JEE Main 2027 is India's national engineering entrance exam, and the National Testing Agency (NTA) has now published the official dates. Session 1 runs on 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 28 January 2027, and Session 2 runs from 2 to 7 April 2027. This guide explains every rule, date and fee in plain words, so your family can plan with confidence.
Key takeaways
- Session 1 registration for JEE Main 2027 is open from 24 October to 22 November 2026 on jeemain.nta.nic.in.
- Session 1 exams: 20 to 28 January 2027. Session 2 exams: 2 to 7 April 2027.
- There is no age limit. You can sit JEE Main 2027 only if you passed Class 12 in 2025 or 2026, or will sit Class 12 in 2027.
- Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) has 75 questions, 300 marks, 3 hours, with +4 for a correct answer and -1 for a wrong one.
- The top 2,50,000 candidates in Paper 1 (all categories) can sit JEE Advanced 2027, the exam for the IITs.
- For NITs, IIITs and other CFTIs through JoSAA, you also need 75% in Class 12 (65% for SC, ST and PwD) or a place in the top 20 percentile of your board.
What is JEE Main 2027, and who runs it?
Quick answer: JEE Main 2027 is a computer-based entrance test run by the National Testing Agency (NTA), under India's Ministry of Education. It is used for B.E./B.Tech, B.Arch and B.Planning admission at NITs, IIITs and other centrally funded institutes. Paper 1 is also the qualifying test for JEE Advanced 2027, which leads to the IITs.
JEE stands for Joint Entrance Examination. The official websites are jeemain.nta.nic.in and nta.ac.in.
The exam has three papers:
- Paper 1 for B.E./B.Tech courses.
- Paper 2A for B.Arch courses.
- Paper 2B for B.Planning courses.
Most students only take Paper 1. Your JEE Main score is then used in counselling, mainly through JoSAA, to get a seat.
When is JEE Main 2027? Official dates for both sessions
NTA released the JEE Main 2027 Information Bulletin and public notice on 24 October 2026. Here are the official dates.
| Event (JEE Main 2027 cycle) | Session 1 (January 2027) | Session 2 (April 2027) |
|---|---|---|
| Online application | 24 Oct to 22 Nov 2026 | 5 Jan to 3 Feb 2027 |
| Late application (+Rs 500) | 23 to 26 Nov 2026 | 4 to 7 Feb 2027 |
| Correction window | 27 to 29 Nov 2026 | 8 to 10 Feb 2027 |
| City intimation slip | 30 Dec 2026 | 12 Mar 2027 |
| Admit card | 13 Jan 2027 | 25 Mar 2027 |
| Exam dates | 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28 Jan 2027 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Apr 2027 |
Result dates are not yet announced. NTA says it will publish answer keys and results on its website. Session 2 registration opens separately, and NTA will put out a notice when it starts.
Shift timings (IST): 9:00 am to 12:00 noon and 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm for 3-hour papers. Students taking both Paper 2A and 2B get 3 hours 30 minutes, so their shifts end at 12:30 pm or 6:30 pm.
- 24 Oct 2026: Session 1 registration opens.
- 22 Nov 2026: Session 1 registration closes.
- 20 to 28 Jan 2027: Session 1 exams.
- 5 Jan to 3 Feb 2027: Session 2 registration.
- 2 to 7 Apr 2027: Session 2 exams.
- After Session 2: Common rank list, then JEE Advanced and JoSAA (dates to be announced).
Who can apply for JEE Main 2027? Eligibility explained
The NTA rules are simple. The admission rules for NITs and IIITs add one more condition, so read both parts.
Is there an age limit for JEE Main 2027?
No. NTA says there is no age limit for JEE Main 2027. But some institutes may have their own age rules for admission, so check those when you apply for a seat.
Which Class 12 passing years are allowed?
You can sit JEE Main 2027 if you:
- passed Class 12 (or equivalent) in 2025, or
- passed Class 12 in 2026, or
- are sitting Class 12 in 2027.
If you passed Class 12 in 2024 or earlier, you cannot sit JEE Main 2027. The "passing year" is the year you were first declared "pass". An improvement exam does not change your passing year.
Qualifying exams include CBSE, CISCE and state boards, NIOS (with five subjects), a 3-year diploma recognised by AICTE or a state board, GCE A Levels, and the IB Diploma. If your board is outside India and not named in the bulletin, you need an equivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
What is the 75% rule for NITs and IIITs?
This rule comes from JoSAA, not NTA. The JoSAA 2026 Business Rules say that for admission to NITs, IIITs and other government-funded institutes, you must meet one of these:
- At least 75% aggregate in Class 12 (65% for SC, ST and PwD), or
- A place in the top 20 percentile of successful candidates of your Class 12 board, by category.
For B.E./B.Tech, the five subjects counted are Physics, Mathematics, one of Chemistry/Biology/Biotechnology/a technical vocational subject, a language, and one more subject. You must pass each one. The JoSAA 2027 rules will come out next year, so check them when they are released.
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Age limit | None (NTA, JEE Main 2027) |
| Class 12 passing year | 2025, 2026, or appearing 2027 |
| Passed in 2024 or before | Not eligible |
| NIT/IIIT/CFTI admission | 75% in Class 12, or top 20 percentile |
| SC/ST/PwD for NIT+ | 65% in Class 12, or top 20 percentile |
| JEE Advanced 2027 | Top 2,50,000 in Paper 1 |
How many attempts do you get?
JEE Main has two sessions each year. You can take one or both. If you take both, NTA counts your best NTA score for the merit list. Because you can sit the exam in the year you finish Class 12 and in the next two years, most students can try it in up to three consecutive years. You cannot sit the same session twice; that leads to cancellation.
Can NRI, OCI and foreign students sit JEE Main 2027?
Yes. Key points from the 2027 bulletin:
- Foreign nationals, including OCI card holders, must upload a scan of their non-Indian passport.
- An OCI who passed Class 12 in India is treated like an Indian national for state quota.
- An OCI who passed Class 12 abroad can get All India quota seats at NITs, IIITs and other CFTIs, but not Home State quota seats.
- If your present or permanent address is outside India, you must choose at least one exam city in India.
- Fees are higher for centres outside India (see the fees table below).
The JEE Main 2027 list of cities outside India has nine cities: Manama (Bahrain), Kuwait City (Kuwait), Kathmandu (Nepal), Muscat (Oman), Doha (Qatar), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), and Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah (UAE). Always check the latest Appendix II in the bulletin before you choose.
What is the JEE Main 2027 exam pattern?
Paper 1 is a computer-based test (CBT). It has three subjects, each worth 100 marks.
| Subject | Section A (MCQ) | Section B (numerical) | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 20 | 5 | 100 |
| Physics | 20 | 5 | 100 |
| Chemistry | 20 | 5 | 100 |
| Total | 60 | 15 | 300 |
- Time: 3 hours (4 hours for eligible PwD/PwBD candidates).
- Marking: +4 for a correct answer, -1 for a wrong answer, 0 for no answer. The -1 applies in both sections, including numerical questions.
- Numerical answers are rounded to the nearest integer.
- Languages: 13 languages: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. English is offered at every centre, including centres abroad. Regional languages depend on the state.
- Syllabus: published on jeemain.nta.nic.in.
What are Paper 2A (B.Arch) and Paper 2B (B.Planning)?
| Paper (JEE Main 2027) | Parts | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 2A (B.Arch) | Maths (20 + 5), Aptitude (50), Drawing (2) | 77 | 400 |
| Paper 2B (B.Planning) | Maths (20 + 5), Aptitude (50), Planning (25) | 100 | 400 |
Both are 3 hours. The Paper 2A drawing test is done with pen and paper on an A4 sheet. It has no negative marking. All other parts are on computer.
Want help with the maths and physics parts of this paper? You can book a free demo class with an Asymptode mentor.
How much is the JEE Main 2027 application fee?
These are the official fees for one session of JEE Main 2027, paid online. Processing charges and GST are extra.
| Category (per session) | 1 paper, India | 1 paper, abroad | 2+ papers, India |
|---|---|---|---|
| General male | Rs 1,000 | Rs 5,000 | Rs 2,000 |
| General female | Rs 800 | Rs 4,000 | Rs 1,600 |
| Gen-EWS/OBC-NCL male | Rs 900 | Rs 4,500 | Rs 2,000 |
| Gen-EWS/OBC-NCL female | Rs 800 | Rs 4,000 | Rs 1,600 |
| SC/ST/PwD/PwBD (all) | Rs 500 | Rs 2,500 | Rs 1,000 |
| Third gender | Rs 500 | Rs 2,500 | Rs 1,000 |
For two or more papers at a centre abroad, the fee is Rs 10,000 (General and Gen-EWS/OBC-NCL male), Rs 8,000 (General and Gen-EWS/OBC-NCL female), and Rs 5,000 (SC/ST/PwD/PwBD and third gender). A late fee of Rs 500 applies in the late window. You pay again if you apply for Session 2.
How to register for JEE Main 2027: step by step
- Read the Information Bulletin on jeemain.nta.nic.in.
- Register. The form uses the government's MeriPehchaan single sign-on. Enter your basic details, create a password, and note your Application Number. The same number works for both sessions.
- Fill the form. Add personal details, choose your paper, pick up to four exam cities in order, and enter your school details.
- Upload files. You need a live photo, a scanned photo (JPG, 10 to 200 KB), your signature (JPG, 10 to 100 KB) and your Class 10 certificate or marksheet (PDF, 50 to 300 KB). Foreign nationals and OCI holders also upload a passport scan.
- Pay the fee by debit card, credit card, net banking or UPI.
- Download the confirmation page and keep a printed copy.
Only one application per student is allowed. NTA treats more than one form as unfair means.
How do NTA scores and percentiles work?
JEE Main runs in many shifts, and some shifts may be harder than others. So NTA does not rank you by raw marks. It turns your marks into a percentile for your shift.
Percentile = 100 x (number of students in your shift with a score equal to or less than yours) / (total students in your shift).
So a 95 percentile means you scored equal to or more than 95% of the students in your shift. It is not 95% marks. Your total percentile is worked out from your total marks. It is not the average of your subject percentiles.
How do you qualify for JEE Advanced 2027?
According to the JEE Main 2027 bulletin, you need to be among the top 2,50,000 successful candidates (all categories) in Paper 1. The JEE Advanced website sets the other rules, so check it once JEE Advanced 2027 details come out.
How does JoSAA counselling work after JEE Main?
JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) runs one joint counselling process for IITs, NITs, IIITs and other government-funded technical institutes. In 2026, JoSAA covered 138 institutes: 23 IITs, IISc Bengaluru, 31 NITs, IIEST Shibpur, 26 IIITs and 56 other GFTIs.
The basic flow:
- Register on the JoSAA portal after results.
- Fill your choices of institutes and courses in order.
- Seats are offered over several rounds, based on your rank and category.
- Accept a seat, upload documents, and pay the fee.
IIT seats need a JEE Advanced rank. NIT, IIIT and GFTI seats use your JEE Main rank plus the Class 12 rule above. JoSAA 2027 dates are not yet announced.
How should you prepare for JEE Main 2027?
- Use the NTA syllabus as your checklist. Mark each chapter as strong, okay or weak.
- Master Class 11 basics. Mechanics, algebra, coordinate geometry and physical chemistry feed many later chapters. Our guide to Newton's three laws is a good place to start in mechanics.
- Practise numerical questions. Section B has negative marking too, so do not guess wildly.
- Take full mock tests in CBT style. NTA offers mock tests on nta.ac.in.
- Analyse every mock. Note each error: concept gap, silly slip, or time pressure.
Worked example: a JEE-style maths question
Question: The roots of x^2 - 5x + k = 0 differ by 1. Find k.
- Let the roots be a and b. Then a + b = 5 and ab = k.
- Use the identity (a - b)^2 = (a + b)^2 - 4ab.
- The roots differ by 1, so (a - b)^2 = 1.
- So 1 = 25 - 4k.
- 4k = 24, so k = 6.
- Check: x^2 - 5x + 6 = (x - 2)(x - 3). Roots 2 and 3 differ by 1. Correct.
In the exam, you would type 6 in the answer box. A correct answer earns +4, and a wrong answer costs 1 mark. Want more practice on this topic? See solving quadratic equations three ways.
What are the most common JEE Main mistakes?
- Missing the deadline. Session 1 closes on 22 November 2026. Late forms cost Rs 500 extra.
- Wrong details in the form. Name, date of birth and category must match your documents. Fix errors only in the correction window.
- Filling two forms. NTA treats this as unfair means.
- Ignoring the 75% rule. A good JEE score will not get you an NIT seat if you miss the Class 12 criterion.
- Guessing numerical answers. Section B has -1 for a wrong answer.
- Confusing percentile with percentage. A 90 percentile is a rank position, not 90% marks.
A 12-week JEE Main 2027 study plan
This plan takes you from late October 2026 to Session 1 in late January 2027.
- Weeks 1 to 2: Register for Session 1. Map the syllabus. Take one full mock to find weak chapters.
- Weeks 3 to 6: Fix your three weakest chapters per subject. Do topic tests every week.
- Weeks 7 to 9: Two full mocks a week. Review every wrong answer the same day.
- Weeks 10 to 11: Solve past NTA papers under exam timing. Revise formula sheets.
- Week 12: Light revision, rest, and check your admit card (13 January 2027) and centre.
- After Session 1: Study your result, register for Session 2 by 3 February 2027, and keep going.
Not sure how much weekly support you need? Read how many hours of maths tutoring per week is right.
How 1-on-1 tutoring helps with JEE Main 2027
At Asymptode, each student works with one dedicated mentor in live online 1-on-1 sessions. We teach the Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry in JEE Main 2027, and the maths in Paper 2A and 2B. (For the drawing and planning parts, our mentor helps with planning and study habits.)
- Built around your dates. Your mentor follows the NTA syllabus and plans around your Session 1, Session 2 and board exam dates.
- Method first. The mentor watches each step of your working and fixes the method, not just the final answer. That matters when a single slip costs you 5 marks (the 4 you miss plus the 1 you lose).
- Personalised homework with feedback on every attempt.
- Short parent updates, so families know what is going well and what needs work.
- Every class is recorded, so you can rewatch hard topics before mocks.
- Flexible times across time zones, useful for NRI students in the Gulf, Nepal and beyond.
Choosing a mentor? Our guide on how to choose an online maths tutor can help. When you are ready, book a free demo class or see our fees.
Facts checked against official sources on 25 October 2026.
FAQ
When is JEE Main 2027 Session 1?
JEE Main 2027 Session 1 is on 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 28 January 2027. Registration runs from 24 October to 22 November 2026.
When is JEE Main 2027 Session 2?
Session 2 is on 2 to 7 April 2027. Registration is from 5 January to 3 February 2027, as per the NTA bulletin.
Is there an age limit for JEE Main 2027?
No. NTA has set no age limit. You must have passed Class 12 in 2025 or 2026, or be sitting it in 2027.
Is there negative marking in JEE Main 2027?
Yes. A correct answer gets +4 and a wrong answer gets -1, in both the MCQ and numerical sections. Unanswered questions get 0.
Do I need 75% in Class 12 for JEE Main?
Not to sit the exam. But for NITs, IIITs and other CFTIs through JoSAA, you need 75% (65% for SC, ST, PwD) or a place in the top 20 percentile of your board.
How many students qualify for JEE Advanced 2027?
The top 2,50,000 successful candidates in Paper 1 of JEE Main 2027, across all categories, can sit JEE Advanced 2027, as per the NTA bulletin.
Ready to start? Book a free demo class with an Asymptode mentor, or see our fees.