Entrance Exam · Engineering

Joint Entrance Examination (Main)

JEE Main is the national entrance examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for undergraduate technical admissions. Paper 1 is used for B.E./B.Tech and related programmes at the NIT+ system—NITs, IIEST Shibpur, IIITs and Other Government-Funded Technical Institutes—and by many state, public and private institutions. It is also the qualifying examination from which Indian candidates become eligible for JEE Advanced.

JEE Main also has Paper 2A for B.Arch and Paper 2B for B.Planning. Their aptitude, drawing/planning components and admission conditions differ, so this page focuses on Paper 1: B.E./B.Tech.

Official starting points: https://jeemain.nta.nic.in/" class="inlink">JEE Main, https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s3f8e59f4b2fe7c5705bf878bbd494ccdf/uploads/2025/11/202511021649722475.pdf" class="inlink">official information bulletin, https://josaa.nic.in/" class="inlink">JoSAA and https://csab.nic.in/" class="inlink">CSAB.

Eligibility to appear

NTA permits candidates who passed Class 12/equivalent in the specified recent three-year window, including those appearing in the examination year. There is no age limit imposed by NTA for taking JEE Main, but an admitting institution can have its own age rule.

Recognised qualifying examinations include central/state board 10+2, recognised pre-university examinations, NIOS senior secondary with at least five subjects, an AICTE/state-board diploma of at least three years, recognised foreign equivalents and other forms listed in the bulletin. A foreign or unspecified board can require an Association of Indian Universities equivalence certificate.

Eligibility to sit JEE Main is not identical to eligibility for a degree or JoSAA seat. For B.E./B.Tech in the NIT+ system, candidates must satisfy the published Class 12 subject combination and performance rule. The admission criterion normally requires Physics and Mathematics plus one specified subject, and either at least 75% aggregate (65% for SC/ST/PwD) or category-wise top 20 percentile, subject to the applicable JoSAA Business Rules.

The Class 12 passing year is the first year in which the board declared the candidate “pass.” Adding Mathematics through another Class 12 attempt later does not necessarily reset that year. Read the annual bulletin carefully before relying on improvement or additional-subject results.

Two sessions and attempts

NTA conducts JEE Main in two sessions in an admission year. A candidate may take either or both. When a candidate appears in both, the better total NTA Score is used for the final merit/ranking; subject scores are not mixed from different sessions to create a hybrid result.

JEE Main does not describe a lifetime “six attempts” account. Eligibility is controlled by the permitted Class 12 passing-year window, with up to two sessions available in each eligible admission year. Each session requires correct application/fee status under the current instructions.

Paper 1 pattern

Paper 1 is a three-hour computer-based test with equal weightage to Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.

SubjectMCQsNumerical-value questionsMarks
Mathematics205100
Physics205100
Chemistry205100
**Total****60****15****300**

All 75 questions are part of the paper. The earlier system showing ten numerical questions with a choice of five was discontinued; candidates should not practise an obsolete 90-question/75-attempt format.

For both MCQ and numerical-value questions:

  • correct: +4;
  • incorrect: −1;
  • unanswered/marked for review without an answer: 0.

Numerical answers are entered using the on-screen keypad and rounded to the nearest integer under the bulletin rule. There is negative marking in Section B. Candidates eligible for scribe/compensatory time receive the official accommodation prescribed in the bulletin.

Languages and CBT

The paper is offered in English and Hindi across Indian centres, with specified regional-language options tied to examination location/address rules. English is available at Indian and overseas centres, and Urdu is offered across Indian centres. The selected question-paper language must be chosen carefully in the form and cannot normally be changed later. If versions differ, the English wording prevails.

The exam is run across multiple days and shifts. NTA converts raw marks to percentile-based NTA Scores, so a percentile is not the percentage of marks obtained. A 99 percentile indicates performance relative to candidates in the relevant normalisation population, not 99% marks.

Application process

1. Read the annual bulletin and confirm passing-year, paper and admission eligibility.

2. Register once and retain the system-generated application number; the same number is used across both sessions.

3. Complete personal, address, category, identity and Class 10/12 details consistently with Aadhaar/DigiLocker and certificates.

4. Select Paper 1, language and examination-city choices.

5. Capture/upload the live photograph and prescribed photograph, signature, Class 10 certificate/marksheet, identity or disability documents as applicable.

6. Pay the fee for the selected session/paper combination.

7. Download the confirmation page. Payment without a generated confirmation page may require payment reconciliation.

8. Use the correction window only for the fields NTA opens; do not assume every item can be edited.

Never create multiple application numbers. NTA treats multiple forms/scorecards as an unfair-means issue even if discovered later.

Syllabus and preparation

Use NTA's https://jeemain.nta.nic.in/document/syllabus-2026/" class="inlink">official syllabus for Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. The scope is based on senior-secondary topics, but speed and accuracy under multi-shift CBT conditions determine performance.

A practical system is:

  • complete NCERT and core concepts, especially Chemistry statements and definitions;
  • build formula and exception sheets through problem solving rather than passive copying;
  • practise all three subjects every week so no section collapses;
  • solve official past papers and NTA shift papers;
  • take 75-question, 180-minute mocks using +4/−1 for both MCQ and numerical questions;
  • analyse concept, calculation, reading, input/rounding and time-selection errors;
  • plan the final month around revision and mixed mocks rather than new resource accumulation.

Attempt high-certainty questions first. Because four incorrect answers erase one correct answer, the objective is maximum expected marks, not maximum attempts. Check sign, unit, integer rounding and entered value before submitting a numerical response.

Exam-day requirements

Download the admit card from the official portal and follow its reporting time and self-declaration instructions. Carry the permitted printed admit card, original photo ID and photograph/items stated by NTA. Aadhaar/photo mismatches should be resolved through the official advisory rather than unofficial agents.

Phones, calculators, electronic watches, geometry boxes, log tables, papers and communication devices are prohibited. NTA clarified that a virtual calculator is not provided for JEE Main. Report early for identity, frisking and biometric checks; late entry and centre changes are not granted merely for travel difficulty.

Answer key and score

NTA publishes the recorded response sheet, attempted question paper and provisional answer key for a limited period. Download them because they may not remain available. A challenge must be filed through the official link with evidence and the notified processing charge; email objections are not considered. Subject experts review challenges, and the result uses the final key. There is no re-evaluation/rechecking of the declared NTA Score.

For multi-shift papers, NTA calculates subject and total NTA Scores. If both sessions are attempted, the better total NTA Score is used in the final ranking. Tie rules use subject NTA Scores and the negative-to-positive response ratio in the order stated in the bulletin.

Three different “cutoffs”

Students should distinguish:

1. JEE Advanced eligibility cutoff: the Paper 1 NTA Score needed to fall in JAB's category-wise top-candidate pool.

2. NIT+ admission eligibility: Class 12 subject/performance conditions plus a JEE Main rank.

3. JoSAA/CSAB closing rank: institute + branch + category + state/other-state quota + gender pool + round.

There is no single JEE Main score that guarantees an NIT. Official https://josaa.admissions.nic.in/applicant/SeatAllotmentResult/CurrentORCR.aspx" class="inlink">JoSAA opening/closing ranks are the correct historical evidence. Previous ranks help build choices but cannot guarantee a later allotment.

What happens after the result

For NITs, IIEST, IIITs and Other-GFTIs:

1. Register separately on JoSAA; NTA does not allocate seats.

2. Verify category, state of eligibility and Class 12 details.

3. Review the current institute/programme and seat matrix.

4. Fill and lock choices in genuine preference order.

5. Use mock allocations as feedback, not a promise.

6. After allotment, select freeze, float or slide as permitted; upload documents and pay the seat-acceptance fee.

7. Respond to verification queries before their deadline.

8. Complete subsequent-round and institute-reporting requirements.

After JoSAA, vacant NIT+ seats can be offered through CSAB Special Rounds under separate registration, fees and rules. State and private institutions that accept JEE Main conduct their own counselling; JoSAA registration does not cover them automatically.

National Institutes of Technology

The NIT+ institute list is updated in JoSAA. The 31 NITs are:

JoSAA also lists IIEST Shibpur, IIITs and Other-GFTIs. Because institute names/programmes can change, use the official https://josaa.nic.in/institutes/" class="inlink">JoSAA participating-institute profiles for the complete current list and direct programme details.

Home State and Other State quotas

State of eligibility is generally determined by the state from which the candidate passed Class 12/equivalent, not present residence or birthplace. NIT allocation can use Home State and Other State quota pools, while special cases for union territories/boards are defined in JoSAA rules. Entering the wrong qualifying-exam state can change the seat pool and lead to cancellation during verification.

Final checklist

Confirm the correct Class 12 year and admission subjects before applying. Use one application number for both sessions. Practise the current 75-question format with negative marking in numerical questions. After the result, separate JEE Advanced qualification from branch closing ranks, register for JoSAA, and preserve valid category and Class 12 documents through reporting.

Official sources

Use the applicable year's NTA bulletin and JoSAA/CSAB Business Rules. Dates, fees, documents, syllabus, paper pattern, qualifying criteria, institutes and seats can change.