Published: 21 January 2026, Wednesday
JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Begins Today
The National Testing Agency commenced JEE Main 2026 Session 1 examinations on January 21, 2026, marking the start of India's largest engineering entrance test cycle. Over nine days, engineering aspirants will appear for Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) on January 21, 22, 23, 24, and 28, while architecture and planning candidates will take Paper 2A and 2B on January 29. The exams run in two shifts daily, with morning sessions from 9 AM to 12 noon and afternoon sessions from 3 PM to 6 PM.
NTA expanded examination centres this year to improve accessibility for candidates from remote regions, addressing previous concerns about travel-related stress. The agency strengthened digital infrastructure with enhanced mock test portals and live registration helplines to support nearly 1.2 million expected candidates across both sessions.
Session 2 examinations are scheduled for April 2-9, 2026, with registrations opening in late January. Candidates appearing in both sessions will have their best score considered for All India Rank determination, providing a safety net for those seeking improvement.
CBSE Admit Cards 2026 Release Soon
Central Board of Secondary Education will release CBSE Class 10 and 12 admit cards for regular students in the first week of February 2026. Private candidates already received their hall tickets earlier this month through the official CBSE portal. The board follows a pattern of issuing admit cards five to six days before examinations commence.
CBSE Board Exam 2026 Phase 1 runs from February 17 to March 11, while Phase 2 extends from May 15 to June 1. Schools will distribute admit cards to regular students, while private candidates must download them from cbse.gov.in and parikshasangam.cbse.gov.in. Students must verify all details including roll number, examination center address, and subject codes, immediately upon receiving their hall tickets.
The board introduced stricter verification protocols this year, requiring students to report discrepancies at least three days before their first examination. Examination centres will implement enhanced security measures, including biometric verification and digital photo matching, to prevent impersonation.
UGC NET Result 2025-26 Expected
National Testing Agency is expected to announce the UGC NET Result 2025-26 for the December session by the last week of January 2026. The examinations, conducted from December 31, 2025, to January 7, 2026, across 85 subjects, saw participation from approximately 600,000 candidates seeking Junior Research Fellowship and Assistant Professor eligibility.
NTA released provisional answer keys on January 14, 2026, allowing candidates to raise objections until January 18. The final result will incorporate feedback from this process and include detailed category-wise cutoffs, NTA scores, and percentile rankings. Candidates can download their scorecards from ugcnet.nta.ac.in using their application number and date of birth.
The December session results will determine eligibility for PhD admissions and faculty positions across Indian universities. NEP 2020 provisions allow 4-year UG degree holders with 75% aggregate marks to qualify for JRF, expanding opportunities for undergraduate researchers.
NEET UG 2026 Registration Dates
National Testing Agency will open NEET UG 2026 registration in the first week of February 2026. The application window will remain active for approximately 30 days, closing in the first week of March 2026. The NEET UG 2026 examination is scheduled for May 3, 2026, with admit cards releasing in the first week of May.
The registration process requires candidates to complete online forms at neet.nta.nic.in, upload scanned documents, and pay fees ranging from ₹1,000 for SC/ST/PwBD candidates to ₹1,700 for General category applicants. NTA implemented Aadhaar-linked verification to streamline the application process and reduce errors.
Foreign nationals must pay ₹9,500 and follow additional documentation requirements. The agency advised early submission to avoid server congestion and technical glitches during peak periods. NEET UG 2026 will follow the same pattern as previous years, with 200 multiple-choice questions covering Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.
CUET PG 2026 Updates
National Testing Agency extended CUET PG 2026 application deadline to January 23, 2026, providing a final opportunity for postgraduate aspirants. The entrance examination is scheduled for March 13 to April 1, 2026, with admit cards expected in the fourth week of February.
CUET PG 2026 will be conducted in phases, with admit cards released three to four days before each candidate's specific examination date. The city intimation slip, expected in late February, will inform candidates about their examination center location approximately two weeks before the test.
NTA will conduct CUET PG across multiple shifts to accommodate the growing number of applicants seeking admission to central universities and participating institutions. The agency enhanced the application correction window this year, allowing modifications from January 18 to January 20, 2026.
