JEE Main 2026 Session 1 kicked off on January 21 with Paper 1 (BE/BTech), held in two shifts. Lakhs of students walked into exam centres across the country. Some confident. Some nervous. All focused.
Once the exam concluded, the National Testing Agency (NTA) released the official attendance data for both shifts.
On this page, you will find:
- Shift-wise number of students who appeared
- Attendance percentages for each shift
- What these numbers actually mean for the competition
Every figure shared below comes straight from official NTA data. No assumptions. Just facts.
JEE Main 2026 January 21: Shift-Wise Attendance Overview
On January 21, JEE Main 2026 was conducted in:
- Shift 1: Morning
- Shift 2: Afternoon
Both shifts saw high attendance, indicating strong participation in Session 1.
JEE Main 2026 January 21 – Shift 1 Attendance
| Metric | Details |
| Scheduled Candidates | 1,33,626 |
| Candidates Appeared | 1,27,562 |
| Attendance Percentage | 95.46% |
| Aadhaar Verified Candidates | 1,22,367 |
| PwD Candidates | 417 |
JEE Main 2026 January 21 – Shift 2 Attendance
| Metric | Details |
| Scheduled Candidates | 1,34,631 |
| Candidates Appeared | 1,28,938 |
| Attendance Percentage | 95.77% |
| Aadhaar Verified Candidates | 1,23,703 |
| PwD Candidates | 430 |
Total Students Appeared on January 21, 2026
Across both shifts:
- More than 2.56 lakh students appeared for JEE Main 2026 on January 21.
How Does This Compare to Overall JEE Main 2026 Registrations?
For JEE Main 2026 Session 1:
- Total registrations stood at around 14.5 lakh candidates
- Exams were spread across multiple days and shifts
Given this distribution, an appearance of over 2.5 lakh students on a single day reflects:
- High seriousness among aspirants
- Strong competition right from the start of the session
What Does High Attendance Mean for Students?
High attendance does not make the exam tougher. It does not change how papers are evaluated.
JEE Main follows a percentile-based normalisation system. Your performance is compared only with students from your shift.
So even if more students appear:
- Percentile calculation remains fair
- Difficulty differences are balanced
- Rankings are not affected by crowd size
What matters most is how accurately you attempted the paper.
In simple terms:
- More students ≠ tougher evaluation
- Percentiles adjust based on relative performance within a shift
What matters most is accuracy and consistency, not the number of candidates.
Does Attendance Impact Cut-offs?
Indirectly, but not immediately. Higher overall participation may:
- Increase competition
- Slightly influence the qualifying cut-offs
However:
- Cut-offs depend on multiple factors
- Difficulty level and score distribution play a bigger role
Attendance alone does not decide outcomes.
Key Takeaway for Aspirants
January 21 saw strong participation across both shifts. But numbers don’t define results. What truly matters is:
- Concept clarity
- Calm execution
- Smart use of time
So, focus on your preparation and performance; the system takes care of the balance.
FAQs: JEE Main 2026 January 21 Attendance
Q1. Does higher attendance make JEE Main more competitive?
Higher attendance increases competition, but percentile normalisation ensures fairness. Performance within your shift matters more than total numbers.
Q2. Does attendance affect percentile calculation?
No. Percentile calculation depends on relative performance within a shift, not on how many students appeared overall.
Q3. Is high attendance common on the first day of JEE Main?
Yes. Day 1 usually sees strong participation as many candidates prefer early exam slots.
Q4. Should students worry about high competition numbers?
No. Students should focus on accuracy, speed, and conceptual clarity. The evaluation system balances variations across shifts.
Q5. Which shift was easiest last year in the JEE Main 2025 session 1 and session 2?
As per the JEE Main Session 1 Exam Analysis last year, in session 1, shift 1 on 29 January was the easiest. For session 2, Shift 1 on April 3 had the easiest papers.
