JEE Main 2027: Registration, Eligibility and Exam Pattern

JEE Main is the first step to engineering seats at the NITs, IIITs and other centrally funded institutes, and the route to JEE Advanced for the IITs. For students in Class 12 this year, the 2027 cycle is about to begin. This guide covers what the National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially published, what it has not yet announced, and what students and parents can do now.

Has NTA announced the JEE Main 2027 dates?

Not yet. As of 21 October 2026, the official JEE Main website, jeemain.nta.nic.in, has not published a notice or information bulletin for 2027. Some websites are already quoting exam dates for January 2027, but we could not find an NTA notice that confirms them. We will update this guide as soon as NTA publishes the official schedule.

Last year's timeline gives a fair idea of what to expect:

• On 19 October 2025, NTA issued an advisory announcing that Session 1 would be held between 21 and 30 January 2026, and Session 2 between 1 and 10 April 2026.
• Applications for Session 1 opened on 31 October 2025 and closed on 27 November 2025.
• Session 1 for Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) was held on 21, 22, 23, 24 and 28 January 2026. Session 2 was held on 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 April 2026.
• NTA reported 16,04,854 unique candidates registered across both sessions, of whom 15,38,468 appeared.

If NTA follows a similar pattern, Session 1 registration for 2027 could open soon, so it is worth getting documents ready now.

How the two sessions work

According to NTA, JEE Main is held in two sessions, in January and April.

• Students can take one session or both. It is their choice.
• A separate application is needed for each session. A student who misses the Session 1 application can still apply for Session 2 when that window opens.
• If a student appears in both sessions, the better of the two NTA scores is used for the merit list. NTA compares the total score, not individual subjects.

Taking Session 1 seriously is still the better plan. It gives a real exam experience, a score to fall back on, and a clear idea of which subjects need work before April.

Eligibility: last year's rules

NTA publishes the eligibility rules in each year's information bulletin. The 2027 bulletin is not out yet, so here are the rules from the JEE Main 2026 bulletin:

• No age limit.
• Students who passed Class 12 in 2024 or 2025, or were appearing in 2026, were eligible. In other words, a student could take JEE Main in the year of their Class 12 exam and the two years after it.
• For admission to NITs, IIITs and other institutes through JoSAA, the bulletin required at least 75% aggregate in Class 12 in five subjects (65% for SC, ST and PwD candidates), or a place in the top 20 percentile of their board.
• The top 2,50,000 candidates in the B.E./B.Tech paper became eligible for JEE Advanced.

The 2027 rules may change, so check them against the new bulletin as soon as it is published.

Exam pattern for Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech)

As per the 2026 bulletin:

• Subjects: Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.
• Questions: 25 per subject, so 75 in total. In each subject, Section A has 20 multiple-choice questions and Section B has 5 numerical value questions.
• Marks: 300 in total. Each correct answer gets 4 marks, and each wrong answer loses 1 mark, in both Section A and Section B. Unanswered questions get no marks.
• Duration: 3 hours. Candidates eligible for a scribe get 4 hours.
• Mode: computer-based test.
• Languages: 13, including English, Hindi and Gujarati.
• Calculators: not allowed in any form.

Because Section B also carries negative marking, guessing on numerical questions has a cost. Accuracy matters as much as speed.

Application fee (2026)

For Paper 1 at centres in India, the 2026 fee for each session was:

Payment gateway charges were extra. The 2027 fees will be confirmed in the new bulletin.

Get these documents ready now

Before last year's applications opened, NTA asked students to update three things to avoid problems or rejection later:

1. Aadhaar card with the correct name, date of birth (as on the Class 10 certificate), a recent photograph, address and father's name.
2. UDID card for students with disabilities, valid and renewed where needed.
3. Category certificate (EWS, SC, ST or OBC-NCL), updated and valid.

NTA also does not allow the application to be withdrawn once submitted, and the exam centre cannot be changed after allotment, so fill the form carefully.

How to use the next three months

If the 2027 schedule follows last year's, Session 1 would be in the second half of January, roughly three months away. Students preparing for Class 12 boards at the same time can use this period well:

• Finish the syllabus by December. Keep January for full-length tests and revision, not new chapters.
• Take one full mock test a week, in the same 3-hour slot as the real exam, and review every wrong answer.
• Practise numerical questions with care. Both sections carry negative marking, so build the habit of skipping a question you are unsure about.
• Keep board preparation running alongside. The 75% Class 12 criterion matters for NIT admission, so a strong board score is part of the JEE plan, not separate from it.

Our posts on JEE Main vs JEE Advanced vs GUJCET and when to start JEE or NEET preparation explain how these exams fit together for students in Gujarat.

At Keystone Science Horizon, Class 11 and 12 students prepare through dedicated Boards, JEE and NEET tracks, with regular tests and their own Mera Personal Mentor WhatsApp group so parents see results as they happen. Speak to the team at your nearest Keystone branch to know more.

Frequently asked questions

When will JEE Main 2027 registration start?

NTA has not announced it yet. Last year, Session 1 applications opened on 31 October 2025. We will update this guide when the official notice is out.

Is it compulsory to appear in both sessions?

No. Students can appear in one session or both. If they take both, the better of the two NTA scores counts.

Is there negative marking in JEE Main?

Yes. In the 2026 pattern, a wrong answer lost 1 mark in both the multiple-choice and the numerical value sections.

Can I write JEE Main in Gujarati?

Yes. In 2026, the paper was offered in 13 languages, including Gujarati.

Is there an age limit for JEE Main?

The 2026 bulletin set no age limit. Eligibility depends on the year of passing Class 12.

What Class 12 marks are needed for NITs?

Under the 2026 rules, at least 75% aggregate in Class 12 (65% for SC, ST and PwD candidates), or a place in the top 20 percentile of the board, for admission through JoSAA.

Where should I check official updates?

On jeemain.nta.nic.in and nta.ac.in. Rely on official notices rather than social media posts or forwarded messages.