Calculator in JEE Main 2026 exam? NTA clears the confusion

Are Calculators Permitted in JEE Main 2026

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially clarified that the use of calculators will be strictly prohibited in the JEE Main 2026 examination. The statement puts an end to the recent confusion sparked by a mention of an "on-screen calculator" in the initial information bulletin.

The clarification, issued via a notice, explicitly states that no calculator of any kind—physical, scientific, or virtual will be permitted during the computer-based test.

The ambiguity arose after the NTA released the JEE Main 2026 information bulletin. The document stated that candidates would be provided with an "on-screen standard calculator" during the Computer-Based Test (CBT) for basic arithmetic operations. This point contradicted the long-standing rule of the exam and led to uncertainty among students and coaching institutes.

On Sunday night, the NTA released a clarifying notice, attributing the initial information to a "typing error."

The agency explained that while the on-screen calculator feature is a standard part of their common examination platform used for various tests, its use is specifically disabled and not applicable for JEE Main.

In its notice, the NTA stated, "In the information bulletin of JEE (Main) – 2026, it was mentioned that an on-screen standard calculator will be available during the CBT. However, this feature is part of the general test conducting platform and is not applicable to JEE (Main) as the use of calculators in any form is not permitted in this exam."

The NTA has apologized for the inconvenience caused by this error and has advised all candidates to download the revised information bulletin from the official website, jeemain.nta.ac.in.

This clarification serves as a reminder for the lakhs of students preparing for JEE Main 2026 to align their preparation strategy with the exam's core requirement of self-reliance in problem-solving and swift calculations.