JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Provisional Answer Key: Release Dates and Objection Process

Millions of engineering aspirants who appeared for the JEE Main 2026 January session are now anticipating the release of the provisional answer key. The National Testing Agency is expected to activate the download links for response sheets and official solutions on its portal in the first week of February. This document allows candidates to cross-verify their marked responses and estimate their probable scores before the final result declaration. Once live, the portal will also provide a short window for students to challenge any discrepancies by paying a non-refundable processing fee.

Following the conclusion of the JEE Main 2026 January session, the focus of the student community has shifted toward the release of the provisional answer key. The National Testing Agency (NTA) usually provides these official solutions within a few days of the final examination date. These solutions are vital for candidates as they offer the first authentic baseline to evaluate performance across Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.

• The first session of the JEE Main 2026 concluded on January 29, 2026, for both Paper 1 and Paper 2.
• The provisional answer key is expected to be uploaded on the official NTA portal, jeemain.nta.nic.in, by the first week of February.
• Along with the solutions, the NTA will also release the individual recorded response sheets of all candidates.
• Accessing the provisional answer key allows aspirants to calculate their raw scores using the official marking scheme of +4 for correct answers and -1 for incorrect ones.

The Process of Challenging the Provisional Answer Key

Once the provisional answer key is live, the NTA opens an objection window for a period of two to three days. During this time, if any candidate finds a discrepancy between their calculated answer and the official key, they have the right to challenge the specific question. This process is entirely digital and requires the submission of supporting documents to justify the claim.

• To challenge the provisional answer key, candidates must log in using their application number and date of birth.
• A processing fee of ₹200 must be paid for every individual challenge raised against a question ID.
• Only those objections supported by credible academic references, such as NCERT textbooks, are typically considered by the expert panel.
• If a challenge is accepted, the revised answer will be reflected in the final answer key, which is used for result preparation.

Evaluation and Final Result Declaration

The feedback received during the challenge window is reviewed by a committee of subject-matter experts. If the committee finds a genuine error in the provisional answer key, they authorize a change, and the marks are awarded to all candidates who attempted that question accordingly. This leads to the publication of the final answer key, which serves as the ultimate authority for the Session 1 results.

• The final result for JEE Main 2026 Session 1 is tentatively scheduled for release by February 12, 2026.
• Marks obtained by candidates are transformed into NTA scores (percentiles) through a normalization process to ensure fairness across different shifts.
• The scorecard will display the percentile for each subject and the overall percentile but will not include the All India Rank (AIR) at this stage.
• The AIR is only determined after the conclusion of Session 2 in April, considering the best of the two scores for each candidate.

Conclusion

The release of the JEE Main 2026 provisional answer key is a significant milestone that brings transparency to the national-level entrance process. By allowing students to view their recorded responses alongside the official solutions, the NTA ensures a fair and accountable evaluation system. As the academic cycle moves toward the result declaration in mid-February, aspirants are using this time to analyze their performance and plan their strategy for the upcoming April session. The successful navigation of this objection window remains the final step for candidates before they receive their official percentiles for the January attempt.