Is there negative marking in JEE Main 2026?
Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Main 2026 ( JEE Main )
Exam On - 21 Jan '26 - 30 Jan '26
One of the most common questions that aspirants appearing for JEE Main ask is -‘is there negative marking in JEE Main 2026?’ The answer to this question is a Yes.
As per the exam pattern of JEE Main 2026, 4 marks would be awarded for every question answered correctly, while negative marking will be done for every incorrect answer. This implies that 1 mark is deducted every time a candidate answers the question wrongly. Zero or no marks will be given to un-attempted questions.
NTA (National Testing Agency), the conducting authority of the exam, has released the JEE Main exam pattern 2026. With the agency taking over CBSE, a few changes have been introduced in the exam. However, there are no changes in the exam syllabus, pattern and marking scheme of JEE Main 2026 exam except for Paper 1 (BTech) of the exam going completely online from next year.
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To understand JEE Main 2026 negative marking better, take a look at the exam pattern and marking scheme of JEE Main Paper 1 and Paper 2 below.
- JEE Main Exam Pattern 2026 Paper 1
- JEE Main Exam Pattern 2026 Paper 2
- JEE Main Syllabus 2026
- JEE Main Cut-off/Qualifying Marks 2026
JEE Main Exam Pattern 2026 Paper 1
| Particulars |
Details |
| Exam Mode |
Online (Computer-based) |
| Exam Duration |
3 hours |
| Subjects |
Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics |
| Total number of questions |
Total 90 questions with 30 questions per subject (Only 25 questions have to be answered) |
| Type of Questions |
Objective questions with 4 options; out of which only 1 would be the correct option |
| Marking Scheme |
4 marks will be awarded for every correct response and 1 mark will be deducted for any question answered incorrectly. No marks will be given for un-attempted questions. |
| Total Marks |
300 Marks |
| Medium of paper |
Total 18 Languages |
JEE Main Exam Pattern 2026 Paper 2
| Particulars |
Details |
| Exam Mode |
Mathematics and Aptitude test: Online (Computer-based) Drawing test: Offline (Pen-and-Paper mode) Planning Test: Online |
| Exam Duration |
3 hours |
| Subjects |
Mathematics, General Aptitude and Drawing skills/Planning |
| Total number of questions |
82 (Mathematics 30 questions, Aptitude 50 and Drawing 2) |
| Type of Questions |
Mathematics and Aptitude section: Objective type questions Drawing section: Questions to test the drawing and sketching skills |
| Marking Scheme |
4 marks will be awarded for every correct response and 1 mark will be deducted for any question answered incorrectly. No marks will be given for un-attempted questions. |
| Total Marks |
400 Marks |
| Medium of paper |
Total 18 Languages |
In JEE Main 2026 exam, negative marks would be calculated by deducting ¼ of the marks awarded for a correct answer. Thus, if you answer a question correctly, you get a +4 and if you answer any question incorrectly, you would end up getting a -1. For instance, if you have answered 6 questions correctly and 2 questions incorrectly, your final score will be 6 (4) -2 (1) = 18.
JEE Main 2026 exam pattern has been released by the NTA. As per exam pattern, the JEE Main Paper 1 (BE/B.Tech) exam will consist of 75 questions, 25 each from Physics Chemistry and Mathematics. Out of 25 questions, 20 will be MCQs and 5 will be NAV. Students need to answer all 75 questions. JEE Main paper 2A for B.Arch consists of 77 questions of which 25 are from Mathematics, 50 from General Aptitude and 2 from Drawing. In Paper 2B for BPlan total questions are 100 of which 25 are from Mathematics, 50 from General Aptitude and 25 from Planning.
The question paper will have no internal choices within questions and total duration of exam is 3 hours.
JEE Main Syllabus 2026
JEE Main syllabus for Paper 1 and Paper 2 are spread over three sections.
| Paper |
Subjects |
| JEE Main Paper 1 |
Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics |
| JEE Main Paper 2A |
Mathematics, General Aptitude and Drawing skills |
| JEE Main Paper 2B |
Mathematics, General Aptitude and Planning |
Here is an overview of JEE Main 2026 syllabus for Paper 1 and Paper 2:
| Physics |
Section A Physics and measurement Kinematics Thermodynamics Work, energy and power Rotational motion Gravitation Laws of motion Properties of solids and liquids Electronic devices Kinetic theory of gases Oscillations and waves Communication systems Current electricity Magnetic effects of current and magnetism Electromagnetic induction and alternating currents Electromagnetic waves Optics Dual nature of matter and radiation Electrostatics Atoms and nuclei
Section B Experimental Skills |
| Chemistry |
Physical Chemistry Some basic concepts in chemistry States of matter Atomic structure Chemical bonding and molecular structure Chemical thermodynamics Solutions Equilibrium Redox reactions and electrochemistry Chemical kinetics Surface chemistry
Organic Chemistry Purification and characterization of organic compounds Hydrocarbons Chemistry in everyday life Principles related to practical chemistry Organic compounds containing halogens Organic compounds containing oxygen Organic compounds containing nitrogen Polymers Some basic principles of organic chemistry Biomolecules
Inorganic Chemistry Classification of elements and periodicity in properties Hydrogen Block elements (alkali and alkaline earth metals) P Block elements group 13 to group 18 elements d- and f - block elements Co-ordination compounds Environmental chemistry General principles and processes of isolation of metals |
| Mathematics |
Sets, relations and functions Complex numbers and quadratic equations Matrices and determinants Mathematical reasoning Mathematical induction Permutations and combinations Sequences and series Limit, continuity and differentiability Integral calculus Differential equations Binomial theorem and its simple applications Three-dimensional geometry Vector algebra Co-ordinate geometry Statistics and probability Trigonometry |
Take a look at the complete JEE Main Syllabus 2026
JEE Main Cut-off/Qualifying Marks 2026
NTA will release JEE Main Cuotff 2026 along with the result. Candidates can check below JEE Main passing marks/Cut-off/Qualifying marks for 2023. Check the JEE Main Cut off for JEE Advanced below:
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| Category |
Minimum score |
Maximum score |
|---|---|---|
| UR |
87.8992241 |
100.0000000 |
| UR-PH |
0.0096375 |
87.8273359 |
| EWS |
66.2214845 |
87.8950071 |
| OBC-NCL |
68.0234447 |
87.8950071 |
| SC |
46.8825338 |
87.8950071 |
| ST |
34.6728999 |
87.8474721 |
JEE Main 2026 will be held twice by NTA - in January and April. Both papers will be held in two shifts from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM (morning shift) and from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM (afternoon shift). Know other important dates of JEE Main 2026.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 days ago
The Anant National University JEE Main Cutoff 2024 was released for all rounds and categories for students under the Homes State and All India quota who were seeking admission to the BE/BTech and BArch courses.
The JEE Main Cutoff 2024 for the BArch course was 22012 for students belonging to the Gene
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
In 2023, the Dr. D.Y. Patil Institute of Engineering Management and Research, Akurdi JEE Main cutoff ranks varied between 38276 and 208419 for the students belonging to the General AII India quota for BTech admission. Among all the specialisations, the most competitive was Computer Engineering, with
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
No. NTA has not allowed calculators of kind - virtual or physical inside the JEE Main exam hall. Candidates must not carry calculators or any other electronic device in the JEE Main examination centre.
V
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 9 hours ago
Chamistry
N
Beginner-Level 1
Answered 3 days ago
No. NTA has clearly mentioned that ot will not change the dates of JEE Main exam of there is a clash of dates with any other examinations.
V
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 days ago
Hi.
JEE Main Score Route
If you have a JEE Main 2026 score, you can apply directly using that.
Your All India Rank (AIR) is used for:
Branch allocation (high-demand branches like CSE, AI/ML, IT, etc.)
Merit-based scholarships
No CU-specific entrance exam is required in this case.
CUCET / Direct Admission R
h
Scholar-Level 17
Answered 3 days ago
Hi.
There is no fixed “minimum JEE Main percentile/rank” that guarantees admission to Chandigarh University (CU)'s B.Tech/B.E. in Computer Science Engineering (CSE), because admission depends on seat demand, number of applicants, branch popularity, and round of counselling. But we can estimate a roug
h
Scholar-Level 17
Answered 3 days ago
Hi.
Yes — at Chandigarh University (CU), it is possible to get a scholarship for B.Tech/B.E. (including CSE with specialisations like AI & ML / “IBM‑program” etc.) based on your JEE Main performance — but only under certain conditions and only for a small fraction of seats.
How CU's JEE‑based scholar
h
Scholar-Level 17
Answered 3 days ago
Hi.
1. Admission is primarily through CUCET
Chandigarh University (CU) uses CUCET, its own entrance test, as the primary criterion for seat allotment in all B.Tech/B.E programs — including specialised CSE branches.
Whether you want CSE – Cyber Security, CSE – Cloud Computing, or CSE – Data Science, you
h
Scholar-Level 17
Answered 3 days ago
Hi.
For 2024, the “closing cutoff rank” for CSE (General category, all‑India) was ~ 80,940.
For 2023 it was ~ 63,416, and for 2022 about 47,509 — showing demand has been rising year‑on‑year.
For branches like ECE (or general electronics‑type branches), the 2024 closing rank was ~112,216.
For other bran
h
Scholar-Level 17
Yes, JEE Main exam has negative marking provision. As per the current exam pattern of JEE Main, 4 marks is awarded for every correct answer, while 1 mark is deducted for every incorrect answer.