JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Exam Day Guidelines: The first session of the Joint Entrance Examination Main 2026 (JEE Main 2026) begins tomorrow, Wednesday, January 21, 2026. The exam will be held from January 21 to January 29.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has issued guidelines for this exam. Students must arrive at the exam centre one hour before the exam time, and entry will close half an hour before the exam begins.
JEE Main 2026 Reporting Time
The JEE Main 2026 exam will be conducted in two shifts. The morning shift will be held from 9 am to 12 noon, with entry allowed until 8:30 am. The second shift will be held from 3 pm to 6 pm, with entry allowed until 2:30 pm.
The JEE Main January session Paper 1 (BE/BTech) will be held in two shifts on January 21, 22, 23, 24, and 28. Paper 2 (B.Arch/B.Planning) will be held on January 29. This year, 14.10 lakh students have applied for the JEE Main January session 2026 exam, so tough competition and a high cut-off are expected.
JEE Main 2026: Documents To Carry
Candidates appearing for the JEE Main 2026 exam must note that labs will be allotted through the barcode reader provided in the question paper. Students must bring a completed self-declaration form, including their left thumbprint and latest photograph, to the examination centre. For entry, students must bring their admit card, photo ID, their own photograph, and the self-declaration form. Students should also bring a transparent pen and a water bottle.
JEE Main 2026: Dress Code Guidelines
Students will be admitted to the JEE Main exam centre through frisking and biometric verification, making awareness of dress code guidelines crucial. Both male and female students should adhere to the following dress code.
Don’t wear clothes with buckles or metal. Avoid wearing caps, mufflers, or any other head covering. Chains, bracelets, or rings will lead to stops at the entry gate. Don’t wear high-soled shoes or sandals. Wear simple slippers.
Female students should avoid wearing stoles, dupattas, or scarves to avoid delays during security checks. Do not wear rings, earrings, bracelets, or any other jewellery. Wear simple sandals or slippers and dress appropriately for the weather.
The 250,000 students with the best NTA scores in the January and April sessions of JEE Main 2026 will qualify for JEE Advanced and be eligible to apply for JEE Advanced 2026. Only students who qualify JEE Advanced will be granted admission to the country’s top engineering institutes, the IITs.
