The National Testing Agency (NTA) initiated a review following widespread concerns raised by candidates regarding discrepancies in the Chemistry section of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026 Session 2. The issue came into focus after students reported possible errors in the April 5 examination, particularly highlighting mismatches in answers and instances of unexpected negative marking.
Earlier, NTA had released the provisional answer key along with candidates’ response sheets on April 11, enabling students to cross-check their responses. As per the official guidelines, candidates were allowed to challenge the answer key by April 13 upon payment of a non-refundable fee of ₹200 per question.
Several students had pointed out that the anomalies were largely confined to the Chemistry section, while the Physics and Mathematics papers were perceived as relatively error-free. In addition to answer key discrepancies, some candidates also alleged inconsistencies in their response sheets, claiming that the recorded answers did not match what they had attempted during the examination.
Responding to these concerns, NTA stated that it is actively reviewing all claims and will take appropriate action if any discrepancies are confirmed. The agency reiterated that candidates should rely only on official updates and refrain from making premature challenges until the review process is complete.
Addressing the situation, NTA confirmed that it has carefully examined the reported discrepancies and has updated the provisional answer key, including revisions to the Chemistry paper conducted on April 5. The revised answer key has been made available on the official website, allowing candidates to review the changes and raise objections through the prescribed process if required.
In terms of participation, the examination witnessed a significant turnout. For BE and BTech (Paper 1), approximately 11.06 lakh candidates registered in India along with 4,229 candidates from abroad, of which around 93 per cent—about 10.33 lakh—appeared for the exam. Meanwhile, for BArch and BPlanning (Paper 2), nearly 54,953 candidates registered domestically and 270 internationally, with around 73 per cent attendance, translating to approximately 40,300 candidates.
Candidates are advised to stay updated through the official portal and await further announcements regarding the final answer key and evaluation process.
Find the direct answer key challenge link here.