JEE Main Exam Timing 2026 (OUT): Shift Wise Time & Paper Schedule for All Days
Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Main 2026 ( JEE Main )
Exam On - 2 Apr '26 - 9 Apr '26
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the JEE Main 2026 January session exam time and schedule. The exam time not only includes the exam start and end time, but also includes the reporting time for the exam, gate closing time, and other important exam day timings. Check all details on JEE Main 2026 exam timings, important for all candidates to follow below.
JEE Main 2026 Exam Timings
JEE Main 2026 Exam Timings: NTA announced the JEE Main exam timings for session 1 exam held on January 21, 22, 23, 24, 28 and 29. Along with the exam date, NTA announced the shift timings. On each day of the JEE Main 2026 exam, there were two shifts - morning and afternoon. The shift 1 (morning) was held from 9 am to 12 noon, and the shift 2 (afternoon) was held from 3 pm to 6 pm. The Paper 1 (BE/BTech) paper was held on January 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, and the Paper 2 (BArch and BPlan) was held on January 29.
LIVE Now: JEE Main 2026 Result
NTA has already allotted the exam date and slot timings to the candidates via their respective JEE Main 2026 admit cards. Candidates must carefully check the JEE Main exam date and time, as per which they have to report to the exam centre on the exam day.
In this article, we have provided complete details on JEE Main 2026 shift times, reporting time, entry gate closing time, etc for the slot 1 and slot 2 of the exam. Read below.
- JEE Main Shift Timings 2026 - Shift 1 and Shift 2
- JEE Main Paper 1 Exam 2026 Time - BE/BTech
- JEE Mains 2026 Paper 2a Exam Time - BArch
- JEE Main 2026 Paper 2b Exam Time - BPlan
- JEE Main 2026 Exam Time for Paper 2a and 2b - BArch and BPlan
- JEE Main 2026 Exam Centre Reporting Time and Gate Closing Time for Shifts 1 & 2
- Important Events & Their Timeline for JEE Main Exam Day: What Happens Before the Exam Starts?
- On the JEE Mains 2026 Exam Day - Carry These Items
JEE Main Shift Timings 2026 - Shift 1 and Shift 2
On each day, the JEE Main 2026 exam will be held for 3 hours. This period includes the time which is available for the candidates only to attempt the questions. During this time, candidates will be seated at their designated seats in the exam hall and attempt the exam.
Check the day-wise and shift-wise exam timings below for JEE Main 2026 January session 1:
| JEE Main 2026 Jan Exam Dates | Shift 1 exam timings | Shift 2 exam timings |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Jan 2026 - Paper 1 (BE/BTech) - Over | 9 am to 12 noon | 3 pm to 6 pm |
| 22 Jan 2026 - Paper 1 (BE/BTech) - Over | 9 am to 12 noon | 3 pm to 6 pm |
| 23 Jan 2026 - Paper 1 (BE/BTech) - Over | 9 am to 12 noon | 3 pm to 6 pm |
| 24 Jan 2026 - Paper 1 (BE/BTech) - Over | 9 am to 12 noon | 3 pm to 6 pm |
| 25 Jan 2026 | no exam | no exam |
| 26 Jan 2026 | no exam | no exam |
| 27 Jan 2026 | no exam | no exam |
| 28 Jan 2026 - Paper 1 (BE/BTech) - upcoming | 9 am to 12 noon | 3 pm to 6 pm |
| 29 Jan 2026 - Paper 2 (BArch/BPlan) - upcoming | 9 am to 12:30 pm | NA |
Note: Compensatory time for PwD/PwBD Candidates of 20 minutes for a one-hour Examination will be given to those who are eligible for Scribe.
| Want to know what your JEE Main 2026 rank will be based on your score and percentile? Check out the JEE Main rank predictor 2026 by Shiksha.com, which predicts your rank after analysing several years’ percentile/marks vs rank data. JEE Main Rank Predictor 2026 |
Commonly asked questions
The the toughest shift of the JEE Main 2026 session 1 exam was January 23, shift 2. Also, some candidates found the JEE Main 22 Jan shift 2 exam the hardest one. The JEE Main 2026 session 1 exam was held in 10 shifts. To overcome the difficulty level differences, NTA will normalise the score of the candidates.
NTA has conducted the JEE Main 2026 January session exam for BE/BTech candidates successfully across multiple cities in India and abroad. The exam was held on January 21, 22, 23, 24 and 28 and on each day, there were 2 shifts. A total of 10 shifts were held for Paper 1. As per the official NTA data, across the 10 shifts, 13,00,368 candidates have appeared out of the 13,50,969 candidates scheduled to appear.
As per many experts, JEE Main 2026 exam held in session 1 was the toughest in recent history.
Chemistry was the easiest subject and NCERT based. It was lengthy and tricky this year.
Maths was the toughest, and physics was also moderate to tough. Overall paper was lengthy, and candidates found it difficult to manage time and complete paper on time.
JEE Main Paper 1 Exam 2026 Time - BE/BTech
Check below the exam time for JEE Main paper 1:
| Shift | Paper 1 (BE/BTech) start time | Paper 1 (BE/BTech) end time |
|---|---|---|
| JEE Main Morning Shift Timing |
09:00 AM |
12 Noon |
| JEE Main Afternoon Shift Timing |
03:00 PM |
6:00 PM |
JEE Mains 2026 Paper 2a Exam Time - BArch
Check below the exam time for JEE Main paper 2a:
Note that in the JEE Main 2026 session 1, the paper 2a will be held in one shift only.
| Shift | Paper 2a (BArch) start time |
|---|---|
| JEE Main Morning Shift Starts at |
09:00 AM |
| JEE Main Morning Shift Ends at |
12 Noon |
Commonly asked questions
NTA has announced the JEE Main 2026 exam date for Session 2. JEE Main 2026 Session 2 exam will be held from 2nd April 2026 to 9th April 2026. The JEE Main Application Form 2026 for Session 2 will be available on the website jeemain.nta.nic.in.
Know more about -
NTA has announced the JEE Mains 2026 session 1 exam date. Paper 1 exam was held on January 21, 22, 23, 24 and 28, and paper 2 exam was held on January 29.
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JEE Main 2026 Paper 2b Exam Time - BPlan
Check below the exam time for JEE Main paper 2b:
Note that in the JEE Main 2026 session 1, the paper 2b will be held in one shift only.
| Shift | Paper 2b (BPlan) start time |
|---|---|
| JEE Main Morning Shift Starts at |
09:00 AM |
| JEE Main Morning Shift Ends at |
12 Noon |
JEE Main 2026 Exam Time for Paper 2a and 2b - BArch and BPlan
The candidates who applied for BArch and BPlan both have to appear for the JEE Main exam as per the schedule below:
Note that in the JEE Main 2026 session 1, the paper 2a and 2b will be held in one shifts only.
| Shift | Paper 2a & 2b (BArch & BPlan) start time |
|---|---|
| JEE Main Morning Shift Starts at |
09:00 AM |
| JEE Main Morning Shift Ends at |
12:30 PM |
JEE Main 2026 Exam Centre Reporting Time and Gate Closing Time for Shifts 1 & 2
Apart from the exam time, candidates have to follow a specific timeline on the exam day. This includes reporting time at the centre, entry time, gate closing time and more. Note that no candidate will be allowed to enter the JEE Mains exam centre if they arrive after the gate closing time. Hence, all candidates have to be present at the exam centre before the gate closes for their respective shifts.
Check below the timings for the exam day of JEE Main that all candidates have to follow the morning and afternoon slots:
Session |
Morning Shift |
Afternoon Shift |
|---|---|---|
| Reporting time |
7:00 AM |
1:00 PM |
| Entry to the examination centre/ Hall/ Room Frisking Biometric registration Record of manual attendance by the Invigilator Document verification Cross-checking of admit card, signature and photo match |
7.00 AM to 8.30 AM | 1:00 PM to 2.30 PM |
| Entry gate closing time | 8:30 AM sharp | 2:30 PM sharp |
| Instructions by the invigilator(s) | 8.30 AM to 8.50 AM | 2.30 PM to 2.50 PM |
| Candidates log in to read instructions | 8.50 AM | 2.50 PM |
| Test commences | 9.00 AM | 3.00 PM |
| Test ends | 12 Noon | 6 PM |
Also Read: How to Check JEE Main Exam Date 2026: City Slip & Admit Card Guide
Important Events & Their Timeline for JEE Main Exam Day: What Happens Before the Exam Starts?
On the exam day, candidates have to follow the process below:
- Security Check, document verification & biometric verification (1 hour almost)
- Instructions by the invigilator and login instructions (almost 30 minutes)
Since all these process takes time, candidates are asked to reach the exam centre much before the exam starts.
| Curious about which college you may get based on your JEE Main 2026 performance? Check out the JEE Main college predictor 2026 by Shiksha.com, which predicts college based on your JEE Main marks, ranks and percentile after analysing data from previous year cutoffs. JEE Main College Predictor 2026 |
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On the JEE Mains 2026 Exam Day - Carry These Items
Candidates need to carry the following items to the exam centre.
- Admit card along with filled in Self Declaration
- Two passport-size photo
- Any one photo ID proof among – valid School Identity Card/ PAN card / Voter ID/ Passport/ Aadhaar Card (with photograph)/ e-Aadhaar with photograph/ Class 12 Board Admit Card with photograph/ Bank Passbook with Photograph.
- Medical certificate (for PwD/PwBD candidates to avail scribe service)
- A simple transparent Ball Point Pen
Note: For BArch paper, candidates must bring their own geometry set, colour pencils, erasers and pencils. No watercolours are required
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 22 hours ago
The candidates should master time management and accuracy to be able to score well in the JEE Main exam. Use a strategic approach while solving the questions to be able to score good marks.
M
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 23 hours ago
Yes, the JEE Main is widely considered one of the most difficult engineering entrance exams globally.
N
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 23 hours ago
Passing the JEE Main exam requires a strategic approach focusing on strong fundamentals, consistent practice, and thorough revision.
- Make sure to have a strong hold of basics.
- Study diligently for at least 6 hours.
- Practice a lot of previous year papers and mock tests.
- Focus on time management, speed an
Y
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 23 hours ago
Candidates can download the JEE Main question papers from the website of NTA - nta.ac.in.
- Go to nta.ac.in
- Go to "downloads"
- Under the "Previous years Exam Papers", select the year and exam type and hit the "search" button.
- The question paper PDFs will be available for download.
V
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 23 hours ago
Yes. NTA has released the JEE Main 2026 session 1 question papers. Candidates can download the JEE Main session 1 papers with solutions PDFs from this page - Download JEE Main 2026 question papers with solutions.
C
Contributor-Level 7
Answered Yesterday
BTech admissions at Chitkara University are not possible without the JEE Main scores. The accepted entrance exams are JEE Main scores. Students must prepare well for the entrance exams for a successful admission.
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
The cutoff was released as the opening and closing ranks for admission to the BE/BTech, courses. During the Indus University BE/BTech cutoff 2024, the last-round closing ranks ranged between 23100 and 50604 for the General HS category students. Of all the BE/BTech specialisations, the one that faced
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
For Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University (SGBAU), the JEE Main cutoff for the OBC category varies by branch and year.
J
Beginner-Level 2
Answered 2 days ago
Yes, IIIT Hyderabad accepts JEE Main percentile for 4-year B.Tech programs, but dual-degree research programs are specifically through UGEE.
M
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
SPA Delhi JEE Main cutoff 2025 for the first and last rounds are given below for the General AI category students:
| Course | Round 1 (Closing Rank) | Last Round (Closing Rank) |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) | 158 | 261 |
| Bachelor of Planning | 133 | 751 |
S
Contributor-Level 7
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