New Delhi: The provisional answer keys for JEE Main 2026 Session 2 have sparked a controversy, with several students and educators flagging discrepancies, particularly in the Chemistry section, and raising concerns over missing response data.

The National Testing Agency released the provisional answer keys on April 11 for exams conducted between April 2 and April 8, and opened a window for candidates to raise objections.

However, soon after the release, students who appeared for the April 5 (shift two) exam reported that answers in the Chemistry section did not match the questions. According to educators, while the question and option IDs were correct, the corresponding answers appeared incorrect, affecting multiple questions and causing confusion among candidates.

In some cases, students also claimed that their recorded responses were missing from the response sheets, despite having attempted several questions. A few parents alleged that the answer keys uploaded did not correspond to their wards' question papers, citing mismatches in question sequence and responses.

The issue gained traction on social media, with students demanding accountability and clarity from the examination body.

Taking cognisance of the complaints, the NTA said the discrepancies were under verification and advised candidates not to make payments for challenging the Chemistry section answers until further clarification.

The agency later expressed regret over the inconvenience and asked students to review the provisional keys and raise objections as per the prescribed procedure.

The controversy has once again brought scrutiny on the conduct and evaluation processes of national-level entrance examinations.