JEE Main 2027: Session 1 exam to begin from January 22; check exam pattern, eligibility, syllabus - The Indian Express

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the examination calendar for the national-level entrance exams beginning in December 2026. As per the announced schedule, the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2027 is slated between January 22 and 24 and January 28 to 30, with January 31 kept as a buffer date.

JEE Main, conducted by NTA on behalf of the Ministry of Education (MoE), is a national-level engineering entrance exam to grant non-medical science stream students admission into undergraduate programs offered by the top National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs), and other engineering colleges in India.

The JEE Main also stands as a prerequisite for the JEE Advanced, which is required to be cleared by candidates who aim for top-tier engineering institutes in India such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

As per statistics released by the NTA for the previous exam cycle, a total of 13,55,293 candidates registered for the session 1 exam. Of these, 13,04,653 candidates appeared for the exam.

With the tentative exam schedule already announced, candidates can expect the agency to release the detailed notification for JEE Main 2027 Session 1 next month. In the last exam cycle, the notification was released on October 31.

— There is no age limit set to appear for JEE Main. However, candidates must meet the age requirements of the institute they seek admission to.

— Candidates who have passed Class 12 or an equivalent examination in 2025, 2026 or are appearing in 2027, irrespective of their age, are eligible to appear for the exam.

— Candidates who passed Class 12 in 2024 or earlier are not eligible.

— State code is based on where the candidate passed Class 12, not their permanent or temporary residence.

— For NIOS candidates, state code is based on the location of their study centre.

— Overseas citizens of India (OCI) candidates passing Class 12 abroad can apply under the all India quota, but not the home state quota, in NITs, IIITs and other CFTIs.

Note that the above-mentioned requirements are as per the previous year’s exam cycle. Before applying for the exam, candidates must check the eligibility criteria mentioned in the JEE Main 2027 notification, once released, for any changes.

The JEE Main mainly comprises three subjects, namely Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. Candidates can refer to the following table to know the detailed exam pattern.

As per the official website of NTA, the following is the subject-wise syllabus for JEE Main.

Candidates can visit the official website of the exam to get a detailed version of the syllabus. The exam pattern, requirements and syllabus mentioned above is according to last year’s exam notification. NTA, as observed in past years, is unlikely to make major changes. Nevertheless, candidates should thoroughly check the JEE Main 2027, once it is released online, for changes.