Exam dates announced · registration not yet open
JEE Main 2027 Session 1 — Dates Confirmed for Late January
NTA released its examination calendar on 16 September 2026, confirming JEE Main 2027 Session 1 for 22, 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30 January 2027, with 31 January held as a buffer date.
Registration is not open yet. Based on how recent cycles have run, the notification and application window are expected in the last week of October 2026.
Confirmed schedule
| Examination calendar released | 16 September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Session 1 exam dates | 22, 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30 January 2027 |
| Buffer date | 31 January 2027 |
| Session 2 | April 2027, dates to be announced |
| Mode | Computer based test |
| Official site | jeemain.nta.nic.in |
A buffer date is not an extra exam day for everyone. It is held in reserve in case a session has to be rescheduled, and most candidates will never sit on it.
Calendar dates are tentative. NTA publishes the calendar so candidates can plan, and it has revised dates before. The binding schedule arrives with the official Information Bulletin, which also carries eligibility, fees, the exam pattern and the application process.
Expected timeline for Session 1
| Stage | Expected |
|---|---|
| Notification and registration opens | Last week of October 2026 |
| Registration closes | Late November 2026 |
| City intimation slip | Early January 2027 |
| Admit card | Mid to late January 2027 |
| Exam | 22 to 30 January 2027 |
| Provisional answer key | Early February 2027 |
| Result | Mid February 2027 |
Everything below the exam row is a projection based on the 2026 cycle, where Session 1 registration opened on 31 October 2025. Only the exam dates are from the NTA calendar.
Two sessions, and how to use them
JEE Main runs twice a year, in January and April, and your better score counts. That makes Session 1 a genuinely low-risk attempt: sitting it costs you a fee and a day, and a poor result does nothing to your final standing provided you appear in Session 2.
Candidates who skip Session 1 to "prepare properly" give up a free calibration of where they actually stand under exam conditions. That information is worth more than the extra three months of revision it buys.
City slip and admit card are different documents
NTA issues a city intimation slip a few weeks ahead so you can arrange travel, then the admit card closer to the exam with your centre address and reporting time. Only the admit card gets you into the hall. The full explanation is here, and this catches out entrance candidates as often as recruitment candidates.
What to do now
- Work to the confirmed exam window rather than the expected registration date. Late January is fixed; October is an estimate.
- Keep your Class 12 documents and photograph ready to the specifications NTA publishes. Image rejections are common and avoidable.
- Watch jeemain.nta.nic.in rather than forwarded messages. Fake notification PDFs circulate before every NTA cycle.
Official links
| JEE Main official site | jeemain.nta.nic.in |
| National Testing Agency | nta.ac.in |
Questions
Can I register now?
No. Only the examination calendar has been published. Registration is expected in the last week of October 2026, on jeemain.nta.nic.in.
What is the buffer date for?
31 January 2027 is held in reserve in case a session needs rescheduling. It is not an additional exam day for all candidates.
Should I attempt both sessions?
Your better score counts, so Session 1 carries little downside if you intend to sit Session 2 as well.
Are these dates final?
They come from the NTA examination calendar and are tentative. The Information Bulletin carries the binding schedule.
Source. Exam dates from the NTA Examination Calendar released on 16 September 2026. The expected registration and result timeline is projected from the 2026 cycle and is clearly marked as such above.
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