JEE Main 2027: Session 1 and 2 Dates, Eligibility, Exam Pattern
by National Testing Agency (NTA)
- exam date
- 22 Jan 2027
- Ends
- 30 Jan 2027
- Where
- Across India and abroad (incl. Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik)
- Who can join
- Class 12 (PCM) passed or appearing; no age limit (2026 rules)
JEE (Main) 2027 is the national engineering entrance test run by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for B.E./B.Tech admission at NITs, IIITs and other centrally funded institutes, and it is also the qualifying test for JEE (Advanced). As of 24 October 2026, NTA's Examination Calendar lists Session 1 on 22, 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30 January 2027 (31 January buffer), marked tentative. The Session 1 application form, the 2027 Information Bulletin and the Session 2 (April) dates have not been released yet.
Key dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 application form | Not announced. In 2026 it ran 31 October – 27 November 2025. | Expected (late October – November 2026) |
| Session 1 exam (Paper 1, B.E./B.Tech) | 22–24 and 28–30 January 2027 (buffer: 31 January 2027) | Announced (tentative) |
| Session 1 result | Mid-February 2027. In 2026 Session 1 scores came on 16 February 2026. | Expected |
| Session 2 application form | February 2027. In 2026 it ran 1–25 February 2026. | Expected |
| Session 2 exam | April 2027. In 2026 Paper 1 was held on 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 April 2026. | Expected |
| Final result and JEE (Advanced) cut-off | Around 20 April 2027. The 2026 result was declared on 20 April 2026. | Expected |
Only the Session 1 exam window comes from an official 2027 document. Every other row is an estimate from the 2026 cycle and will be replaced when NTA publishes its notices.
Eligibility
The 2027 bulletin is not out, so these are the JEE (Main) 2026 rules. NTA set no age limit. Candidates who passed Class 12 in 2024 or 2025, or were appearing in 2026, could take the 2026 exam, which in practice gives three consecutive years. If the rule carries over, 2027 would be open to those who passed in 2025 or 2026 or are appearing in 2027.
Admission has its own bar. For NITs, IIITs and other institutes that admit through JoSAA/CSAB, the 2026 bulletin required at least 75% aggregate in Class 12 (65% for SC, ST and PwD), or a place in the top 20 percentile of your board.
Exam pattern (Paper 1, B.E./B.Tech)
| Subject | Questions | Marks | Marking scheme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 20 MCQs (Section A) + 5 numerical (Section B) | 100 | +4 correct, −1 wrong, 0 unanswered |
| Physics | 20 + 5 | 100 | +4 correct, −1 wrong, 0 unanswered |
| Chemistry | 20 + 5 | 100 | +4 correct, −1 wrong, 0 unanswered |
| Total | 75 | 300 | 3 hours; shifts 9:00 am–12:00 noon and 3:00–6:00 pm |
The exam is a computer-based test at a centre. Since 2026 there is negative marking in Section B (numerical answers) as well as Section A. Paper 2A (B.Arch) has 77 questions, including a pen-and-paper drawing test. Paper 2B (B.Planning) has 100 questions.
NTA offers the paper in 13 languages: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Marathi is offered at exam centres in Maharashtra.
Syllabus
NTA's published Paper 1 syllabus has 14 units of Mathematics (sets and functions through to trigonometry), 20 units of Physics (units and measurement to experimental skills) and 20 units of Chemistry (basic concepts to practical chemistry). It broadly follows the Class 11 and 12 science syllabus. Download the latest syllabus PDF from jeemain.nta.nic.in, because NTA can revise it with the 2027 bulletin.
Application fee (2026 rates, per session)
| Category (centres in India, one paper) | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| General | ₹1,000 | ₹800 |
| Gen-EWS / OBC-NCL | ₹900 | ₹800 |
| SC / ST / PwD | ₹500 | ₹500 |
| Third gender | ₹500 | ₹500 |
Processing charges and GST are extra. The 2027 fee will be confirmed in the new bulletin.
Exam centres in Maharashtra
The 2026 bulletin listed more than 30 Maharashtra cities. They included Mumbai/Navi Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Kolhapur, Solapur, Sangli, Satara, Ahilyanagar, Amravati, Akola, Jalgaon, Latur, Nanded, Ratnagiri and Wardha. In 2026 you could choose exam cities only in the states of your present and permanent address.
What the score is used for
Paper 1 scores are used for B.E./B.Tech admission at NITs, IIITs and other centrally funded institutes through JoSAA/CSAB counselling, and by participating state institutions. The top 2.5 lakh Paper 1 candidates, by category, become eligible for JEE (Advanced), which leads to IIT admission. If you write both sessions, the better NTA score counts. The NTA score is a percentile worked out within your own shift.
Last year's numbers (JEE Main 2026)
- Session 1: 13,55,293 registered, 13,04,653 appeared. Session 2: 11,10,904 registered, 10,34,330 appeared.
- Unique candidates across both sessions: 16,04,854 registered, 15,38,468 appeared.
- 26 candidates scored 100 NTA score, including two from Maharashtra.
- JEE (Advanced) 2026 qualifying percentiles: General 93.4123549, EWS 82.4164528, OBC-NCL 80.9232583, SC 63.9172792, ST 52.0174712, General-PwBD 0.0023186.
Tips for Maharashtra students
- Under the MHT-CET 2026 rules, Maharashtra State candidates still have to take MHT-CET for state CAP engineering seats, even if they have a JEE Main score. All India candidates can use their JEE Main score instead.
- You can write the paper in Marathi at a Maharashtra centre, but choose the language carefully when you fill the form.
Frequently asked questions
When is JEE Main 2027?
NTA's calendar lists Session 1 on 22–24 and 28–30 January 2027, marked tentative. Session 2 is expected in April 2027 but has not been announced.
Has JEE Main 2027 registration started?
Not as of 24 October 2026. In the last cycle the Session 1 form opened on 31 October 2025. Apply only on jeemain.nta.nic.in.
Is there negative marking in the numerical questions?
Yes. Since 2026, a wrong answer loses one mark in both Section A (MCQs) and Section B (numerical value questions).
Can I write JEE Main in Marathi?
Yes. Marathi is one of the 13 languages and is offered at exam centres in Maharashtra.
Which score counts if I take both sessions?
The better of your two NTA scores is used for the merit list and for JEE (Advanced) eligibility.
What percentile did I need for JEE Advanced last year?
In 2026 the General category cut-off was 93.4123549 percentile. NTA publishes the 2027 cut-off with the Session 2 result.
Official sources
- NTA Examination Calendar, December 2026 cycle onwards
- JEE (Main) official website
- JEE (Main) 2026 Information Bulletin
- NTA public notice, Session 1 applications, 31 October 2025
- NTA public notice, Session 2 applications, 1 February 2026
- NTA press release, JEE (Main) 2026 result, 20 April 2026
- JEE (Main) Paper 1 syllabus
Last checked 24 October 2026. Dates can change; always confirm on the official website.