How do NTA prepare the JEE Main question paper and decide the difficulty level of each shift? Let's explore some factors that NTA considers while deciding the questions for JEE Main examination. Read below.
How NTA Determines JEE Main Paper Difficulty Level
Almost more than 10 lakh candidates appear for JEE Main exam every year. The exam is conducted over multiple shifts and days, which raises the question of how NTA decides the difficulty level of the JEE Main exam across all the shifts and how it takes care of the fair distribution of questions across all the shifts. In this article, we will analyse how exactly NTA decides the JEE Main difficulty level and what the candidates should take note of.
LIVE Now: JEE Main Result
- NTA Follows a Set Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme
- Questions in JEE Main are Decided by a Panel of Multiple Experts
- Mix of Easy, Moderate and Difficult Questions
- NTA JEE Main Exam Pattern
- JEE Main 2026
NTA Follows a Set Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme
NTA follows the prescribed JEE Main exam pattern, syllabus and marking scheme to prepare the JEE Main question paper every year and across all the shifts. The guideline for NTA is set so that it needs to be followed each year to prepare the JEE Main question papers. The guidelines include:
- JEE Main question paper will have 3 subjects - Maths, Physics and Chemistry. Each subject will have two sections. Section 1 will be MCQs, and Section 2 will be NATs. Candidates have to attempt all the questions, and there will be no optional questions.
- Questions will be framed from a prescribed JEE Main syllabus and will be of class 11 and 12 standard level.
- The marking scheme for all questions will be the same, that is +4 for correct attempts and -1 for each wrong answer.
Also Read: JEE Main 2025 Marks vs Percentile vs Rank: Shift Wise Detailed Analysis
Questions in JEE Main are Decided by a Panel of Multiple Experts
NTA makes a repository of questions which are prepared by multiple subject experts. A pool of questions is created after collecting the questions from these experts. NTA then uses this pool to prepare the question papers for JEE Main exam.
Creating of pool of questions and selecting questions from them for each shift of the exam ensures that there is no sudden spike of difficulty in any shift of the exam.
LIVE Now: JEE Mains Result 2026 Date
Mix of Easy, Moderate and Difficult Questions
The National Testing Agency (NTA) ensures that the percentage of Easy, Moderate and Difficult questions in the exam remains balanced across the shifts. Thus, there is fairness maintained in all the shifts.
Continuous Review of the Questions: NTA also ensures that the questions are reviewed before they are finalised. The review takes place in multiple stages, ensuring there are no mistakes from their end. NTA takes all precautionary measures to make sure the JEE Main 2026 exam is leak-proof and fair for all the candidates.
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NTA JEE Main Exam Pattern
Check the NTA exam pattern for JEE Mains 2026 exam below:
JEE Main Exam Pattern 2026 for BTech (Paper 1)
| Particulars |
Details |
|---|---|
| Exam mode |
Online (computer-based) |
| Number of sections and subjects |
3 (Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics) |
| Duration of exam |
3 hours (180 minutes) 4 hours for PwD candidates |
| Type of questions |
MCQs: 4 options with only 1 correct option Numerical Value Questions: Questions whose answers are to be filled in as a numerical value |
| Section A (MCQ) |
Mathematics: 20 |
| Section B (Numerical Value) |
Mathematics: 5 In Section B, candidates have to attempt all five questions from each section. |
| How many questions are in JEE Mains |
75 |
| JEE Mains Total Marks |
300 marks |
| Language of paper |
Assamese, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu in addition to Hindi, English, and Gujarati |
JEE Main Paper 2 Exam Pattern (BArch)
| Particulars |
Details |
|---|---|
| Exam mode |
Online (Mathematics and Aptitude) and offline (Drawing test) |
| Number of sections and subjects |
3 (Drawing, Mathematics, and Aptitude) |
| Duration of exam |
3 hours (180 minutes) |
| Sections |
Mathematics (Part I) 20 MCQ and 5 Numerical Value Questions |
| Number of questions |
77 |
| Type of questions |
Mathematics and Aptitude: Objective-type questions Drawing: Questions to test the candidate’s drawing and sketching skills |
| Total Marks of JEE Mains |
400 marks (Drawing section will be of a total of 100 marks, marking of every question will be given along with it) |
| Language of paper |
Assamese, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu in addition to Hindi, English, and Gujarati |
JEE Main BPlan Exam Pattern
| Particulars |
Details |
|---|---|
| Exam mode |
Online |
| Number of sections and subjects |
3 (Mathematics, Aptitude, and Planning-Based Questions) |
| Duration of exam |
3 hours (180 minutes) |
| Sections |
Mathematics: 20 questions and 5 Numerical Value Questions Aptitude: 50 Planning Based Questions: 25 |
| Number of questions |
100 |
| Type of questions |
Mathematics and Aptitude Planning-Based Questions - Multiple-Choice Questions |
| Total Marks of JEE Mains |
400 |
| Language of paper |
Assamese, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu in addition to Hindi, English, and Gujarati |
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JEE Main 2026
NTA conducts JEE Main exam twice every year, in January and in April. Candidates have to register for JEE Main 2026 exam, download the JEE Main admit card, appear for the exam, check their result and then register for JoSAA counselling for admission to the NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. The top 2.5 lakh candidates who pass the JEE Main cutoff for JEE Advanced can apply for JEE Advanced for IIT admissions. JEE Main 2026 session 1 exam date is between January 21 to 30, and the session 2 will be held between April 2 to 9.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
Yes, the JEE Main 2026 Session 2 (April attempt) result has already been declared by NTA on April 20, 2026. You can download your scorecard from the official portal using your application number and password/date of birth.
Result Date: April 20, 2026 (Session 2).
Official Websites to Check:
jeemain.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
With 90 percentile in JEE Main (OBC-NCL, Female, Home State MP), your chances for B.Tech CSE are quite realistic in MBM Engineering College, Jodhpur (Rajasthan) and other state/NIT options. Let’s break it down:
MBM Engineering College (Jodhpur)
- Admission Route: Rajasthan REAP counseling (based on JEE
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
| NIT | CSE Closing Rank Range | Chance at 98.15 Percentile (~Rank 18,000–22,000) |
|---|---|---|
| NIT Trichy | ~2,000–3,500 | ❌ Not possible |
| NIT Warangal | ~2,500–4,000 | ❌ Not possible |
| NIT Surathkal | ~3,000–5,000 | ❌ Not possible |
| NIT Calicut | ~3,500–5,500 | ❌ Not possible |
| MNIT Jaipur | ~4,000–7,000 | ❌ Not possible (but check Home State quota) |
| VNIT Nagpur | ~5,000–8,000 | ❌ Not possible |
| NIT Rourkela | ~4,500–7,500 | ❌ Not possible |
| MNNIT Allahabad | ~5,500–9,000 | ❌ Not possible |
| NIT Kurukshetra | ~7,000–12,000 | ⚠️ Borderline |
| NIT Jalandhar | ~9,000–15,000 | ✅ Possible |
| NIT Silchar | ~12,000–20,000 | ✅ Strong chance |
| NIT Agartala / Mizoram / Sikkim / Manipur / Srinagar | ~18,000–30,000 | ✅ Very strong chance |
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
LPU JEE Main cutoff for BTech typically sits around 80 percentile for general category, based on recent trends for high-demand branches like CSE. This opens doors to innovative curriculum with strong industry ties, hands-on projects, and solid placement outcomes the highest packages crossing 50 LPA
S
Beginner-Level 1
Answered 3 days ago
Students who are applying for BTech admissions at Jain University Bangalore must give the JEE Main exam and meet the required cutoff.
Candidates who have received their session 2 result can follow the steps below:
- Check recent Jain Bangalore cutoffs to compare one's score.
- Apply through the university
C
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 3 days ago
With 93.95 percentile in JEE Main (EWS category), your rank is around 65,000–70,000, which gives you realistic chances in newer NITs, some IIITs, and state government colleges.
🎓 Government Colleges You Can Target
- Newer NITs: NIT Agartala, NIT Arunachal Pradesh, NIT Mizoram, NIT Nagaland, NIT Manipur
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
With a JEE Main 2026 percentile of 81.40 and SC category rank of 2,91,970, admission to top NITs like Surathkal, Trichy, Warangal, Allahabad, Jaipur, Calicut is not possible. Their SC cutoffs for even lower branches usually close around 20,000–40,000 rank.
NIT Admission Chances (SC Category)
- Top NITs
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
With a 70 percentile in JEE Main (General category) and being from Andhra Pradesh (AP), here's a clear picture of your admission chances:
What 70 Percentile Means
- Approximate rank: 3,00,000 – 4,50,000.
- NITs/IIITs via JoSAA: Not possible, since even the lowest cutoffs for Civil/Mechanical in newer NITs
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
JoSAA (NIT/IIIT/GFTI): ❌ Not possible.
State Govt Colleges (REAP Rajasthan): ✅ Possible, but mostly in Civil/Mechanical/Electrical.
Private Universities: ✅ Strong chance for CSE/IT/ECE.
👉 My advice:
Fill REAP AND OTHER STATES counseling for Rajasthan government colleges (you may get Civil/Mechanical/E
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
With a JEE Main rank of 81,473, you have a realistic chance of admission to NIT Srinagar, but mostly in branches other than Computer Science or IT. Based on the 2025 cutoffs, you are more likely to get Mechanical, Civil, or possibly Electrical Engineering under the Home State quota.
Admission Chanc
S
Contributor-Level 10
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