NTA to open JEE Main 2026 registrations soon

The registration window for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026 session one will begin soon, and students can apply for JEE Main 2026 on the official website: jeemain.nta.nic.in. 

According to sources at the National Testing Agency, JEE Main 2026 will begin before October 18. 

To apply for JEE Main 2026, students need to follow these steps: 

• Visit the official website: jeemain.nta.ac.in.

• Click on the JEE Main application process link.

• Fill JEE Main application form with details.

• Upload required documents.

• Pay the application fee and click on submit.

• Save JEE Main 2026 application form PDF and take a hard copy of it. 

New updates in JEE Main format, syllabus

The JEE Main exam pattern has returned to its pre-pandemic format, the Times of India reports. 

One significant change is the removal of optional questions from Section B, which were previously added to reduce candidate stress. Candidates must now answer all 25 questions in each subject, including physics, chemistry, and math.

Paper 1, aimed at BTech applicants, consists of 75 questions in total, with 20 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and 5 numerical value questions (NVQs) per subject.

Another notable change is the addition of negative marking to numerical value questions (NVQs). Previously, only MCQs contained penalties for incorrect answers; NVQs did not. Under the new marking scheme, applicants will also lose marks for incorrect responses in NVQs.

Further, the NTA removed the age limit for JEE Main aspirants, ensuring that candidates who took breaks during their education up to Class 12 can also appear. 

JEE Main 2026 will be held across 284 test centres, unlike 300 last year. There has also been a reduction in the number of international test centres, dropping from 24 to 14. 

The tie-breaking criteria for JEE Main rankings have also been updated. Previously, parameters such as the candidate's age and application number were used to break ties between candidates with equal scores. These factors have been eliminated.

The new rules favour subject-specific performance and error ratios. Candidates with the same total score will be ranked higher based on their mathematics scores, then physics and chemistry.

In addition, several topics from the Physics and Chemistry syllabi have been removed, while the Math syllabus remains the same as last year.