JEE Main 2026 Registration Dates Announced: NTA to Open Application Forms in October

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the official schedule for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026, one of India’s most competitive engineering entrance exams. The examination will be conducted in two sessions—January and April 2026—to provide aspirants with multiple opportunities to improve their scores.

According to the official schedule, Session 1 of JEE Main 2026 will be held from January 21 to January 30, 2026, while Session 2 is set for April 1 to April 10, 2026. The online application process for the first session will open in October 2025, and registration for the second session will begin in the last week of January 2026.

Simplified Registration Process and Aadhaar Integration
To streamline the registration process and minimize data-entry errors, the NTA has introduced several measures under the new system. Basic applicant details such as Name, Date of Birth, Gender, Photograph, and Address will be automatically retrieved from the UIDAI database through Aadhaar authentication.

However, since Aadhaar records do not contain parental information, candidates must manually enter parents’ or guardians’ names during the registration process. In addition, applicants will be able to rectify any mismatches between their Aadhaar data and Class 10 certificates or marksheets directly on the online portal.

Increased Accessibility and Expansion of Exam Cities
As part of its ongoing efforts to make JEE Main more inclusive, the NTA has announced an expansion of examination centres across the country. This initiative aims to reduce travel time and ensure smoother access for candidates from remote areas.

Further, the agency confirmed that special provisions will be available for PwD and PwBD candidates, including improved accessibility features and additional support at test centres.

The JEE Main serves as a gateway for admission to premier engineering institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), and other centrally funded technical institutions. With the schedule now confirmed, candidates are advised to regularly check the official NTA website for updates and begin preparing the required documents in advance for timely registration.