JEE Main 2021: Over 11 lakh candidates set to appear in exam this year

NEW DELHI: A record 11 lakh candidates have registered with the National Testing Agency (NTA) to appear at this year’s JEE (Main) for which they will be given the option for four attempts, beginning with the February edition of the exam. .
Also for the first time, the 200-odd engineering colleges (govt and private run) of Uttar Pradesh would conduct their admission based on scores of this test for which the National Testing Agency (NTA) has extended the last date of registration to January 23.
While over 6.5 lakh candidates have registered for the February edition, around 4.8 lakh each are to appear for March, April and May editions, according to NTA sources. With multiple chances given to candidates, this will total up to over 20 lakh attempts spread over the four editions. In 2020, 9.5 lakh candidates took the test while the figure was 10 lakh for 2019.
Of the total of 11 lakh candidates, according to NTA sources, nearly half have opted for two and more attempts.
“With the candidates taking the exam multiple times, total tests taken is expected to cross at least 20 lakh (considering past attendance) this year, which means as per present estimate the ratio to each unique candidates to number of tests take stands at 1:1.8 as against 1:1.2,” said an NTA official.
But with the NTA offering the test four times and entry and exit option opening again after the February edition, registered candidates can opt out of subsequent tests or even join which will further change the aspirant-attempt ratio.
Meanwhile, the ambit of the exam has increased with the technical institutions of Uttar Pradesh deciding to join the JEE (Main). With Madan Mohan Malviya University of Technology, Gorakhpur, joining late, NTA extended the last date of registration, said an NTA official.
The other states which have been using JEE (Main) scores are Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Nagaland, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Punjab.
JEE (Main) is conducted for admission to undergraduate programmes in National Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Information Technology and other centrally funded technical institutions and institutions of participating states. It is also the eligibility test for JEE (Advanced) for admission to prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).