New Delhi

Twelve candidates have secured a perfect 100 score in the first edition of JEE-Main 2026, with the highest number — three — hailing from Rajasthan, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced on Monday.

More than 13.04 lakh candidates appeared for the crucial engineering entrance examination, Joint Entrance Examination Main.

According to sources, at least nine questions were dropped from the final answer key after discrepancies were flagged by students and other stakeholders. “For the nine questions dropped across multiple shifts, full marks will be awarded to all candidates who appeared for that particular shift,” a source said. Last year, six questions were dropped.

Among the 12 candidates who secured an NTA score of 100, three are from Rajasthan, two from Andhra Pradesh, and one each from Delhi, Bihar, Odisha, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Telangana. All 12 toppers are male, and 11 belong to the general category.

The top scorers are Kabeer Chhillar, Chiranjib Kar and Arnav Gautam (Rajasthan); Narendrababu Gari Mahith and Pasala Mohith (Andhra Pradesh); Shreyas Mishra (Delhi); Shubham Kumar (Bihar); Bhavesh Patra (Odisha); Anay Jain (Haryana); Madhav Viradiya (Maharashtra); Puroht Nimay (Gujarat); and Vivan Sharad Mahiswari (Telangana).

Officials clarified that the NTA score is not the same as the percentage of marks obtained but represents normalised scores. “NTA scores are normalised scores across multi-shift papers and are based on the relative performance of all those who appeared in one shift. The marks obtained are transformed into a scale ranging from 100 to 0 for each shift of examinees,” a senior official said.

To ensure smooth conduct of the examination, the NTA set up a Central Control Room and coordinated with state and district authorities. For the first time, OTP-based Aadhaar e-KYC was introduced during registration to prevent impersonation.

Live CCTV surveillance with analytics was implemented at all examination centres, with remote live-viewing arrangements at the NTA headquarters in New Delhi. AI-based video analytics, virtual observers, and post-examination recording analysis were also deployed to detect malpractice.

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Additionally, 5G jammers were installed at all centres to prevent unfair practices through mobile phones or other electronic devices, officials said.