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  5. JEE Main 2026 Session 1 & 2 Shift-W...
JEE-MAIN
Apr 23, 2026
7 min read
NTA JEE Main Official

JEE Main 2026 Session 1 & 2 Shift-Wise Percentile Analysis & Candidate Distribution: Official NTA Statistics

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Overview

Key Highlights

  • NTA Transparency Initiative: Official release of exact candidate demographics and shift-wise statistics for Paper-1 (B.E./B.Tech) across both Sessions.
  • Complete Demographics: Shift-by-shift breakdown of candidates by Gender (Male/Female) and Category (General, EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, and ST).
  • Perfect 100 Percentiles: Shift-wise distribution of candidates scoring a perfect 100 percentile score across all test dates.
  • Puja Rescheduling: Detailed timeline adjustments resulting from the Saraswati Puja festival on 23rd January 2026.
  • Mathematical Normalization: Explanations of how shift-wise raw scores are translated to a stabilized percentile score out of 100.

Official NTA Release: Demystifying JEE Main 2026 Statistics

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially released the complete shift-wise distribution, percentile metrics, and candidate categorization data for JEE (Main) 2026 Session-1 and Session-2 (Paper-1, B.E./B.Tech).

This move aims to increase transparency and alleviate common concerns about shift difficulties.

By releasing these highly detailed statistics, NTA confirms that candidates are randomly assigned to shifts to ensure equal distribution of candidates across categories, genders, and difficulty levels.


Why This Statistics Notice Matters to Your Strategy

Many candidates believe that some shifts are significantly harder or have unfair competition. NTA’s data proves that candidate distribution is kept highly uniform to protect raw scoring integrity.

Understanding these distributions can help you analyze where you stand relative to competitive trends.

Important Note: Priority is given to PwD and female candidates to allocate their first-choice examination city, ensuring comfortable logistics for all candidates.


Shift-Wise Candidate Distribution Tables

Below are the official distribution statistics for both Session 1 and Session 2. Use these metrics to analyze candidate density across different dates.

Session-1: Paper-1 (B.E./B. Tech.) Demographics

Exam Date & ShiftMale GENMale EWSMale OBCMale SCMale STFemale GENFemale EWSFemale OBCFemale SCFemale STTotal Shift Strength
21.01.2026 S129,72511,34434,5849,0763,08916,0255,52818,5184,6321,533134,054
21.01.2026 S230,09511,34234,8129,0923,09216,2805,48718,6824,6511,539135,072
22.01.2026 S130,37611,40535,0269,0823,08816,4625,50618,7844,6521,540135,921
22.01.2026 S230,43711,38535,0369,0973,08916,4765,51118,7924,6581,540136,021
23.01.2026 S128,30711,30934,7528,7513,06615,4915,49718,6884,5261,531131,918
23.01.2026 S228,28311,36834,4878,4423,06515,4015,52318,6334,3951,536131,133
24.01.2026 S131,76311,38234,9689,1583,09317,0725,51718,7834,6771,542137,955
24.01.2026 S231,57511,37035,2319,4723,10416,6385,52218,8494,7121,546138,019
28.01.2026 S131,04711,37535,1819,3543,11017,0605,53118,9224,8591,545137,984
28.01.2026 S231,18711,31335,1819,3803,12716,7685,37718,6824,7261,475137,216

Session-2: Paper-1 (B.E./B. Tech.) Demographics

Exam Date & ShiftMale GENMale EWSMale OBCMale SCMale STFemale GENFemale EWSFemale OBCFemale SCFemale STTotal Shift Strength
02.04.2026 S129,50310,53531,9438,9783,12214,6684,36414,8634,0141,426123,416
02.04.2026 S229,34710,49831,9068,9693,13114,5814,36714,8714,0321,435123,137
04.04.2026 S129,54510,53831,9809,0083,12414,6854,36214,8874,0091,434123,572
04.04.2026 S229,41410,49931,9178,9813,11614,5894,37414,8674,0291,428123,214
05.04.2026 S129,47610,53231,9108,9943,11514,6334,36114,8424,0131,435123,311
05.04.2026 S229,32410,55931,9719,0083,12214,5064,36914,8114,0221,417123,109
06.04.2026 S129,47210,53931,9239,0063,16714,6634,36114,8554,0121,465123,463
06.04.2026 S229,51110,55431,9939,0113,21514,6334,36014,8544,0101,464123,605
08.04.2026 S229,71010,53332,1199,0403,11814,7404,38514,9354,0601,437124,077

Important Dates

EventDate
Official NTA Notice Release Date23 Apr, 2026
JEE Main Session-1 Commencement Date21 Jan, 2026
Saraswati Puja Event (Clash & Rescheduling Date)23 Jan, 2026
JEE Main Session-2 Commencement Date02 Apr, 2026
JEE Main Session-2 Last Examination Date08 Apr, 2026

Syllabus Highlights

  • Perfect 100 Percentiles Identified: Session-1 saw twelve candidates achieve a 100.0000000 percentile score, while Session-2 had fifteen candidates achieve a perfect score across shifts.
  • Saraswati Puja Scheduling Shift: Candidates scheduled for the exam on 23rd January 2026 request rescheduling. Exams were systematically shifted to 24th January 2026 and 28th January 2026 to prevent clashes.
  • Uniform Shift Allotment algorithm: An automated randomizer allocates shifts to prevent any demographic concentration in a single batch.
  • The NTA Percentile Score Formula: Normalization translates raw scores into a scale from 100 to 0: $$\text{Percentile Score} = \frac{100 \times \text{No. of candidates appeared in the shift with raw score EQUAL TO OR LESS than candidate}}{\text{Total no. of candidates who appeared in that shift}}$$
  • Decimal Precision Standards: To avoid ranking ties, percentiles are calculated up to seven decimal places.

Important Steps

How NTA Translates Your Score: Step-by-Step

  1. Shift Grouping: Candidates are grouped into their specific date and shift (e.g., Session 1, 21st Jan, Shift 1).
  2. Raw Scoring: Marks out of 300 are compiled for each student based on the official answer keys.
  3. Ranking Sorting: Candidates are sorted in descending order based on their raw marks within their respective shifts.
  4. Percentile Generation: The NTA formula runs, converting raw scores into shift-normalized percentiles to balance varying difficulty levels.
  5. Multi-session Compilation: Finally, scores from all shifts are combined to construct the overall rank list.

Pro-Tip & Common Misconceptions to Avoid: Your percentile score is not your raw percentage of marks. It indicates your relative performance compared to others in your specific shift. Therefore, an easier shift requires a higher raw score to achieve the same percentile as a more difficult shift.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did NTA change the exam dates on 23rd January 2026?

NTA received multiple rescheduling requests due to the Saraswati Puja festival on 23rd January 2026. To accommodate candidates, the agency moved those exams to 24th and 28th January 2026 across different shifts.

What mathematical formula does NTA use to calculate percentiles?

Percentile score = (100 * Number of candidates who appeared in the shift with a raw score equal to or less than the candidate) divided by (the total number of candidates who appeared in that specific shift).

Why are JEE Main percentile scores calculated to seven decimal places?

NTA calculates percentiles to seven decimal places to reduce ranking ties among candidates with similar raw marks and ensure a fair merit list.

Is candidate distribution balanced across categories in each shift?

Yes. NTA uses an automated randomization algorithm to ensure that genders, social categories (GEN, EWS, OBC, SC, ST), and PwD candidates are uniformly distributed across all testing shifts.

Official Notification

Always verify all details on the official government website before submitting your application.

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