JEE Main Exam Pattern 2021 (Updated): Check Latest Pattern, Marking Scheme For B.Tech, B.Arch and B.Planning
University Data Specialist | Updated On - Nov 18, 2021
NTA has revised the JEE Main Exam Pattern 2021. As per the latest exam pattern, candidates will now have 10 numerical in each section, out of which, only 5 must be attempted. Total questions in Paper 1 (B.E. / B.Tech) are now increased to 90, but candidates need to attempt only 75 questions. The exam pattern has been revised in order to help the students whose Class XII syllabus has been reduced by the board. Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal also said that questions will be framed in a way to cover the syllabus of boards that have reduced Class XII syllabus as well as those which haven’t reduced the syllabus. A new paper for B.Planning was introduced in 2020 so JEE Main 2021 will also be conducted over 3 papers –
- B.E/B.Tech – Paper 1
- B. Arch – Paper 2A
- B. Planning – Paper 2B
Aspirants can view JEE Main 2021 Paper Analysis to know about the questions and paper structure. Students are also advised to go through the JEE Main 2021 syllabus. The details below explain JEE Main Exam Pattern 2021, marking scheme, section-wise distribution of questions etc.
1.1 Paper 1 – B.E. / B.Tech Paper Pattern
1.2 Marking Scheme at JEE Main 2021
2.2 Choice of Medium of Question Paper
8.1 Preparation Tips
JEE Main Exam Pattern 2021 (Updated)
Few changes were introduced by NTA in the exam pattern for JEE Main 2021. The number of Numerical value questions has been increased to 10. However, candidates will have an option of attempting 5 out of the 10 questions. This will be applicable for all 3 papers.
Paper 1 – B.E. / B.Tech Paper Pattern
| Subject | Section A | Section B | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 20* | 10* | 100 |
| Physics | 20* | 10* | 100 |
| Chemistry | 20* | 10* | 100 |
| Total | 60 | 30 | 300 |
Note: In Section B (Numerical value), candidates are required to attempt any 5 questions out of 10 for each subject.
Marking Scheme at JEE Main 2021
| Marking Scheme for MCQs (Section A) | Correct Answer | Four marks (+4) |
| Incorrect Answer | Minus one mark (-1) | |
| Unanswered / Marked for Review | No mark (0) | |
| Marking Scheme for Numerical value questions (Section B) | Correct Answer | Four marks (+4) |
| Incorrect Answer | No mark (0) | |
| Unanswered / Marked for Review | No mark (0) |
With a reduction of around 30% syllabus by CBSE, students were expecting NTA to to reduce the JEE Main 2021 syllabus.
- However, NTA has not officially reduced the syllabus till date but has instead altered the exam pattern
- The JEE Main exam is based on the complete 11th and 12th class syllabus.
- The changes made for JEE Main 2020 September session will be unaltered
- Inclusion of numerical type questions along with MCQs
- B.Planning paper has been separated as Paper 3
- No negative marking for numerical type questions
Updated JEE Main Exam Pattern 2021: Highlights
| Particulars | PAPER 1 | PAPER 2A | PAPER 2B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Programs Offered | B.E./ B.Tech. | B.Arch | B.Planning |
| Sections/ Subjects | Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics | Aptitude Test, Mathematics & Drawing | Mathematics, Aptitude Test, Planning based questions |
| Type of Questions | MCQs + Numerical Value | MCQs + Numerical Value + Drawing | MCQs + Numerical Value + Planning |
| Medium of Exam | English/ Hindi/Other regional languages | English/ Hindi/ Other regional languages | English/ Hindi/ Other regional languages |
| Duration of Exam | 3 hours | 3 hours | 3 hours |
| Total Questions | 90 (75 to attempt) | 82 (77 to attempt) | 105 (100 to attempt) |
| JEE Main Total Marks | 300 | 400 | 400 |
| Marking Scheme for MCQs | +4 for correct answers -1 for wrong answers | +4 for correct answers -1 for wrong answers | +4 for correct answers -1 for wrong answers |
| Marking Scheme for numerical value questions | +4 for correct answers, no negative marking for wrong answers | +4 for correct answers, no negative marking for wrong answers | +4 for correct answers, no negative marking for wrong answers |
- In 2020, MHRD directed NTA to not announce JEE rankings/scores
- NTA will only announce the percentile scores based on which admissions will be granted in colleges across India.
- However, All India Ranks are still announced for cut off at various colleges.
- The list of All India Ranks will be announced after all the sessions are conducted.
Mode of Examination
JEE Main 2021 Examination will be conducted in the following mode:
| Paper | Mode |
|---|---|
| Paper 1 – B.E/ B.Tech | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Paper 2 – B.Arch | Mathematics – Computer-based Test |
| Aptitude – Computer-based Test | |
| Drawing Test – Pen and Paper Based test | |
| Paper 3 – B. Planning | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
JEE Main 2021 – Choice of Medium of Question Paper
- In JEE Main 2021, there will be multiple choices of medium of question paper.
- The number of regional languages in which candidates can take the exam have been increased and now the total number of available languages is 13.
| S. No. | Language | Exam Centres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | English | All Examination Centres |
| 2. | Hindi | All Exam Centres in India |
| 3. | English and Assamese | Exam Centres in Assam |
| 4. | English and Bengali | Exam Centres in West Bengal, Tripura and Andaman & Nicobar Island |
| 5. | English and Gujarati | Exam Centres in Gujarat, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli |
| 6. | English and Kannada | Exam Centres in Karnataka |
| 7. | English and Marathi | Exam Centres in Maharashtra |
| 8. | English and Malayalam | Exam Centres in Kerala and Lakshadweep |
| 9. | English and Odia | Exam Centres in Odisha |
| 10. | English and Punjabi | Exam Centres in Punjab, Chandigarh and Delhi |
| 11. | English and Tamil | Exam Centres in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andaman & Nicobar Island |
| 12. | English and Telugu | Exam Centres in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana |
| 13. | English and Urdu | All Exam Centres in India |
- Candidates are required to choose the medium at the time of filling the JEE Main 2021 Application Form
Note: For ensuring correctness of the questions, the English version will be taken as final.
JEE Main Exam Pattern: Paper 1 (B.Tech/B.E.)
- Paper-1 of JEE Main 2021 will be conducted for admission to undergraduate engineering courses (B.Tech)
- As per the updates, the examination will be a Computer Based Test and will be conducted in online mode
- The paper will have questions from Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics sections
- There will be a total of 60 Multiple Choice Questions and 30 Numerical value questions.
- Each Subject will have 20 MCQs and 10 Numerical Value Questions. Any 5 numerical questions have to be attempted by candidates.
- The duration of the examination will be 180 minutes.
JEE Main 2021 Paper 1 Subject-wise distribution of questions with marks:
| SUBJECTS | MAXIMUM QUESTIONS | MAXIMUM MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | 30 (25 to be attempted) | 100 |
| Chemistry | 30 (25 to be attempted) | 100 |
| Mathematics | 30 (25 to be attempted) | 100 |
| Total | 90 questions (75 to be attempted) | 300 marks |
Physics Section-Wise Exam Pattern
- There will be 20 questions of objective type from Physics in Paper 1
- For each correct answer, 4 marks will be added
- 1 mark is deducted for every incorrect answer
- Any 5 questions must be attempted from 10 Numerical value questions.
- No negative marking for Numerical value questions.
Chemistry Section-Wise Exam Pattern
- For Chemistry, there will be mixed questions from Physical, Inorganic, and Organic Chemistry
- There will be a total of 20 Multiple Choice Questions and 10 numerical value-based questions
- For each correct answer, 4 marks will be added
- 1 mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer
- No negative marking for Numerical value questions.
Mathematics Section-Wise Exam Pattern
- There will be 20 questions of objective type and 10 numerical value questions from Mathematics
- For each correct answer, 4 marks will be added
- 1 mark is deducted for every incorrect answer
- No negative marking for Numerical value questions.
JEE Main Exam Pattern: Paper 2A (B.Arch)
- Paper-2 of JEE Main 2021 will be conducted for admission to undergraduate architecture courses
- It will be a Computer-Based Test and analyses a candidate’s aptitude in Mathematics and Drawing Ability
- Drawing section will be conducted offline in pen and paper mode
- Candidates need to bring essential equipment for the Drawing section on their own
- The paper will consist of a total of 82 questions
- It will include 50 questions for aptitude test, 2 questions for drawing test and 30 questions from mathematics including 10 questions with numerical value answers
- Candidates will be required to attempt 5 out of 10 numerical questions.
- Duration of the examination will be 180 minutes
- The medium of the paper will be English, Hindi and 11 other languages depending on the location of the exam centres
- Each correct answer will carry 4 marks
- Two drawing questions will be of 50 marks each
- One mark will be deducted for each incorrect response except for questions with numerical based values
Must Check JEE Main Exam Pattern for B.Arch Paper in Detail
Subject-wise distribution of questions with marks in JEE Main 2021 Paper 2 is given below:
- I – Mathematics – Objective type questions and numerical value questions
- II – Aptitude Test – Objective type questions
- III – Drawing Test – Questions based on drawing
| SUBJECTS | MAXIMUM QUESTIONS | MAXIMUM MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 30 (25 to be attempted) | 100 |
| Aptitude Test | 50 | 200 |
| Drawing | 02 | 100 |
| Total | 82 questions (77 to be attempted) | 400 marks |
JEE Main Exam Pattern: Paper 2B (B.Planning)
- Paper-2B of JEE Main 2021 will be conducted for admission to undergraduate planning courses
- It will be a Computer Based Test that checks for a candidate’s aptitude in Mathematics and planning
- The paper will consist of a total of 105 questions
- 50 questions for aptitude test
- 25 questions for planning test
- 30 questions from mathematics
- Duration of the examination will be 180 minutes
- The medium of the paper will be in 13 languages.
- Each correct question will carry 4 marks.
- One mark will be deducted for each incorrect response except for questions having numerical values
Check Detailed JEE Main Exam Pattern for B.Plan Paper
Subject-wise distribution of questions with marks in JEE Main 2021 Paper 2B is given below:
| SUBJECTS | MAXIMUM QUESTIONS | MAXIMUM MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 30 (25 to be attempted) | 100 |
| Aptitude Test | 50 | 200 |
| Planning Based | 25 | 100 |
| Total | 105 questions (100 to be attempted) | 400 marks |
What if a candidate wants to attempt both Paper 2 and Paper 3?
- JEE Main candidates who wish to attempt both Paper 2 and 3, are allotted a total time of 3 hours 30 minutes
- The total of 210 minutes can be utilised accordingly for 4 sections namely – Mathematics, Aptitude, Planning and Drawing
JEE Main Exam Pattern 2021 for Aptitude and Drawing
The exam pattern for the Aptitude and Drawing section is as follows –
Aptitude
- Aptitude test will contain 50 objective type questions
- 4 marks are awarded for every correct answer
- 1 mark is deducted from the total score for every incorrect answer
Drawing
- The Drawing Test will consist of 2 questions
- Candidates need to attempt these questions on a separate drawing sheet
- Each question is of maximum 50 marks
- Candidates will be awarded marks as per their work on the drawing sheet
JEE Main Exam Pattern 2021: Marking Scheme
- JEE Main 2021 Paper 1 will be of 300 marks
- Paper 2 and Paper 3 will be of 400 marks
- Four marks will be awarded for each right answer
- One mark will be deducted for the wrong answer except for the Drawing Test
- Drawing Test will have 2 questions of maximum 50 marks each
- Answering more than one choice will be considered incorrect and marks will be deducted for the same
- For numerical value-based questions, there will be no negative marking for wrong answers
JEE Main Exam Pattern: Official Mock Test 2021
- The official mock test link has been activated by NTA.
- Candidates can visit the official website of NTA to register for JEE Main 2021 mock tests.
- JEE Main 2021 participants can attempt these tests from home itself without any registration fee
- NTA has collected questions for mock tests from a large archive of April/September 2020 sessions and old JEE Main Question Papers
JEE Main Exam Pattern 2021: Books for Preparation
| Chemistry | Mathematics | Physics |
| Organic Chemistry by Morrison and Boyd | Differential Calculus for IIT-JEE by Amit Agarwal | Mechanics Part-1 & 2 by DC Pandey |
| Concise Inorganic Chemistry by J. D. Lee | Integral Calculus for IIT-JEE by Amit Agarwal | Understanding Physics for JEE Main & Advanced Waves & Thermodynamics by DC Pandey |
| Numerical Chemistry by P Bahadur | Calculus and Analytic Geometry by Thomas and Finney | Concepts of Physics by H.C. Verma – Volume 1 and Volume 2 |
| Textbook of Inorganic Chemistry for Competitions (JEE Main & Advanced) by OP Tandon | Algebra for JEE Main & Advanced by Arihant Publication | Fundamentals of Physics by Resnick and Halliday |
| Modern Approach to Chemical Calculations by RC Mukherjee | Higher Algebra by Hall & Knight | Problems in Physics by S.S. Krotov |
Preparation Tips for JEE Main 2021 Based on Revised Exam Pattern
- Compiling of notes: JEE Main 2021 aspirants should note down important points and formulas after finishing every chapter that eases revision and help in faster processing
- Avoid procrastination: Official dates for the next sessions of JEE Main exam 2021 will be announced soon so candidates must not waste any time
- Confidence: Don’t get intimidated by difficult and complex topics and focus on concept learning.
- Time Management: It is an important aspect for JEE Main 2021 Preparations. As class XII examinations have been cancelled by most boards, students have got ample of time so utilise it for preparation of JEE Main 2021.
- Mock Tests and Sample Papers: Practise mock tests and JEE Main 2021 sample papers for better understanding of the JEE Main 2021 Exam Pattern and check time management skills
How To Boost Preparation For JEE Main 2021?
- JEE Main aspirants are advised to solve maximum question papers to understand the JEE Main 2021 exam pattern
- Try to solve previous year question papers especially JEE Main 2021 February and March session Question Paper to understand the new pattern
- One can also solve mock tests and JEE Main 2021 sample papers
- Candidates can get the best books on JEE Main 2021 Preparation for better results which helps in scoring JEE Main passing marks for JEE Main Cut Off.
Exam Day Instructions for JEE Main 2021
Candidates should keep these instructions in mind while appearing for JEE Main 2021.
- JEE Main 2021 participants should report two hours before the examination schedule to avoid delay in verification formalities
- The exam hall/room registration desk will be closed 30 minutes prior to the examination
- Candidates are not permitted to enter after 9:00 a.m in the first shift and after 2:00 p.m. in the second shift
- Seat with roll number is allocated to every student
- One must occupy the seat allotted to them else their candidature will not be accepted
- A candidate cannot leave the JEE Main exam centre or seat without special permission of the Centre Superintendent or the invigilator before session ends
- Every student must adhere to instructions by the Centre Superintendent/Invigilators
- JEE Main 2021 admit card along with rough sheets must be submitted before leaving the hall
- NTA will not entertain any re-test, under any circumstances
- Schedule and test centre will be informed in the JEE Main 2021 Admit Card
- JEE Main applicants must not bring any electronic device or study material to exam hall
- Candidates are required to bring all required stationary for aptitude test
JEE Main Exam Pattern FAQs
Ques: Is there any change in the JEE main 2021 exam pattern owing to pandemic situation?
Ans: Yes, NTA has introduced some changes in the exam pattern for 2021. 5 extra optional questions have been introduced in the numerical answer based questions.
Ques: What will be the pattern of questions for B.Planning paper?
Ans: There will be a separate paper for B.Planning that will consist of questions from Mathematics, Aptitude based and Planning based. The total marks will be 100 in which 50 marks are for aptitude test.
Ques: What is the mode of examination and medium of questions for paper 2B?
Ans: Like paper 1 and 2A, paper 2B will also be conducted in online mode for a duration of 180 minutes. The medium of questions will be English, Hindi, Gujarati, Assamese, Punjabi, Marathi, Odia, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, and Urdu.
Ques: Is there any revision on JEE Main exam duration?
Ans: As per the revised JEE Main exam pattern 2021, all three papers of B.E/B.Tech, B.Arch and B.Plan. will be of 3 hours duration each. For those candidates who wish to appear for both paper 2 and paper 3, the exam duration will be 3 hours 30 minutes.
Ques: What will be the marking scheme of B.Planning paper?
Ans: There will be MCQs as well as numerical based questions as per the updated JEE Main exam format. Every correct MCQ will be rewarded 4 points and for every incorrect answer 1 point will be deducted. Unattempted questions will not be marked. There will be no negative marking for numerical based questions while correct numerical questions will be given 4 marks.
Ques: Where can I find relevant mock tests for JEE Main 2021 preparation?
Ans: NTA has released mock tests for JEE Main 2021 in all the 13 languages. You can find the links to the mock tests on the official website of NTA.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.
