New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 final answer key, dropping nine questions after reviewing student objections. The move is expected to impact the final scores and percentile calculations of candidates who appeared in the crucial engineering entrance exam.
Candidates can download the JEE Main 2026 final answer key from the official website jeemain.nta.nic.in. The final answer key has been prepared after considering objections raised by students against the provisional answers.
The NTA referred all challenged questions to subject experts. Based on their recommendations, certain answers were revised while nine questions were dropped entirely from evaluation.
Why Were Questions Dropped?
As per the standard NTA procedure, if a question is found to be incorrect or ambiguous, it is removed from the final evaluation. In such cases, full marks are awarded to all candidates who attempted the affected question.
This year, nine questions across different shifts were eliminated following expert review. The agency has not specified the subjects in detail but confirmed that the evaluation will follow the revised answer key.
How Will This Affect JEE Main 2026 Results?
The dropping of nine questions is likely to alter raw scores for many students. Since JEE Main follows a normalisation process across multiple shifts, even small changes in raw marks can influence percentile rankings.
When a question is dropped, candidates who attempted it receive full marks. However, those who did not attempt it neither gain nor lose marks. This ensures fairness but may slightly shift the overall merit order.
Experts say students should not panic, as the normalisation process is designed to balance variations in difficulty levels between shifts.
Understanding the Evaluation Process
The JEE Main answer key process begins with the release of a provisional key. Students are allowed to raise objections by paying a prescribed fee per question. Each challenge is then reviewed by academic experts appointed by the NTA.
Only valid objections supported by evidence lead to corrections. Once the review is complete, the final answer key is published. No further challenges are accepted after this stage.
Detailed guidelines regarding the examination and evaluation process are available on the official NTA portal: https://nta.ac.in.
What Happens Next?
With the final answer key out, the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 results are expected shortly. The results will determine eligibility for JEE Advanced 2026 and admissions to NITs, IIITs, and other centrally funded technical institutions.
Candidates are advised to regularly check the official website for result updates and further announcements regarding Session 2 application procedures.
The JEE Main 2026 examination remains one of India’s largest competitive tests, with lakhs of aspirants competing for limited seats in premier engineering institutions. The release of the final answer key marks a critical step toward concluding Session 1 of the examination cycle.