Is It Possible to Crack JEE Mains 2026? Strategy, Timeline & Reality Check

Is It Possible to Crack JEE Mains 2026? Strategy, Timeline & Reality Check

RanjeetaUpdated on 16 Jan 2026, 06:16 PM IST

Is it possible to crack JEE Mains 2026? Well, this might be a question for more than half of the JEE aspirants. Qualifying for the exam will depend solely on the preparation of the candidate. With the right guidance and a well-planned study routine, it is possible to at least qualify for the exam. However, to fetch good scores, one needs to give their best and devote at least 17-18 hours daily for preparation. Aspirants are mainly required to focus more on high-weightage chapters and practice the JEE Main 2026 mock test daily. Candidates can also check the free mock test by Careers360.

LiveJEE Main Admit Card 2026 LIVE: NTA to issue exam hall ticket shortly at jeemain.nta.nic.in; timings,guidelinesJan 16, 2026 | 9:44 PM IST

For the IIT Hyderabad BTech CSE programme, the closing rank for the open category slipped from 656 to 673, while for SC students it declined from 182 to 198. At the same time, the CSE cut-off for the SC category improved slightly, moving from 82 to 80.

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This Story also Contains

  1. When is JEE Mains 2026 Session 1 & 2?
  2. JEE Main 2026 Study Plan
  3. Tips to prepare for JEE Main 2026
  4. Best Books for JEE Main 2026
Is It Possible to Crack JEE Mains 2026? Strategy, Timeline & Reality Check
Is It Possible to Crack JEE Mains 2026? Strategy, Timeline & Reality Check

Only a few days left for the first session of the JEE Main 2026 exam, which is scheduled for January 21, 22, 23, 24, 28 and 29, 2026. Candidates can crack the exam if they follow the right strategy plan, consistently keep practising daily, and follow a well-structured one-month routine regularly. The session 2 JEE Main 2026 exam will be held from April 2 to 9, 2026. Find below the structure study plans for the JEE Main exam 2026.
Also Check: JEE Main preparation tips | JEE Main exam pattern

When is JEE Mains 2026 Session 1 & 2?

The best preparation plan starts with the awareness of JEE Main exam dates. Here is the schedule for the JEE Main 2026 exam available on the official website. As per the dates, only a few days are left for the JEE Main session 1 exam. Candidates must pace up their study preparation if they want to crack the exam. Find below the schedule to know how many days are left for JEE Mains 2026.

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Sessions

Date (tentative)

JEE Main 2026 session 1 exam date

January 21, 22, 23, 24, 28 and 29, 2026

JEE Main 2026 exam date session 2

April 02 to 09, 2026

JEE Main 2026 Study Plan

Careers360 has curated a structured routine plan for candidates to follow daily so that they can catch up quickly with the JEE Main 2026 syllabus within a month. The timing has been assigned based on the time period required for studies. Candidates must follow the routine below diligently.

Time

Activity

Purpose

6:00 AM – 7:00 AM

Light revision/formula review

Quick recall of important notes or formulas; start the day fresh

7:00 AM – 8:30 AM

Focused study session 1

Practice problems or concept reinforcement

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM

Break

Relax, breakfast, short walk

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Focused study session 2

Solve previous year questions or sectional exercises

10:30 AM – 11:00 AM

Short break

Tea/refresh

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Focused study session 3

Practice mock test section or numerical questions

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

Lunch / Rest

Take a complete break

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Revision / Notes

Revise formulas, short notes, key mistakes from previous tests

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Break

Tea/snack, relax

3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Mock test / Practice set

Take timed mini-tests or full section of previous papers

5:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Break

Short walk or refresh

5:30 PM – 7:00 PM

Problem-solving / Weak area focus

Work on mistakes or difficult questions

7:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Break

Dinner prep / light activity

7:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Revision / Formula notebook

Recap what was studied today, update the error notebook

9:00 PM – 9:30 PM

Light reading / Relax

Optional: motivational reading, mental relaxation

10:00 PM

Sleep

Ensure proper rest for memory consolidation

Tips to prepare for JEE Main 2026

Here are a few study tips that candidates can follow to crack JEE Main 2026. The tips are as follows:

Prioritise high-weightage topics in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics:

With the short period of time, candidates should focus more on high-weightage topics. Since these topics appear in the paper frequently and carry more marks. Here are a few high-weightage topics.

Chemistry: Periodic table, p-Block Elements, Transition Elements & Coordination Compounds, Thermodynamics & the Gaseous State, etc.

Physics: Optics, Thermodynamics, Electrostatics, Current Electricity, Properties of Solids and Liquids.

Mathematics: Calculus, Algebra, Coordinate Geometry, Integral Calculus, Limits.

Check the details syllabus here:

JEE Main Previous 10 Year Questions & Solutions
Ace JEE Main with our ultimate ebook featuring previous 10-year question papers (2016–2025), detailed solutions, and clear insights into the latest exam pattern.
Download EBook

Practice PYQs regularly: Make a routine of solving previous year questions (PYQs) daily. Dedicate at least 1.5 hours to solving the JEE Main Chapter Wise PYQs and attempt at least 40-50 questions daily from each subject. Keep track of the errors, like calculation slips or conceptual gaps, in a notebook and try resolving them again.

Time Management: With limited time, candidates must make sure to cover all the subjects included in the JEE Main syllabus. Find below the timetable that candidates can follow to manage their timetable for every day, so that they can balance time for each subject.

Subject

Time

Physics

3 hours

Chemistry

2.5 hours

Mathematics

3 hours

Mock Test + Analysis

1.5 hours

Best Books for JEE Main 2026

Candidates, if confused which books to refer to or include in their daily lesson plan, look no further, as we have lined up the most important books for JEE Main 2026. These books are proven to cover the syllabus of the JEE Main exam.

Subject

Books

Purpose / Notes

Physics

Concepts of Physics (Vol. 1 & 2) – H.C. Verma

Build strong fundamentals and problem-solving skills


Problems in Physics – S.S. Krotov

Practice challenging and analytical problems

Chemistry (Organic)

Organic Chemistry – O.P. Tandon

Clear concepts and essential practice


Organic Chemistry – Morrison & Boyd

Understand reaction mechanisms and advanced concepts

Chemistry (Physical)

Problems in Physical Chemistry – Narendra Awasthi

Practice numerical and problem-solving skills


Concepts of Physical Chemistry – P. Bahadur

Comprehensive coverage for all topics

Chemistry (Inorganic)

Concise Inorganic Chemistry – J.D. Lee

Structured content for easy understanding


NCERT Chemistry Class 11 & 12

Foundation and core concept clarity

Mathematics

Higher Algebra – Hall & Knight

Strong algebra practice and techniques


IIT Mathematics – M.L. Khanna

Comprehensive problem practice


Problems in Calculus of One Variable – I.A. Maron

Master calculus concepts and applications


Trigonometry – S.L. Loney

Deep understanding of trigonometry


JEE Main Syllabus: Subjects & Chapters
Select your preferred subject to view the chapters

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Can I crack the JEE January session 2026 now?
A:

It is hard to predict. It depends on the preparation level of the student.

Q: When should one start the JEE Main preparation?
A:

The ideal time to start the preparation is Class 11th. 

Q: Is group study helpful for JEE preparation?
A:

Studying in a group will only help when you focus more on studying than gossipping.

Q: Is it possible to crack JEE Main session 2?
A:

By following the planned study schedule, it is possible to crack JEE Main session 2.

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Questions related to JEE Main

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to JEE Main ?

Hello aspirant,

With a 90 percentile in JEE Mains and belonging to the EWS category, you have a decent chance for some IIITs, especially newer or lower-ranked ones like IIIT Pune, Nagpur, Vadodara, or Lucknow, or non-CSE branches in better IIITs, but getting top IIITs (like IIIT Hyderabad/Delhi) or core

Hello,

Yes, attendance is compulsory in Class XI and XII.

As per school and board rules, students must maintain minimum attendance, usually around 75%. Schools can stop students from appearing in board exams if attendance is short.

Even if a student is preparing for JEE or any other competitive exam

Hello,

You can find here the direct links to download the JEE Main last 10 years PYQ PDFs from the Official Careers360 website.

Kindly visit this link to access the question papers : Last 10 Years JEE Main Question Papers with Solutions PDF

Hope it helps !

Hello Harika,

Firstly, you cannot prepare for JEE in 8 days if you havent studied before. But still, You can try solving the previous year question papers. Here's a Link for the same

Previous Year Questions

HELLO,

If you are from General category with 57 percent in 12th then to appear for JEE Advanced you need to be in top percentile of your board as the eligibility for JEE advanced you need at least 75 percent in 12th or in the top 20 percentile of your