NCHMCT JEE 2026: Round 1 Seat Allotment Out, Counselling, Cutoff and Marks vs Rank

NCHMCT JEE 2026, officially called NCHM JEE, is a national-level entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) for admission to hotel management programmes across 90 institutes in India. The exam was held on April 25, 2026, and the result was declared on May 23, 2026. The NCHMCT JEE 2026 Round 1 B.Sc. HHA seat allotment has been declared today, June 6, 2026, on the official counselling portal at nchmcounselling.nic.in.

• Round 1 Seat Allotment: The NCHMCT JEE 2026 Round 1 B.Sc. HHA seat allotment is out today, June 6, 2026. Candidates can log in to nchmcounselling.nic.in to check their allotted institute and course. Last year, Round 1 allotment was declared in the first week of June 2025 as well.
• Document Upload & Fee Payment: Candidates allotted a seat in Round 1 must upload documents and pay the ₹20,000 Seat Acceptance Fee between June 7 and June 9, 2026. Missing this deadline means losing the allotted seat.
• Final Round Counselling: Final Round registration and choice filling opens June 12 and closes June 14, 2026. The Final Round seat allotment will be declared on June 16, 2026. Candidates choosing the Float option in Round 1 can participate in this round for a better institute preference.
• Academic Session: The B.Sc. HHA academic session is scheduled to begin on July 27, 2026. Allotted candidates must complete physical reporting at their institute between June 20 and July 24, 2026. Hostel allotment will be declared on July 16, 2026.

What is NCHMCT JEE 2026?

NCHMCT JEE stands for the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology Joint Entrance Examination. NTA conducts this exam every year on behalf of NCHMCT, which functions under India’s Ministry of Tourism. It is one of the most important hotel management entrance exams in the country, opening doors to more than 12,600 seats across 90 participating institutes.

The B.Sc. (Hospitality and Hotel Administration) programme offered through NCHMCT JEE is a three-year, six-semester degree jointly awarded by NCHMCT and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. The exam also admits students to the two-year M.Sc. (Hospitality Administration) programme at select institutes. Both programmes are widely recognised in the hospitality and tourism industry.

The 2026 exam was held on April 25, 2026, in CBT mode across 120 exam centres in India. Around 11,000 to 12,000 candidates appeared for the exam this year. The result was declared on May 23, 2026, and counselling is now underway with the Round 1 seat allotment out today.

NCHMCT JEE 2026: Important Dates

The NCHMCT JEE 2026 exam is over and the result has been declared. Counselling is now in progress. The table below lists all key events — upcoming dates appear first so you can act on them immediately, followed by past events for reference.

Candidates allotted seats in Round 1 must complete document upload and pay the Seat Acceptance Fee by June 9, 2026 — missing this deadline will result in forfeiture of the allotted seat.

Source: nchmcounselling.nic.in

NCHMCT JEE 2026: Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for NCHMCT JEE are set by NCHMCT and are straightforward. Most students who have completed their 10+2 with English as a subject are eligible to apply.

Educational Qualification

• You must have passed Class 10+2 or an equivalent examination from a recognised board.
• English is mandatory — it must be one of the subjects in your 10+2 examination. There are no exceptions to this rule.
• There is no minimum percentage requirement for Class 10+2.
• Candidates appearing in the 10+2 examination in the same academic year (2025–26) were also eligible to apply, subject to submitting proof of passing before admission.

Age Limit

• There is no upper age limit for NCHMCT JEE 2026 as per the New Education Policy (NEP) guidelines introduced by the Government of India.
• All candidates who meet the educational qualification are eligible, regardless of age.

Nationality

• Indian nationals can apply without any restrictions.
• Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) are also eligible.
• Foreign nationals may apply subject to conditions specified in the official Information Bulletin.

English as a subject in your 10+2 is non-negotiable. Candidates who had English only as an additional or optional subject should confirm their eligibility against the official notification before applying in future cycles.

NCHMCT JEE 2026: Application Process

The NCHMCT JEE 2026 application process was conducted fully online on the NTA portal at exams.nta.nic.in/nchm-jee/. The application form was released on December 26, 2025. The original deadline was extended and the final last date was April 1, 2026. The registration window is now closed. The steps below are for reference for future NCHMCT JEE cycles.

Application Fee

How to Fill the NCHMCT JEE Application Form

• Step 1 — Register: Visit the NTA portal and create an account using your mobile number and email ID. Keep your login credentials safe.
• Step 2 — Fill in Personal and Academic Details: Enter your name, date of birth, category, educational qualifications, and exam centre preferences accurately.
• Step 3 — Upload Documents: Upload a scanned photograph and signature in the formats and sizes specified in the Information Bulletin.
• Step 4 — Pay the Application Fee: Pay online via credit card, debit card, net banking, or UPI. The fee is non-refundable.
• Step 5 — Download Confirmation Page: Save and print the confirmation page for your records. This serves as proof of successful registration.

NCHMCT JEE 2026 also offered a Form Correction Window in late March 2026, allowing candidates to edit certain details after submission. If you have applied in a previous cycle or plan to apply for NCHMCT JEE 2027, watch the official NTA portal for Form Correction Window announcements.

Registration Trends

• In 2025, around 12,603 candidates registered and 11,068 appeared for the exam.
• In 2024, approximately 12,738 candidates registered and 8,862 appeared.
• The number of appearing candidates grew by about 24.8% from 2024 to 2025, and this upward trend is expected to continue.

NCHMCT JEE 2026: Syllabus

The NCHMCT JEE syllabus is designed to test your language skills, reasoning ability, awareness of the hospitality sector, and general aptitude. Since the English Language section carries the highest weightage at 37.5%, it deserves the most attention. Below is a section-wise breakdown of the NCHMCT JEE syllabus.

English Language (45 Questions)

• Grammar — tenses, articles, prepositions, conjunctions, subject-verb agreement
• Vocabulary — synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitution, idioms and phrases
• Reading comprehension — passage-based questions testing inference and understanding
• Sentence rearrangement (jumbled sentences)
• Error detection and sentence correction
• Fill in the blanks
• Spelling and word meaning

Aptitude for Service Sector (30 Questions)

These questions test your personality, attitude, and decision-making ability in a hospitality setting. There are no textbook answers — they assess how well-suited you are to a service-oriented career.

• Scenario-based questions on guest handling and service recovery
• Professional conduct and work ethics in a hotel environment
• Communication style and interpersonal skills
• Teamwork and leadership situations
• Personal grooming, hygiene, and hospitality values

Numerical Ability & Analytical Aptitude (15 Questions)

• Basic arithmetic — percentages, ratios, averages, profit and loss
• Simple and compound interest
• Time and work, time and distance
• Data interpretation — tables, bar graphs, pie charts
• Number series and arithmetic reasoning

Reasoning & Logical Deduction (15 Questions)

• Number and letter series
• Analogies and odd one out
• Blood relations and family trees
• Direction sense and spatial reasoning
• Coding and decoding
• Statement — conclusions and assumptions
• Seating arrangement and puzzles

General Knowledge & Current Affairs (15 Questions)

• National and international current events (last 6 months)
• Tourism and hospitality industry news
• Indian geography, history, and culture
• Sports, awards, and honours
• Famous personalities and achievements
• Science and technology basics
• Static GK — capitals, currencies, national symbols

NCHMCT JEE 2026: Admit Card

The NCHMCT JEE 2026 admit card was released on April 23, 2026 — two days before the exam. Candidates downloaded it from the official NTA portal by entering their Application Number and Date of Birth. The admit card window is now over as the exam has been conducted.

What the NCHMCT JEE Admit Card Contains

• Candidate’s name, photograph, and signature
• Application number and roll number
• Exam date (April 25, 2026) and timing (11:00 AM to 1:00 PM)
• Exam centre name, address, and reporting instructions
• Important exam day guidelines

NTA also released an Exam City Intimation Slip

Before the admit card, NTA released a City Intimation Slip in the third week of April 2026. This let candidates know their exam city in advance, helping them plan travel and accommodation. For NCHMCT JEE 2027, the admit card is expected in the third or fourth week of April 2027, approximately two to four days before the exam.

How to Download NCHMCT JEE Admit Card (Process for Reference)

• Go to exams.nta.nic.in/nchm-jee/.
• Click on the "Download Admit Card" link on the homepage.
• Enter your Application Number and Date of Birth.
• Your admit card will appear — download and print it.
• Carry the admit card along with a valid photo ID (Aadhaar, PAN card, passport, or driving licence) to the exam centre.

NCHMCT JEE 2026: Answer Key

NTA released the provisional NCHMCT JEE 2026 answer key on May 7, 2026. Candidates had until May 9, 2026, to challenge any answer they believed was incorrect by paying a non-refundable fee of ₹200 per question. The objection window is now closed.

All objections submitted by candidates were reviewed by subject experts. Where a challenge was found valid, the provisional key was revised and the corrected final key was used to compute scores and ranks. The NCHMCT JEE 2026 result declared on May 23, 2026 is based on this final answer key — not the provisional key.

NCHMCT JEE 2026: Result

The NCHMCT JEE 2026 result was declared by NTA on May 23, 2026. Candidates can download their scorecard from the official NTA portal at exams.nta.nic.in/nchm-jee/ using their Application Number and Date of Birth. The scorecard is the basis for participating in the NCHMCT JEE 2026 counselling process.

Details on the NCHMCT JEE 2026 Scorecard

• Candidate’s name and roll number
• Section-wise marks scored
• Total marks obtained out of 480
• All India Rank (AIR)
• Category rank (General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwD)
• Qualifying status — Qualified or Not Qualified

How to Check NCHMCT JEE 2026 Result

• Go to exams.nta.nic.in/nchm-jee/.
• Click on the "Score Card for NCHM JEE 2026" link.
• Enter your Application Number and Date of Birth.
• Your scorecard will appear on screen — download and save a copy.

Only candidates who actually appeared for the exam on April 25, 2026 can access their scorecard. The scorecard is essential at every stage of counselling — you need it during registration and document upload. Keep multiple copies safe.

How is NCHMCT JEE Rank Calculated?

NTA calculates the All India Rank based on total marks scored in all five sections. In case two candidates score the same total marks, the tie-breaking order is: higher marks in English Language first, then in Aptitude for Service Sector, then in Reasoning, then age (older candidate gets higher rank).

Top IHM Colleges Accepting NCHMCT JEE 2026 Score

NCHMCT JEE 2026 score is accepted by approximately 90 institutes across India. These include 21 Central Institutes of Hotel Management (IHMs), 29 State Government IHMs, 1 PSU IHM, 2 PPP SIHMs, 25 Private Hotel Management Institutes, and 12 Food Craft Institutes. The total intake across all participating institutes is approximately 12,627 seats for B.Sc. HHA.

Top Central IHMs (Ranked by Popularity)

IHM Pusa (New Delhi), IHM Mumbai, and IHM Bengaluru are consistently the three most sought-after IHMs in the country. They have the strongest placement records, the broadest industry connections, and the most active alumni networks. IHM Pusa is also known as one of Asia’s best hotel management institutes.

Beyond the Central IHMs, State IHMs in cities like Lucknow, Pune, Goa, Bhubaneswar, and Shimla are also excellent choices. Private institutes affiliated to NCHMCT, such as those in Noida, Dehradun, and Coimbatore, offer good placements at comparatively lower competition for seats.

NCHMCT JEE: Preparation Tips

If you are preparing for NCHMCT JEE 2027, start early and focus on the right areas. The new 120-question, 480-mark pattern rewards accuracy and conceptual clarity over speed. Here are the most effective strategies based on the exam’s section-wise weightage.

1. Make English Language Your Strongest Section

English carries 37.5% of total marks — 45 questions worth 180 marks. You should spend at least 40% of your preparation time on English. Read an English newspaper every day. This builds your vocabulary, improves your reading comprehension speed, and keeps you updated on current affairs at the same time. Practise grammar rules from a standard reference book and solve 20–25 English questions daily.

2. Develop a Hospitality Mindset for Service Aptitude

Aptitude for the Service Sector contributes 25% of total marks (30 questions, 120 marks). These questions test your attitude and decision-making in hotel scenarios. There is no fixed syllabus to memorise. The best approach is to read about hotel operations, front office procedures, and guest management. Taking mock tests designed for this section helps you understand what the "right" hospitality attitude looks like.

3. Keep Up with Current Affairs Every Day

GK and Current Affairs has 15 questions — a small count but easy marks if you stay regular. Read a national newspaper daily and maintain a monthly current affairs note. Focus especially on tourism industry news, government schemes for hospitality and travel, and major national and international events. Also revise static GK — India’s geography, important dams, rivers, and national parks.

4. Practise Numerical Ability with Class 10-Level Topics

Numerical Ability has 15 questions at approximately Class 10 difficulty. The key topics are percentages, profit and loss, simple interest, compound interest, time and work, and data interpretation. Solve 10–15 questions daily. Speed and accuracy both matter here since you have only 1 minute per question on average in the overall paper.

5. Use Mock Tests to Build Exam Temperament

• Take at least one full-length mock test every week starting two months before the exam.
• After each mock test, analyse your section-wise performance and identify weak areas.
• The NTA website releases official mock tests for NCHMCT JEE — use these for the most accurate practice.
• Track your improving accuracy and speed over successive mocks.

6. Manage Negative Marking Wisely

With −1 for every wrong answer, random guessing is costly. If you are confident about an answer, attempt it. If you have no idea, skip it. Attempting 100 out of 120 questions with 85% accuracy gives you 340 marks — a competitive score. Attempting all 120 with 65% accuracy gives you only 186 marks due to negative marking pulling you down.