Is JEE Main Registration Still Open?

No. Both registration windows for JEE Main 2026 have closed and will not reopen.

Session 1 registration shut on 27 November 2025. Session 2 originally closed on 25 February 2026, then briefly reopened from 12-13 March 2026 after the NTA received hundreds of requests from students who missed the original deadline. That was a one-time, 48-hour window with no correction facility. No further extensions were granted.

If you missed both sessions, you wait for JEE Main 2027. The NTA typically opens registration for the January session around October-November. Set a reminder for October. Check jeemain.nta.nic.in directly. Do not rely on forwarded WhatsApp messages.

If you did register for Session 2, your admit card was released on 29 March 2026 for the 2 and 4 April exams, and subsequently for later dates. Session 2 ran from 2 April to 9 April 2026. Results are expected by 20 April 2026. More on the timeline in the admit card guide.

Below is the complete registration reference. Use it to understand what went right, what went wrong, and how to be ready when the next cycle opens. The process repeats every year. The mistakes repeat too.

JEE Main Registration Dates: Both Sessions at a Glance

The NTA published the complete schedule in its official Information Bulletin, released alongside the Session 1 notification on 31 October 2025. Here is what the 2026 timeline looked like:

Two things stand out. First, the form correction window is brutally short-two days. If you enter a wrong date of birth or misspell your father's name during registration, you get 48 hours to fix it. After that, the field locks permanently. We cover what you can and cannot change in the form correction section.

Second, the reopened window for Session 2 was unprecedented. The NTA received what it described as "hundreds of requests" from candidates who missed the February deadline. The 12-13 March window was the final call. No correction facility accompanied it. What you entered is what you got.

For a full breakdown of exam shifts and paper-wise scheduling, see the JEE Main dates page.

JEE Main 2026 Application Fee

The fee depends on three things: your category, your gender, and how many papers you choose. Exam centre location matters too-appearing outside India costs significantly more.

For exam centres in India

For exam centres outside India

Processing charges and GST are extra. The payment gateway adds them at checkout. You pay only online-net banking, credit card, debit card, or UPI. There is no offline payment. If someone offers to "help you pay cash," walk away.

The fee is per session, not combined. If you registered for Session 1 and later decided to add Session 2, you logged in with the same application number and paid the fee again for the second session. Your registration details carried forward. You did not create a new account.

An important rule: multiple application forms from the same candidate lead to automatic cancellation. The NTA treats it as Unfair Means (UFM). Even if you made a mistake in the first form, do not create a second one. Use the correction window instead.

Documents Required for JEE Main Registration

What you upload matters. The NTA's system rejects files that exceed size limits or use the wrong format. A blurry photograph can get you stopped at the exam centre gate. Here is exactly what you need.

Files to upload

The photograph specifications are enforced strictly. A photo with shadows, filters, or a coloured background gets rejected. Use a recent photo-not one from Class 9. The NTA matches it against your live photo capture (new for 2026) and your face at the exam centre.

Details to keep ready (not uploaded, but entered in the form)

• Active mobile number and email address. All OTPs and alerts go here. Do not use a parent's number if you cannot access it during the exam month.
• Class 10 roll number, year of passing, school name, and board.
• Class 12/qualifying exam details: board, school, subjects, and year of passing or appearing.
• Category certificate details: certificate number, date of issue, name of issuing authority. You enter these in the form. The actual certificate upload is typically required later, during counselling.
• Aadhaar number or alternate ID proof number.
• Payment instrument: net banking credentials, card details, or UPI PIN.

New for 2026 registration

The NTA introduced two changes this cycle that caught many students off guard:

1. Live photo capture: During the application process, you must take a real-time photograph using your device's webcam or a QR code scanned with your mobile phone. This is an anti-fraud measure. The photo is cross-referenced with your uploaded passport photo and your Aadhaar image. Light-coloured background, proper lighting, 80% face visible-same rules apply as for the uploaded photo.

2. Aadhaar/DigiLocker integration: If you use Aadhaar-based authentication, the system auto-fetches your name, date of birth, gender, and address from the UIDAI database. The catch: your Aadhaar details must match your Class 10 certificate exactly. A name mismatch between Aadhaar and school records triggers a form lock. Several students reported this in Session 1. If your Aadhaar has a misspelled name or outdated photo, update it at an Aadhaar enrolment centre before registration begins. This is not something you can fix in the two-day correction window.

How to Apply: Step-by-Step Registration Process

The portal walks you through it. But "walking through" and "filling correctly" are different things. Here is the full sequence, including where people stumble.

Step 1: New registration

Go to jeemain.nta.nic.in. Click the registration link for the appropriate session. Select "New Registration."

You will see a declaration page. Read it-it references the Information Bulletin, exam pattern, image specs, and UFM rules. Accept the declaration to proceed.

Now enter:

• Your name (as on Class 10 certificate-spelling, spacing, and order must match)
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Mobile number (active, accessible, not on DND)
• Email address
• Security pin displayed on screen

Submit. The system generates an application number. Write it down. Screenshot it. Email it to yourself. You need this number for everything: login, admit card, results, counselling. Losing it is a headache.

Next, create a password. NTA's password policy: 8 to 13 characters, at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase, one number, and one special character from !@#$%^&*-. Do not use your name or birth year. Do not share it.

Step 2: Fill the application form

Log in with your application number and password. The form has multiple sections:

Personal information: Nationality, state of eligibility, category, PwD status, and whether you have diabetes (this determines what snacks you can bring to the exam hall-seriously).

Paper selection: Choose Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech), Paper 2A (B.Arch), Paper 2B (B.Planning), or a combination. Your choice affects the fee. Choose carefully-changing papers later in the correction window costs extra money.

Exam city preferences: You can select up to four cities. The NTA assigns a centre based on availability. Your first preference is not guaranteed. If you pick Delhi as first choice and 2 lakh others do the same, you may get Jaipur. Choose cities where you can reasonably travel. Do not select four cities in four different states because someone told you "seats fill faster there." They do not.

This year, the NTA expanded exam city options to 323 cities across India, adding 33 new cities including eight locations in Andhra Pradesh, three in Gujarat, one in Haryana, two in Karnataka, two in Manipur, three in Maharashtra, two in Tamil Nadu, three in Telangana, one in Odisha, and more-all within India. No new international centres were added.

Question paper medium: English, Hindi, or one of 11 regional languages (Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu). The regional language option is available only in specific states. For example, Tamil is available only in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Once selected, the medium cannot be changed after the correction window closes. English version prevails in case of translation disputes.

Academic details: Class 10 board, school, year of passing, marks or grade. Class 12 board, school, year of passing or appearing, subjects. For students appearing in Class 12 in 2026, enter "Appearing" for year of passing and provide the roll number when available.

Additional details: Parents' qualifications, occupation, annual income, and contact numbers. This is demographic data-it does not affect your merit or admission. But fill it accurately.

Step 3: Live photo capture (new)

Your device needs a working camera. The portal prompts you to capture a live photograph. If your laptop has no webcam, the page displays a QR code. Scan it with your mobile. The phone opens a secure capture page.

Stand against a light-coloured wall. Face the camera directly. No mask. No glasses if they create glare. The system captures the image and embeds it in your application. You cannot skip this step.

Step 4: Upload scanned documents

Upload your photograph, signature, Class 10 certificate, and (if applicable) identity proof and disability certificate. The portal validates file format and size on upload. If a file fails, resize it using any standard image tool and re-upload. Do not rush this. A rejected photo here means scrambling during the correction window.

Preview each uploaded image. The photograph must show your face clearly. The signature must be legible. The Class 10 certificate must be readable. Blurry uploads get flagged.

Step 5: Pay the fee

The portal calculates your fee based on category, gender, and paper selection. Payment methods: debit card, credit card, net banking, UPI. Processing charges and GST apply.

Three rules for payment:

1. Do not refresh the browser during payment processing.
2. Wait for the confirmation page to load completely. If the page does not appear after 30 seconds, check your bank statement before retrying.
3. Save the transaction ID. Screenshot the payment confirmation.

If money is debited but the confirmation page does not generate, the transaction is probably cancelled and will be auto-refunded within 7-10 working days. You must pay again to complete the application. The NTA reconciles duplicate payments after results and refunds automatically.

Step 6: Download the confirmation page

After successful payment, the confirmation page appears. It contains your application number, personal details, paper selection, and fee paid. Download it as a PDF. Print two copies. Store one in your exam folder and give one to a parent.

No confirmation page = application not submitted. Check your application status by logging into the portal. If it shows "Fee Not Paid" or "Incomplete," your registration is invalid. You will not get an admit card.

JEE Main 2026 Form Correction Window

The correction window is your only chance to fix errors. It opens a few days after registration closes and stays open for exactly two days. In 2026, Session 1 corrections were open from 1-2 December 2025. Session 2 corrections ran from 27-28 February 2026.

What you can change

• One name field: your name, father's name, or mother's name (only one of the three)
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Category and sub-category (PwD status)
• State code of eligibility
• Class 10 and Class 12 academic details
• Exam city preferences
• Question paper medium
• Paper/course selection (adding or changing papers)
• Signature (re-upload)
• Identity details (only for candidates who registered without Aadhaar)

What stays locked forever

• Mobile number
• Email address
• Permanent and correspondence address
• Uploaded photograph (in most cases-unless the NTA specifically flags a discrepancy)
• Emergency contact details

Correction fee rules

Most corrections are free. You pay extra only when the change increases your application fee. Examples:

• Changing category from SC/ST to General: you pay the difference (₹500 → ₹1,000 = ₹500 extra)
• Adding Paper 2 to your existing Paper 1 selection: you pay the additional paper fee
• Changing exam centre from India to outside India: you pay the international fee difference

If your correction decreases the fee (say, General to SC), the NTA does not refund the difference. No refunds. Ever.

How to submit corrections

Log in at jeemain.nta.nic.in with your application number and password. Click the correction link. Navigate to the fields you need to edit. Make changes. Preview carefully. Pay any additional fee. Submit. Download the updated confirmation page.

The window closes at 11:50 PM on the second day. Not midnight. 11:50 PM. Set an alarm for 9 PM and submit early. Server load in the final hours is brutal. If your session times out at 11:49 PM, you lose.

Common Registration Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

After 16.04 lakh unique candidates registered across both sessions in 2026, patterns emerged. Here are the errors that repeat every year:

Name mismatch with Class 10 certificate: The most damaging mistake. Your name on the application must match your Class 10 certificate letter-for-letter. Extra spaces, missing initials, swapped first and last names-all cause problems. During document verification at NITs and IIITs, a mismatch between application name and certificate name can delay or derail admission. Cross-check before clicking submit.

Wrong date of birth: Another locked field after the correction window. Your date of birth is verified against your Class 10 certificate. Getting it wrong means carrying an affidavit to the exam centre and explaining yourself to invigilators. Not worth the stress.

Incorrect category selection: If you select General but have a valid SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS certificate, you pay a higher fee and lose reservation benefits during counselling. If you select SC but cannot produce a valid certificate during JoSAA verification, your seat is cancelled. Enter category details exactly as stated on your certificate. The certificate must be valid for the academic year 2026.

Unreachable mobile number or email: Every NTA alert-application confirmation, city slip, admit card, result-goes to the contact details you provide. If you enter a parent's number that stays on silent, or an email you never check, you will miss critical updates. Use a number you personally monitor.

Blurry or non-compliant photograph uploads: Dark backgrounds, group photos cropped poorly, photos with Snapchat filters, black-and-white images when colour is required, photos where your face covers 40% instead of 80%. All rejected. The NTA stopped candidates at the gate in Session 1 because their admit card photo did not match their face. A proper photo takes 10 minutes. Rejection wastes a year.

Multiple application forms: Some candidates panic after making mistakes and create a second application with a different email. The NTA's deduplication systems catch this. Both applications are cancelled. You get debarred. Do not do this.

Closing the browser during payment: The payment gateway needs time to process. Closing the tab mid-transaction creates a hung payment. The money may debit but the application remains unpaid. Wait. Be patient. The confirmation page will load.

What Happens After Registration

Registration completed. Fee paid. Confirmation page downloaded. Now what?

City intimation slip: Released roughly 10-15 days before the exam. For Session 1, it came on 8 January 2026. For Session 2, the domestic city slip was released on 21 March 2026, with a separate release for Kuwait and Dubai centres on 26 March 2026. The Session 2 city slip informed candidates of their exam city and exact exam date. Of the 11.10 lakh registered for Session 2 Paper 1, the examination was conducted in 584 unique centres across 319 cities (including 15 cities outside India: Manama, Doha, Muscat, Riyadh, Sharjah, Singapore, Kuwait, Kuala Lumpur, Kathmandu, Abu Dhabi, West Java, Washington, Lagos, Munich, Dammam). The city slip is not an admit card. You cannot enter the exam hall with it. Its purpose is travel planning-book trains, arrange accommodation. The actual centre address comes on the admit card.

Admit card: Released 3-4 days before your exam date. For Session 2, admit cards for the 2 and 4 April exams were released on 29 March 2026, with later dates released in subsequent batches. Login required. Download it immediately. Check every detail: your name, photograph, exam date, shift timing, and centre address. If anything is wrong, call the NTA helpline at 011-40759000. Do not wait until exam morning. For more details, see the admit card page.

Exam day: Report at the time printed on your admit card. You need a printed admit card (colour preferred), one passport-size photograph (same as uploaded), and original photo ID (Aadhaar, passport, voter ID, PAN card, or driving licence). Photocopies and mobile-phone images of ID are not accepted. PwD candidates must carry their UDID or disability certificate. Diabetic candidates can bring sugar tablets, fruit, and a transparent water bottle.

Result: Session 1 Paper 1 results were declared on 16 February 2026, and Paper 2 on 24 February 2026. Session 2 Paper 1 results are expected by 20 April 2026, with the final answer key released simultaneously. The better of your two NTA scores is used for ranking. If you appeared in only one session, that score is your final score. For Paper 2, results for both sessions were combined and declared on 5 May 2026. Check the JEE Main results page for percentile calculation and tie-breaking rules.

Counselling: The Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) conducted centralised counselling for IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs based on JEE Main and Advanced ranks. The schedule for 2026 was: registration and choice filling from 2-11 June 2026; mock seat allocation on 8 and 10 June; round 1 seat allotment on 13 June; and five rounds in total. Registration is separate from the JEE Main application. You need to register on the JoSAA portal when it opens. More on that process at the counselling guide.