JEE Main 2026 Answer Key (All Shifts): 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29 January
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially released the Provisional Answer Key and Recorded Response Sheet for JEE (Main) 2026 Session 1 (January 2026) on released on 4 February 2026. The provisional answer keys for JEE Main Session 1, held from 21st January 2026, are available on the official JEE Main website for Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech.). Candidates raised objections (challenges) within the given timeline, which is 6th February, 2026. The final answer key has finally released after evaluating all the objections on 16 February, 2026.
So, this blog will provide you with updated shift-wise answer keys to help you in checking your paper, estimating your score, and analysing your performance. The blog has been updated based on the final answer key released by NTA. Students can calculate subject-wise scores as well as overall scores using the shift-wise and subject-wise answer keys provided in the blog.
JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Final Answer Key Released
On 16th February, 2026, NTA has finally released the offical answer key for JEE Main 2026 Session 1. The provisional answer key was released on Feb 4, 2026. And students were given time till 6 Feb to raise objections. NTA has finally evaluated all the objections and released the offical final answer key on the offical NTA website. Students can find the direct link to download the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 offical final answer key for Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech):
Official NTA Notice Highlights (04 Feb 2026)
- Answer key, question paper, and recorded response sheet released.
- Challenge fee: ₹200 per question.
- Deadline to challenge answers: 6 Feb (11:50 PM).
- The response sheet will be available to download and view only till Feb 5.
- The final answer key after expert review will be released again after all the challenges are reviewed.

Download JEE Response Sheet & Answer Key (Direct Link LIVE)
The National Testing Agency conducted the JEE (Main) 2026 Session 1 on 21, 22, 23, 24, and 28 January 2026 (Paper 1: B.E./B. Tech.) and on 29 January 2026, Paper 2A (B. Arch) and Paper 2B (B. Planning) at 642 Centres located in 311 Cities across the country.
Students can check the Provisional Answer Keys of Paper 1 (B.E. /B. Tech) along with the Question Papers and recorded responses have been uploaded on the official NTA website https://jeemain.nta.nic.in/.
Students can directly download the answer key here (Link is Active)- JEE Main 2026 Session 1 response sheet.
How to Download the Official JEE Main 2026 Answer Key?
The official answer key of the JEE Main Exam 2026 was announced on February 4, 2026. You can download the official Answer Key released by the National Testing Agency by clicking on: JEE Main 2026 Answer Key
- Visit the official website: jeemain.nta.nic.in
- Click on the “JEE Main Answer Key 2026 link” available on the home page.
- Log in using your Application Number and Password.
- Enter the captcha code and submit.
- Your Recorded Response Sheet will appear on the screen.
- Click on Download and save the PDF for future reference.
How to Challenge JEE Main 2026 Answer Key?
The challenging JEE Main 2026 answer key is an important decision that is related to officially disputing the answer key shared by the National Testing Agency (NTA). If you disagree with any answer, then you can officially challenge by logging in to the official website with a fee of ₹200 per question. A detailed step-by-step process is as follows-
- Visit the official website: jeemain.nta.nic.in.
- Click on “Answer Key Challenge for JEE(Main) – 2026 [Session-I] is LIVE!”.
- Log in using your Application Number and Password.
- Enter the captcha code and click submit.
- Select the link to challenge the answer key again after logging in.
- The Question IDs will appear in sequential order for JEE Main 2026 Session 1Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech): 25 Questions in Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.
- The option shown under the column “Correct Option” is the answer suggested by NTA.
- If you want to challenge it, select one or more correct Option IDs by ticking the checkbox given near the question.
- Upload supporting documents by clicking “Choose File and Upload.” (All documents must be uploaded in one single PDF file.
- Click “Save your Claim” and proceed to the next screen.
- A summary of all challenged questions will be displayed.
- Click on “Save your Claim and Pay Fee Finally”
- Pay the processing fee of ₹200 per question challenged (non-refundable) using: Debit Card, Credit Card & Net Banking.
NOTE: Please consider that NTA has opened the challenge window only till 6th February, 2026. The fee will be refunded only if your challenge is accepted by the NTA. The challenge will not be accepted if the payment is not made.
NTA Answer Key Challenges: Student Objections Summary
The NTA released the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 provisional answer key on 4 February 2026. Students can raise objections until 6th February, 2026, until 11:50 pm. For every objection raised against the official answer key, students will have to pay 200 rupees. All the objections have been raised. Most challenges were reported in Physics, with candidates and coaching experts demanding bonus marks due to ambiguous options, key mismatches, or multiple correct answers. If any question is dropped, candidates of that shift may receive +4 marks automatically. The final answer key will soon be released officially by NTA. The updated final answer key will confirm if the objections raised are confirmed or not, and if any bonus marks will be given.
How to Calculate Score Using JEE Main 2026 Answer Key?
Now that the response sheet is finally released, students can get an estimated score by calculating their responses. Based on the JEE Main 2026 exam pattern, every correct response has +4 marks and every incorrect response has a negative marking of -1. To get an accurate estimate of your JEE Main 2026 Session 1 score, follow the guide below:
- Firstly, download your response sheet and the official answer key from the NTA portal.
- After every question, the correct answer is mentioned along with the recorded response, which is the response you made in the exam.
- Match your answers with the correct options given in the answer key. Note down all the correct responses in a sheet along with the number of incorrect responses.
- Here is the reference format to note down the total response count:
- Correct answers
- Incorrect answers
- Unattempted questions
- Apply the formula below to estimate the score:
Estimated Score = (Correct Answers × 4) – (Wrong Answers × 1)
Example Calculation (Reference)
- Correct Answers: 50
- Wrong Answers: 10
Score = (50 × 4) – (10 × 1)
Score = 200 – 10 = 190 Marks
This means the candidate has scored 190 marks out of 300 marks in JEE Main 2026 Session 1. To check the percentile, students can refer to the JEE Main 2026 cut-off for an estimate of marks vs percentile.
JEE Main 2026 Answer Key & Result Dates (Session 1)
Now that the recorded response sheet and answer key are available, students should be aware of the upcoming events regarding the JEE Main Session 1 exam. Below is an overview of the result date, objection window date, and important dates of events.
NOTE: Candidates must note that the recorded response sheets will remain available only until 5 February 2026. After that, they will no longer be accessible under the candidate login. Students are advised to download their response sheet as soon as possible.
| JEE Main 2026 Events | Dates |
| JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Exam | January 21 – 29, 2026 |
| Response Sheet Release Date | February 4, 2026 (OUT) |
| Provisional Answer Key Release | February 4, 2026 (OUT) |
| Answer Key Objection Window | February 4 – 6, 2026 (Open) |
| JEE Main 2026 Result Date | February 12, 2026 |
JEE Main Exam 2026 Shift-Wise Answer Key (Jan 21–29)
The key concept of the JEE Main 2026 Shift-Wise Answer Key is the exact list of the correct answers for each question. The following is a detailed shift-wise answer key that provides the correct answers specific to the precise set of questions asked in that shift. A subject-specific shift-wise analysis of JEE Main Exam 2026 on 21,22,23,24,28, and 29 is as follows-
21 January 2026 Shift 1 Answer Key PDF
| Name of Subject | JEE Main 2026 Answer Key |
| Physics | 21 Jan Shift 1 Physics Answer Key |
| Chemistry | 21 Jan Shift 1 Chemistry Answer Key |
| Mathematics | 21 Jan Shift 1 Mathematics Answer Key |
21 January 2026 Shift 2 Answer Key PDF
| Name of Subject | JEE Main 2026 Answer Key |
| Physics | 21 Jan Shift 2 Physics Answer Key |
| Chemistry | 21 Jan Shift 2 Chemistry Answer Key |
| Mathematics | 21 Jan Shift 2 Mathematics Answer Key |
22 January 2026 Shift 1 Answer Key PDF
| Name of Subject | JEE Main 2026 Answer Key |
| Physics | 22 Jan Shift 1 Physics Answer Key |
| Chemistry | 22 Jan Shift 1 Chemistry Answer Key |
| Mathematics | 22 Jan Shift 1 Mathematics Answer Key |
22 January 2026 Shift 2 Answer Key PDF
| Name of Subject | JEE Main 2026 Answer Key |
| Physics | 22 Jan Shift 2 Physics Answer Key |
| Chemistry | 22 Jan Shift 2 Chemistry Answer Key |
| Mathematics | 22 Jan Shift 2 Mathematics Answer Key |
23 January 2026 Shift 1 Answer Key PDF
| Name of Subject | JEE Main 2026 Answer Key |
| Physics | 23 Jan Shift 1 Physics Answer Key |
| Chemistry | 23 Jan Shift 1 Chemistry Answer Key |
| Mathematics | 23 Jan Shift 1 Mathematics Answer Key |
23 January 2026 Shift 2 Answer Key PDF
| Name of Subject | JEE Main 2026 Answer Key |
| Physics | 23 Jan Shift 2 Physics Answer Key |
| Chemistry | 23 Jan Shift 2 Chemistry Answer Key |
| Mathematics | 23 Jan Shift 2 Mathematics Answer Key |
24 January 2026 Shift 1 Answer Key PDF
| Name of Subject | JEE Main 2026 Answer Key |
| Physics | 24 Jan Shift 1 Physics Answer Key |
| Chemistry | 24 Jan Shift 1 Chemistry Answer Key |
| Mathematics | 24 Jan Shift 1 Mathematics Answer Key |
24 January 2026 Shift 2 Answer Key PDF
| Name of Subject | JEE Main 2026 Answer Key |
| Physics | 24 Jan Shift 2 Physics Answer Key |
| Chemistry | 24 Jan Shift 2 Chemistry Answer Key |
| Mathematics | 24 Jan Shift 2 Mathematics Answer Key |
28 January 2026 Shift 1 Answer Key PDF
| Name of Subject | JEE Main 2026 Answer Key |
| Physics | 28 Jan Shift 1 Physics Answer Key |
| Chemistry | 28 Jan Shift 1 Chemistry Answer Key |
| Mathematics | 28 Jan Shift 1 Mathematics Answer Key |
28 January 2026 Shift 2 Answer Key PDF
| Name of Subject | JEE Main 2026 Answer Key |
| Physics | 28 Jan Shift 2 Physics Answer Key |
| Chemistry | 28 Jan Shift 2 Chemistry Answer Key |
| Mathematics | 28 Jan Shift 2 Mathematics Answer Key |
JEE Main Exam 2026 Shift-Wise Paper Analysis of Each Shift
The table attached below offers a clear overview of the JEE Main Exam 2026, for the exam dates 21, 22, 23, 24, 28,29 January 2026. This will help students in understanding the exam’s difficulty level, question patterns, and topic-wise weightage.
| JEE Main Exam 2026 Shift-Wise Paper Analysis (Session 1) | |||||
| Date of Exam | Shift | Overall Difficulty Level | Physics Difficulty Level | Chemistry Difficulty Level | Mathematics Difficulty Level |
| 21 January, 2026 | Morning Shift 1(9 AM- 12 PM) | Moderate to Difficult | Easy to Moderate | Difficult | Very Difficult |
| 21 January, 2026 | Evening Shift 2(3 PM- 6 PM) | Moderate | Moderate to Difficult | Moderate | Difficult and Lengthy |
| 22 January, 2026 | Morning Shift 1(9 AM- 12 PM) | Moderate and Mostly Easier | Moderate to Difficult | Easy to Moderate | Moderate |
| 22 January, 2026 | Evening Shift 2(3 PM- 6 PM) | Moderate to Difficult | Moderate | Moderate to Difficult | Difficult and very lengthy |
| 23 January, 2026 | Morning Shift 1(9 AM- 12 PM) | Moderate to Difficult | Moderate | Moderate to Difficult | Moderate but Lengthy |
| 23 January, 2026 | Evening Shift 2(3 PM- 6 PM) | Moderate | Moderate to Difficult | Moderate | Moderate but Lengthy |
| 24 January, 2026 | Morning Shift 1 (9 AM- 12 PM) | Moderate but very lengthy. | Moderate (Lengthy) | Easy to Moderate (Lengthy) | Moderate to Difficult (Lengthy) |
| 24 January, 2026 | Evening Shift 2 (3 PM- 6 PM) | Moderate Level | Moderate to Difficult | Moderate | Moderate (Lengthy) |
| 28 January, 2026 | Morning Shift 1 (9 AM- 12 PM) | Difficult and Lengthy | Easy to Moderate | Moderate (Lengthy) | Moderate to Difficult (Lengthy) |
| 28 January, 2026 | Evening Shift 2 (3 PM- 6 PM) | Moderate | Moderate to Difficult | Moderate | Moderate (Lengthy) |
JEE Main Jan 29 Paper 2A&2B Shift Analysis
| JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Shift | Drawing/Planning | Aptitude | Mathematics |
| 29 January, 2026 – Paper 2A (B.Arch) | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate to Difficult |
| 29 January, 2026 – Paper 2B (B.Plan) | Easy to Moderate | Easy to Moderate | Moderate to Difficult and Lengthy |
NTA Contact Details
If you face any issues regarding the challenge answer and response sheet, you can contact the helpline support of NTA. Students can either call or email them at the email ID given below.
- Helpline Number: +91-11-40759000
- Email: jeemain@nta.ac.in
- Official Website: www.nta.ac.in
Conclusion
In conclusion, the JEE Main Exam 2026 shift-wise answer key is an important resource for engineering aspirants, which is related to the correct answers to the questions that appeared in the exam. The official answer key offers knowledge regarding the scores and understanding of subject-wise performance in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. The above shift-wise analysis will provide you detailed analysis of each subject question, where the official answer key from NTA will be announced shortly. So, JEE Main aspirants should carefully compare answers by effectively using the answer key challenge facility if required, and stay alert to official updates from NTA.
FAQs
The JEE Main 2026 answer key was officially released on February 4, 2026, on the official NTA website. Students can find the official notification in the public notices section.
The recorded response sheet will remain available only till 5 February 2026 under the candidate login.
Yes, Matrix Academy will provide the shift-wise answer key, which includes detailed answers for all three subjects—Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics—for each exam date and shift from 21 to 29 Jan.
You can download the official JEE Main 2026 answer by visiting the official website of NTA, logging in with your application number and password/DOB, and accessing the answer key under News & Events.
As a JEE Main exam 2026 aspirant, you can challenge the provisional answer key with a ₹200 per-question fee through the official portal within the given challenge window.
As a JEE Main exam 2026 aspirant, you can challenge the provisional answer key with ₹200 per-question fee through the official portal within the given challenge window.
You have to attach a PDF of valid proof to challenge a question, such as NCERT textbook references, question ID, and correct answer.
Yes, in a situation where your challenge is accepted by NTA. But if the challenge is not accepted, then it is completely non-refundable.
The NTA usually provides a short window of 2 to 3 days to submit challenges after releasing the provisional answer key.
The final answer keys for the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 were released on February 16, 2026. This answer key will be considered final after evaluating all the objections raised by students. And the final results are calculated based on the final answer key.


