CBSE moves to speed up JEE Main registration process 

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has instructed all affiliated schools to immediately share Class XI registration numbers with students applying for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026. In a recent circular, the Board stated that, despite issuing earlier guidelines on October 30, several students and parents reported that schools were withholding registration numbers required to complete the JEE Main application process.

Taking serious note of these complaints, CBSE directed schools to ensure that every student appearing for JEE Main 2026 receives their Class 11 registration number without delay. The Board highlighted that the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the exam, has made it mandatory for candidates to enter their Class XI registration number in the online application form. 

The JEE Main 2026 Session 1 application window opened on October 31 and will close on November 27, 2025. The city of examination will be announced in early January 2026, with results expected on February 12. The exam will be held in two sessions — from January 21 to 30, 2026, and April 1 to 10, 2026.

JEE Main Paper 1 is the gateway for admission to undergraduate engineering programmes at NITs, IIITs, and other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs), while Paper 2 caters to BArch and BPlanning aspirants. The exam also serves as the qualifying test for JEE Advanced, which leads to admission to the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).