Guaranteed Top score in JEE Main 2026, but to choose Session 1 or 2?

Introduction: 

Since childhood, many aspire to professional courses such as NITs, IIITs, IITs, and other engineering or medical programs, and their dreams come to life in just a few hours of test performance on the national-level JEE Main 2026 exam platform. Government agencies have capped the number of attempts an aspirant can take to secure a dream career, and those unable to secure a rank within the prescribed attempts will have to shift their career options from engineering to another profession. Here is a description of JEE preparation tips for sessions 1 & 2 of JEE Main, along with their significance. 

JEE Main & JEE Advanced 2026: Limited to 3 & 2 attempts only

JEE Main 2026 is a national-level entrance exam for admission to NITs, IIITs, and other reputed deemed universities or colleges. In contrast, JEE Advanced is a test that helps aspirants progress to the next stage and enrol in their chosen courses at 23 IITs across the country. Incidentally, an aspirant may appear for JEE Main for three consecutive years, while an aspirant inspired to appear for JEE Advanced has a limit of two attempts. In addition, an aspirant may appear for JEE Advanced only after securing the category-wise JEE Main cutoffs and obtaining a score of 75 per cent in their board exams. An aspirant is limited to a set number of attempts and must maintain a predetermined board score, and experts say it can be like a tightrope walk. However, the current policy of allowing an aspirant to appear for both ongoing sessions should be used effectively to secure a top score, although the competition remains tough. Below are a few options that define an aspirant’s success and essentials for the  JEE session 1 and 2 focus. 

Percentile Calculations on Aspirants' Results of different days in  varying shifts

NTA conducts the JEE Main exam in two sessions, each a week long, with two shifts per day. The difficulty level varies from day to day and shift to shift, which may cause one shift's percentile score to be higher than others. To maintain uniformity, the NTA adopts the normality procedure, which ensures that individuals taking session one and session two are treated equally. Moreover, when an aspirant takes two sessions, 1 & 2, the higher percentile across attempts is used as the final result. 

JEE Preparation Tips: Aspirants concentrating on the JEE Main Session 1 exam 

 An aspirant can take the JEE preparation tips to secure a good score. The first attempt will help to identify the stronger and weaker areas. Identifying faulty lines in the exam hall can help an aspirant boost confidence and prepare for the examination better on the next attempt. Another major hurdle most aspirants face is managing board examinations alongside session one exams in the last week of January. Some aspirants may feel the opposite: session 1 has fewer measurable distractions and less academic pressure. 

Aspirants Concentrating on the JEE Main Session 2 exam only 

Aspirants appearing for Session 2 can devote ample time, as their board exams will be complete. The second attempt in Session 2 can help aspirants to overcome toughness, as they have about 2 to 3 months to prepare. In the second session, an aspirant can refine their strategy, and under less pressure, about 70 per cent score higher on this attempt. Sometimes, the aspirant's dependency on the second attempt can cause anxiety and pressure, thus giving the aspirant a little hope to score better. 

Benefits for Aspirants taking both JEE Main 2026 sessions 1 & 2 simultaneously

To top score in JEE Main 2026, an aspirant should be keen to master the basics, practice mock tests, and attempt the session seriously. If an aspirant intends to make another attempt, they should identify the mistakes and correct them.  An aspirant must analyse the weaker areas of study and revise repeatedly. The aspirant must attempt as many mock tests as possible, and they should keep themselves fresh by taking small breaks while studying. 

Summary:

JEE Main 2026 is a national-level examination that provides an aspirant a broader opportunity to secure a top score. It is often considered the toughest examination next to JEE Advanced (IIT). Earlier, aspirants could take the exam only once a year; now, NTA has expanded it to two attempts per year. This change in JEE Main exam engagement has enabled aspirants to achieve a higher success rate, bringing them closer to their goals. When an aspirant receives more options to take the JEE exam, it may seem unusual. Still, it certainly requires careful analysis of the circumstances that arise while preparing for the two sessions, namely, sessions 1 & 2, which fall between January and April every year. The blog provides a detailed overview of the pros and cons of preparing for JEE Main in one or two attempts, along with JEE preparation tips.