JEE Main Paper 1 Exam Pattern for B.E./B.Tech

Paper 1 gives equal weight to Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. Each subject contributes 25 questions and 100 marks, so a student cannot make up for a skipped subject through a larger question pool elsewhere.

Once the paper is clear, match these three sections with the detailed JEE Main syllabus. The exam pattern fixes subject weightage; it does not fix how many questions will come from each chapter.

What Section A and Section B Mean

Section A contains single-answer MCQs. Section B contains questions where the answer is entered as a numerical value with the on-screen numeric keypad. The final numerical answer is rounded to the nearest integer.

The old five-out-of-ten choice has ended. Up to 2024, each subject showed 10 numerical questions and students selected any five. NTA's Section B notice removed that option from 2025. Section B now contains only five questions per applicable subject with no optional substitute. NTA describes all five as required; its marking table still gives 0 to an unanswered question, so skipping one does not cause a -1 penalty but gives up the possible +4.

JEE Main Paper 2A Exam Pattern for B.Arch

Paper 2A combines a computer-based Mathematics and Aptitude paper with an offline Drawing Test. Aptitude carries half of the 400 marks, while Mathematics and Drawing carry 100 marks each.

The two Drawing questions are evaluated together out of 100; they do not use the +4/-1 objective marking. Students preparing specifically for architecture can use the detailed JEE Main B.Arch exam pattern for a closer Paper 2A view.

JEE Main Paper 2B Exam Pattern for B.Planning

Paper 2B keeps the same Mathematics and Aptitude structure as Paper 2A but replaces Drawing with 25 Planning-Based MCQs. The whole B.Planning paper is computer-based.

Taking B.Arch and B.Planning Together

A candidate may select both Paper 2A and Paper 2B. Mathematics and Aptitude are the common parts; the combined sitting also includes the Drawing Test for B.Arch and Planning-Based Questions for B.Planning. NTA gives this route 3 hours 30 minutes instead of three hours.

The official duration table lists the four subject groups for the combined route but does not publish a separate combined-question total there. Treat the common Mathematics and Aptitude parts as shared, then prepare for both course-specific parts.

JEE Main Marking Scheme

Worked Paper 1 example: 52 correct, 14 wrong and 9 unanswered gives (52 x 4) - 14 = 194 raw marks out of 300. Accuracy among attempted questions is 52/66, or 78.8%. This is a raw score, not a percentile.

What Happens When a Question Has More Than One Answer or Is Dropped?

• More than one MCQ option is correct: +4 goes only to candidates who marked any correct option.
• All MCQ options are correct: +4 goes to every candidate who attempted that question.
• An MCQ is dropped: +4 goes to all candidates who appeared in that particular shift.
• A numerical question is incorrect or dropped: +4 goes to all candidates who appeared in that particular shift.

JEE Main Duration, Mode and Language

Extra Time for Eligible PwD/PwBD Candidates

The extended duration applies to PwD/PwBD candidates who are eligible for a scribe. NTA calculates compensatory time at 20 minutes for each examination hour, which produces four hours for a three-hour paper and four hours 10 minutes for the combined 210-minute Paper 2 sitting.

Question Paper Languages

The 13 languages in the 2026 paper were English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. English was available at every centre in India and abroad. Hindi and Urdu were available across India; each regional language had the location limits listed for it by NTA.

The chosen language cannot be changed after registration. The screen shows English and the selected language; if the two versions differ, NTA uses the English version for evaluation.

What Changed After JEE Main 2024?

This is why an older page may show 90 Paper 1 questions with 75 to be attempted. That was the COVID-era format, not the latest official structure.

How to Use Older JEE Main Papers with the Current Pattern

A previous-year paper can still be useful even when its printed question count is different. The adjustment matters most for Paper 1 papers from 2021 to 2024, which show 10 Section B questions in each subject although only five were to be answered.

The JEE Main previous-year question paper archive covers papers from 2013 to 2026. Check the year and paper label before treating any file as a full mock; otherwise, use it for chapter-wise practice.

Raw Marks, NTA Score and the Better of Two Sessions

Raw marks come from the marking formula. Percentage marks would be raw marks divided by the paper maximum. NTA score or percentile is different: it shows the percentage of candidates in the same shift who scored equal to or below that raw score. NTA calculates it to seven decimal places before shifts are merged.

When a student appears in both sessions, NTA keeps the better total NTA score. It does not build a new total by taking Mathematics from one session, Physics from another and Chemistry from another. This is why a raw-score calculator can give marks but cannot promise an official percentile or rank.

How to Use the Pattern in a Mock Test

1. Use the correct paper total. Paper 1 analysis stops at 75 objective questions; Paper 2A separates the 300-mark objective part from Drawing.
2. Record correct, wrong and unanswered counts. A wrong response changes the raw score by five marks compared with a correct response: one mark is lost and four are not earned.
3. Review Section B separately. There are no spare numerical questions to replace a difficult one in the latest structure.
4. Practise the real layout. Check the paper year, course label and Section B count before using it as a timed mock.

What do you need right now?

1. Compare all three papers
2. Paper 1 question distribution
3. Marking and Section B
4. Paper 1 raw score

1. Compare all three papers
2. Paper 2A and Drawing
3. Time, mode and medium
4. Paper 2A raw score

1. Compare all three papers
2. Paper 2B and Planning
3. Time, mode and medium
4. Paper 2B raw score