How to Prepare for JEE Mains and Advanced Together: Common Topics, Books and Expert Guide

Know how to prepare for JEE Mains and JEE Advanced together to score good marks in both exams. Provided here are common topics to cover, important topics for both exams, along with expert guidance. 

How to Prepare for JEE Mains and Advanced Together

JEE Main 2026 exam dates have been announced by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to Undergraduate Programs in NITs, IIITs, and other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs). This year the JEE Main will be held in two sessions wherein session 1 was conducted from January 21 to 28 while Session 2 wll be held on April 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8.

The top 2.5 Lac students in JEE Main 2026 from all categories will appear in JEE Advanced 2026. As per the recent notification by IIT Roorkee, the organising body for JEE Advanced 2026, the exam will be held on May 17 in two sittings Paper-1 from 9:00 am to 12 pm and Paper-2 from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm.

A lot of students have doubts about how to prepare for JEE Advanced 2026 after JEE Mains. Students are provided here the tips to prepare for JEE Mains and Advanced together by FIITJEE Expert Ramesh Batlish so as to score good marks in both exams as well as important guidance for Advanced after the Mains exam. Also provided here are important topics and the best books to prepare for JEE Mains and Advanced 2024.

Read More: JEE Mains Mock Test Free Online 2026

How to Prepare for JEE Advanced after Mains?

Students who are focusing on JEE Advanced must utilize their time very efficiently for IIT JEE exam very efficiently. It is advised that students prepare for Advanced along with JEE Main and Class 12 Board Exam. They should continue their preparation with a full proof timetable devoting equal time slots for each subject. Those who have planned to take both the January and April attempts of JEE Main may take Mock Tests periodically to fine-tune their preparation for the same. Students taking 12 Boards may additionally utilise the gaps between the Board Exams for Mock Tests. Test Analysis after every mock test will be the key to improving oneself before the actual Exam. The time from April till exam in May could be devoted only to JEE Advanced Mock Tests followed by rigorous test analysis. Students are advised to revise the notes made while preparing and stay connected with their respective subject teachers. Joining a Test Series with Concept Strengthening Sessions may be a good idea. Here are some vital tips that will help you to prepare for both JEE Main and JEE Advanced in the remaining months.

Study Schedule: Students must follow the timetable strictly. Getting success in JEE Main/Advanced is not that easy but do remember with hard work and commitment you can achieve anything in life. Prepare a timetable that suits best for you and devote a fixed time daily for the preparation of the exam.

Mock test: Mock tests play an important role in making you familiar with the pattern of paper as well as checking your strong and weaker areas. To analyze your preparation and build the right examination temperament, students are advised to take mock tests. It is advisable to do a Test Analysis after every Mock Test for improvement.

Time Management: Always remembers all students have 24 hours in a day. Most of the students have queries about how many hours of studies can change the outcome? As per the experts, 5-6 hours of serious study in a day is vital to crack exams like JEE Advanced.

Speed and Accuracy: There would be limited time given to the students to complete the exam. You have to maintain a constant speed but don’t forget accuracy will help you gain more marks. There is a negative marking in the exam. The accuracy will come with practising the questions in a limited time.

Health: Don’t forget to take care of your physical and mental well being. In the end, good health is very important for any exam. Take a good sleep for about 6 hours a day. This should be done a month before the exam. Keep your immunity strong as this will protect you from falling ill before the exam. Try to have home-cooked food as far as possible.

Study Material & Important Topics: One must not start any new books at this stage. However, one can still refer to standard books for concept clearing. This stage should be utilized more for problem-solving, developing shortcuts, and memorizing formulae, understanding one’s strengths & weaknesses. Aspirants must take up Mock Tests in CBT (Computer Based Test) mode to develop their self-confidence & exam temperament. Time Management is crucial to scoring more marks. It is advisable to take at least 3 Mock Tests per week for JEE Main and at least two Mock Tests per week on the current pattern of JEE Advanced. All Tests must end with a Test Analysis session.

Also Read: 8 Tips towards your JEE Mains & Advanced preparation

Important Reference Books for JEE Mains and Advanced

Provided below are some books that students can refer to for JEE Mains and Advanced preparation. However, reading your own handwritten notes is always advisable.

Physics

• Class 11 and 12 NCERT
• Concepts of Physics Vol 1 and 2 by H.C. Verma
• Fundamentals of Physics by Halliday, Resnick and Walker
• Problems in General Physics by I.E. Irodov

Chemistry

• Concise Inorganic Chemistry by J.D. Lee
• Organic Chemistry by Solomon & Frhyle
• Physical Chemistry by P.W. Atkins
• Chemistry Class 11 and 12 by NCERT

Mathematics

• Plane Trigonometry Part 1 by S.L. Loney
• Plane Coordinate Geometry by S.L. Loney
• Higher Algebra by Hall and Knight
• Problems in Calculus of One Variable by I.A. Maron

Common Topics in Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics for JEE Mains and Advanced

The syllabus of classes 11 and 12 is equally distributed across the question paper both in JEE Main and JEE Advanced. In fact, there are questions involving the intermingling of concepts of two or more chapters in the case of JEE Advanced. So, students are advised to avoid selective study in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Generally, all topics are covered as mentioned in the syllabi. However, stress may be given in the following chapters:

Mathematics: Quadratic Equations & Expressions, Complex Numbers, Probability, Vectors, Matrices in Algebra; Circle, Parabola, Hyperbola in Coordinate Geometry; Functions, Limits, Continuity and Differentiability, Application of Derivatives, Definite Integral in Calculus.
Physics: Kinematics, Gravitation, Fluids, Heat & Thermodynamics, Waves & Sound, Capacitors & Electrostatics, Magnetics, Electromagnetic Induction, Optics & Modern Physics.
Chemistry: Coordination Chemistry & Chemical Bonding in Inorganic Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Chemical & Ionic Equilibrium, Mole Concept in Physical Chemistry, Amines and Oxygen-containing compounds in Organic Chemistry.

Also Read: 

• Most scoring topics in JEE Physics
• Most scoring topics in JEE Mathematics
• Most scoring topics in JEE Chemistry
• How To Handle Tough Topics in JEE Mathematics
• How To Handle Tough Topics in JEE Chemistry
• How to Handle Tough Topics in JEE Physics

Study Plan in the Last Month Before the Exam

Last month should generally be utilized to consolidate one’s preparation by focusing on revision briefly, problem-solving and overcoming the weaker areas in preparation. However, the following points should be kept in mind:

• Remain focused and maintain a positive attitude while studying.

• Develop speed by solving quizzes/Mock Tests of JEE level problems with time management.

• Speed & Accuracy will be your key to success

• Take mock-test series preferably in CBT (Computer Based Test) mode to build a winning exam temperament. Try taking them at the same time as per your schedule. Keep a check on your mistakes and try overcoming them in every test you take.

• Sample papers will give you a fair idea about the pattern of questions and help you improve your time management.

• Solve the Previous year’s JEE Main/Advanced papers for understanding the level of questions asked.

• Focus on your weaker areas and improve your concepts.

• Remember it is the quality of time spent and not the quantity alone. Hence, take short breaks of five to ten minutes after every one or two hours of serious study. Relax completely when you take a break.

• Practice meditation to develop inner calm, poise, confidence and power of concentration. These matter a lot and will help you on the day of the examination.

• Don’t overstress yourself. Five to six hours of sleep every night is a must, especially three-four days before the actual exam for physical and mental fitness. Relaxation exercises may help to retain freshness. Avoid over-sleeping during the day.

• For the practice of Numerical/Integer Type questions follow a reputed source or sample papers on JEE Main/ JEE Advanced official websites.

• If one has the right “attitude” required towards preparation, then even an average student can crack it JEE.

Strategy to Attempt the Paper

The strategies to crack JEE Main and JEE Advanced are different. While the JEE Main is more about Speed & Accuracy, the JEE Advanced is more about concept clarity along with the right Comprehensive, Reasoning and Analytical skills.

Sometimes the Right Strategy and Time Management play a vital role in deciding the rank of an aspirant. So, one must be quick enough to adapt to the level of the paper and act promptly. The following points may however be kept in mind when attempting the questions.

Strategy to attempt JEE Main Paper

• Attempt easy questions first.

• Choose sections that have less risk and more gain.

• Carefully scroll through the entire question paper in the first 5 minutes.

• Keep a check on time while attempting the paper

• Try taking the test in two rounds so that you can come back to questions that did not strike you in the first round. Avoid negative marks.

• Don't start with the question you don't know.

• Don't get upset if any section is tough. You can score in other sections.

• Don’t guess if you have no idea about the concept involved in a question.

• Don’t be nervous if you find the paper tough, since it is the relative performance that counts. Hence, put your best analytical mind to work, it will take you ahead.

Success mantra for JEE Main Paper 1

• Master all the important topics in each Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics.

• Practice similar levels of questions as asked in JEE Main.

• Perfect your timing of solving an objective type question.

• Pay attention to time management & Strategy apart from covering your syllabi.

• Keep calm & confident while you take up the actual exam.

Strategy to attempt JEE Advanced

As the paper involves different types of questions, so is the strategy for answering them.

• Single Choice Correct: The best way to attempt these questions is to run through the Question- Option – Question way. Scanning the question again after the options in mind helps strategise the approach to solve the question. Sometimes the options themselves guide the correct strategy or even the correct answer.

• Multiple Choice Correct: Each question has to be solved and mapped with all options. It may also happen that the options are the same values written in a different form. Statistically, these are the questions with the least percentage of correct responses.

• Comprehension Based: Even if you know the concept mentioned in Comprehension, you should still read it thoroughly, there are chances of redefining a concept or providing hypothetical assumptions. In that case, your correct approach might lead to an incorrect answer.

• Matrix Match Type (One to One Matching): If the question is of One to One matching, then your approach should be finding the odd one out(if any). This will help you quickly reach the correct mapping.

• Matrix Match Type (One to Many Matching): This type of Matrix Match would be the most challenging and time taking. The suggested way would be to attempt this problem if you are confident in the concepts of all 4 rows, or else keep this question at bay for last.

• Integer Answer Type: Generally, these questions are the subjective questions converted to objective, and hence would be time taking. The correct way would be to treat them as subjective and solve them only if you have a command of the topic or if you have attempted all other questions of the paper. These questions also have a low scoring statistical record.

• Reason Assertion Type: These days these types of questions are not at all asked, but in case there are few questions in this category, be very careful if both the statements are correct. Because then it’s very tricky to decide between the options A and B or else you can mark the correct response easily.

Success mantra for JEE Advanced

The JEE Advanced paper has a mixture of various types of questions. There are questions of Multiple choice type with either Single Correct answers or multi correct answers. There could be comprehensions followed by two or more objective type questions with single or multi correct answers. The matrix match type questions may involve matching two columns or even three columns. The Integer type questions involve a subjective type question with the answer an integer or could be asked correctly to two decimal places. Students are advised to be careful as the paper has negative markings. The preparation strategy should be built with effective time management and subject-wise planning.

• Remain focused on the preparation

• Read all the instructions in the question paper carefully before starting to answer.

• Solve the paper in two rounds. In the first round, start with the subject as per your comfort level attempting all easier and moderate level questions with not more than 45 minutes on each subject.

• Use the last 45 minutes to solve the remaining questions in the second attempt and those marked for review.

• Do not spend more than a minute on any question if you find that you are not nearing a solution. Go to the next question.

• Avoid guessing if you are not sure about the answer to a question with negative marks assigned to it.

• Attempt all questions which do not carry negative marks.

• Remember it is the relative performance that counts, so believe in yourself and give your best shot and you will ace JEE Advanced 2022.

Read More: 

• Trigonometry for JEE Advanced Exam Preparation
• Calculus for JEE Advanced Exam Preparation
• Analytical Geometry for JEE Advanced Exam Preparation
• Best Books for JEE Advanced Chemistry: A Comparison
• Algebra for JEE Advanced Exam Preparation
• Best books for JEE Advanced Physics: A Comparison
• Best books for JEE Advanced Mathematics: A comparison