NTA opens online application process for JEE Main 2026
The applications are open from October 31 to November 27, with the first session scheduled from January 21 to 30 and results to be announced on February 26
New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has opened the online application process for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026 from October 31 to November 27, with the first session scheduled from January 21 to 30 and results to be announced on February 26.
An onscreen virtual calculator for basic calculations, a dark mode for better eye comfort, a screen magnifier with up to 4x zoom, and options to adjust font and cursor size are among the new accessibility features that the National Testing Agency (NTA) has introduced for Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026 candidates aspiring for admission to undergraduate courses in engineering, architecture and planning.
In its information bulletin for JEE Main 2026 issued on Friday night, NTA said, “An onscreen standard calculator will be available throughout the computer-based Test (CBT). Use this basic calculator online for math with addition, subtraction, division and multiplication. The calculator includes functions for square root, percentage etc.”
Students and experts said that the basic virtual calculator icon had always been available during the JEE Main exam but had not been formally announced earlier.
Students and experts have welcomed the initiative, saying it will help improve accuracy and reduce exam stress.
Ayush Awasthi, a JEE aspirant from Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, said he noticed the calculator icon last year but avoided using it, fearing his exam might get cancelled. “No one at our centre knew how to use it. It is good that NTA has formally notified this in their information bulletin this year. The calculator will help us solve questions more accurately in less time compared to previous years and reduce pressure,” he said.
Another aspirant, Shivain Dutta from Surat, said he has been solving numericals manually so far. “Now I will start using the calculator in practice tests,” he said.
Experts also praised the move. Jeevan Jyoti Agarwal, head of the JEE division at Allen Career Institute, Kota, said, “it would promote conceptual understanding and intelligent problem-solving over manual computation.This approach, already common in American and European education systems, is a welcome move. It will help reduce exam pressure.” Purnima Kaul, founder of online platform JEE One, added that it would help students “conclude lengthy questions more conveniently.”
NTA officials refused to comment on the introduction of virtual calculators in JEE Main 2026, stating that “more clarity is needed on this move.”
However, an NTA official said the agency has paid special attention to the needs of Persons with Disability (PwD) and Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD) candidates in JEE Main 2026. A dark mode screen, screen magnifier with up to 4x zoom, and options for font and cursor adjustments are being introduced to improve accessibility—features that will majorly help PwD and PwBD candidates but also be available to all candidates.
“The Unique Disability Identification (UDID) portal has been integrated into the JEE Main application form for the first time,” the official said, requesting anonymity.
The official said that last year, exam dates for around 2,500 Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) students clashed with the NTA JEE Main schedule. “To prevent such overlaps, we have held discussions with CBSE officials and worked out measures to avoid conflicts this time,” he said. CBSE on Thursday asked all schools to provide the registration number of Class 11 to their students applying for JEE(Main). “To ensure that the JEE (Main) and CBSE examinations of the students do not coincide, NTA will require the Registration number of the student of Class XI to be filled in the JEE (Main) application,” CBSE said.
The NTA has increased the number of test cities from 299 in 2025 to 323 in 2026 for wider reach. Candidates can select up to four preferred cities, and while efforts will be made to allot centres as per preference, changes may occur due to logistical reasons.
JEE Main is held twice a year—in January and April. Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) is a fully computer-based test with 75 questions and a total of 300 marks. Paper 2A (B.Arch) combines CBT and pen-and-paper drawing sections for 400 marks, and Paper 2B (B.Plan) is entirely CBT with about 100 questions. Each correct answer carries 4 marks, and 1 mark is deducted for every incorrect MCQ. PwD candidates receive 20 minutes of compensatory time per hour of exam duration.
Around 14.15 lakh students appeared for JEE Main 2024, and approximately 14.75 lakh in 2025.
