JEE Main
Joint Entrance Examination (Main)
Engineering
8 Info Sections
Overview
Overview
JEE Main is the national-level engineering entrance exam for admission to NITs, IIITs, CFTIs, and other top engineering colleges. It also serves as the qualifying exam for JEE Advanced (IIT entry).
Key Facts
- Conducted by NTA
- Two sessions per year (January and April)
- Best of two session scores is considered
- Over 12 lakh candidates appear annually
- Papers: B.E./B.Tech (Paper 1), B.Arch (Paper 2A), B.Planning (Paper 2B)
- NIT + IIIT seats: ~60,000+
Exam Pattern (Paper 1 — B.E./B.Tech)
Exam Pattern
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Total Questions | 90 (attempt 75) |
| Total Marks | 300 |
Section-wise Breakdown
| Subject | Section A (20 MCQs) | Section B (10 Numerical, attempt 5) | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physics | 20 | 5 of 10 | 100 |
| Chemistry | 20 | 5 of 10 | 100 |
| Mathematics | 20 | 5 of 10 | 100 |
Marking
- MCQ: +4 correct, −1 wrong
- Numerical: +4 correct, 0 wrong (no negative marking)
Eligibility
Eligibility
- Passed or appearing in Class XII with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics
- No age limit
- Maximum 3 consecutive years of attempts (6 sessions total)
- Minimum 75% in Class XII (or top 20 percentile) for NIT/IIIT admission
Important Dates (Typical)
Important Dates
| Event | Session 1 | Session 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | November | February |
| Exam | January | April |
| Result | February | May |
| JoSAA Counselling | June – July | |
Visit jeemain.nta.ac.in for exact dates.
Cut-off Percentiles
Cut-off & Marks
JEE Main Qualifying Cut-off for JEE Advanced
| Category | Approx. Percentile |
|---|---|
| General | ~90 |
| OBC-NCL | ~75 |
| SC | ~55 |
| ST | ~45 |
| PwD | ~0.01 |
Official Links
Resources
- JEE Main Official Website
- JoSAA Counselling — NIT/IIIT/CFTI admissions
- CSAB — Special round counselling
Syllabus Rationalization and High Weightage Areas
Syllabus
JEE Main syllabus broadly tracks Class 11-12 PCM with topic rationalization in recent cycles. Always follow current official NTA PDF.
High Weightage Trends
- Maths: Calculus, Coordinate Geometry, Vectors/3D
- Physics: Mechanics, Electrostatics/Current Electricity, Modern Physics, Optics
- Chemistry: Bonding, Equilibrium/Thermo/Electrochem, GOC + carbonyl-focused Organic
Best practice: attempt both sessions where possible; best percentile is considered.
Preparation Tips, Paper 2, and Book Guidance
Resources
- Use NCERT as baseline and revise limited trusted resources multiple times.
- Build mock-test + analysis loop at least 3-4 months before exam.
- Paper 2A/2B aspirants should prepare aptitude and drawing/planning separately.
Indicative books: HC Verma (Physics), NCERT + standard Chemistry references, objective maths sets.
Practice CTA: Practice JEE Main chapter-wise PYQs on MedLearno.