The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released an official update on the progress of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026 Session 1, stating that the examination process has been conducted smoothly so far. As of January 23, 2026, a total of 8,01,326 candidates had registered for the exam.
According to the agency, 7,70,441 candidates have appeared for the examination till date, recording an overall attendance of 96.15 per cent. Of those who appeared, 7,40,412 candidates successfully completed Aadhaar-based verification, accounting for 96.10 per cent of the candidates present. The NTA also informed that 2,563 Persons with Disabilities (PwD) candidates have been registered for the ongoing session.
In its update, the NTA credited the smooth conduct of the examination to the “seamless cooperation” of State and District authorities, as well as the disciplined participation of candidates at examination centres.
JEE Main 2026 Session 1 began on January 21 and is scheduled to be held on January 21, 22, 23, 24 and 28 in two shifts for BE and BTech courses. The BArch and BPlan examinations will be conducted on January 29 in a single shift.
The examination is being held in computer-based (online) mode at designated centres across India and abroad.