JEE Main 2026: Session-2 Registration Enters Final Phase Before February 25 Deadline

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially opened the application portal for the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) 2026 Session 2. Engineering aspirants must complete their registration, document uploads, and fee payments via the official website by February 25 to be eligible for the April attempt. This second session serves as a critical opportunity for candidates to improve their percentile scores for admissions into premier technical institutes like NITs and IIITs.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially entered the final phase of the Registration cycle for the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) 2026 Session 2. As of today, February 10, thousands of engineering aspirants are actively utilizing the online portal to finalize their applications for the April attempt. According to the Official NTA Public Notice, the application window, which was activated on February 1, is strictly scheduled to close at 9:00 PM on February 25, 2026. This session represents the final opportunity for students to improve their scores or participate in the national-level entrance process for the 2026-27 academic year.

Simplified Application Process for Existing Candidates

The NTA has streamlined the Registration workflow for students who previously appeared in the January session. Candidates who have already registered for Session 1 are not required to create a new profile. Instead, they can log in to the JEE Main Candidate Portal using their existing application number and password. For these individuals, the process is limited to selecting the paper (B.E./B.Tech, B.Arch, or B.Planning), choosing preferred examination cities, and completing the necessary fee payment. This Authentication of existing data ensures a faster turnaround and minimizes the risk of duplicate applications, which is strictly prohibited under the agency's "Unfair Means" guidelines.

• Fee Payment Cutoff: While the form submission ends at 9:00 PM on February 25, the window for online fee payment remains active until 11:50 PM.
• Aadhaar Integration: The portal uses Aadhaar-based Authentication to verify candidate identity, fetching essential details directly from the UIDAI database.

Correction Window: A brief opportunity to rectify non-sensitive data is expected to be provided in the first week of March, following the conclusion of the initial sign-up phase.

Mandatory Requirements for New Applicants

For students who did not participate in the first session, the Registration process involves a fresh start. New applicants must provide comprehensive personal and academic details, including the mandatory upload of a Class 10 certificate and a recent photograph. The JEE Main Information Bulletin highlights that a live photo capture via the browser is now a standard anti-fraud measure. This digital Authentication step is crucial for maintaining the sanctity of the examination, as the live image is cross-referenced during the physical verification at the test centers.

Exam Schedule and Result Trajectory

The Session 2 examinations are scheduled to take place between April 2 and April 9, 2026. This period is carefully timed to follow the conclusion of major board examinations, allowing students to focus entirely on their Eligibility for premier technical institutes like the NITs and IIITs. Following the exams, the NTA typically releases the provisional answer keys within a week. The final Evaluation of scores, which includes the calculation of All India Ranks based on the best of the two session performances, is expected to be declared by April 20, 2026. This systematic Evaluation ensures that every meritorious student has an equal opportunity to secure their preferred engineering branch.

• City Intimation: Candidates can expect the release of the advance city intimation slip in the third week of March.
• Admit Cards: Hall tickets will be issued approximately three to four days prior to the commencement of the exam.
• Scoring Parity: The normalization process will be applied across all shifts to maintain Eligibility standards and ensure parity in score assessment.

Conclusion

The ongoing Registration for JEE Main 2026 Session 2 marks a pivotal moment for over 13 lakh aspirants nationwide. As the February 25 deadline approaches, the NTA emphasizes the importance of accurate data entry and timely fee payment. The robust Authentication protocols integrated into the portal are designed to facilitate a transparent and secure Evaluation environment. By successfully navigating this final application phase, students secure their Eligibility to compete for seats in India's top engineering colleges. With the April exams on the horizon, the current window serves as the gateway to a professional career in technology, making it essential for candidates to finalize their submissions well before the server-time cutoff to avoid last-minute technical hurdles.

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