– Gen-EWS: 80.38 percentile

– OBC-NCL: 79.43 percentile

– SC: 61.15 percentile

– ST: 47.90 percentile

JEE Main 2024 Cutoff Percentile:

– General Category: 93.23 percentile

– Gen-EWS: 81.32 percentile

– OBC-NCL: 79.57 percentile

– SC: 60.09 percentile

– ST: 46.69 percentile

The qualifying marks may vary slightly depending on the difficulty level of the exam. Generally, scoring around 100–120 marks ensures a 90+ percentile in the General category based on recent analysis.

Marking and Scoring System

– Each correct answer carries +4 marks.

– Each wrong answer (MCQ) deducts 1 mark.

– Unanswered questions carry 0 marks.

– Numerical value questions have no negative marking.

– The final NTA Score (percentile) is calculated after normalizing marks across all shifts.

Exam Timings and Medium

– Morning session: 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon

– Afternoon session: 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM

– The exam will be held in 13 languages, including English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Assamese, Punjabi, Odia, and Urdu.

JEE Main 2026 Preparation Tip

– Focus on NCERT textbooks and previous year question papers.

– Practice numerical-type questions regularly.

– Take mock tests to improve speed and accuracy.

– Revise formulas and important concepts daily.

Important Links

– Apply Online: https://jeemain.nta.ac.in

– Official Notification: Available on NTA Website

– JEE Main Syllabus PDF: Available on NTA portal

Published Date: November 2, 2025

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