The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially released the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 provisional answer key on 4 February 2026. Candidates who appeared for the January session examination can now access the answer key through their individual login on the official website jeemain.nta.nic.in. The provisional answer key provides the correct responses to the questions asked in the exam and serves as an important tool for candidates to analyse their performance. Since it is provisional in nature, candidates are also given an opportunity to challenge any answer they believe is incorrect before the final key is published. Along with the answer key, NTA has also made the question papers and response sheets available, allowing candidates to compare their marked answers with the official solutions.
How to Download JEE Main 2026 Answer Key PDF?
Candidates must log in to the official portal to download the answer key. The step-by-step process is outlined below:
- Visit the official website jeemain.nta.nic.in
- Click on the link titled “Provisional Answer Key Session 1”
- Enter the required login credentials such as application number, password, and CAPTCHA
- After successful login, access the candidate dashboard
- Download the answer key PDF displayed for the respective shift and paper
The answer key is issued shift-wise and remains the same for all candidates who appeared in that particular session.
How Answer Key Helps in Score Calculation?
The provisional answer key helps candidates calculate their expected score before the official result declaration. To do this, candidates must compare the answer key with their response sheet. Candidates should follow the official marking scheme:
- +4 marks for every correct answer
- -1 mark for each incorrect answer
- No marks are deducted for unanswered questions
By adding the marks for correct responses and subtracting penalties for incorrect ones, candidates can estimate their probable score. However, the final confirmed score will be available only after the result announcement scheduled for 12 February 2026. Candidates are advised to regularly check the official NTA portal for updates regarding the final answer key and result release.