The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Wednesday released the JEE Main Answer Key 2026 for Paper 1 on February 4, 2026. Candidates who have appeared for Joint Entrance Examination for Session 1 can check and download the provisional key and the response sheet through the official website of NTA JEE at jeemain.nta.nic.in. Now that the JEE Main Answer Key 2026 is released, the students are now waiting for their results. In the meantime, students can wait for the expected cutoff.
Expected cutoff and percentile trends
Based on past trends, experts predict that the JEE Main 2026 cutoff is likely to increase for all categories due to the high number of applicants.
Factors that affect the cutoff:
-
Number of aspirants
-
Difficulty level of the exam
-
Total number of seats
Here’s an expected percentile
|
Category |
Expected Percentile |
|
General (UR) |
92-95 |
|
OBC-NCL |
79-82 |
|
EWS |
80-82 |
|
SC |
64-66 |
|
ST |
45-48 |
Why cutoff may rise this year
-
Past trends show that higher number of applicants usually leads to a higher cutoff.
-
Certain categories, like Gen-EWS and ST, have seen a rise in applicants in recent years, which impacts their cutoff.
JEE Mains 2026: Objection window to open today
As the answer key is released, the JEE Mains 2026 provisional key objection window will open today, February 4. The objection window will close on February 6, 2026.
Students must note that only paid challenges made during the stipulated time through the key challenge link will be considered.
JEE Main Answer Key 2026: How To Download
- Visit the official JEE Main website at jeemain.nta.nic.in
- Click on the JEE Main Answer Key 2026 link on the homepage
- Enter your login credentials on the new page
- Submit the details to view the provisional answer key
- Check and download the answer key
- Save a copy for future reference
