If you have applied for the JEE Main 2026 Session 2, then you will definitely be curious about how many students have registered for it. Because the number of students appearing in the exam directly impacts the percentile of each student. According to the NTA report, JEE Main 2026 Session 1 was completed with a record-breaking over 14.5 Lakh participants, which is the highest ever for the January session so far. However, the total registrations after reopening the application window for session 2 are predicted to cross 15-17 lakh, setting a benchmark in the history of the national engineering entrance exam.
As of now, the total registration in JEE Main 2026 April Session has not been officially published, but soon NTA will reveal it once the examination is completed. If you want to know the official NTA data regarding the total number of candidates appearing for the JEE Main 2026 session 2, then read the complete article till the end.
JEE Main 2026 Registration & Attendance Trends
The National Testing Agency receives a record-high number of applications for JEE Main, which makes it one of the most challenging exams. The number of applications submitted for JEE Main 2026, marks a significant milestone. The sudden increase in registration has also raised the immense competition for the top 62,000 seats.
The actual reason behind the massive growth of the applicants is that the universities like IITs, NITs, IIITs, GFTIs, etc are offering huge placement opportunities, enhanced infrastructure and extensive growth to the students.
In January 2026, NTA conducted the JEE Main 2026 session 1 exam with a record registration of over 14.5 lakh. As per the official data, around 13.71 lakh (out of the total registered) candidates from all papers (Paper 1 and Paper 2) appeared in the session 1 of JEE Main 2026. NTA has received a record number of applications for JEE Main 2026 in comparison to last year’s registration, which was 13.11 lakh.
For your knowledge, I have attached some tables that will show the total registered students in the JEE Main 2026 Exam. Session 1 data is officially released by NTA itself.
| Exam Year | JEE Main Session 1 Appeared Candidates (In Lakh) | JEE Main Session 2 Appeared Candidates (In Lakh) | Unique Candidates (Both Sessions) (In Lakh) |
| 2026 | 13.04 | 11 – 13 (Expected) | 15 to 17 (Expected) |
| 2025 | 12.3 to 12.7 | 10 to 11 | 14.7 to 15.4 |
| 2024 | 11.8 to 12 | 9 to 10 | 14.1 to 14.7 |
| 2023 | 8.6 to 9 | 6 to 7 | 11.1 to 11.6 |
| 2022 (COVID Period) | 7 to 8 | 6 to 7 | 10.2 |
How Many Students Appeared in JEE Main 2026 Session 1 & 2?
The JEE Main 2026 Session 1 was successfully held on January 21, 22, 23, 24, and 28, 2026 for Paper 1, and on Jan 29, 2026, for Paper 2A & 2B (B.Arch/B.Planning), while JEE Main 2026 Session 2 is being be conducted from 2 to 8 April 2026. The following tables present the data of registered candidates who appeared in the exam. The session 1 data is official, but the session 2 data is estimated.
For JEE Main 2026 Paper 1 (B.E./ B.Tech.)
| Particular | Total Students Appeared in | |
| Session 1 | Session 2 (Expected) | |
| Registered Candidates | 13,55,293 | 10,80,000 – 11,20,000 |
| Appeared Candidates | 13,04,653 | 10,0000 – 10,40,000 |
| Attendance Percentage | 96.26% | 92% – 94% |
For JEE Main 2026 Paper 2A (B.Arch)
| Particular | Total Students Appeared in | |
| Session 1 | Session 2 (Expected) | |
| Registered Candidates | 64,786 | 52,000 – 58,000 |
| Appeared Candidates | 45,452 | 36,000 – 40,000 |
| Attendance Percentage | 70.16% | 68% – 72% |
For JEE Main 2026 Paper 2B (B.Planning)
| Particular | Total Students Appeared in | |
| Session 1 | Session 2 (Expected) | |
| Registered Candidates | 32,366 | 26,000 – 30,000 |
| Appeared Candidates | 21,067 | 17,000 – 20,000 |
| Attendance Percentage | 65.09% | 62% – 66% |
NOTE: The official data on the total registered and appeared candidates for the JEE Main 2026 session 2 will be available after the completion of the exam. But experts suggest that the increased applications may result in higher competition in JEE Main 2026 so far.
How Higher Registrations Affect JEE Main Percentiles and Rank?
In 2026, over 1.45 million registrations were recorded for the first session of JEE Main 2026, a new record. However, this figure could rise even further once the official data becomes available after the second session, which is expected shortly. If you assume that this is merely a statistic indicating the total number of students appearing for JEE Main 2026, you are mistaken.
Because a significant surge in registrations could intensify the competition, potentially driving up the cut-off percentiles and, simultaneously, rendering the “marks vs rank” equation more unpredictable.
- Due to intense competition, you require a higher cutoff threshold to achieve a specific percentile score.
- Total students are part of the percentile formula, technically affecting percentile.
The formula for Percentile = (Students below you ÷ Total students) × 100;
So, total students (denominator) is part of the formula which means it does impact the percentile, if, with the increase of numbers the competition increases as well. - When the number of candidates increases, the competition for the top seat also increases and making the top percentile might be crucial.
- Due to the margin for error shrinking, you need high accuracy to achieve a safe spot for further JEE Advanced.
- Due to more candidates in the competition, you feel shift-based pressure may vary significantly between sessions, making normalising percentile scoring essential.
JEE Main 2026 Session 2 Exam Important Dates
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has scheduled to conduct the JEE Main 2026 April Session Exam from 2 to 9 April 2026. The registration for session 2 of JEE Main 2026 has been closed after the reopened application window on 13 March 2026. The following are the key dates for the JEE Main 2026 Session 2 Exam to be held by NTA.
- Registration Start Date: February 1, 2026.
- Last date to fill the Application Form: February 25, 2026.
- Reopened Application Window: March 12 and 13, 2026. (Up to 9:00 PM)
- Last Date of Fee Payment: March 13, 2026. (Up to 11:50 PM)
- City Intimation Slip Release Date: March 21, 2026.
- Release Date of JEE Main 2026 Session 2 Admit Card: March 29, 2026 for exams scheduled for April 2 and 4, and April 1, 2026, for exams on April 5, 6, 7, and 8.
- JEE Main 2026 Session 2 Exam Date: April 2 to 8, 2026.
- Declaration of JEE Main 2026 Session 2 Result: April 20, 2026 (Tentative).
What is the Safe Score in JEE Main 2026 for NITs and IIITs?
A JEE Main safe score may increase your chances of getting admission into preferred colleges. If you are aiming for top-tier NITs like Warangal, Trichy, or Surathkal, then you require a 99+ percentile range, while for mid-tier or new IIITs, an average percentile score in the 96 – 97 range is sufficient.
| Aiming Institute | Safe Score for General | Safe Score for OBC/ EWS | Safe Score for SC/ ST |
| Top 5 NITs (CSE) | 240+ | 225+ | 170+ |
| Top 10 NITs (Core) | 200+ | 185+ | 140+ |
| Mid-Tier NITs/ IIITs | 170+ | 155+ | 110+ |
| Newer NITs/ GFTIs | 145+ | 130+ | 90+ |
How Does Higher Registrations Affect the JEE Main 2026 Cutoff?
When the total number of candidates increased significantly, the JEE Main 2026 Cutoff percentile also increased. If more candidates are competing for a seat, then you require a higher score to achieve the qualifying percentile.
For example:
- General category cutoff may range between 93-95%,
- OBC category cutoff may range between 80-82%, and
- Reserved categories may also see a rise in their cutoff.
Generally, JEE Main Cutoff depends on three main factors:
- number of candidates appearing in the exam,
- difficulty level of the exam, and
- The seat availability in the participating institutes.
If the number of appearances increases, then it becomes very difficult to achieve a higher percentile than expected. When the total number of candidates increases, you may face some possible impacts as follows.
- You need a higher raw score to get a 99+ percentile.
- Category-wise cutoff may also be increased accordingly.
- The margin between the ranks may also be tighter.
Conclusion
The competition gets tougher every year as more candidates join the exam. In January 2026, NTA held the session 1 exam with a record 13.07 lakh participants. Session 2 of JEE Main 2026 is yet to happen and may attract a similar crowd.
Every year, toppers emerge from this same crowd. To score high, you need quality preparation, good time management, and strong conceptual understanding. Recently, NMC increased MBBS UG and PG seats by adding 43 new medical colleges across India. This gives you a huge opportunity. Admission now depends on your determination and performance, not just the crowd.
Frequently Asked Questions
Precise data regarding the number of students who registered for JEE Main 2026 Session 2 is not yet available. However, the NTA will soon release this information on its official website.
According to official reports, approximately 13.7 lakh candidates appeared for JEE Main 2026 Session 1.
Both sessions have their own respective difficulty levels. However, Session 2 may seem more difficult to students who take the exam under the pressure of improving their scores.
The overall difficulty level of Session 1 was moderate. The Shift 2 paper held on January 23 was considered the most difficult, featuring challenging and time-consuming questions in Mathematics and Analytical Physics.
A total of 4,52,825 General Category candidates appeared for the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 examination. The breakdown is as follows:
Male candidates appeared: 2,95,078
Female candidates appeared: 1,57,747
Candidates appeared from the Gen-EWS category: 1,60,958
Data from Session 1 revealed that a total of 5,17,336 candidates from the OBC-NCL category appeared for the examination. The breakdown is as follows:
Total number of female candidates: 1,80,476
Total number of male candidates: 3,36,860
In Session 1 of JEE Main 2026, approximately 43,998 female candidates and a total of 129,902 candidates from the SC category appeared for the examination. From the ST category, 14,443 female candidates and a total of 43,632 candidates participated in this exam.
Every year, more than 1.3 million students take JEE Main, and approximately 250,000 students get the opportunity to appear for JEE Advanced, and among them, about 40,000 students secure admission to the top IITs, NITs, and IIITs.
Om Prakash Behera from Odisha, who was preparing in Kota, achieved AIR 1 in JEE Main 2025 by scoring 300 out of 300 marks.
Mr Rajit Gupta from Kota, Rajasthan, secured AIR 1 in JEE Advanced 2025 by scoring 332 out of 360 marks.
