Joint Entrance Examination, JEE Main 2026 January online applications will close today – November 27, 2025. Window to complete online applications will close at 9 pm on jeemain.nta.nic.in. Fees can be paid till 11:50 pm tonight.
This year has seen the largest registration so far. As per the information available, over 14 lakh students have registered for the January 2026 session this year. In 2025, 13.11 lakh students had registered for the examination.
Candidates who are interested are advised to complete the online application process and pay the fees within the window. National Testing Agency, NTA has confirmed that it will not be extending the registration window. It will open the correction window for two days on December 1 and 2.
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JEE Main Competition Increased?
Increased number of registration increases the competition for students. Out of these, only about 2 lakh candidates will qualify for the JEE Advanced 2026 examination. An increase of about 1 lakh students shifts the 99 percentile point higher.
JEE Main: Increasing numbers reviving interest?
With over 14 lakh registrations, this is the largest ever registration for the engineering entrance examination. In 2025, 13,11,544 candidates had appeared for the JEE Main examination. This number was 12,21, 624 in 2023.
Needless to say, the numbers have been steadily rising. In 2022 and 2023, only about 8.70 lakh and 8.60 lakh candidates had applied. The increase in number of students indicates a renewed interest in engineering as a profession.
Interest for the domain had dampened by the AI revolution and the concerns over reduced demand for engineers. However, over the past few years, the demand for skilled engineers has not reduced. Moreover, the need for STEM professionals has been on the rise in countries like Japan and even Singapore.