How NTA Determines JEE Main Paper Difficulty Level
Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Main 2026 ( JEE Main )
Exam On - 2 Apr '26 - 9 Apr '26
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.
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- 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
Commonly asked questions
Clearing the JEE Main exam in first attempt is not a difficult task. Several students clear JEE Main while in class 12. One thing that makes it easy to clear JEE Main with class 12 is that students are in regular touch of most JEE syllabus. To score good marks in JEE Main in the first attempt, it is advised that you study class 11 and 12 topics thoroughly, clear all the concepts and solve mock test papers. Also, NCERT books which you study in class 11 and 12 are the best books for JEE Main preparation. Students must study NCERT properly and solve all the questions in the book and do not memorize the concepts as some students do rather understand the concepts.
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.
Commonly asked questions
Candidates can check JoSAA opening and closing ranks on the official website. They have to enter the details asked to check the list of courses and colleges based on the OR and CR of each counselling round.
A good score in JEE Main 2026 will be the score that either qualifies you for JEE Advanced or for admission to NIT/IIIT/GFTI of your choice.
As per the provisional answer keys released by NTA, Arnav Gautam has secured 300 out of 300 marks in the JEE Main 2026 session 1 exam. Another student who has claimed to have scored 300/300 in JEE Main 2026 is Pasala Mohith.
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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 21 hours ago
If the details mentioned on the JEE Main admit card are incorrect, then candidates should immediately contact the NTA helpline to get it corrected at +91-11-40759000.
Y
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 22 hours ago
Yes, you can wear a hijab in the JEE Mains exam as it is considered a religious item. However, you will likely undergo enhanced security checks at the exam centre.
You should arrive early to complete this frisking process. Make sure to keep your face visible for identification.
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
The SUPR section is comparable to JEE Main, but REAP section is considered challenging as it requires creative thinking and "out-of-box" problem solving. It can be compared to the Olympiad level questions.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
OJEE and JEE syllabus is somewhat same and different in some places. The OJEE syllabus for Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics is different from JEE. In JEE, the physics syllabus includes topics such as Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Optics, etc. These topics require knowledge of physics topics.
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 5 days ago
JEE Main is conducted in two sessions, the first in January/February and the second in April. This helps students to appear in both papers if required and correct their scores. If you participate in both exam sessions, the system intelligently recognises your "Best of Two" scores and finalises your
R
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 5 days ago
DTU admissions are majorly based on the JEE Main scores. However, without JEE Mains, students will have to change the specialisations and the course opted for then only admission will be possible.
I
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 6 days ago
While clearing JEE Main is a huge achievement, it's actually just the first hurdle for IITs. JEE Main acts as a qualifying test that allows the top 2.5 Lacs candidates to sit for JEE Advanced. To get into IIT Dharwad, your final seat allocation will be based strictly on your JEE Advanced rank. JEE M
R
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 6 days ago
Congratulations! After JEE Main, register for JEE Advanced, which is the only way to get into an IIT. This registration usually happens in late April or early May, with the exam itself scheduled for late May. This is a very tight window, so keep a close eye on the official portal right after your Ma
R
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 6 days ago
It starts with JEE Main registration, which opens around November. The first JEE Main session is held in January-February, you must keep your documents ready by the end of the previous year. If you miss the first window, don't worry, you can still register for the second session of JEE Main in April
R
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 6 days ago
The candidates should master time management and accuracy to be able to score well in the JEE Main exam. Use a strategic approach while solving the questions to be able to score good marks.
M
Contributor-Level 7
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