The National Testing Agency (NTA) has issued an important advisory for candidates appearing in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026 Session 1, which begins tomorrow, January 21. With lakhs of engineering aspirants set to appear for the national-level entrance test, the agency has urged candidates to strictly follow all exam-day instructions to ensure a smooth and fair conduct of the examination.
According to the official schedule, the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 examination for BE and BTech programmes will be held on January 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, and 29, with two shifts each day. The BArch and BPlan examinations are scheduled for January 29 and will be conducted in a single shift. Candidates appearing between January 21 and January 24 can already download their admit cards from the official website, jeemain.nta.nic.in, while hall tickets for candidates scheduled on January 28 and 29 are expected to be released soon.
In its advisory, NTA has asked candidates to carefully verify all details mentioned on their admit cards, including the date of examination, shift timing, reporting time, gate closing time and the exact address of the examination centre. Candidates have also been advised to visit the exam centre location in advance to familiarise themselves with the route and avoid last-minute delays.
The agency has emphasised that candidates must report strictly as per the reporting time mentioned on the admit card. Entry to the examination centre will not be permitted after the gate closing time under any circumstances. Candidates who did not opt for Aadhaar-based registration or authentication have been instructed to report at least one hour before the gate closing time to complete biometric verification at the centre.
On the day of the examination, candidates must carry a clear printed copy of the JEE Main 2026 admit card, preferably in colour on A4-size paper, along with at least two passport-size photographs. One photograph, the same as uploaded in the application form, must be pasted on the attendance sheet at the centre. Candidates must also carry a valid original photo identity proof as uploaded during registration. Photocopies or digital images stored on mobile phones will not be accepted, and entry without proper identity verification will be denied.
Candidates whose live photographs did not match with Aadhaar records during application or those who registered using non-Aadhaar identity proofs must carry the requisite certificate in original, duly signed by the school principal, headmaster or a Class-I gazetted officer, as per the format shared by NTA earlier.
PwD and PwBD candidates claiming relaxation must carry their original disability certificate or UDID card issued by a competent authority. Candidates eligible for a scribe facility will be provided the same only if they had opted for it during the online application process. Such candidates will also be allowed compensatory time of 20 minutes per hour of the examination. PwD candidates are advised to report early to facilitate smooth entry and verification.
For the Drawing Test (Part III) of BArch, candidates must bring their own geometry box, pencils, erasers and colour pencils or crayons. Use of watercolours is strictly prohibited.
The advisory clearly states that candidates are not allowed to carry items such as bags, purses, stationery, books, eatables, mobile phones, electronic gadgets, calculators, watches or any metallic objects into the examination hall. There will be no provision for safe-keeping of valuables at the centre. However, diabetic candidates will be allowed to carry sugar tablets, fruits and transparent water bottles, though packed food items will not be permitted.
Candidates should note that biometric verification and frisking will be conducted at entry, and the same process will be repeated if a candidate takes a bio-break during the examination. Rough worksheets will be provided inside the exam hall, and candidates must write their name and roll number on each sheet and deposit them in the designated drop box before leaving. Failure to do so may result in non-evaluation of answers. Similarly, the duly filled-in admit card must also be dropped in the specified drop box after the exam.
In a separate update, NTA has confirmed that the examination schedule for candidates in West Bengal was revised after the January 23 exam was postponed due to Saraswati Puja. The agency has stated that revised examination dates will be announced soon for the affected candidates. Additionally, NTA has expanded the number of JEE Main 2026 exam cities from 284 to 323, aiming to provide wider access to aspirants across the country.
Candidates are advised to thoroughly read all instructions mentioned on the admit card, the information bulletin and the subject-specific guidelines provided in the question paper.