Question 1

What is JEE Mains?

Accepted Answer

JEE Main (Joint Entrance Examination – Main) is a national-level engineering entrance exam conducted by NTA (National Testing Agency). It serves as the qualifying exam for admission to NITs, IIITs, GFTIs and for JEE Advanced (for IITs).

Question 2

Who conducts JEE Mains?

Accepted Answer

JEE Mains is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education, Government of India. NTA took over from CBSE in 2019.

Question 3

How many times is JEE Mains held per year?

Accepted Answer

JEE Mains is conducted twice per year — Session 1 in January–February and Session 2 in April. Candidates can appear in one or both sessions.

Question 4

What is the difference between JEE Main and JEE Advanced?

Accepted Answer

JEE Main is for admission to NITs, IIITs and GFTIs. JEE Advanced is specifically for IITs. Only the top 2,50,000 JEE Main qualifiers are eligible for JEE Advanced. JEE Advanced is significantly harder.

Question 5

Can I appear for JEE Mains without coaching?

Accepted Answer

Yes, many students crack JEE Mains through self-study. Thorough NCERT reading, consistent practice from reference books, and attempting mock tests are sufficient for scoring well. Coaching can be helpful but is not mandatory.

Question 6

What is the age limit for JEE Mains 2026?

Accepted Answer

There is no upper age limit for JEE Mains from 2021 onwards. However, individual institutes (NITs, IIITs) may impose age criteria for admissions through JoSAA. Generally, NITs require candidates to be born on or after October 1, 2000 (General/OBC).

Question 7

What is the minimum percentage required in Class 12 for JEE Mains?

Accepted Answer

There is no minimum percentage required to appear for JEE Mains itself. However, for admission to NITs/IIITs/GFTIs through JoSAA, you need at least 75% marks in Class 12 (65% for SC/ST/PwD candidates).

Question 8

How many times can I attempt JEE Mains?

Accepted Answer

Candidates can attempt JEE Mains a maximum of 6 times — 2 sessions per year for 3 consecutive years (year of Class 12 + 2 years after). The best of all attempts is considered.

Question 9

Can a Class 11 student appear for JEE Mains?

Accepted Answer

No. Class 11 students are not eligible. Only students who are appearing in Class 12 in the current year or who have passed Class 12 (or equivalent) are eligible.

Question 10

Is there any subject requirement in Class 12 for JEE Mains?

Accepted Answer

Yes. For Paper 1 (B.Tech), candidates must have Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects in Class 12. Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, or Technical Vocational subjects must be the third subject.

Question 11

How many questions are in JEE Mains Paper 1?

Accepted Answer

Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) has 90 questions total — 30 per subject (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics). Each subject has 20 MCQ questions and 10 Numerical Value questions (attempt any 5). So, candidates attempt 75 out of 90 questions.

Question 12

What is the marking scheme for JEE Mains?

Accepted Answer

MCQ (Section A): +4 for correct, −1 for incorrect, 0 for unattempted. Numerical Value Questions (Section B): +4 for correct, 0 for wrong or unattempted (no negative marking).

Question 13

What is the total marks for JEE Mains Paper 1?

Accepted Answer

Total marks for Paper 1 (B.Tech) is 300 — 100 marks each for Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

Question 14

What is the duration of JEE Mains exam?

Accepted Answer

The duration is 3 hours (180 minutes). PwD candidates with scribes get 4 hours.

Question 15

In how many languages can JEE Mains be attempted?

Accepted Answer

JEE Mains is available in 13 languages: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.

Question 16

When does the JEE Mains 2026 application form open?

Accepted Answer

For Session 1, the application form was available from October 28, 2024. For Session 2, it typically opens in February 2025. Exact dates are announced on jeemain.nta.ac.in.

Question 17

What is the application fee for JEE Mains 2026?

Accepted Answer

For General/OBC-NCL (Male): ₹1,000 per session. For General/OBC-NCL (Female): ₹800. For SC/ST/PwD: ₹500. Fees vary based on category and number of papers. Payment is online only.

Question 18

Can I make changes to my application form after submission?

Accepted Answer

After submission, changes are only allowed during the correction window provided by NTA (usually 2–3 days after the application deadline). Only specific fields can be corrected — photograph and signature cannot be changed.

Question 19

What documents are required for JEE Mains application?

Accepted Answer

You need: scanned photograph (JPEG, 10–200 KB), scanned signature (JPEG, 4–30 KB), Class 10 marksheet (for DOB), Class 12 marksheet or roll number, Aadhaar card (for identity), and category certificate (if applicable).

Question 20

What is NTA Score in JEE Mains?

Accepted Answer

NTA Score is a percentile score, not raw marks. It indicates what percentage of candidates scored equal to or below you in that session. Formula: (Candidates scoring ≤ your marks / Total candidates) × 100.

Question 21

If I appear in both sessions, which score is used?

Accepted Answer

The better of the two NTA Scores (Session 1 or Session 2) is used for merit ranking and JoSAA counselling. There is no averaging — your best performance counts.

Question 22

What is the qualifying cutoff for JEE Advanced 2025?

Accepted Answer

The cutoff is announced with results. For 2024, the General category cutoff was 89.65 percentile. Top 2,50,000 candidates qualify. Each category (SC, ST, OBC, EWS, PwD) has separate cutoffs.

Question 23

What is JoSAA counselling and how does it work?

Accepted Answer

JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) conducts centralized counselling for admission to IITs (through JEE Advanced), NITs, IIITs and GFTIs (through JEE Main). Candidates register, fill preferences and go through multiple rounds of seat allotment.

Question 24

How are seats allotted in JoSAA?

Accepted Answer

JoSAA allots seats based on JEE Mains/Advanced rank, choice preferences, reservation policies and seat availability. Multiple rounds (6–7) ensure most candidates get seats. Candidates can accept, upgrade, or exit after each round.

Question 25

Can I appear for JEE Mains if I passed Class 12 three years ago?

Accepted Answer

No. Class 12 must have been passed in 2023, 2024, or 2025 (for JEE Mains 2026). Candidates who passed in 2022 or earlier are not eligible for 2025.

JEE Mains 2026 Frequently Asked Questions

General

Eligibility

Exam Pattern

Application

Results & Counselling

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