JEE Main 2026 Session-2 Registration Continues Ahead of February 25 Deadline

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is currently conducting the registration for JEE Main 2026 Session-2, with the application window set to close on February 25.Aspirants aiming for the April attempt must complete their online forms and fee payments via the official portal to secure their examination slots. This session serves as a crucial opportunity for students to improve their NTA scores for admission to premier engineering institutes like the NITs and IIITs. Ensure you adhere to the mandatory live photo capture and Aadhaar verification requirements to finalize your submission before the upcoming deadline.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is currently managing a heavy volume of traffic on its servers as the registration for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026 Session-2 enters its final fortnight. Launched on February 1, the application window is scheduled to remain open until February 25, 2026. This second session, slated for April, is the final opportunity for engineering aspirants to secure a high NTA percentile, which will be the decisive factor for admission into the 2026-27 academic session at NITs, IIITs, and other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs).

Registration Procedures and Mandatory Verification

For the 2026 cycle, the NTA has reinforced its security protocols to ensure the integrity of the examination process. Candidates applying for the first time in Session-2 must complete a full registration, while those who appeared in Session-1 can simply log in with their existing application number to add the April session. A notable requirement this year is the mandatory live photo capture during the application process, which cross-references the candidate's real-time image with their identity documents.

• Submission Deadline: The online application portal will stop accepting fresh forms at 9:00 PM on February 25, 2026.
• Fee Payment Window: Candidates have a slightly longer window for financial transactions, with the fee payment gateway remaining active until 11:50 PM on the same day.
• Aadhaar Authentication: The JEE Main Portal utilizes Aadhaar-based eKYC to verify personal details; candidates are advised to ensure their mobile numbers are linked to their Aadhaar for seamless OTP verification.
• Correction Facility: A brief correction window is expected in the first week of March, though the NTA has clarified that only specific fields will be editable.

Examination Schedule and Normalization Framework

The Session-2 examination is scheduled to be conducted between April 2 and April 9, 2026. Given the scale of the national-level test, the NTA will employ a multi-shift format across hundreds of cities in India and abroad. To address potential variations in the difficulty levels of different shifts, a normalization process based on percentile scores will be used. This ensures that a candidate's rank is a reflection of their relative performance rather than the raw marks obtained in a specific set.

The Department of Higher Education has indicated that the April session often sees a higher competitive intensity, as many students use the interval between sessions to refine their weak areas in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.

Transition to JEE Advanced and JoSAA Counselling

The conclusion of Session-2 is the final step toward the generation of the All India Rank (AIR). For the top 2.5 lakh candidates, the JEE Main scores serve as the qualifying ticket for the JEE Advanced 2026, which is the gateway to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). Following the declaration of the final results in late April, the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) will begin the centralized counselling process for all participating technical institutes.

• Scorecard Components: The final scorecard will display the best NTA score of the two sessions, the AIR, and the eligibility status for the Advanced examination.
• State Admissions: Many states, including Maharashtra and Odisha, will also utilize the JEE Main 2026 ranks for their respective state-level engineering counselling tracks.
• Technical Support: Candidates facing issues with fee deduction or document uploads can contact the NTA Helpline for resolution before the February 25 cutoff.

Conclusion

As the February 25 deadline for JEE Main 2026 Session-2 approaches, the focus for over 10 lakh engineering aspirants remains on ensuring a flawless application submission. The NTA's disciplined timeline ensures that the transition from the April exam to the April 20 result declaration is efficient and transparent. With the integration of live photo capture and Aadhaar verification, the 2026 admission cycle represents a significant step forward in secure examination management. Aspirants are encouraged to complete their registrations well in advance to avoid last-minute server congestion, ensuring their place in the final national-level evaluation of the 2025-26 academic year.

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