NTA April 2027 Examination Cycle

JEE Main Session 2
April 2027 Guide

The decisive final session of JEE Main 2027. Discover registration guidelines for new and existing candidates, April shift dates, best-of-two score rules, and final AIR qualification thresholds.

Session 2 Registration April Exam Dates
Exam Window
April 1 – 10, 2027
Scoring Policy
Best of 2 NTA Scores
AIR & Cutoff Declaration
Post Session 2 (Late April)
Adv. Qualifiers
Top 2.5 Lakh Candidates
Mode & Shifts
Online CBT (2 Shifts/Day)
📅
April 2027
Exam Month
⚡
2nd & Final
Session of Year
📝
75 Qs / 300 M
Paper 1 Pattern
⏱️
180 Mins
Shift Duration
🎯
All India Rank
Final Rank List
🏛️
JoSAA / CSAB
Admission Gate

What is JEE Main Session 2 (April Attempt)?

JEE Main Session 2 is the second and final round of the National Testing Agency's (NTA) engineering entrance examination cycle, conducted annually in April. Session 2 provides aspirants a vital opportunity to improve their scores, rectify mistakes made in Session 1 (January), or appear as fresh candidates if they missed the earlier session.

Best of Two Policy

If you appear in both Jan and April, your highest NTA percentile is retained for AIR ranking.

JEE Advanced Gateway

Only the top 2,50,000 candidates post Session 2 qualify to sit for the prestigious IIT JEE Advanced.

NITs, IIITs & GFTIs

JoSAA & CSAB counselling allocations are determined entirely based on the final AIR released post Session 2.

Crucial Benefit: Over 70% of candidates experience a 5 to 15 percentile boost in Session 2 due to two extra months of revision, completed board exams, and familiarity with NTA computer-based exam environments.

JEE Main Session 2 (April 2027) Official Schedule

Below is the complete official timeline for the JEE Main Session 2 application cycle, admit card releases, exam shifts, and result declaration:

Event / Milestone Expected Date Window Status
Session 2 Registration Window Opens 1st Week of February 2027 Official Timeline
Last Date to Submit Application Form & Pay Fees 1st Week of March 2027 (Up to 11:50 PM) Official Timeline
Application Form Correction Window Mid March 2027 (2–3 Days Window) Expected
Advance City Intimation Slip Release 3rd/4th Week of March 2027 Expected
JEE Main Session 2 Admit Card Release 3 Days Before Scheduled Exam Date Expected
JEE Main Session 2 Exam Dates April 1 to April 10, 2027 Scheduled
Provisional Answer Key & Student Response Sheet Mid April 2027 (3-day challenge window) Upcoming
Session 2 Final Answer Key Release 3rd Week of April 2027 Upcoming
Session 2 NTA Score, Final AIR & JEE Adv. Cutoffs Late April 2027 Upcoming

Shift Timings: Paper 1 and Paper 2 will be held across two distinct shifts: Morning Shift (09:00 AM to 12:00 PM) and Afternoon Shift (03:00 PM to 06:00 PM). PwD candidates get an extra 60 minutes compensatory time.

How to Register for JEE Main Session 2

The application process for Session 2 depends on whether you registered during Session 1 (January) or are applying for the first time in the academic year:

Scenario A: Already Applied in Session 1

Fast 3-Step Process (No New Registration)

Candidates who registered for Session 1 do NOT need to fill the complete form again:

  • Step 1: Log in at jeemain.nta.nic.in using your existing Session 1 Application Number and Password.
  • Step 2: Select Course (Paper 1, 2A, or 2B), Question Paper Medium (English, Hindi, Regional), and 4 preferred Exam Cities for April.
  • Step 3: Pay the Session 2 Exam Fee online and download the Confirmation Page.

Scenario B: Fresh Candidate (New to 2027)

Complete Full Registration Process

Candidates who did not apply for Session 1 in January must complete the full registration:

  • Step 1: Authenticate via Aadhaar / DigiLocker / ABC ID to create login credentials.
  • Step 2: Enter personal details, communication address, Class 10 & 12 academic qualifications.
  • Step 3: Upload recent photograph (10-200 KB) and signature (4-30 KB) in JPEG format.
  • Step 4: Pay the application fee and save the Confirmation Page.

Session 2 Application Fee Structure

Category Male (Indian Centres) Female (Indian Centres) Centres Outside India
General / Gen-EWS / OBC-NCL ₹1,000 ₹800 ₹5,000
SC / ST / PwD / Third Gender ₹500 ₹500 ₹2,500

How NTA Calculates Best-of-Two Percentile & Final AIR

Because JEE Main is conducted across multiple shifts with differing difficulty levels, NTA does not use raw marks directly. Instead, scores are transformed into an NTA Percentile Score using statistical normalization.

The Golden Rule: If you appear in both Session 1 and Session 2, NTA automatically takes your HIGHEST total percentile score. A dip in Session 2 performance will NOT harm your Session 1 score!

Formula for NTA Percentile Score

Percentile = ( 100 × [No. of candidates with raw score ≤ Your raw score] ) ÷ [Total candidates in that shift]

Tie-Breaking Resolution Mechanism for All India Rank

If two or more candidates obtain identical total NTA Percentiles, NTA applies the following strict order of criteria to resolve ranks:

  • Criterion 1: Higher NTA Percentile Score in Mathematics.
  • Criterion 2: Higher NTA Percentile Score in Physics.
  • Criterion 3: Higher NTA Percentile Score in Chemistry.
  • Criterion 4: Lower proportion of attempted incorrect answers to correct answers across all subjects.
  • Criterion 5: Lower ratio of negative to positive responses specifically in Mathematics, followed by Physics and Chemistry.
  • Criterion 6: Candidate older in age.
  • Criterion 7: Ascending order of Application Number.

JEE Main Session 2 Exam Pattern & Structure

The exam pattern for Session 2 remains exactly identical to Session 1. Below is the breakdown for Paper 1 (B.E. / B.Tech):

Physics

  • Section A: 20 MCQs
  • Section B: 5 Numerical Qs
  • Total: 25 Questions (100 Marks)

Chemistry

  • Section A: 20 MCQs
  • Section B: 5 Numerical Qs
  • Total: 25 Questions (100 Marks)

Mathematics

  • Section A: 20 MCQs
  • Section B: 5 Numerical Qs
  • Total: 25 Questions (100 Marks)

Marking Scheme (Both MCQs and Numerical Questions)

+4
Correct Answer
Full marks awarded
-1
Incorrect Response
Applicable to MCQs & Numerical
0
Unattempted
No marks deducted

Important Note on Section B: In accordance with updated NTA regulations, there are 5 numerical questions per subject (all compulsory), and negative marking of -1 is applicable to incorrect numerical value responses as well.

Expected JEE Main Session 2 Qualifying Cutoff for JEE Advanced

The qualifying cutoff percentile for JEE Advanced is determined based on the combined performance of Session 1 and Session 2. Below are historical trends and expected qualifying percentiles:

Category Expected 2027 Cutoff Percentile 2026 Cutoff 2025 Cutoff Category Badge
General (UR) 93.2 – 94.0 93.23 90.77 UR / OPEN
Gen-EWS 81.5 – 82.5 81.32 75.62 EWS
OBC-NCL 79.5 – 80.5 79.28 73.61 OBC-NCL
SC (Scheduled Caste) 60.0 – 61.5 60.09 51.97 SC
ST (Scheduled Tribe) 46.5 – 48.0 46.69 37.23 ST
PwD (Persons with Disabilities) 0.0018 – 0.0025 0.0018 0.0013 PwD

Proven Strategy to Jump from 90%ile to 99%ile in Session 2

The 60-day window between Session 1 (January) and Session 2 (April) is critical. Use this blueprint to maximize your score:

Analyze Session 1 Weaknesses

Download your Session 1 response sheet. Categorize every lost mark into conceptual gap, calculation error, or time mismanagement.

Master NCERT for Chemistry

Inorganic & Organic Chemistry in JEE Main are heavily NCERT-aligned. Thorough line-by-line reading can secure 70+ marks easily.

Simulated 3-Hour CBT Mocks

Practice full-length previous year papers from recent years strictly between 9 AM–12 PM or 3 PM–6 PM to align your biological rhythm.

Selective High-Weightage Chapters

Prioritize Modern Physics, Electrostatics, Calculus, Coordinate Geometry, Thermodynamics, and Chemical Bonding for maximum return on effort.

FREE AI PREDICTOR

Calculate Your NIT/IIIT Admission Chances

Enter your JEE Main percentile or estimated score to discover your category-wise All India Rank and target engineering colleges instantly.

Predict My Colleges Marks vs Percentile

Frequently Asked Questions on JEE Main Session 2

No, it is not compulsory. You can choose to appear only in Session 1, only in Session 2, or in both sessions. If you appear in both, NTA will automatically consider the higher (better) of the two percentile scores for final All India Rank calculation.
Yes. When you log in to apply for Session 2, you can choose new test city preferences as well as change or add papers (for instance, adding Paper 2A B.Arch in addition to Paper 1 B.Tech).
Individual ranks are not declared after Session 1; only raw percentiles are issued. Final All India Ranks (AIR) and Category Ranks are compiled and published only after the conclusion of Session 2 in late April, combining the best scores of all test-takers across both sessions.
There is zero risk. NTA’s best-of-two policy ensures that your higher percentile from Session 1 remains completely intact and will be used for your final merit ranking.
You must bring: (1) Printed JEE Main Session 2 Admit Card with self-declaration undertaking, (2) One passport-size photo identical to the application upload, (3) Original valid government photo ID proof (Aadhaar, Passport, Voter ID, PAN, Driving License), and (4) PwD certificate if applicable.