JEE Main - Joint Entrance Examination
Overview
JEE Main is India’s primary national-level entrance examination for admission to undergraduate engineering, architecture, and planning courses. It is used by many National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and other Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs) and State/Private participating institutions. For B.E./B.Tech aspirants, it assesses proficiency in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. For architecture or planning courses (B.Arch / B.Planning), separate papers test Mathematics along with aptitude, drawing or planning skills depending on the paper type. JEE Main also serves as the eligibility exam for JEE Advanced — clearing JEE Main (with required rank/criteria) allows you to appear for JEE Advanced, which is required for admission to IITs. The exam is conducted twice a year (sessions) to give candidates an additional attempt in case they wish to improve their score.
Exam Pattern
- Duration of exam: 3 hours
- No. of questions: For Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech): 75 questions total — each of Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics has 25 questions (20 MCQs + 5 numerical-value questions) For Paper 2A (B.Arch): 77 questions — Mathematics (25), Aptitude (50), Drawing (2) For Paper 2B (B.Planning): ~100 questions in total (Mathematics + Aptitude + Planning) as per 2025 pattern.
- Marks distribution:Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) — 300 marks (100 per subject) Paper 2A (B.Arch) / 2B (B.Planning) — 400 marks total.
- Marking scheme:+4 marks for each correct answer, –1 mark for each wrong answer, 0 for unattempted.
Syllabus
The syllabus for JEE Main is broadly based on Class 11 and 12 standard Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (as per NCERT or equivalent), covering all major topics from these subjects.
Exam Registration & Eligibility Details
- Registration:
- Application is online through official portal (jeemain.nta.nic.in) when registration window opens.
- Candidates need to submit personal and academic details, select exam city preferences, upload photograph, signature, identity proof, category certificate (if applicable) and pay application fee.
- Eligibility:
- Must have passed (or appearing in) Class 12 (or equivalent) from a recognized board.
- For B.E./B.Tech: Physics and Mathematics mandatory; along with Chemistry / Biology / Biotechnology or a technical-vocational subject.
- For B.Arch: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics mandatory (for qualifying exam)
- For B.Planning: Mathematics mandatory in Class 12.
- There is no age limit for appearing in JEE Main.
- Number of attempts: up to three consecutive years from year of passing Class 12.
- To get admission via JEE Main (into NITs/IIITs/CFTIs), candidates must meet extra criteria: e.g. minimum 75% in Class 12 (or top 20 percentile) for general, 65% for SC/ST (or top 20 percentile) — as per institute requirements.
- Documents Required : Scanned photograph, signature, identity proof (Aadhaar, government-issued ID), Class 12 marksheet or certificate (or provisional if appearing), category certificate (if applicable: SC/ST/OBC/ EWS), PwD certificate (if applicable), and other details as directed in the application form.
- Exam Fee:
- General / OBC / EWS (single paper): ₹1,000 for males, ₹800 for females.
- SC / ST / PwD / Third gender: ₹500 (single paper)
- Fees vary if candidate applies for multiple papers (e.g. B.E./B.Tech + B.Arch, etc.) — higher fee applicable as per combination.
Selection Process
- JEE Main score is used for admission into undergraduate engineering courses (and architecture / planning, if relevant) in NITs, IIITs, CFTIs and other participating institutes.
- Clearing JEE Main (with qualifying rank/score) also makes candidate eligible to appear for JEE Advanced — required for admission to IITs.
- For admission, many institutes require additional eligibility based on Class 12 marks (e.g. 75% or top 20 percentile) besides JEE Main rank.
Latest News & Updates
F.A.Q
Twice — typically Session-1 in January and Session-2 in April.
No — there is no age limit for appearing in JEE Main.
Yes — +4 for correct answers, –1 for wrong, 0 for unattempted (applies to both MCQs and numerical-value questions).
No — there is no minimum percentage required to appear. The 75% (or top 20 percentile) rule is for admission to certain institutes (NITs, IIITs, CFTIs) after admission.