NTA issues advisory for JEE Main 2026: Students should arrive early for Jan 28-29 exam, here's why

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is set to resume JEE (Main) 2026 Session 1 from tomorrow, with exams scheduled on January 28 and 29 across multiple centres in the country. Tightening its verification measures at the exam centres, the agency is now asking candidates to factor in extra time before entry.

In a fresh update, NTA said candidates heading to their JEE (Main) Session-1 centres on January 28 or 29 should be prepared for stricter identity checks. “Heading to your JEE (Main) Session - 1 center on Jan 28 or 29? NTA will be conducting Face Authentication + Aadhaar biometrics to enhance security. Arrive a little early to ensure a hassle-free verification process! jeemain@nta.ac.in 011-40759000,” the testing agency said.

Exam dates, shifts and paper schedule

The JEE Main 2026 exam on January 28 for B.Tech and BE will be conducted in two shifts, the first shift from 9 am to 12 noon, and the second shift from 3 pm to 6 pm.

On January 29, the test is scheduled for BArch and BPlanning candidates. The exam will be held from 9 am to 12 noon, while the combined BArch and BPlanning paper will run from 9 am to 12:30 pm.

What’s happened so far in Session 1

NTA had already conducted JEE Main 2026 Session 1 from January 21 to 24 at several exam centres. So far, more than 10 lakh candidates have appeared for the entrance test, with an overall attendance of 96.26%, as per the update.

With the exam cycle continuing, candidates appearing on January 28 and 29 have also been advised to check memory-based questions and paper analysis shared by students, along with reviews by subject experts, to get a sense of the question pattern and the difficulty level.

Admit card update and how to download

The JEE Main 2026 Session 1 admit cards have already been issued on NTA's official website. Candidates will need their application number and password to download their hall tickets.

Meanwhile, NTA is also expected to soon begin JEE Main 2026 Session 2 registration for admissions to IITs and other engineering colleges.