The National Testing Agency (NTA) is set to release the provisional answer key for the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 today. Lakhs of engineering aspirants who appeared for the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) can soon access their preliminary response sheets and official answer key online.
According to official updates, the provisional key will be published on the NTA JEE portal at jeemain.nta.nic.in. This release initiates a crucial phase for candidates, allowing them to review their responses and formally raise objections against any discrepancies they identify in the key.
Key Dates and Objection Process
The answer key challenge window will open today, February 4, 2026, and is scheduled to close on February 5, 2026. As per standard procedure, the window typically remains active for a short period of 2-3 days.
Candidates wishing to challenge any answer must note the following protocol:
- Objections can only be submitted online through the official key challenge link.
- A processing fee of Rs 200 per question challenged must be paid online. This fee is non-refundable.
- Only paid challenges submitted within the stipulated deadline will be forwarded to subject experts for review.
Following the examination of all valid challenges, the NTA will prepare and publish the final answer key. This final key will be used for computing the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 scores.
Session 1 Exam Conduct
JEE Main 2026 Session 1 was successfully conducted across multiple days: January 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, and 29, 2026. Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) was held in two daily shifts on the first four dates. Paper 2 (B.Arch/B.Planning) was administered in a single shift on the final day.
Steps to check JEE Main Answer Key 2026
Candidates can follow these steps to check and download their provisional answer key and response sheet:
Step 1. Go to the official website: jeemain.nta.nic.in.
Step 2. Locate and click on the 'JEE Main Answer Key 2026' link on the homepage.
Step 3. On the login page, enter the required credentials such as application number and date of birth/password.
Step 4. Submit the details to view your provisional response sheet and the answer key.
Step 5. Carefully review the documents, download them, and keep a printout for future reference.
Next Steps for Candidates
With the release of the provisional key, aspirants are advised to meticulously compare their recorded responses with the official answers. The objection window is a critical opportunity to ensure fair scoring. The final results will be declared based on the finalized answer key after the challenge process is complete.
Prospective students should stay tuned to the NTA's official website for the active release link and further updates regarding the result declaration timeline.
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