LATEST UPDATE 2026

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released official notification for NCHM JEE exam 2026 its on official website. Interested candidates can apply online application from 26/12/2025 to 25/01/2026. The National Testing Agency will conduct the NCHM JEE Exam 2026 on April 25 in a computer-based test mode. The exam will conducted across various cities from 11 am to 1 pm. 

IMPORTANT DATES

The National Council for Hotel Management Joint Entrance Examination (NCHM JEE) 2026 is conducted by NTA for admission to B.Sc. (Hospitality & Hotel Administration) programs at affiliated institutes across India. It equips students with skills for hospitality careers through a 3-year course (with optional 4th year honors per NEP 2020), focusing on food production, service, and management. The exam is a CBT with MCQs, lasting 120 minutes.

PROGRAMME OFFERED

The National Council for Hotel Management Joint Entrance Examination (NCHM JEE) 2026 is conducted for admission to the following programmes offered by IHMs and affiliated institutes:

Programmes Offered through NCHM JEE 2026

B.Sc. in Hospitality and Hotel Administration (3 Years)

B.Sc. in Hospitality & Culinary Arts (at select institutes)

B.Sc. in Hospitality Studies (as per institute availability)

The B.Sc. in Hospitality and Hotel Administration is the primary and most popular programme, jointly offered by NCHMCT and IGNOU, across Central, State, and Private IHMs in India.

TOP COLLEGES AND SEATS

These Institutes of Hotel Management (IHMs) are affiliated with the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) and are among the most sought-after choices due to their strong industry exposure, placement records, and nationwide recognition.

?Here are some of the top colleges in India that accept NCHM JEE scores for admission to B.Sc. Hospitality & Hotel Administration and related programmes:

1. Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Pusa – New Delhi
2. IHM Mumbai – Maharashtra
3. IHM Bengaluru – Karnataka
4. IHM Chennai – Tamil Nadu
5. IHM Kolkata – West Bengal
6. IHM Hyderabad – Telangana
7. IHM Lucknow – Uttar Pradesh
8. IHM Bhopal – Madhya Pradesh
9. IHM Gandhinagar – Gujarat
10. IHM Jaipur – Rajasthan

Private/Other Colleges Accepting NCHM JEE

1. IHM Aurangabad (Taj Group) 
2. SRM Institute of Hotel Management, Chennai 
3. Heritage Institute of Hotel & Tourism, Agra/Shimla 
4. CT Institute of Hotel Management, Jalandhar 

Seats

Around 12,600–12,650 seats are available through NCHM JEE for admission to the 3-year B.Sc. in Hospitality & Hotel Administration programme. These seats are offered across Central Government IHMs, State Government IHMs, and Private IHMs in India. Seat allotment is done through centralised counselling based on the candidate’s NCHM JEE rank and preferences.

SELECTION PROCESS

The NCHM JEE 2026 is conducted by NTA as a Computer Based Test (CBT). NTA declares the results, prepares an All India merit list/rank list based on scores obtained. Qualified candidates (those who meet the cutoff and appear in the merit list) are shortlisted for the centralized online counselling and seat allotment process, conducted by the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) through the official portal (nchmcounselling.nic.in).

The counselling process typically includes multiple rounds (usually 3 or more) involving:

1. Online registration for counselling.
2. Choice filling and locking of preferred institutes (from affiliated Central, State, PPP, and Private IHMs).
3. Seat allotment based on All India Rank (AIR), category, reservation norms, and choices filled.
4. Payment of seat acceptance/participation fee (e.g., around 40,000–50,000, adjustable in academic fees).
5. Document upload/verification and options like Freeze (accept seat) or Float (seek better in next round).
6. Final reporting to the allotted institute with original documents, physical fitness certificate, and fee payment for admission confirmation.

Provisional admission may be cancelled if required documents (like 10+2 passing proof for appearing candidates) are not submitted by the specified date.

HOW TO APPLY

The entire application process for NCHM JEE 2026 is online only through the official NTA website. Applications in any other mode (offline, post, email, etc.) will not be accepted. Only one application per candidate is allowed—multiple submissions will be rejected.

Step-by-Step Process to Apply Online

Visit the Official Website Go to the official portal: https://exams.nta.ac.in/NCHM/ or https://nta.ac.in/ (look for NCHM JEE 2026 section). Registration is live and was started on December 26, 2025 (with possible extensions announced).

Step-1: Registration Register using your own valid email ID and mobile number. Note down the system-generated Application Number (this will be your login ID for future access).

Step-2: Fill the Online Application Form Log in with the Application Number and complete the form with details like personal information, educational qualifications, category, PwD status (if applicable), choice of exam cities, etc. Carefully fill all particulars as they are treated as final—no changes allowed after the correction window closes.

Step-3: Upload Required Documents (scanned images in specified formats):

Recent photograph: JPG format, 10-200 KB, 80% face visible (including ears), white background, colour or black & white (no mask).

Signature: JPG format, 10-100 KB.

PwD Certificate (if applicable): PDF format, 10-300 KB.

Step-4: Pay the Application Fee Pay online through integrated Payment Gateway using Debit Card / Credit Card (except some Master/Visa as noted) / Net Banking / UPI / Wallet. Fee Structure (as per bulletin):

General (UR) / OBC-NCL: Rs. 1,000/-

Gen-EWS: Rs. 700/-

SC / ST / PwD / Third Gender: Rs. 450/- Additional bank/service charges + GST apply (payable by candidate). Keep proof of payment. Confirmation page generates only after successful payment.

Final Submission Download and print the Confirmation Page for your records (required for future reference). No need to send any documents physically to NTA.

Important Tips

1. Read the full Information Bulletin and Replica of Application Form (Annexure-IX in the bulletin) carefully before starting.
2. Use your own email/mobile—NTA communicates only through these (no responsibility for wrong details).
3. If payment issues arise, contact the bank/gateway helpline first, then NTA helpline. Duplicate payments are refunded after reconciliation.
4. Correction window (for limited changes) will be announced later on the website.
5. Regularly check the website and your email for updates.

EXAM CENTERS

The List of Examination Cities for NCHM JEE 2026 is provided in the official Information Bulletin (starting from page 36, as referenced in the PDF on pages 3–4). The bulletin states that it is mandatory for candidates to select four cities of their choice in order of preference while filling the online application form. NTA will make every effort to allot a centre in one of the preferred cities (as mentioned on the Admit Card), but reserves the right to allot a different (nearby) city due to administrative, logistic reasons, low number of candidates, or merger of cities.

ADMIT CARD

The Admit Card is issued provisionally to the candidates, subject to their satisfying the eligibility conditions. The candidate has to download the Admit Card from the NTA website and appear for the Examination at the given Centre on Date, timing and discipline as indicated in their Admit Card. In case a candidate is unable to download Admit Card from the website, he/she may approach the Help Line between 09:00 am and 6:00pm or write to NTA at nchm@nta.ac.in.   

Candidates can follow the below-mentioned steps to download admit card for the NCHM JEE exam:

1- Visit the official website

2- On the homepage, click on the link to download the admit card.

3- The login window opens and here the candidates have to fill in the login details like application number and date of birth. 

4- Inside the login, in the student dashboard, candidates can check the download admit card link. Click that

5- The admit card gets downloaded into the system. Please take prints of the admit card, at least 2 printouts must be taken.

RESULT

The result will be compiled based on Final Answer Keys and announced through the Website (https://exams.nta.nic.in/nchm-jee/) only in due course. No grievance with regard to Answer Key(s) after declaration of Result of NCHM JEE-2026 will be entertained. The raw (actual) marks obtained by a candidate will be considered further for computation of the Result of NCHM JEE-2026. The candidates download their Score Cards from the website: (https://exams.nta.nic.in/nchm-jee/ ) only. 

Candidates can follow the below steps to check the NCHM JEE exam result: 

1 – Visit the official website

2 – Click on the “View NCHM JEE- NTA Score” link

3 – Enter the application number, date of birth, and security pin

4 – View the result for the NCHM JEE exam.

5 – Download and print the NCHM JEE scorecard.

COUNSELLING PROCESS & CUTOFFS

NCHM JEE 2025 cutoffs are released as opening and closing ranks during the centralized counselling process by NCHMCT (not fixed qualifying marks by NTA). These are category-wise and institute-wise, based on All India Rank (AIR), seat availability, and reservation norms. The cutoffs vary by round (usually 3-4 main rounds + spot rounds), and they are published on the official counselling portal nchmcounselling.nic.in after each allotment.

Approximate 2025 Cutoff Trends (General Category, Last Round Closing Ranks for Top IHMs)

IHM Pusa (New Delhi): 500 – 800

IHM Mumbai: 700 – 1200

IHM Bangalore: 800 – 1500

IHM Chennai: 1500 – 3000

Other top ones (IHM Kolkata, Hyderabad, etc.): 1000-4000

Counselling Process

The NCHM JEE 2026 counselling is a fully online centralized process by NCHMCT, starting with registration and fee payment, followed by choice filling/locking, multi-round seat allotment based on AIR/category/preferences, and options to freeze or float for upgrades. Candidates confirm by uploading documents, paying fees, and reporting to the allotted IHM with originals for final admission. The process ensures transparent, merit-based allocation across all affiliated hotel management institutes, typically in 3+ rounds post-result declaration.

Step-by-Step Counselling Process

1. Registration for CounsellingQualified candidates (those in the merit list based on NCHM JEE score) must register online on the official counselling portal (nchmcounselling.nic.in). Pay the counselling/registration fee (typically around ?40,000–?50,000, including seat acceptance fee of ~?38,000–?40,000 + ?2,000 processing fee; non-refundable in part). This fee is adjustable against first-semester tuition if admission is confirmed.

2. Choice Filling and LockingAfter registration, log in and fill preferences for institutes/programs (list of all affiliated IHMs is available on the portal). Arrange choices in order of preference. Carefully review andlock choices before the deadline (choices auto-lock if not done manually). Multiple rounds allow modifications if floating.

3. Seat AllotmentSeats are allotted in multiple rounds (usually 3 main + spot) based on:

AIR (merit rank)

Category/reservation (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS/PwD)

Choices filled

Seat availability Results are published round-wise on the portal. Download provisional allotment letter via login.

4. Options After Allotment (Freeze/Float)

Freeze: Accept the allotted seat and exit further rounds (no upgrade).

Float: Accept but remain eligible for better allotment in subsequent rounds (if upgrade available, previous seat released).

Withdraw if not interested (partial refund possible as per rules, minus processing fee).

5. Document Upload and VerificationUpload scanned copies of required documents (e.g., 10+2 marksheet, category certificate, PwD certificate if applicable, medical fitness, photo ID, etc.). Original documents are verified at the finally allotted institute during physical reporting.

6. Fee Payment and ConfirmationPay the seat acceptance fee (if not already paid during registration) to confirm. Report to the allotted institute within the specified date with originals, pay remaining academic fees, and complete admission formalities.

7. Subsequent Rounds / Spot RoundIf seats remain vacant after main rounds, additional spot/mop-up rounds may be conducted (often on-campus or online). Non-reported/withdrawn seats are released for next rounds.

Important Notes

Counselling schedule (registration start, rounds, deadlines) is announced post-result on nchmcounselling.nic.in (expected around May–June 2026 or later, based on past trends; for 2025 it was in June).

Merely qualifying does not guarantee a seat; it depends on rank and choices.

Keep checking the portal and registered email/SMS for updates. Install “Sandes” app for notifications if recommended.

False claims or non-compliance lead to cancellation.