Engineering aspirants across India have received their most important planning anchor of the year. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially released the NTA Examination Calendar 2027, confirming that the JEE Main 2027 Session 1 exam will be held on January 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, and 30, 2027. January 31, 2027 has been kept as a buffer date and will be used only if required. With this announcement, students appearing in Class 12 in 2027 or those who passed in 2025 or 2026 now have a firm date to plan their preparation around.
The detailed information bulletin and application form for JEE Main 2027 Session 1 are expected to be released in the last week of October 2026. Applications will be accepted at NTA JEE Main Official Portal jeemain.nta.nic.in.
JEE Main 2027 Session 1: Key Details at a Glance
| Particulars | Details |
| Conducting Body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Exam Name | JEE Main 2027 (Session 1) |
| Exam Dates | January 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 2027 |
| Buffer Date | January 31, 2027 |
| Session 2 Dates | First week of April 2027 (Expected) |
| Registration Start | Last week of October 2026 (Expected) |
| Official Website | jeemain.nta.nic.in |
| Mode of Exam | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Exam Shifts | Morning and Afternoon (Two shifts per day) |
NTA has clarified in its official communication that the dates mentioned in the calendar are tentative and may be changed if required due to administrative, academic, statutory, logistical, or unforeseen circumstances. However, NTA has also confirmed that JEE Main exam dates will not be changed due to a clash with any other state or national-level entrance exam.
What Is JEE Main and Who Should Appear?
JEE Main (Joint Entrance Examination Main) is the national-level engineering entrance examination conducted by NTA for admission to B.E., B.Tech, B.Arch, and B.Planning programmes at NITs, IIITs, and Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) across India. It also serves as the qualifying examination for JEE Advanced, through which admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) is offered.
The top 2.5 lakh rank holders in JEE Main are eligible to appear in JEE Advanced 2027 for IIT admissions. Approximately 16 lakh candidates register for JEE Main every year, out of which around 15 lakh actually appear. This makes it one of the largest and most competitive undergraduate entrance examinations in the world.
Eligibility Criteria for JEE Main 2027
Educational Qualification
Candidates must have passed or be appearing in Class 12 or an equivalent qualifying examination in the year 2025, 2026, or 2027. Students who passed Class 12 before 2025 are not eligible to appear in JEE Main 2027.
For admission to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs, candidates must also secure a minimum of 75 percent marks in Class 12 (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics) or be in the top 20 percentile of their respective board. For SC, ST, and PwBD candidates, the minimum is 65 percent.
Number of Attempts
Each candidate is allowed a maximum of three consecutive years of attempts in JEE Main, starting from the year of Class 12 pass. A candidate who passed in 2026 can appear in 2027 Session 1, Session 2, and then again in 2028 (their final attempt window). There is no lifetime restriction beyond this three-year eligibility window.
Exam Pattern: Structure of JEE Main 2027
The JEE Main B.E./B.Tech paper consists of 75 questions carrying 300 marks in total.
| Subject | Section A (MCQ) | Section B (Numerical) | Total Questions | Total Marks |
| Physics | 20 | 5 (attempt any 10) | 25 | 100 |
| Chemistry | 20 | 5 (attempt any 10) | 25 | 100 |
| Mathematics | 20 | 5 (attempt any 10) | 25 | 100 |
| Total | 60 | 15 | 75 | 300 |
Marking scheme: +4 for correct MCQ, -1 for incorrect MCQ. Numerical questions carry +4 for correct answer and no negative marking. The detailed exam pattern for 2027 will be confirmed in the official information bulletin, which candidates should download from jeemain.nta.nic.in once released.
Session 1 vs Session 2: Which Should You Target?
JEE Main 2027 will be conducted in two sessions. The best of the two scores is considered for merit ranking, which means appearing in both sessions always works in the candidate’s favour.
Session 1 in January is typically attempted by students who are already well-prepared and want an early shot at qualifying percentile. Session 2 in April allows students who are still completing their board exam preparation more time to revise and improve their score.
For candidates appearing in Class 12 board exams in March/April 2027, the strategy of appearing in Session 1 first (January) and Session 2 second (April) allows two full attempts within the same academic year without any conflict.
Registration Process: What to Expect in October 2026
The JEE Main 2027 Session 1 registration is expected to open in the last week of October 2026, based on NTA’s established pattern of releasing application forms approximately 90 days before the examination.
When the application form goes live at jeemain.nta.nic.in, candidates will need to complete the following steps.
- Register with a valid email ID and mobile number
- Fill in personal, academic, and contact details
- Upload photograph (passport-size, colour, white background), signature, and category certificate if applicable
- Choose preferred exam city from available options
- Pay the application fee through online mode
- Submit and download the confirmation page
The application fee for General, EWS, and OBC male candidates is Rs. 1,000 (Session 1), and for SC, ST, PwBD, and female candidates it is Rs. 500. Candidates registering for both Session 1 and Session 2 together pay combined fees at a discounted rate.
Syllabus Overview: What Has Changed Since 2024
NTA revised the JEE Main syllabus in 2024, removing several topics that were previously included from Class 11 and Class 12 NCERT content. The revised syllabus focuses on core conceptual topics across Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics and removed a total of 15 to 18 topics from the earlier exhaustive list.
Key topics removed in the 2024 revision include some chapters from Communication Systems (Physics), Environmental Chemistry (Chemistry), and Mathematical Reasoning (Mathematics). The complete and final syllabus for JEE Main 2027 will be confirmed in the official information bulletin. Until then, candidates should follow the 2024 revised syllabus as the preparation base and stay alert for any further changes NTA announces alongside the brochure.
How to Check the NTA Exam Calendar 2027
The NTA Examination Calendar 2027, which contains dates for JEE Main, NEET, CUET, and other major NTA-conducted exams, is available as a downloadable PDF.
- Visit NTA Official Website nta.ac.in
- Look for the “Exam Calendar 2027” notification on the homepage or the News and Announcements section
- Download the PDF to access the complete schedule for all NTA examinations
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. I passed Class 12 in 2024. Am I eligible to appear in JEE Main 2027?
No. JEE Main 2027 eligibility is restricted to candidates who passed Class 12 in 2025, 2026, or 2027. A candidate who passed in 2024 is outside the three-year rolling eligibility window for the 2027 examination. The three-year window for a 2024 pass candidate covered JEE Main 2024, 2025, and 2026 attempts. JEE Main 2027 is not within their eligibility period.
Q2. Can I appear in both Session 1 (January) and Session 2 (April) of JEE Main 2027?
Yes, and it is strongly recommended that you do. NTA counts the best of the two session scores for merit ranking. Appearing in Session 1 gives you an early benchmark, and Session 2 gives you the opportunity to improve. Many students who appear in both sessions record a significant improvement in their second attempt due to better familiarity with the exam environment. You can register for both sessions simultaneously when the application form is released in October 2026.
Q3. The exam calendar says dates are tentative. Should I assume they might change?
NTA includes a standard disclaimer on its calendar stating that dates are subject to change due to administrative or other circumstances. However, JEE Main dates have historically been stable once announced through the official calendar, particularly for Session 1. NTA has also explicitly confirmed that it will not change exam dates due to clashes with other exams. Treat January 22 as a firm target for planning purposes, while staying alert to any official NTA announcements through nta.ac.in or jeemain.nta.nic.in.
Q4. When will the JEE Main 2027 admit card be released?
The JEE Main 2027 admit card is typically released 2 to 3 days before the candidate’s individual examination date. Since exam dates run from January 22 to 30, candidates appearing on January 22 can expect their admit card around January 19 to 20, 2027. The city intimation slip, which tells you the exam city but not the exact centre, will be released a few weeks before the admit card. Both are available for download at jeemain.nta.nic.in using application number and date of birth.
