NTA JEE Main 2026 Answer Key [OUT] LIVE: Download Session 2 Response Sheet & Challenge Link @ jeemain.nta.nic.in

The JEE Mains 2026 session 2 answer key challenge window has closed now. Next, NTA will release the JEE Mains 2026 final answer keys with or before the results are released. NTA has notified that the JEE Mains session 2 result will be released by April 20.

The candidates who will qualify the JEE Main cutoff for JEE Advanced will be able to register for the JEE Advanced exam from April 23.

When a question is dropped from the JEE Main final answer key, then all candidates who appeared in that specific shift get +4 marks (full marks) for each dropped question, regardless of whether they attempted the question or not. 

The JEE Main 2026 session 2 result will be out by April 20 at jeemain.nta.nic.in.

NTA will close the JEE Mains 2026 session 2 challenge window today, April 13 at 11:50 pm.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will release the official JEE Main 2026 qualifying cutoff along with the Session 2 (April) results, which are expected to be announced by April 20, 2026.

According to analysis done by Shiksha.com experts, the expected JEE Main percentile range 2026 for 120 marks is given below.

"Based on JEE Mains marks vs percentile prepared by experts, it can be determined that 120 marks are likely to bring 97.6 to 98.3 percentile".

The last date to challenge JEE Main 2026 answer key challenge window will close today, April 13, at 11:50 PM.

JoSAA 2026 counselling will start from June 2 at josaa.nic.in. The candidates will have to register with their JEE Main application number and password to register for JoSAA counselling.

To be eligible for the IIT entrance exam, students must rank within the top 2.5 lakh on the Common Rank List (CRL) for Paper 1 (BE/BTech). 

Read more: JEE Main 2026 Expected Cutoff: Are You Eligible for IIT JEE Advanced Top 2.5 Lakh List?

NTA will release the JEE Mains 2026 session 2 result by April 20.

NTA will close the JEE Mains answer key challenge windown today, April 13 at 11:50 pm.

The final JEE Mains answer key, released after reviewing the objections submitted by the candidates, will be used to calculate the result/score of the candidates. 

Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) conducts JEE Main counselling for admission to IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs. Candidates who appear in JEE Main are eligible to participate in counselling for admission to all participating institutes of JoSAA through JEE Main scores.

JoSAA counselling registration will start on June 2.

The JEE Main result 2026 session 2 will be announced at jeemain.nta.nic.in by April 20. Candidates have to use their application number and password through the JEE Mains login portal to check their results.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will release the result of the JEE Mains session 2 exam by April 20 at jeemain.nta.nic.in. To check the result, candidates have to use their application number and password. The JEE Mains 2026 session 2 result will have the JEE Main cutoff for JEE Advanced qualification and the All India Ranks of the candidates. This will be the final scorecard used for admissions.

Candidates can check below the JEE Main cutoff for JEE Advanced from 2025 to 2023:

As per various experts, the cutoff for the JEE Main 2026 exam to qualify for JEE Advanced can be as follows. Note that this is based on the available data from the previous year and current registration statistics. The expected cutoffs below will be revised once the exam ends.

A good score in JEE Mains will mean a score that gets you admission to a good college or a college you are targeting. Here is a projection of what a good JEE main score is:

• 250+ marks (~ 99.9+ percentile) -> This is an excellent score, placing you in the top 1% of roughly 14 lakh aspirants.
• 200+ marks (99 percentile) -> High chance of securing CSE or ECE at top-tier NITs (like Warangal, Surathkal, or Rourkela) and IIITs. It also comfortably qualifies you for JEE Advanced.
• 160 to 180 marks: (~97.5 to 99) ->  This is a strong score. Admission to core branches (Mechanical, Electrical, Civil) in top-tier NITs or CSE in mid-tier NITs and IIITs.
• 100 to 120 marks (~95 percentile) -> Admission to lower-tier NITs/IIITs or non-core branches in mid-tier NITs. This is generally the cutoff range for the General category to qualify for JEE Advanced.

The JEE Main percentile score obtained by a candidate is determined only after applying normalisation to the marks obtained by a candidate. JEE Main Percentile scores indicate the percentage of candidates who have scored equal to or below that particular percentile in the examination. A percentile score is measured on a scale of 100 to 0 for each session of examinees. The formula to calculate JEE Mains marks vs percentile is:

The final JEE Mains answer key, released after reviewing the objections submitted by the candidates, will be used to calculate the result/score of the candidates. The final answer key is not subject to the candidates' challenge/submission of grievances. Note that the answers given on the final answer keys will be used for preparing the results of JEE Main 2026.

The official marking scheme by NTA to calculate scores is given here. 

The JEE Main result 2026 session 2 will be announced at jeemain.nta.nic.in by April 20. Candidates have to use their application number and password through the JEE Mains login portal to check their results.

After the JEE Main result is out, candidates can:

1. Register for JoSAA counselling for admission to NITs, IIITs and GFTIs.
2. Register for state-level counselling like UPTAC, Bihar UGEAC, JAC Delhi, etc.
3. If qualified for JEE Advanced, register for JEE Advanced exam at jeeadv.ac.in

All the candidates who appeared in JEE Main or JEE Advanced can participate in the JoSAA counselling and seat allotment process. The allotment of seats in NITs, IIITs and other GFTIs will be based on the All India Rank of candidates secured in JEE Main, whereas in IITs, the allotment will be through JEE Advanced rank. JoSAA Counselling is the centralised counselling process for admission to the participating institutes in India, which include the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and other government-funded technical institutes (GFTIs).

After the JEE Main 2026 results are out, candidates have to either register for JoSAA counselling for admission to the NITs, IIITs and GFTIs, or they can also apply to various state-level counsellings. On the other hand, the top 2.5 lakh JEE Main candidates who pass the JEE Main cutoff marks for JEE Advanced can register for the JEE Advanced exam for IIT admissions.

JoSAA counselling: The JEE Main JoSAA counselling is held for admission to the IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs. Admission to IITs is based on JEE Advanced ranks, and admission to NITs, IIITs and GFTIs is based on JEE Advanced results.

Candidates can check the JEE Mains answer key link on the official website - jeemain.nta.nic.in.

1. Visit the official website of JEE Mains 2026 - jeemain.nta.nic.in.
2. Now look for the link for JEE Main 2026 answer key and candidate response.
3. After clicking on the link, the JEE Main login will open. Enter the details to login - JEE Main 2026 application number and password/date of birth.
4. On logging in, candidates can access their JEE Main response sheets 2026.

1. Visit the official JEE Main website - jeemain.nta.nic.in.
2. Click the JEE Main 2026 answer key link.
3. On the new window, candidates can see the  JEE Main 2026 login. Use your JEE Main application number and password to login.
4. Under the login, the answer key, with responses and questions, will be available.
5. Download it and take a printout for future reference.

National Testing Agency (NTA) calculates JEE Main percentile using a formula which uses raw scores. To prepare JEE Main raw scores, official marking scheme will be used. The raw scores of the candidates are calculated using the marking scheme of the JEE Main 2026 exam:

• +4 for each correct answer.
• -1 for each wrong attempt.
• 0 for unanswered

The percentile is calculated by using the following formula.

Scoring 260 in JEE Main 2026 is extremely high. The expected percentile for this score is 99. 95 to 99.99.

In many sessions, 260+ marks are among the top 50 - 100 rankers.

The 260 Marks in JEE Percentile can be close to 99.995 if the exam is moderate to tough.

The final JEE Mains answer key, released after reviewing the objections submitted by the candidates, will be used to calculate the result/score of the candidates. The final answer key is not subject to the candidates' challenge/submission of grievances. Note that the answers given on the final answer keys will be used for preparing the results of JEE Main 2026.

The last date to challenge the JEE Main 2026 answer key is April 13.

• Visit the official JEE Main 2026 website, jeemain.nta.nic.in.
• Click ‘Challenge (s) regarding Answer Key’.
• Login with your Application Number and Date of Birth/Password, enter the Security PIN as displayed, and submit.
• Click ‘Challenge (s) regarding Answer Key’.
• You will see the Question IDs in the below sequential order for JEE Main 2026.
• The ID next to the question under the column ‘Correct Option’ stands for the most appropriate Answer Key by NTA.
• If you wish to challenge this option, you may use any one or more of the Option IDs given in the next four columns by clicking the check box.
• You may upload supporting documents, for which you can select ‘Choose File and Upload (all documents to be put in a single PDF file).
• After clicking your desired option, for Mathematics / Physics / Chemistry for Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech.), Mathematics / Aptitude Test for Paper 2A (B.Arch.), and Mathematics / Aptitude Test / Planning for Paper 2B (B.Planning), scroll down and ‘Save your claim’ and move on to the next screen.
• You will see a display of all the Option IDs you have challenged.
• Click on ‘Save your claim and Pay Fee finally’.
• Select the Mode of Payment and pay a non-refundable processing fee of INR 200/- for each question.

To achieve a 99 percentile score in JEE Main 2026, candidates may need to score between 170 and 180 marks. However, this can vary depending on the difficulty level of different exam shifts.

To calculate your JEE Main score, candidates need to add four marks for each correct answer and subtract one mark for each wrong answer. Unattempted questions do not carry any marks or penalties.

The final answer key of JEE Mains 2026 will be released after reviewing all challenges. The result will be based on the final answer key only.

NTA has issued an urgent advisory regarding errors in the JEE Main 2026 April 2 Shift 2 chemistry answer keys. All students should avoid making any fee payment until NTA issues an official notification in this regard in due course.

Read complete details here: Urgent: JEE Main 2026 Chemistry (5 Apr S2) Answer Key Under Review; NTA Asks Students Not to Pay Fee

JEE Advanced 2026 registration will start from April 23. Only candidates who qualify JEE Main cutoff can apply.

A score above 180 is generally considered good in JEE Main. However, the actual percentile depends on the difficulty level of the exam and number of candidates.

JEE Main 2026 Session 2 result is likely to be declared by April 20. This result will include percentile scores and All India Rank, which is important for admission and JEE Advanced eligibility.

The JEE Mains 2026 result will remain valid for this academic session only, that is 2026 to 2027 admisison session.

The final JEE Mains answer key, released after reviewing the objections submitted by the candidates, will be used to calculate the result/score of the candidates. The final answer key is not subject to the candidates' challenge/submission of grievances. Note that the answers given on the final answer keys will be used for preparing the results of JEE Main 2026.

The official marking scheme by NTA to calculate scores is given here. 

Candidates can know their expected JEE Main marks using response sheet and answer key released by NTA. To calculate score, they need to notedown their correct and incorrect answers as per NTA answer key and response sheet. Alott 4 marks for every correct and 1 marks for incorrect answers. The sum obtained upon subtracting total of incorrect answers from correct answers will be candidates marks in exam. 

• Visit the official JEE Main 2026 website, jeemain.nta.ac.in.
• Click ‘Answer Key Challenge for JEE Main 2026 Session 2’.
• Login with your Application Number and Password, enter the Security PIN as displayed and submit.
• Click ‘Challenge(s) regarding Answer Key’.
• You will see the Question IDs for JEE Main 2026.
• The ID next to the question under the column ‘Correct Option’ stands for the most appropriate answer key by NTA.
• If you wish to challenge this option, you may use any one or more of the Option IDs given in the next four columns by clicking the check box.
• You may upload supporting documents, for which you can select ‘Choose File and Upload (all documents to be put in a single PDF file).
• After clicking your desired option, for Mathematics / Physics / Chemistry for Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech.), Mathematics / Aptitude Test for Paper 2A (B.Arch.), and Mathematics / Aptitude Test / Planning for Paper 2B (B.Planning), scroll down and ‘Save your claim’ and move on to the next screen.
• You will see a display of all the Option IDs you have challenged.
• Click on ‘Save your claim and Pay Fee finally’.
• Select the mode of payment and pay a non-refundable processing fee.

NTA has released the JEE Mains response sheet with the answer keys for session 2 under the login of the candidates. The JEE Main 2026 response sheet has the answers marked by the candidates on the exam day. The response sheet of JEE Main is a replica of the answers that the candidates mark on the exam day.

1. Visit the official JEE Main website - jeemain.nta.nic.in.
2. Click the JEE Main 2026 answer key link.
3. On the new window, candidates can see the  JEE Main 2026 login. Use your JEE Main application number and password to login.
4. Under the login, the answer key, with responses and questions, will be available.
5. Download it and take a printout for future reference.

• Candidates must pass class 12 (or equivalent) Board examination with a minimum of five subjects and secure at least 75% aggregate marks. There is no minimum subject wise minimum marks criteria.
• For SC, ST, and PwD candidates, the minimum marks should be at least 65%. There is no minimum subject wise minimum marks criteria.

OR

• Candidates must have passed class 12 (or equivalent) Board examination with a minimum of five subjects and be within the category-wise top 20 percentile of successful candidates in their respective Class 12 (or equivalent) board examination.

NTA score and percentile score are the same thing. NTA has a fixed formula to convert the raw score of the candidates into a percentile score or the NTA score. The formula is as follows:

1. Those candidates who will qualify for JEE Advanced 2026 have to register for JEE Advanced 2026 at jeeadv.ac.in.
2. Those candidates who do not qualify for JEE Advanced can apply for JoSAA counselling that will be held in June for admission to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs.
3. Candidates can also apply for the state-level counselling process via JEE Main scores

The final JEE Mains answer key, released after reviewing the objections submitted by the candidates, will be used to calculate the result/score of the candidates. The final answer key is not subject to the candidates' challenge/submission of grievances. Note that the answers given on the final answer keys will be used for preparing the results of JEE Main 2026.

• Visit the official JEE Main 2026 website, jeemain.nta.nic.in.
• Click ‘Challenge (s) regarding Answer Key’.
• Login with your Application Number and Date of Birth/Password, enter the Security PIN as displayed, and submit.
• Click ‘Challenge (s) regarding Answer Key’.
• You will see the Question IDs in the below sequential order for JEE Main 2026.
• The ID next to the question under the column ‘Correct Option’ stands for the most appropriate Answer Key by NTA.
• If you wish to challenge this option, you may use any one or more of the Option IDs given in the next four columns by clicking the check box.
• You may upload supporting documents, for which you can select ‘Choose File and Upload (all documents to be put in a single PDF file).
• After clicking your desired option, for Mathematics / Physics / Chemistry for Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech.), Mathematics / Aptitude Test for Paper 2A (B.Arch.), and Mathematics / Aptitude Test / Planning for Paper 2B (B.Planning), scroll down and ‘Save your claim’ and move on to the next screen.
• You will see a display of all the Option IDs you have challenged.
• Click on ‘Save your claim and Pay Fee finally’.
• Select the Mode of Payment and pay a non-refundable processing fee of INR 200/- for each question.

The National Testing Agency has officially mentioned that the JEE Main Session 2 result will be out by April 20. This means NTA can release the final JEE Mains result anytime on or before the said date.

To check the JEE Mains 2026 answer keys session 2, candidates will need the following:

1. Application number
2. Password

Raw score is the actual marks obtained by a candidate in JEE Mains 2026, while the percentile is calculated after normalisation and shows relative performance compared to other candidates.

The top 5 NITs in India are:

1. NIT Trichy
2. NIT Surathkal
3. NIT Warangal
4. NIT Calicut
5. NIT Rourkela

These NITs often face a high JEE Mains cutoff and are very popular among the students.

If candidates find any errors in the provisional JEE Mains 2026 answer key, they can challenge it by submitting objections online within the given time and paying a fee per question as specified by NTA.

Candidates can download the JEE Mains 2026 answer key by visiting the official website, logging into their account using their application number and password, and accessing the answer key and response sheet from the dashboard.

Candidates can check below the JEE Main cutoff for JEE Advanced from 2025 to 2023:

The Joint Entrance Examination Main 2026 Session 2 witnessed significant participation from engineering aspirants globally. According to official data from the National Testing Agency, approximately 11.23 lakh candidates appeared for the examination across all the designated shifts and testing centres located around the world.

Occasionally, specific questions are found to be flawed and are dropped from the final JEE Mains answer key. When this occurs, the NTA rule states that all candidates present in that particular shift will automatically receive 4 bonus marks for each dropped question.

The calculation of the final JEE Mains result relies on the finalised answer keys. After subject experts thoroughly review all candidate objections, a final answer key is officially published.

For admission to IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs, the general category candidates must also successfully pass their Class 12 board examinations with a strict minimum aggregate score of 75%.

Students can figure out their own scores before the JEE 2026 Mains results are officially out. By comparing their own answers on the response sheet with the official answer key, they can see exactly how many questions they got right or wrong.

Students reported that JEE Mains 2026 April 6 shift 1 was comparatively easier. Physics was moderate, and Chemistry was straightforward.

As per student reactions, the JEE Mains April 8 shift 2 was considered one of the toughest. The mathematics section was lengthy and time-consuming.

The JEE Mains Session 2 result is very important as it determines the final All India Rank. It also decides eligibility for JEE Advanced 2026.

• Open the JEE Main official website- jeemain.nta.nic.in
• Click on JEE Main answer key response sheet link
• Login using JEE Main application number and password
• JEE Main answer key and response sheet pdf will be available
• Download and take its printout

The JEE Mains 2026 response sheet link is now active at jeemain.nta.nic.in.

The response sheet download link will be removed from the candidate login after April 13. Thus candidates should download their response hseet immediately.

After the JEE Main 2026 Session 2 result is declared (expected by April 20, 2026), the further process will depend on the All India Rank (AIR) of the students. The Session 2 result is final and will include the best of two scores from both January and April attempts, category rank, and the qualifying cutoff for JEE Advanced. The candidates qualified for JEE Advanced for IIT admissions can register for the same from April 23. Other candidates can apply for JoSAA counselling for admission to NITs, IIITs and GFTIs from June 2.

NTA has started the JEE Main session 2 answer eky challenge facility. For each challenge, candidates have to pay a processing fee. Payment for the processing fee may be made through Debit Card/Credit Card/Net Banking till 13 April 2026 (up to 11:50 PM). No challenge will be entertained without receipt of the processing fee. The fee towards the challenge will not be accepted through any other mode.

NTA has released JEE Main session 2 answer key and activated the challenge window:

JEE Main 2026 answer key link active

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has issued the answer key of JEE Main 2026 today. Candidates can download the JEE Main session 2 answer key online at the official website: jeemain.nta.nic.in. To download the keys, candidates have to use their application number and password. The JEE Main 2026 answer key for session 2 has been released for the exams conducted on April 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8. Along with the release of the provisional JEE Main answer key 2026, the objection window has also been activated. The response sheets of the students have also been released under the logins of the students.

JEE main 2026 answer key and response sheet is out.

• Download JEE Mains session 2 answer keys 2026
• Download JEE Main 2026 response sheet

The result for JEE Main 2026 Session 2 is expected to be released by April 20. Candidates will be able to check their results online through the official website using their login credentials.

A score of 150 marks in JEE Mains 2026 may give around 97 to 98 percentile, depending on the shift difficulty.

When a question is dropped from the JEE Main answer key, all candidates who appeared in that specific shift receive full marks (+4) for that question, regardless of whether they attempted it or not.

No. The JEE Mains response sheet and answer keys will be released together. As of now, the answer keys and response sheet have not been released.

NTA's official X post has created some confusion among the students. However, on the official website, no update has been released for the release of answer keys or response sheets.

Read More: NTA's X Post Creates Confusion: Is the JEE Mains 2026 Answer Keys & Response Sheet OUT?

The following NITs accept admission in low JEE Mains ranks of 1 lakh+

1. National Institute of Technology Agartala National Institute of Technology
2. Arunachal Pradesh National Institute of Technology, Goa
3. National Institute of Technology Hamirpur
4. National Institute of Technology Meghalaya
5. National Institute of Technology Puducherry
6. National Institute of Technology Raipur
7. National Institute of Technology Sikkim
8. National Institute of Technology, Manipur
9. National Institute of Technology, Srinagar
10. Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat
11. National Institute of Technology, Mizoram

NTA recently posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the JEE Main 2026 Session 2 answer keys, response sheets, and challenge window were live. However, the official website was never updated to reflect this, and the NTA has since deleted the post. Currently, the links for the answer keys and response sheets remain inactive.

• IIIT Manipur
• IIIT Bhagalpur
• IIITDM Kancheepuram
• IIITDM Jabalpur
• IIITDM Kurnool
• IIIT Una
• IIIT Dharwad
• IIIT Kalyani

NO. NTA has yet not released the JEE Mains answer keys 2026 or response sheet.

The expected cutoff for qualifying JEE Advanced through JEE Main 2026 may be around 93 percentile for general category candidates, although the final cutoff will depend on overall performance and difficulty level.

NTA released a Twitter (X) post stating the JEE Mains answer keys are out. However, the post has now been taken down.

After reviewing all the objections raised by candidates, NTA will release the final answer key of JEE Mains 2026 session 2. The result of JEE Main 2026 will be prepared based on this final answer key only.