JEE Main 2026 is India’s biggest engineering entrance exam, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) twice a year. For Maharashtra aspirants, JEE Main 2026 is the gateway to the All India Quota seats at top institutes like VNIT Nagpur, COEP Pune, VJTI Mumbai and ICT Mumbai, along with the IITs and NITs across the country. Both sessions are over and the results are out, and the latest update is that JoSAA 2026 counselling registration and choice filling have officially opened on June 2, 2026 for all JEE Main qualified candidates.
- JoSAA Registration and Choice Filling: The JoSAA 2026 counselling window opens on June 2, 2026 at 5:00 P.M. and stays open till June 11, 2026. You should lock your choices early to avoid the last-day server load.
- Mock Seat Allotment: JoSAA will release two mock allotments. The first mock is expected on June 8, 2026 and the second on June 10, 2026, so you can adjust your choices before they freeze.
- Round 1 Seat Allotment: The first of five JoSAA seat allotment rounds is expected on June 13, 2026 across 138 institutes, including 23 IITs, 31 NITs and 26 IIITs.
- CSAB Special Rounds: After JoSAA’s five rounds, CSAB Special Rounds usually begin in July to fill the leftover NIT, IIIT and GFTI seats. Last year CSAB started in the third week of July.
What is JEE Main 2026?
JEE Main 2026 is the Joint Entrance Examination (Main), a national-level engineering entrance exam held by the National Testing Agency. It is the first step for admission to BE and BTech, BArch and BPlan courses across the country. JEE Main is held in two sessions every year, and you can appear in both to improve your score.
For students in Maharashtra, JEE Main 2026 matters in two big ways. First, it is the qualifying exam for JoSAA counselling, which fills seats at VNIT Nagpur (an NIT), all the IITs and IIITs. Second, the JEE Main score is used to fill the 15% All India Quota seats at top state institutes like COEP Pune and VJTI Mumbai. The remaining state quota seats are filled through MHT CET and the Maharashtra CAP process.
More than 12 lakh candidates appear for JEE Main in each session, which makes it one of the most competitive exams in India. The top 2.5 lakh candidates based on JEE Main also become eligible for JEE Advanced, which is the entry exam for the IITs. So a good JEE Main score opens up both the NIT-IIIT-GFTI system and the IIT system for you.
JEE Main is conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode for Paper 1 (BE/BTech). Paper 2A (BArch) has a Drawing test in pen-and-paper mode, while Paper 2B (BPlan) is fully computer-based. The exam is held in English, Hindi, Marathi and 10 other regional languages, so Maharashtra students can also attempt it in Marathi.
JEE Main 2026 Highlights
Here are the key details of JEE Main 2026 at a glance. This table covers the conducting body, mode, papers and the current stage of the exam cycle.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Name | Joint Entrance Examination (Main) 2026 |
| Conducting Body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Exam Level | National (used for All India Quota seats in Maharashtra) |
| Frequency | Twice a year (Session 1 and Session 2) |
| Mode | Computer-Based Test (Paper 2A Drawing is offline) |
| Papers | Paper 1 (BE/BTech), Paper 2A (BArch), Paper 2B (BPlan) |
| Total Marks | 300 (Paper 1) |
| Languages | 13 languages, including English, Hindi and Marathi |
| Current Stage | Results out, JoSAA counselling registration open |
| Official Website | jeemain.nta.nic.in |
JoSAA 2026 Counselling: Registration Open
The JoSAA 2026 counselling is the single biggest update right now. The Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) has opened registration and choice filling on June 2, 2026 at 5:00 P.M. for all JEE Main and JEE Advanced qualified candidates. This is the process that fills seats in 138 institutes through a common platform.
JoSAA conducts a single, common counselling for IITs, NITs, IIITs and other Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs). For Maharashtra students, this is the round that decides admission to VNIT Nagpur and the All India Quota seats elsewhere.
JoSAA registration and choice filling close on June 11, 2026. You should fill and lock your choices before the last day to avoid missing out.
The institutes covered under JoSAA 2026 are listed below.
| Institute Type | Number of Institutes |
|---|---|
| IITs | 23 |
| IISc Bengaluru | 1 |
| NITs (including VNIT Nagpur) | 31 |
| IIEST Shibpur | 1 |
| IIITs | 26 |
| Other GFTIs | 56 |
| Total | 138 |
JoSAA 2026 will be held in five rounds. After you fill your choices, JoSAA releases two mock allotments so you can see where you stand and change your choices. The first mock allotment is expected on June 8, 2026 and the second on June 10, 2026. The Round 1 seat allotment is expected on June 13, 2026.
Once a seat is allotted, you must complete seat acceptance, pay the seat acceptance fee, upload documents and report online to confirm the seat. You can choose Freeze, Float or Slide options to decide if you want to stay with the allotted seat or try for a better one in the next round.
JoSAA only fills the All India Quota and central institute seats. The Maharashtra state quota seats at COEP, VJTI and other colleges are filled separately through the MHT CET CAP process.
Source: josaa.nic.in
JEE Main 2026 Important Dates
The JEE Main 2026 important dates below show the full exam cycle. Both sessions and the results are over, and the focus has now shifted to JoSAA counselling. The upcoming counselling dates are listed first, followed by the events that are already done.
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| JoSAA Registration and Choice Filling Begins | June 2, 2026 | Open Now |
| JoSAA Mock Seat Allotment 1 | June 8, 2026 | Upcoming |
| JoSAA Mock Seat Allotment 2 | June 10, 2026 | Upcoming |
| JoSAA Registration and Choice Filling Ends | June 11, 2026 | Upcoming |
| JoSAA Round 1 Seat Allotment | June 13, 2026 | Upcoming |
| JEE Main Session 1 Exam | January 21 to 29, 2026 | (Over) |
| JEE Main Session 1 Result | February 2026 | (Over) |
| JEE Main Session 2 Exam | April 2 to 9, 2026 | (Over) |
| JEE Main Session 2 Result and Final AIR | April 20, 2026 | (Over) |
| JEE Advanced 2026 Exam | May 17, 2026 | (Over) |
| JEE Advanced 2026 Result | June 1, 2026 | (Over) |
The CSAB Special Rounds are not yet scheduled. They usually start in July, after the JoSAA rounds are over. You should track the official site for the exact CSAB dates.
JEE Main 2026 Result
The JEE Main 2026 result is already out. NTA declared the Session 2 result on April 20, 2026 on the official website. The Session 1 result was declared in February 2026. You can download your scorecard using your application number and password.
The JEE Main 2026 scorecard shows your NTA percentile score, the All India Rank (AIR) and your JEE Advanced qualification status. The final AIR is prepared after Session 2, using the best percentile from both your attempts.
NTA uses a normalisation method to calculate the JEE Main score. The percentile shows the share of candidates who scored equal to or below you in the same shift. So your percentile is not the same as the percentage of marks.
| Result Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Session 1 Result | February 2026 |
| Session 2 Result and Final AIR | April 20, 2026 |
| Scorecard Details | NTA Percentile, All India Rank, Advanced eligibility |
| Final Rank Based On | Best of Session 1 and Session 2 percentile |
| Advanced Eligibility | Top 2.5 lakh candidates |
Source: jeemain.nta.nic.in
JEE Main 2026 Cutoff
The JEE Main 2026 cutoff has two meanings, and you should not mix them up. The first is the qualifying cutoff, which is the percentile you need to become eligible for JEE Advanced. The second is the admission cutoff, which is the closing rank at each college during counselling.
JEE Main 2026 Qualifying Cutoff (for JEE Advanced)
NTA released the category-wise qualifying percentile along with the Session 2 result. The table below shows the previous-year (2025) qualifying percentiles as a reference. The 2026 numbers stay close to these every year.
| Category | 2025 Qualifying Percentile |
|---|---|
| General (Common Rank List) | 93.10 |
| EWS | 80.38 |
| OBC-NCL | 79.43 |
| SC | 61.15 |
| ST | 47.90 |
JEE Main 2026 Admission Cutoff for Maharashtra Colleges
The admission cutoff is the closing rank at which a college fills its last seat in a branch. CSE and IT are always the toughest branches. For COEP Pune and VJTI Mumbai, the JEE Main closing ranks for CSE go very high. The table below shows indicative previous-year JEE Main closing ranks for popular Maharashtra options.
| College and Branch | Indicative JEE Main Closing Rank (General) |
|---|---|
| VNIT Nagpur - Computer Science | Around 7,000 |
| COEP Pune - Computer Engineering | Around 9,800 |
| COEP Pune - Robotics and AI | Around 17,500 |
| VJTI Mumbai - Computer Engineering | 98 to 99 percentile |
| VNIT Nagpur - Mechanical | Around 30,000 |
These cutoffs are indicative and based on previous-year trends. The actual JEE Main 2026 closing ranks will be confirmed only after each JoSAA and CAP round.
JEE Main 2026 Marks vs Rank
The JEE Main marks vs rank table helps you guess your rank from your percentile or marks. The rank depends on the difficulty of the paper and the number of candidates. So the same marks can give a slightly different rank each year. Use the table below as a rough guide for JEE Main 2026.
| NTA Percentile | Expected Marks (Out of 300) | Expected All India Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 99.5 and above | 250 and above | Under 7,000 |
| 99.0 to 99.5 | 210 to 250 | 7,000 to 14,000 |
| 98.0 to 99.0 | 180 to 210 | 14,000 to 28,000 |
| 95.0 to 98.0 | 140 to 180 | 28,000 to 70,000 |
| 90.0 to 95.0 | 100 to 140 | 70,000 to 1,40,000 |
| 80.0 to 90.0 | 70 to 100 | 1,40,000 to 2,80,000 |
If you are a Maharashtra student, a percentile above 99 keeps COEP and VJTI CSE in reach. For VNIT Nagpur, a rank under 10,000 helps for the core branches. For other branches at these colleges, you can get in with a slightly lower percentile.
Counselling for Maharashtra Candidates
The counselling for Maharashtra candidates runs through more than one channel, and you should understand all of them. JEE Main score is used in two of these channels, while the third uses MHT CET. Knowing the split helps you plan your choices better.
The three main channels are explained below.
- JoSAA Counselling: This fills seats at VNIT Nagpur, all IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs. It uses your JEE Main AIR (and JEE Advanced rank for IITs). Registration is open now, from June 2 to June 11, 2026.
- CSAB Special Rounds: After JoSAA, CSAB conducts extra rounds for the leftover NIT, IIIT and GFTI seats. This is a second chance if you miss a seat in JoSAA. It usually starts in July.
- Maharashtra CAP (MHT CET Cell): This fills 85% state quota seats at COEP, VJTI, SPIT and other Maharashtra colleges. It mainly uses MHT CET percentile, but the 15% All India Quota seats at these government colleges use JEE Main score.
So if you are a Maharashtra student with a strong JEE Main score, you can apply through JoSAA for VNIT and the national institutes, and also use the All India Quota seats in the state CAP process. You should keep both options open and not depend on only one.
You must register separately for JoSAA and for the Maharashtra CAP process. One registration does not cover the other.
JEE Main 2026 Exam Pattern
The JEE Main 2026 exam pattern for Paper 1 (BE/BTech) is set by NTA and stays the same across both sessions. The paper has three subjects, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, each with 25 questions. You have to attempt 75 questions in total for 300 marks.
Each subject has two parts. Section A has 20 multiple choice questions, all compulsory. Section B has 5 numerical value questions, and you must attempt all 5. The marking is +4 for a correct answer and -1 for a wrong answer.
| Particulars | Paper 1 (BE/BTech) Details |
|---|---|
| Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Subjects | Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics |
| Total Questions | 75 (to be attempted) |
| Question Type | MCQs and Numerical Value questions |
| Total Marks | 300 |
| Marking Scheme | +4 correct, -1 wrong, 0 unattempted |
Paper 2A (BArch) has Mathematics, an Aptitude test and a Drawing test. Paper 2B (BPlan) has Mathematics, Aptitude and a Planning section. If you want to study architecture or planning at colleges like Sir JJ College of Architecture, you should appear for Paper 2.
JEE Main 2026 Syllabus
The JEE Main 2026 syllabus covers Class 11 and Class 12 topics in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. The syllabus is based on the NCERT books, so a strong NCERT base helps a lot. NTA has kept the syllabus stable, and there are no major changes for 2026.
The subject-wise high-weight topics are listed below to help your revision.
- Physics: Mechanics, Current Electricity, Electrostatics, Optics, Modern Physics and Heat and Thermodynamics carry the most weight.
- Chemistry: Physical Chemistry topics like Mole Concept and Thermodynamics, plus Organic Chemistry and Coordination Compounds, are scoring.
- Mathematics: Calculus, Coordinate Geometry, Algebra, Vectors and 3D Geometry, and Probability are the high-weight areas.
You should focus on solving previous-year questions for each topic. This shows you the real exam pattern and the type of numerical questions asked. Mathematics often decides the rank, so do not skip practice there.
JEE Main 2026 Eligibility Criteria
The JEE Main 2026 eligibility criteria are simple, and there is no upper age limit to appear. You should check the academic and subject rules before you apply, because the counselling bodies verify them later.
- Qualifying Exam: You must have passed Class 12 or an equivalent exam, or be appearing in 2026.
- Subjects: You need Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects, with Chemistry, Biology or a technical vocational subject as the third.
- Age Limit: There is no age limit to appear for JEE Main. But individual institutes may set their own rules.
- Number of Attempts: You can appear for JEE Main for three consecutive years, in both sessions each year.
For admission to NITs, IIITs and GFTIs through JoSAA, you also need at least 75% marks in Class 12 (65% for SC and ST). You can also qualify by being in the top 20 percentile of your board. So you should keep your board marks strong, not just your JEE score.
JEE Main 2026 Application Process
The JEE Main 2026 application process for both sessions is over now, since the exam cycle has ended. But it is useful to know the steps for the next cycle. The whole process is online and done on the official NTA website.
The application has these main steps.
- Registration: You register with your basic details and create a login.
- Form Filling: You fill in your personal, academic and exam centre details.
- Document Upload: You upload your photo and signature in the correct size and format.
- Fee Payment: You pay the application fee online to complete the form.
You should choose your exam city carefully. Maharashtra has many JEE Main centres, including Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik and Aurangabad. Picking a nearby centre saves you travel stress on exam day.
Top Colleges in Maharashtra Accepting JEE Main
Many top colleges in Maharashtra accept the JEE Main score for engineering admission. Some take it through JoSAA, and others take it for the All India Quota seats in the state CAP process. The table below lists the popular choices.
| College | Admission Channel |
|---|---|
| VNIT Nagpur | JoSAA (NIT) |
| IIT Bombay | JoSAA (JEE Advanced) |
| COEP Technological University, Pune | CAP (15% All India Quota via JEE Main) |
| VJTI Mumbai | CAP (15% All India Quota via JEE Main) |
| ICT Mumbai | JEE Main / state process |
| Sardar Patel Institute of Technology (SPIT), Mumbai | CAP / JEE Main |
IIT Bombay is the top pick for most JEE Advanced qualifiers, but it needs an Advanced rank, not just JEE Main. VNIT Nagpur is the only NIT in Maharashtra and fills its seats fully through JoSAA. For COEP and VJTI, most students come through MHT CET, while the All India Quota seats use JEE Main.
JEE Main 2026 Preparation Tips
Good JEE Main 2026 preparation needs a clear plan and steady practice. If you are starting now for the next cycle, you should build a strong base in the NCERT first. The tips below help you study in the right way.
- Master NCERT: Most JEE Main questions are based on NCERT concepts, so read every line and solve the examples.
- Practice Mock Tests: Take full-length mock tests in CBT mode to build speed and exam temperament.
- Solve Previous Papers: Solving the last 10 years’ papers shows you the real pattern and repeated topics.
- Track Your Errors: Keep an error notebook and revise your mistakes weekly to avoid repeating them.
- Manage Negative Marking: Attempt only the questions you are sure of, because each wrong answer costs you one mark.
You should also keep your Class 12 board preparation strong. The 75% board criterion is needed for NIT and IIIT admission. So a balanced study plan that covers both helps you the most.
FAQs
Ques. When does JoSAA 2026 counselling registration start?
Ans. JoSAA 2026 counselling registration and choice filling start on June 2, 2026 at 5:00 P.M. The window stays open till June 11, 2026. You should fill and lock your choices before the last date.
Ques. Is JEE Main 2026 result out?
Ans. Yes, the JEE Main 2026 result is out. NTA declared the Session 2 result and the final All India Rank on April 20, 2026. The Session 1 result was out in February 2026.
Ques. Can I get COEP Pune with JEE Main score?
Ans. Yes, you can get COEP Pune through the 15% All India Quota seats using your JEE Main score. The rest of the seats use MHT CET. For CSE, you usually need a JEE Main rank under 10,000 in the General category.
Ques. How many rounds are there in JoSAA 2026?
Ans. JoSAA 2026 has five seat allotment rounds. Two mock allotments are released before Round 1 so you can adjust your choices. After JoSAA, CSAB conducts special rounds for the leftover seats.
Ques. What is the qualifying percentile for JEE Main 2026 for General category?
Ans. The General category qualifying percentile is usually around 93. In 2025, it was 93.10. This percentile decides who is eligible for JEE Advanced, not for direct college admission.
Ques. Is VNIT Nagpur filled through JoSAA?
Ans. Yes, VNIT Nagpur is an NIT, so all its seats are filled through JoSAA using your JEE Main All India Rank. You should register on the JoSAA portal to apply for VNIT Nagpur.
Ques. How is JEE Main 2026 rank calculated?
Ans. The final JEE Main 2026 rank is based on the best percentile from your two attempts. NTA uses a normalisation method to make the scores fair across shifts. The All India Rank is prepared after the Session 2 result.
Ques. Do I need to register separately for JoSAA and Maharashtra CAP?
Ans. Yes, you must register separately for both. JoSAA fills VNIT and All India Quota seats using JEE Main, while the Maharashtra CAP process fills the state quota seats mostly using MHT CET. One registration does not cover the other.
Ques. What is the difference between JoSAA and CSAB?
Ans. JoSAA conducts the main five-round counselling for IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs. CSAB conducts special rounds after JoSAA to fill the leftover NIT, IIIT and GFTI seats. CSAB does not fill IIT seats.
Ques. How many candidates appear for JEE Main 2026?
Ans. More than 12 lakh candidates appear in each session of JEE Main. The combined number of unique candidates across both sessions is even higher, which makes it one of India’s most competitive exams.
Comments
Found 2 Comments
Maharashtra domicile candidates who appear only for JEE Main cannot be considered for MHT-CET state quota seats based on their JEE Main score. Admission through the MHT-CET state quota requires appearing in the MHT-CET and fulfilling eligibility criteria. JEE Main scores are considered separately for JEE-based admissions.
With a JEE Main rank of 1 lakh, prioritize UPTAC counseling for decent state colleges (AKTU/affiliated). CSAB counselling offers leftover NIT/GFTI seats—try for lower branches. MHT CET counseling is harder without a domicile. Focus UPTAC + CSAB for best chances.