Summary
The Coaching Federation of India (CFI) has identified multiple discrepancies in the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 answer key.
The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026 Session 1 was conducted between January 21 and January 29.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has come under criticism after the Coaching Federation of India (CFI) identified multiple discrepancies in the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 answer key. The federation has flagged 17 questions with alleged errors and has demanded bonus marks for 10 of them, citing ambiguity, numerical inconsistencies and the presence of multiple correct answers.
The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026 Session 1 was conducted between January 21 and January 29 for approximately 13 lakh candidates across the country. Following the examination, NTA released the provisional answer key on February 4, allowing candidates to raise objections until February 6 through the prescribed challenge process.
According to CFI, out of the 17 disputed questions, 10 are fundamentally flawed and ambiguous, warranting the award of bonus marks to all candidates. The remaining seven questions reportedly contain errors such as incorrect numerical values, wrong answer options or more than one correct response. The federation noted that the highest number of questionable answers were found in the Physics section of the examination.
Raising concerns over the impact of these errors, CFI stated that even a marginal difference of one mark can significantly alter rankings in a highly competitive examination like JEE Main, where lakhs of students compete for limited seats. The federation also criticised the existing objection mechanism, stating that it shifts the responsibility of identifying and correcting examination errors onto students, both financially and academically.
Commenting on the issue, Keshav Agarwal, Vice President (Media and Legal) of the Coaching Federation of India, said that a single-mark variation can lead to substantial rank fluctuations. He also pointed out that the time lost by candidates due to incorrect questions is not compensated and cannot be adequately addressed through score normalisation. Agarwal further highlighted that students are required to pay ₹200 per question to challenge the answer key, adding to their burden.
CFI expressed concern that such discrepancies have become a recurring issue. Agarwal stated that despite repeated instances of errors in previous years, including nine errors flagged in the JEE Main Session 2 answer key last year, corrective measures appear insufficient. He questioned how such lapses continue to occur in a national-level examination taken by over 12 lakh candidates who pay substantial fees for its conduct.
The final answer key for JEE Main 2026 Session 1 is expected to be released soon along with the results by February 12, 2026. Candidates are advised to regularly check the official NTA website for updates and further announcements related to the examination.
Last updated on 09 Feb 2026
