JEE Main 2026 Registration Soon: When did it begin in last 5 years?

According to the dates released by NTA, Session 1 of JEE Main 2026 will be conducted from January 21 to 30, 2026, while Session 2 will be held from April 1 to 10, 2026. 

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Over the years, the registration for JEE Main has generally started between late October and early December for the January session, and around February for the April session. To understand the trend, here’s a look at when registrations began and when exams were conducted in the last five years.

JEE Main registration dates in last five years

JEE Main 2026: Registration to begin in October

The National Testing Agency has confirmed the JEE Main 2026 exam schedule but has not specified the registration start date. As per the official exam calendar, the first session will be conducted between January 21 and 30, 2026, and the second session between April 1 and 10, 2026. The exam will continue to be held in the Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode across multiple shifts.

Based on previous trends, the application window for Session 1 is likely to open by mid or late October 2025, with candidates getting around four weeks to apply. The registration for Session 2 is expected to start towards the end of January 2026.

JEE Main 2025: Registration began in October 2024

For the 2025 cycle, the registration for Session 1 began on October 28, 2024, and the exams started on January 22, 2025. Session 2 registrations commenced on January 31, 2025, followed by the exams that began on April 2, 2025. Both sessions were conducted in the standard multiple-day format across designated centres in India and abroad.

JEE Main 2024: Application window opened in November 2023

In 2024, the registration process for Session 1 started on November 1, 2023, and the exams were held from January 24 to February 1, 2024. The Session 2 registration began on February 2, 2024, while the exams were conducted from April 4 to 15, 2024. The two-session structure was maintained to give students flexibility in attempting either one or both sessions.

JEE Main 2026: NTA announces Session 1 & 2 schedule

JEE Main 2023: Early registration in December 2022

For the 2023 exam cycle, the registration for Session 1 opened on December 15, 2022, and the exam was held from January 24 to February 1, 2023. Session 2 registration began on February 15, 2023, with the tests conducted from April 6 to April 12, 2023. This was one of the earliest cycles in which the NTA released the application window in December rather than October or November.

JEE Main 2022: Registration deferred to March

The 2022 cycle saw delays due to the pandemic. The Session 1 registration began on March 1, 2022, and the exams were conducted from June 23 to 29, 2022, after being rescheduled from April. For Session 2, the application window opened on June 1, 2022, with the exams held from July 21 to 30, 2022.

JEE Main 2021: Four exam sessions conducted

The 2021 cycle was unique, as the NTA introduced four sessions to give candidates multiple opportunities amid COVID-19 disruptions. Registration for Session 1 started on December 16, 2020, and exams were conducted from February 23 to 26, 2021.

Session 2 registration opened on March 2, 2021, and the exams began on March 15, 2021. Due to pandemic-related postponements, the remaining two sessions were rescheduled: Session 3 took place from July 20, and Session 4 began on August 26, 2021.

JEE Main 2020: Regular schedule before pandemic impact

The 2020 registration for the January session began on September 3, 2019, with exams held from January 6 to 11, 2020. Registration for the April session started on February 7, 2020, but the exams planned for April 5–11 were postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak and later merged into the September cycle.

JEE Main 2019: The year NTA took over

The 2019 exam marked the first year of NTA conducting JEE Main in two sessions. Registration for the January 2019 session began on September 1, 2018, and exams were held from January 8 to 12, 2019. For the April session, applications opened on February 8, 2019, and the exams were conducted from April 7 to 12, 2019.

When will NTA begin registrations for JEE Main 2026 session 1 and session 2?

The authority is yet to announce the complete schedule for registration and other formalities. However, based on previous year trends, from 2019 onwards, the JEE Main registration schedule has gradually settled into a consistent pattern with the application for the first session typically opening between October and December, while the second session window begins between January and February. With the NTA confirming the JEE Main 2026 exam dates, candidates can expect the registration to open in October 2025, following a similar timeline to previous years.