How to attempt JEE Mains 2026 questions to maximize score
Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Main 2026 ( JEE Main )
Exam On - 21 Jan '26 - 29 Jan '26
JEE Main is the dream of every engineering aspirant. Most of the students start preparing for the exam from class 8th while some realize their interest and caliber after class 10th board exams. Through JEE Main, every aspirant wishes to bag a seat in one of the prestigious engineering institutes, IITs to be specific. Now, to bag a seat in one of the 25 (Indian Institutes of Technology), IITs it is important to nail the exam with a good score.
NTA (National Testing Agency), the exam conducting authority conducts JEE Main in January and April for admission to the BTech & BArch/Bplan courses offered at the National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) and other centrally funded technical institutes (CFTIs). JEE Main also serve the purpose of screening test for JEE Advanced 2026 for admission at Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
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Read More: JEE Mains Previous Year Question Paper PDFs with Solutions
| Download JEE Main Previous Year Question Paper with solution |
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Scoring well in JEE Main 2026 requires a lot of practice and hard work. The article will talk about every aspect that can help a candidate score well in JEE Main 2026. Now, before we move on to the strategies to get a good JEE Main score, let us first under the exam pattern.
The time period required to complete the JEE Main preparation depends mainly on the students. Every student has their own pace of study. Ideally, 6-month time is good enough to complete the JEE Main preparation. Students who have started preparing from class 11 or 12 can easily prepare for JEE Main in 6 months considering the topics of JEE syllabus have already been studied in classes 11 and 12.
JEE Main preparation is most effective with classes 11 and 12 as almost 90-95 percent of topics are similar in both exams. This way students can easily complete the entire JEE Main syllabus as well as the syllabus of classes 11 and 12. After the board exams, students get 1-2 months' time where they can focus entirely on JEE Main. Students who have started late for the JEE Main exam can make a 6-month plan where in the first three months they have to focus on revising the syllabus studied in classes 11 and 12. In the next two months focus on solving questions of JEE Main and analyzing the mistakes being made, if any. The last month should be focused on solving mock tests and JEE Main previous year question papers.
- JEE Main 2026 Exam Pattern Highlights
- How to attempt JEE Main 2026 questions?
- How to score well in JEE Main 2026?
- FAQs related to JEE Main 2026 How to attempt questions and maximize your score
JEE Main 2026 Exam Pattern Highlights
The first move when planning to prepare for JEE Main is to have a clear understanding of JEE Main 2026 exam pattern. Only then should candidates move toward the exam syllabus. JEE Main 2026 Paper 1 (BTech) of JEE Main comprises objective questions from Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, having equal weightage. Each question is set to have four options. A negative marking of 1/4th marks also comes attached, for incorrect answers.
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Total Questions in JEE Mains Paper-1 (BTech)
There will be a total of 90 questions in JEE Main Paper-1. The paper is conducted by the NTA for admission to BTech courses. Check the table below for the details related to the total questions in JEE Mains Paper-1 (BTech):
| Subjects in Paper |
Section-A |
Section-B |
Question Paper Design |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics Physics Chemistry |
20 |
5 |
|
How to attempt JEE Main 2026 questions?
According to Ramesh Batlish, faculty from a renowned coaching institute, "Students should attempt the exam in the following sequence: Chemistry → Maths → Physics (Though it certainly depends on the strength of the student’s i.e. which subject the candidate is good with)."
Students who are in class 12 and would also be appearing in JEE Mains 2026 exam mostly find it difficult to manage both their class/school and JEE studies. However, all these students have an advantage over others/droppers aspirants as there are many common topics in class 12 and JEE.
To benefit, they must identify all the topics that are common and study those first. Secondly, cover the topics that have more weightage in class 12 and complete them. Before a few days of JEE Mains, study specifically for JEE. This way, they can manage both class 12 and JEE efficiently.
Going by previous years’ trends, students generally prefer to attempt Chemistry first as it involves more fact-based questions followed by Maths and Physics. Attempting the exam in sequence would help in securing essential marks. The idea is to ensure to solve fact-based questions first and then move on to those involving calculations.
He further suggests a few tips and tricks to secure high marks in JEE Main. Read below.
How to score well in JEE Main 2026?
Scoring good marks in JEE Main is certainly possible with the appropriate strategy. The student should keep in mind the sections and topics where he/she can score maximum marks.
Chemistry
It is always a good idea to start with questions of inorganic chemistry, for example, reading well through chapters like P, S-block and Classification of elements and periodicity in the property.
Questions from these chapters are mostly direct and based on direct knowledge of the concepts. Students should focus on important topics like Chemical Bonding & the periodic table, Redox reactions, Carbonyl Compounds & their derivatives etc.
Physics
While attempting Physics, the students must prioritize modern physics (atomic physics, nuclear physics, and the special theory of relativity). There are a number of regular questions from this section. This part has 10 – 15% of the questions. You can solve questions from this section using the direct formula, which also saves you time. Around 20 – 25% of questions are from electricity and magnesium which are the most scoring. If you are well versed with the correct formulas and concepts regarding the direction of the electric and magnetic field (Like the Application of Gauss law, the application of Biot-Savart law, Faraday‘s law, right hand and left thumb rule for current, electric field and magnetic field direction) then you can sort out at least two options from four choices.
Mathematics
Matrices and determinants is a scoring topic of the mathematics syllabus of JEE. It is important to know the various types of matrices and their properties. Like if the question asks about the rank of the matrix then the matrix should be converted to echelon form and then the rank can be computed easily. Quadratic Equations are an important topic of JEE. It is a simple topic that can fetch good marks. It is important to know the formulae of the sum and product of roots. Whenever there is a question on the quadratic equation, one should first calculate the sum and product of roots. Most of the questions can be solved using these two values.
There are around 30 to 40 questions out of 90 that can be solved under the category “easy questions”. This enables a student to secure around 110 marks after assuming certain negative marks. Securing these numbers will ensure the student is among the first 2,40,000 aspirants and thus qualify for JEE Advanced.
Most important don’t panic you have done your best and now just wait for the final day!
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FAQs related to JEE Main 2026 How to attempt questions and maximize your score
Q. What is a good score in JEE Mains 2026?
A. A good JEE Main score is something that will make you eligible to appear for the JEE Advanced exam. A good score in JEE Main can be 250 . Check Marks vs Percentile here
Q. Is NCERT enough for JEE Mains 2026?
A. NCERT books and JEE Main syllabus cover almost all the topics for JEE Main 2026 preparation. Candidates have to be thorough with the class 11 and 12 syllabi of CBSE and also refer to important books for each of the subjects.
Q. Is JEE Mains 2026 registration started?
A. The JEE Mains 2026 registration started on October 31, 2025. The last date to apply is November 27, 2025. Interested candidates must fill and submit JEE Main 2024 application form within the given timelines.
Q. Will questions repeat in JEE mains?
A. Candidates must note that NTA prepares JEE question paper from a large question bank and the questions will be different for each shift. Since JEE Main 2026 will be held in two sessions, it is certain that the questions in one session will not be repeated in the subsequent sessions.
Q. From where can I download the JEE Main question paper PDF?
A. The JEE Mains question papers pdf are available in pdf format. Click here to download JEE Main question paper in a pdf file.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 3 hours ago
No, JEE Main is not mandatory for UPES Dehradun BTech admission. While the university accepts the scores of the exam, it is not the only accepted exam. Students can also submit scores of UPESEAT/ SAT India/ CUET exams for BTech admission.
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 8 hours ago
The Shivaji University JEE Main Cutoff 2025 was released for admission to the BE/BTech course via the JEE Main entrance exam. The cutoff was released in ranks for all categories under the All India quota.
In the case of General AI category, the cutoff ranged from 17423 to 659665, wherein Walchand Col
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 8 hours ago
The Bundelkhand University JEE Main cutoff 2024 was out for all categories of students who belonged to the Home State quota. For the OBC HS category, the closing cutoff in the last round ranged from 273755 to 973020. Among all the BE/BTech specialisations, the hardest one for admission was B.Tech. i
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 9 hours ago
The Bundelkhand University JEE Main Cutoff 2025 was published for admission to the BE/BTech courses for all rounds and categories under the Home State quota. As per the last round closing ranks, the cutoff ranged from 216275 to 1281371, wherein B.Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering was the tou
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
Even though the syllabus of the BCECE Mathematics is same as that of JEE Main, the difficulty level is not the same. JEE Main exam is much tougher than the BCECE exam.
V
Beginner-Level 5
Answered a week ago
Jiwaji University BE cutoff 2025 was released for all rounds for admission to the BE programmes on the basis of the JEE Main cutoff ranks. According to the Jiwaji University JEE Main Cutoff 2025, the cutoff range in the last round was between 158341 and 337310. The hardest and the easiest course for
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Amity University, Lucknow accepts JEE Main scores for admission to BTech programme. However, it is not compuslory. Aspirants can also get admission in BTech based on AMCAT or any other national or state-level Engineering entrance exam scores.
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Guide-Level 15
Answered a week ago
DBRAU JEE Main cutoff 2025 was released for admission to the BE courses. Yes, students can get admission to the DBRAU BE courses according to the JEE Main cutoff 2024 with a rank of 30000. The cutoff ranged from 327178 to 1341021 in the first and last round closing ranks. The hardest and the easiest
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
The DBRAU JEE Main Cutoff 2024 was published for admission to various BE/BTech course specialisations for different categories under the Home State quota. The cutoff for the General HS category ranged from 520157 to 1341021, wherein B.E. in Computer Science and Engineering was the toughest course fo
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
No, JEE Mains scores are not compulsory for admissions to the BTech course at Sai University, because the university also takes other entrance exam scores into account to get students. The scores that the university accepts, apart from the JEE Mains scores, are SAIU CAT, SAT, and other national/stat
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Contributor-Level 9