What Does Drop Question Mean in JEE Mains? - 9 Questions Dropped in 2026 Session 1

What Does Drop Question Mean in JEE Mains? - 9 Questions Dropped in 2026 Session 1

RanjeetaUpdated on 16 Feb 2026, 02:57 PM IST

What Does Drop Question Mean in JEE Mains?- NTA has released the final JEE Main 2026 Answer Key today, February 16, 2026. The final JEE Main answer key pdf is available on the official website, jeemain.nta.nic.in. As per the final answer key, the authority has dropped 9 questions for Indian exam centres and 9 for international exam centres. JEE Main dropped questions indicate that aspirants will be awarded a bonus of +4 for each question who has appear for that particular shift. Full marks will be awarded to students who have attempted or not attempted the dropped question. Candidates can check the JEE Main 2026 final answer key PDF file and cross-verify their answer and find out the actual marks they have secured before the release of JEE Main 2026 session 1 result today, February 16, 2026. Check the JEE Main 2026 percentile calculator to estimate their performance in the exam.
Direct link to download the JEE Main 2026 final answer key

LiveJEE Mains 2026 Result (OUT) LIVE: NTA JEE scorecard at jeemain.nta.nic.in; 13 lakh appeared, no female toppersFeb 16, 2026 | 9:58 PM IST

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has declared the JEE Mains 2026 session 1 results for over 13 lakh candidates. 

Based on previous years’ trends and expert estimates, the qualifying cut-offs for JEE Advanced 2026 are expected to fall around the following ranges. These figures are indicative and may vary depending on exam difficulty and overall performance:

  • General (UR): 93.3 to 93.6 percentile (around 115+ marks)
  • GEN-EWS: 81.1 to 81.5 percentile (around 85+ marks)
  • OBC-NCL: 79.9 to 80.4 percentile (around 80+ marks)
  • SC: 61.8 to 62.5 percentile (around 55+ marks)
  • ST: 48.5 to 50.0 percentile (around 45+ marks)
Read More

This Story also Contains

  1. Dropped Questions in Final Answer Key JEE Mains 2026 Session 1
  2. How many questions were dropped in the JEE Mains 2026?
  3. JEE Main 2026 Final Answer Key Dropped Question List - For Centres Inside India
  4. JEE Main 2026 Final Answer Key Dropped Question List - For Centers Outside India
  5. Calculate Marks Using JEE Main 2026 Final Answer Key session 1
  6. Previous Years' JEE Mains Marks vs Percentile January Session
What Does Drop Question Mean in JEE Mains? - 9 Questions Dropped in 2026 Session 1
What Does Drop Question Mean in JEE Mains?

Dropped Questions in Final Answer Key JEE Mains 2026 Session 1

Due to human error or technical error, 9+9 questions from the JEE Main 2026 session 1 B.E. / B.Tech questions have been dropped. However, candidates must not worry, since they will be given 4+ marks for each question irrespective of the fact whether the dropped question has been attempted or not attempted. Candidates cross-check the final answer key pdf to see if they have attempted any question from the 9+9 dropped questions. They can also check the JEE Main 2026 Rank Predictor to analyse their final result.

How many questions were dropped in the JEE Mains 2026?

As per the final JEE Main answer key released today, a total of 9 questions were dropped for exam centres inside India. And 9 questions were dropped for the exam centres outside India. Candidates check the exact number of numbers questins and their IDs below.

JEE Main 2026 Final Answer Key Dropped Question List - For Centres Inside India

Find below the dropped question IDs shift-wise and subject-wise in the JEE Main final answer key for the centres in India.

Date and Shift

Subjects Name

Dropped Questions ID

January 22 - Shift 1

Physics

444792191

January 22 - Shift 2

Maths

860654995

Physics

8606541010

8606541017

January 23 - Shift 1

Physics

8606541395

January 23 - Shift 2

Physics

444792476

444792479

January 24 - Shift 2

Physics

444792647

January 28 - Shift 1

Maths

444792698

JEE Main 2026 Final Answer Key Dropped Question List - For Centers Outside India

Find below the dropped question IDs shift-wise and subject-wise in the JEE final answer key for the centres outside India.

Date and Shift

Subjects Name

Dropped Questions ID

January 22 - Shift 1

Physics

44479294

January 22 - Shift 1

Maths

8606541895

January 22 - Shift 2

Physics

8606541910

8606541917

January 23 - Shift 1

Physics

8606541995

January 23 - Shift 2

Physics

4447921151

4447921154

January 24 - Shift 1

Physics

4447921322

January 28 - Shift 1

Maths

4447921829

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

Calculate Marks Using JEE Main 2026 Final Answer Key session 1

Candidates can calculate their marks score using the JEE Main answer key and response sheet before the release of the JEE Main 2026 result. Follow the instructions below to calculate the final score for session 1 of the JEE Main exam 2026.

  • First, take the answer key and response sheet.

  • Add 4 marks to each correct answer.

  • Deduct -1 mark for every incorrect answer.

  • Give 0 marks for each unanswered question or unattempted one.

  • Add 4 marks to the dropped question.

  • Finally, add all the scores and the raw score of the candidate.

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Now, candidates can determine their expected percentile and rank with the previous years' JEE Mains marks vs percentile data based on their raw score.

Also, check how to calculate your JEE Main rank using your percentile scores

Previous Years' JEE Mains Marks vs Percentile January Session

Candidates can check the previous years' marks vs percentile trends to calculate their probable JEE Main score along with the JEE Main final answer key 2026.

Percentile


22nd Jan Shift 1


22nd Jan Shift 2


23rd Jan Shift 1


23rd Jan Shift 2


24th Jan Shift 1


24th Jan Shift 2


28th Jan Shift 1


28th Jan Shift 2


29th Jan Shift 1


29th Jan Shift 2

99.50+

200

190

193

200

198

185

184

186

196

189

99.00 - 99.49

190

175

177

185

183

168

165

170

180

173

98.00 - 98.99

172

154

158

165

162

149

145

150

160

153

97.00 - 97.99

155

138

142

148

145

132

128

133

144

136

96.00 - 96.99

142

125

128

133

131

118

115

120

130

121

95.00 - 95.99

132

114

117

120

119

107

103

110

118

111

94.00 - 94.99

124

105

107

110

109

100

95

101

108

102

93.00 - 93.99

115

98

99

102

102

95

91

95

100

97

92.00 - 92.99

108

93

93

96

96

88

86

90

95

92

91.00 - 91.99

103

88

89

92

93

85

82

86

91

89

90.00 - 90.99

99

85

86

90

89

80

77

82

88

85

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What does 'Drop' mean in the final answe key for JEE Main?
A:

A drop question in JEE Main means the question has been removed from the exam shift due to technical errors. A full bonus mark of 4  is awarded to the dropped question to all the students who have attended the shift.

Q: Are marks awarded for the drop question in JEE Mains 2026?
A:

Yes, a full bonus mark of 4  is awarded to the dropped question to all the students who has attended the shift.

Q: How many questions were dropped in the JEE Mains 2026?
A:

NTA has dropped 9 questions for both domestic and international exam centres across the shifts in the JEE Main 2026.

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