JEE Main 2026 Answer Key Out – Direct Download Link & Challenge Process

JEE Main 2026 Answer Key Out: JEE Main 2026 Session 1 response sheet and the provisional answer key are already released by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The candidates are also able to revisit the answers and make objections in case they see any differences. The objection window will be open until February 6 and students will get the response sheet, answer key and the objection submission link on their login in the official site, jeemain.nta.nic.in. The cost of objecting against every question is still Rs. 200, same as last year. 

NTA has also released that the results of the Session 1 JEE Main 2026 will be announced before February 12. It will give a percentage score based on each subject and the overall percentile but not ranks and cutoff scores.

JEE Main 2026 Answer Key Direct Download Link

How the JEE Main 2026 Answer Key Impacts Your Final JEE Main Score

The provisional answer key is the initial actual chance of the applicants to review their performance prior to the formal outcome. The students will have the opportunity to compute their likely raw score after aligning the recorded answers with the key and mark questions that are doubtful and in which NTA might rethink the right choice.

In case any challenge was taken, all the candidates who made an attempt of answering that question will be given the marks, which can directly increase percentile. Thus, carefully going through the key and putting in sincere objections may be quite significant to improving the final result of JEE Main 2026.

Examination / Session	Duration of Answer Key Challenge	Paper
JEE (Main) 2026 Session -1	4 February 2026 to 6 February 2026 ( till 11:50 PM)	Paper 1 (B.E. / B. Tech.)

Read More: JEE Main 2026 Expected Cutoff to Qualify for JEE Advanced

JEE Main 2026 Answer key- Important Dates

• JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Exam-  January 21- 29, 2026
• Response Sheet Release- February 4 ,2026
• Provisional Answer Key-  February 4, 2026
• Objection Window- February 4 & 5 2026 (till 11:50 PM)
• JEE Main 2026 Result (Session 1)-  February 12, 2026

How to Download JEE Main Answer Key 2026 – Step-by-Step Process

The official way of checking and downloading the provisional answer key is as follows:

• Open the official portal: jeemain.nta.nic.in.
• Click on the link - JEE main 2026 Answer Key / Response Sheet on the home page
• Fill the Application Number + Date of Birth/Password and log-in
• View and get the tentative answer key PDF and response sheet
• Save or print the documents in order to use it later

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How to Calculate Your JEE Main 2026 Score?

• Right answer: + 4
  
• Incorrect answer: -1 
• Unattempted Question: 0
  

Score Calculation Formula:  Total Score = (Number of right Answers × 4) − (Number of wrong Answers × 1)

Read More: SC, ST, OBC, General Cutoff for JEE Main 2026

Procedure for Challenge of Answer Key-JEE Mains 2026

1. Go to the website https://jeemain.nta.nic.in/
2. Login with your Application Number and Password, enter the Captcha Code as displayed and Submit
3. Click ‘Challenge(s) regarding Answer Key’
4. You will see the Question IDs in the below sequential order for JEE (Main) - 2026 Session 1 (January 2026)
5. Paper 1: B.E. / B. Tech | 25+25+25 Questions | Mathematics/Physics/Chemistry
6. The ID next to the question under the column ‘Correct Option’ stands for the most appropriate Answer Key by NTA
7. If you wish to challenge this option, you can use any one or more of the Option IDs given in the next four columns by clicking the check box
8. You may upload supporting documents for which you can select ‘Choose File and Upload’ (all documents to be put in a single PDF file)
9. After clicking your desired option, for Mathematics / Physics / Chemistry for Paper 1 (B.E./B. Tech.), scroll down and ‘Save your claim’ and move on to the next screen.
10. You will see a display of all the Option IDs you have challenged.
11. Click on ‘Save your claim and Pay Fee’
12. Select the Mode of Payment and Pay a non-refundable processing fee of ₹ 200/- for each question challenged. Make payment through Debit Card / Credit Card / Net Banking

NOTE: The answer key challenge fee is ₹200 per question, the same as last year. This fee is non-refundable and will be refunded only if the challenge is accepted by NTA.

Read More: 99th Percentile in JEE Main 2026

Important Advice for Candidates

• Download your response sheet and answer key as soon as they are available
• Carefully match your answers before raising objections
• Submit challenges only with proper justification & reference from authentic books 
• Keep login details safe
• Check the official website regularly for updates

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to check the JEE Main 2026 answer key?

The answer key is available on the official NTA JEE Main portal and students can check it. To access it, they would require their application number and password or date of birth to log in

2. How much fee is applicable to appeal the JEE Main 2026 answer key?

Applicants must give Rs 200 per question as a non-refundable fee to appeal against the answer key. One can make the payment using the debit, credit card, or net banking

3. When is the last date to challenge for the JEE Main 2026 answer key?

The open period of the answer key challenge of Session 1 will be until 6 February 2026. Any objections by the candidates should be submitted on time since objections received after the due time are not considered