How Many Candidates Applied for JEE Mains 2026 Session 2
| Updated On - Apr 15, 2026
According to an official report by NTA, around 11.23 Lakhs candidates registered for the JEE Mains 2026 Session 2. The exam will be held in 566 examination centres across 304 cities nationwide and 14 cities outside India.
- A total of 13,50,969 candidates applied for JEE Mains 2026 session 1 as per NTA.
- The total candidates include both new candidates and repeat candidates, which can affect the rank vs percentile trends.
- An increased number of candidates in session 2 can directly affect the cutoff, especially for top institutes like NIT Trichy and IIIT Hyderabad, where even small percentile changes can shift ranks significantly.
Session 2 numbers show that competition depends more on quality (prepared repeaters) than quantity (total applicants), which makes the rank improvement more tough.
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Key Summary:
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JEE Mains 2026 Candidates Registration for Session 2 vs Session 1
- Total registrations (13.5 lakh) shows that JEE Main have very high demand, that shows high national-level competition.
- Appearance count (13.0 lakh) is only slightly lower, which means most registered candidates actually took the exam, reflecting serious participation.
- In session to a larger number of candidates around 26 lakhs registered for it.
| Session | Registered | Appeared |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | 13,55,293 | 13,04,653 |
| Session 2 | Around 11.23 Lakhs | To be updated |
| Total | Around 24,78,293 | To be updated |
Ques. How many candidates registered for JEE Main 2026 Session 2?
Ans. Around 16 lakh candidates are expected to have registered for JEE Main 2026 Session 2. Official data is yet to be released.
JEE Mains Registration Trends (2020-2025)
- Overall trend (2020–2025) shows a rise in unique candidates, meaning competition in JEE Main is increasing every year.
- An increase after 2022 indicates a post-pandemic surge, as more students started appearing regularly once exam schedules stabilized.
| Year | Session 1 Registrations | Session 2 Registrations | Total Unique Registrations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13,11,544 | 12,58,136 | 15,39,848 |
| 2024 | 12,31,874 | 12,80,569 | 14,76,557 |
| 2023 | 8,60,064 | 9,31,334 | 11,62,398 |
| 2022 | 8,72,970 | 6,22,034 | 10,26,799 |
| 2021 | 6,52,628 (Feb) + 6,19,641 (Mar) | 7,09,611 (Jul) + 7,32,000 (Aug) | 10,48,012 |
| 2020 | 9,41,000 (Jan) | 7,18,000 (Sep) | 11,74,000 |
Ques. Why are there more candidates in Session 2 compared to Session 1?
Ans. Session 2 includes many repeat test-takers who appear again to improve their scores, increasing total registrations.
Why are Registration Number Increasing Every year?
- More applicants in Session 2, mainly because many students took the exam again to improve their score.
- Session 1 is often treated as practice, while Session 2 is taken more seriously as the final attempt.
- Students are better prepared in Session 2, so overall performance level goes up.
| Aspect | Session 1 | Session 2 | Key Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Applicants | Slightly lower or base-level registrations | Usually higher due to re-attempts | Increase is mainly driven by same candidates reappearing, not entirely new students |
| Nature of Candidates | Mix of serious + first-time/less prepared students | More focused and prepared candidates | Competition quality improves in Session 2 |
| Preparation Level | Many students treat it as a trial attempt | Treated as final/score improvement attempt | Better preparation leads to higher score competition |
| Role of Repeat Test-Takers | Not applicable (first attempt) | Major contributor to total applicants | Repeaters aim to boost percentile, tightening rank margins |
| Competition Intensity | Moderate to high | Higher than Session 1 | Due to experienced candidates and improved scores |
| Impact on Percentile vs Marks | Slightly easier scoring trend | Higher marks needed for same percentile | Performance pressure increases in Session 2 |
| Student Strategy | Testing exam pattern, time management | Applying learnings from Session 1 | Reflects a strategic approach in JEE Main |
What These Registration Numbers Mean for Your Rank
- These numbers show that in JEE Main a small increase in percentile means beating thousands of students.
- At 90 percentile, around 1.5 lakh students are still ahead, so the rank is relatively lower.
- At 95 percentile, competition reduces, but still tens of thousands of students are above.
| Percentile | Approx Students Scoring Higher |
| 90 Percentile | 1.5 lakh students |
| 95 Percentile | 75,000 students |
| 98 Percentile | 30,000 students |
| 99 Percentile | 15,000 students |
| 99.5 Percentile | 7,500 students |
Ques. Does a higher number of candidates affect the cutoff?
Ans. Yes, more candidates lead to higher cutoffs due to increased competition for limited seats.
Ques. How does Session 2 affect rank vs percentile?
Ans. In Session 2, small mark differences can cause big rank changes, making competition tighter.
Ques. Are all Session 2 candidates new applicants?
Ans. No, a large number are repeat candidates from Session 1, which increases competition quality.
Ques. Why is Session 2 considered more competitive?
Ans. Students are better prepared and more focused, using their Session 1 experience to improve performance.
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*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.