JEE Main 2026 Question Paper, Answer Key & Solutions (Session 1 & Session 2)

JEE Main 2026 Exam Overview

The JEE Main 2026 question paper is the closest practice material for JEE Main 2027, because NTA has not announced any pattern change for 2027. Each JEE Main 2026 paper below comes as a PDF with shift, date and a link to eSaral's shift-wise analysis. Use the JEE Main 2026 answer key section to calculate your score correctly, including the −1 on wrong numerical answers that many score calculators still miss.

JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Question Paper (January 2026) — Shift-wise PDF

The JEE Main 2026 Session 1 question paper PDFs for all 10 January shifts are available below, free. Session 1 Paper 1 ran on 21, 22, 23, 24, and 28 January 2026.

Compare all ten January shifts in one place in the JEE Main 2026 complete paper analysis

JEE Main 2026 Live Paper Analysis – Session 1 (January)

JEE Main 2026 Session 2 Question Paper (April 2026) — Shift-wise PDF

The JEE Main 2026 Session 2 question paper PDFs for all 9 April shifts are available below, for free. Session 2 Paper 1 ran on 2, 4, 5 and 6 April (morning and afternoon) and 8 April (afternoon only). Most analyses rated the April shifts moderate overall, with Mathematics the longest section.

For students preparing with the latest JEE Main attempt, the complete JEE Main previous year question paper provides access to papers from previous years and sessions, making it easier to practise the full range of JEE Main PYQs.

All PDFs include detailed answer keys and subject-wise solutions

JEE Main 2026 Live Paper Analysis – Session 2 (April) 

eSaral's IIT-qualified expert faculty conduct shift-wise live paper analysis on YouTube immediately after each exam. Watch topic-wise difficulty breakdown, expected cutoffs, and scoring insights.

Expert Tip by eSaral IIT Faculty: Watch the analysis of your exam and cross-check your responses before the official JEE Main 2026 answer key is released — students who do this can more accurately estimate their score and plan their next steps.

For a side-by-side view of all April shifts, read the JEE Main April 2026 paper analysis. To turn your April score into an expected percentile, use the JEE Main April 2026 marks vs percentile prediction.

How to Download JEE Main 2026 Question Paper & Answer Key (PDF)

1. Choose your session — scroll to Session 2 (April) or Session 1 (January) based on your exam.
2. Find your exam date & shift — papers are listed date-wise with Shift 1 and Shift 2 clearly labeled.
3. Click "PDF Download" — the link opens the complete question paper with answer key and detailed solutions.
4. Calculate your score — use the score calculator above or the formula: Score = (Correct × 4) – (Wrong × 1)
5. Check your expected percentile — use our JEE Main Marks vs Percentile tool to convert your score into expected percentile and rank.

JEE Main 2026 Answer Key (Official) 

The final JEE Main 2026 answer key was released on 20 April 2026 with the Session 2 result, and it is the only key NTA used to calculate scores. The provisional keys could be challenged at ₹200 per question, which NTA describes as a non-refundable processing fee.

How to Challenge the JEE Main 2026 Answer Key

If you believe an answer in the provisional key is incorrect, follow these steps:

1. Visit jeemain.nta.nic.in during the challenge window
2. Log in with your JEE Main 2026 application number and password
3. Select the question(s) you want to challenge
4. Upload supporting evidence (NCERT reference, textbook page, solved example)
5. Pay ₹200 per question challenged (non-refundable)

Expert Tip by eSaral IIT Faculty: Challenges are accepted only when backed by a credible source — NCERT, NTA-recommended textbooks, or established JEE reference books. Challenge only if you are confident and have a clear reference to support your answer.

 To convert your score to expected rank or percentile, use our Marks vs Percentile Tool and Percentile to Rank Calculator.

JEE Main 2026 Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme 

NTA follows the same JEE Main paper pattern as in previous years for 2026. Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) is a Computer-Based Test (CBT) of 3 hours with 75 questions.

Marking Scheme

Subject-wise Marks Distribution

For more detailed information, Click Here

Score Calculator 

Use this formula to calculate your JEE Main 2026 score instantly:

Score = 4 × (Correct MCQ + Correct numerical) − 1 × (Wrong MCQ + Wrong numerical)

Raw score is not your result. NTA converts it to a percentile within your shift and then merges shifts, so the same raw score can give different percentiles on different days. Convert yours with the JEE Main marks vs percentile tool, then the percentile to rank calculator. Full details: JEE Main exam pattern.

JEE Main 2026 cutoff for JEE Advanced

The JEE Main 2026 General cutoff was 93.4123549 percentile, up from 93.10 in 2025 and 93.24 in 2024 . Category-wise qualifying percentiles

How to Download JEE Main 2026 Question Paper & Answer Key (PDF)

1. Choose your session — scroll to Session 2 (April) or Session 1 (January) based on your exam.
2. Find your exam date & shift — papers are listed date-wise with Shift 1 and Shift 2 clearly labeled.
3. Click "PDF Download" — the link opens the complete question paper with answer key and detailed solutions.
4. Calculate your score — use the score calculator above or the formula: Score = (Correct × 4) – (Wrong × 1)
5. Check your expected percentile — use our JEE Main Marks vs Percentile tool to convert your score into expected percentile and rank.

JEE Main 2026 Paper Analysis: Subject-wise Difficulty

Across both sessions, JEE Main 2026 was moderate overall: Chemistry was the quickest to finish, Physics was balanced, and Mathematics decided most percentiles because it was the most time-consuming. Difficulty still varied by shift, which is why NTA normalises scores.

Physics — Difficulty: Moderate

Physics in JEE Main 2026 is conceptual and numerical in equal measure. The most frequently tested areas are:

• Modern Physics: 4–5 questions (~18% of Physics marks)
• Heat & Thermodynamics: 3–4 questions
• Electrostatics: 3–4 questions

Students from eSaral's 2025 JEE Main batch who practiced 200+ Physics numerical questions in the final 3 months improved their Physics score by an average of 12–18 marks.

Chemistry — Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Chemistry is the highest-scoring section in JEE Main 2026 for most students. It is heavily NCERT-based. Focus areas include:

• Organic Chemistry (GOC & Hydrocarbons): 4–5 questions
• Chemical Bonding: 3–4 questions
• p-Block Elements: 3 questions

 Mathematics — Difficulty: Moderate to Tough

Mathematics demands speed, calculation accuracy, and concept clarity. Key topics:

• Integral Calculus: 3–4 questions (~12% of Maths marks)
• Coordinate Geometry: 3 questions
• Matrices & Determinants: 2–3 questions

Topic-wise Distribution Summary (Session 1 + Session 2 Combined)

Strategy Tip: Start with Chemistry to build confidence and save time, then move to Physics, and tackle Mathematics last.

How to use the JEE Main 2026 papers for JEE Main 2027

1. Solve two full papers under exam conditions every week from December, one morning shift and one afternoon shift, in 3 hours with no pauses.
2. Score with the real marking scheme, including −1 on wrong numericals. Ignoring it inflates your estimate by 1 mark for every wrong numerical.
3. Log every mistake by chapter. After 6–8 papers, the top five chapters in your log are your revision list.
4. Attempt order is personal. Chemistry first suits most students, but test at least two orders in mocks before exam day.
5. Pair each paper with its analysis in the tables above to see which questions were outliers and which were standard.

For chapter-level practice, use the JEE Main chapter-wise PYQ with solutions and the subject-wise Physics, Chemistry and Maths PYQ sets.

How Does Solving PYQs Improve JEE Main Score?

Solving JEE Main previous year question papers (PYQs) is the highest-ROI preparation activity available. NTA frequently repeats concept areas — not exact questions, but topic coverage and difficulty levels follow clear patterns.

👉 To convert your score into rank, use: JEE Main Percentile to Rank Tool

👉 For counseling planning, check: JoSAA Opening & Closing Ranks

JEE Main Previous Year Question Papers with Solutions

Practicing JEE Main previous year question papers (PYQs) is the most powerful preparation strategy. Use these papers for chapter-wise practice and trend analysis:

Related Resources & Tools

JEE Main 2027: Exam Date, Registration and Latest Updates

JEE Main 2027 Session 1 is tentatively scheduled for 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, and 30 January 2027, with 31 January as a buffer day. NTA announced these dates in its exam calendar for December 2026 to March 2027, published on 16 September 2026. NTA says the dates may still change.

For more Details :

Preparing for JEE Main 2027? Join eSaral's JEE courses for 2027 or the JEE Main test series.