JEE Advanced 2026 Exam Pattern: Check Paper 1 & 2 Pattern and Paper Design Over Past Years

Updated on Sep 25, 2025 12:39 IST

JEE Advanced 2026 Exam Pattern: One of the major reasons why JEE Advanced is said to be one of the most difficult exams in the world is its unpredictable question paper pattern. The JEE Advanced exam pattern changes each year. In the year 2025, there was a major shift in the JEE Advanced paper pattern, which increased the difficulty level of the exam (read details here). Aspirants of JEE Advanced 2026 should be extra cautious about the exam pattern since it can change unpredictably, unlike JEE Main.

When it comes to JEE Advanced, candidates must be ready to face certain curveballs as the pattern might change without prior notification, and that adds to the difficulty level of the exam. In this page, we have provided a detailed overview of the JEE Advanced exam pattern along with an analysis of the previous few year exam patterns. Check all details below.

Table of content

JEE Advanced 2026 Exam Pattern
JEE Advanced 2025 Exam Pattern
JEE Advanced 2024 Exam Pattern
JEE Advanced 2023 Exam Pattern
Analysis of JEE Advanced Exam Pattern Over the Years
JEE Advanced 2026 Exam Pattern FAQs

JEE Advanced 2026 Exam Pattern

JEE Advanced 2026 exam pattern will have some familiar aspects like -

The exam will have 2 papers
The total duration of the exam will be six hours. Paper 1 will be for three hours, and Paper 2 will also be for three hours.

Apart from these details, other aspects of the JEE Advanced pattern will not be available beforehand to the candidates.

JEE Advanced 2026 Exam Pattern - Key Highlights

Mode of the exam: The examination will be conducted ONLY in the Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.
Number of papers: JEE (Advanced) 2026 will have two papers - Paper 1 and Paper 2
Language: English and Hindi
Total duration: 6 hours. (Paper 1 will be of three hours, and Paper 2 will also be of three hours)
Number of sections: Each question paper will consist of three separate sections, viz., Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
Type of questions asked: The types of questions (MCQs with one and more than one correct answer, integer types questions, match the columns, and paragraph types questions) will be made available on the exam day.
Marking scheme: The JEE Advanced marking scheme changes each year. Negative marks may be awarded for incorrect answers to some of the questions. The JEE Advanced marking scheme (questions can carry 1, 2, 3, or 4 marks, there are negative markings of -1 or -2 marks, and certain questions might also not have any negative marking), along with the total number of questions and marks, will be provided to candidates on the day of the exam.

The marking scheme, the total number of questions and the total marks in the exam will be provided with the instructions to the candidates section on the exam day. Once the exam is over, these details will be updated here.

Also Read: How to Crack JEE Advanced: Get Tips from Past Year Toppers

Preparing for JEE Advanced 2026? Here are the preparation resources you need:

Commonly asked questions

Q: What subjects are asked in JEE Advanced exam?

In JEE Advanced exam, questions are asked from:

Maths
Physics
Chemistry

There are two papers in the exam and each paper has questions from these three subjects.

Q: Where to find the JEE Advanced previous year question papers?

The previous year JEE Advanced question papers can be downloaded from the official website - jeeadv.ac.in. The official website has the previous year IIT JEE question papers from 2007 to 2025.

JEE Advanced 2025 Exam Pattern

The exam pattern of JEE Advanced 2025 can be checked below.

Mode of the exam: The examination was conducted ONLY in the Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.
Number of papers: JEE (Advanced) 2025 consisted of two question papers: Paper 1 and Paper 2 of three hours duration each.
Language: English and Hindi
Total duration: 6 hours
Number of sections: Each question paper will consist of three separate sections, viz., Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

Also Read: JEE Advanced Chapter Wise Weightage for Maths, Physics, Chemistry

JEE Advanced 2025 Paper 1 Exam Pattern

Section	Number of questions and Type of questions	Marking scheme
1	4 Single Correct MCQs	+3 for correct answer, -1 for incorrect, 0 for unattempted.
2	3 Multiple Correct MCQs	+4 ONLY if (all) the correct option(s) is(are) chosen +3 If all the four options are correct but ONLY three options are chosen +2 If three or more options are correct but ONLY two options are chosen, both of which are correct +1 If two or more options are correct but ONLY one option is chosen and it is a correct option 0 If none of the options is chosen −2 In all other cases
3	6 Numerical Answer Type	+4 for correct answer, no negative marking.
4	3 Match the Following	+4 for fully correct matches, -1 for any incorrect, 0 for unattempted

JEE Advanced 2025 Paper 2 Exam Pattern

Section

Number of questions and Type of questions

Marking scheme

4 Single Correct MCQs

+3 for correct answer, -1 for incorrect, 0 for unattempted.

4 Multiple Correct MCQs

+4 ONLY if (all) the correct option(s) is(are) chosen

+3 If all the four options are correct but ONLY three options are chosen

+2 If three or more options are correct but ONLY two options are chosen, both of which are correct

+1 If two or more options are correct but ONLY one option is chosen and it is a correct option
0 If none of the options is chosen

−2 In all other cases

8 Numerical Answer Type

+4 for correct answer, no negative marking.

Also Read:

Commonly asked questions

Q: Where to practice the JEE Advanced mock tests?

Aspirants can practice the JEE Advanced mock tests on the official website jeeadv.ac.in. Every year the conducting IIT releases the official JEE Advanced paper 1 and paper 2 mock tests. Candidates can practice these mock tests without any need of registration or payment of fee.

Apart from that, candidates can also practice the JEE Advanced mock exams provided by the coaching centres and experts on their respective websites.

Q: Where can I find the solved question papers for JEE Advanced exam?

Candidates can find the solved question papers of JEE Advanced exam on the websites of various coaching centres. Also shiksha.com have comoile the solved past 10 year JEE Advanced question papers here: Last 10 Year JEE Advanced Question Papers with Solutions: Download Here.

JEE Advanced 2024 Exam Pattern

JEE Advanced 2024 exam pattern is given below:

Mode of the exam: The examination was conducted ONLY in the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode.
Number of papers: Two question papers: Paper 1 and Paper 2 of three hours duration each. Both papers are compulsory.
Language: English and Hindi
Total duration: 6 hours
Number of sections: Each question paper consisted of three separate sections, viz., Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
Marking scheme: Details of the marking scheme were provided in the “Instructions to Candidates” section at the time of examination. The same is also explained further below.

Section-wise JEE Advanced marking scheme for Paper 1:

Total Marks of Paper 1 was 180 & Duration: 3 hrs
The Paper had (51) questions with 17 questions in each subject.
The Paper 1 had (03) three parts- Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics.
Max. Marks for each Part was 60.
In each part there were Four sections:
- Sec-I (Max. marks-12)
- Sec-II (Max. Marks-12)
- Sec-III (Max. marks-24)
- Sec-IV (Max. marks-12)

Section	Number of questions and total marks	Marking Scheme
1	4 questions of 12 marks	+3 If ONLY the correct option is chosen 0 If none of the options is chosen (i.e. the question is unanswered) -1 in all other cases
2	3 questions of 12 marks	+4 ONLY if (all) the correct option(s) is(are) chosen +3 If all four options are correct but ONLY three options are chosen +2 If three or more options are correct but ONLY two options are chosen, both of which are correct +1 If two or more options are correct but ONLY one option is chosen and it is a correct option 0 If none of the options is chosen (i.e. the question is unanswered) -2 In all other cases
3	6 questions of 24 marks	+4 for the correct answer 0 for no attempts
4	4 questions of 12 marks	+3 If ONLY the correct option is chosen 0 If none of the options is chosen (i.e. the question is unanswered) -1 for the wrong attempts

Section-wise JEE Advanced marking scheme for Paper 2:

Total Marks of Paper 2 was 180 & Duration: 3 hrs.
The Paper had (51) questions with 17 questions in each subject.
The total no. of questions in Paper 2 was 51.
Total Marks of Paper-2 was 180 which is the same as last year.
The Paper 2 had (03) three parts- Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics.
Max. Marks for each Part was 60.
In each part there were Four sections:
- Sec-I (Max. marks-12)
- Sec-II (Max. Marks-12)
- Sec-III (Max. marks-24)
- Sec-IV (Max. marks-12)

Section	Number of questions and total marks	Marking Scheme
1	4 questions of 12 marks	+3 If ONLY the correct option is chosen 0 If none of the options is chosen (i.e. the question is unanswered) -1 in all other cases
2	3 questions of 12 marks	+4 ONLY if (all) the correct option(s) is(are) chosen +3 If all four options are correct but ONLY three options are chosen +2 If three or more options are correct but ONLY two options are chosen, both of which are correct +1 If two or more options are correct but ONLY one option is chosen and it is a correct option 0 If none of the options is chosen (i.e. the question is unanswered) -2 In all other cases
3	6 questions of 24 marks	+4 for the correct answer 0 for no attempts no negative marks
4	2 questions of 12 marks	+3 If ONLY the correct option is chosen 0 if unanswered No negative marking

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Commonly asked questions

Q: What is the JEE Advanced exam pattern?

The JEE Advanced exam pattern is dynamic. It changes every year. The only known aspect of the JEE Advanced exam pattern are:

The number of papers: There are two papers - paper 1 and paper 2.
The exam mode: The JEE Advanced exam is held in computer based test mode.
Duration: The exam is held for 6 hours. Each paper is of 3 hours.
Subjects: Each question papers has questions from three sections - Maths, Physics and Chemistry

JEE Advanced pattern will change every year in terms of maeking scheme and the types of questions asked (MCQs, match the following, paragraph type, numerical answer type.)

Q: In what mode is the JEE Advanced exam held?

The JEE Advanced exam is held in computer based test mode. The exam is not held in offline mode. Candidates have to visit the allotted exam centre to take the exam. The allotted exam centre will be mentioned on the admit card of JEE Advanced issued to the caandidates a week before the exam.

JEE Advanced 2023 Exam Pattern

Check below the exam pattern of the JEE Advanced 2023 exam:.

Paper 1 Pattern

This paper had 3 sections, and further, each section was divided into 4 more sections, as shown below:

JEE Advanced Paper 1 sections:

Section 1: Physics
- Section 1: 12 marks
- Section 2: 12 marks
- Section 3: 24 marks
- Section 2: 12 marks
Section 2: Chemistry
- Section 1: 12 marks
- Section 2: 12 marks
- Section 3: 24 marks
- Section 2: 12 marks
Section 3: Maths
- Section 1: 12 marks
- Section 2: 12 marks
- Section 3: 24 marks
- Section 2: 12 marks

Section-wise exam pattern for JEE Advanced Paper 1 for Physics, Chemistry and Maths sections

Section	Number of questions and total marks	Question type	Marking Scheme
1	3 questions of 12 marks	MCQ with only one correct option	+4 ONLY if (all) the correct option(s) is(are) chosen +3 If all four options are correct but ONLY three options are chosen +2 If three or more options are correct but ONLY two options are chosen, both of which are correct +1 If two or more options are correct but ONLY one option is chosen and it is a correct option 0 If none of the options is chosen (i.e. the question is unanswered) -2 In all other cases
2	4 questions of 12 marks	MCQ with one or more than one correct option	+3 If ONLY the correct option is chosen 0 If none of the options is chosen (i.e. the question is unanswered) -1 in all other cases
3	6 questions of 24 marks	integer type	+4 for the correct answer 0 for no attempts no negative marks
4	4 questions of 12 marks	match the following followed by MCQs	+3 If ONLY the correct option is chosen 0 If none of the options is chosen (i.e. the question is unanswered)

Paper 2 Pattern

This paper had 3 sections and further, each section was divided into 4 more sections, as shown below:

JEE Advanced Paper 2 sections:

Section 1: Physics
- Section 1: 12 marks
- Section 2: 12 marks
- Section 3: 24 marks
- Section 2: 12 marks
Section 2: Chemistry
- Section 1: 12 marks
- Section 2: 12 marks
- Section 3: 24 marks
- Section 2: 12 marks
Section 3: Maths
- Section 1: 12 marks
- Section 2: 12 marks
- Section 3: 24 marks
- Section 2: 12 marks

Section-wise exam pattern for JEE Advanced Paper 2 for Physics, Chemistry and Maths section

Section	Number of questions and total marks	Question type	Marking Scheme
1	4 questions of 12 marks	MCQ with only one correct option	+3 If ONLY the correct option is chosen 0 If none of the options is chosen (i.e. the question is unanswered) -1 in all other cases
2	3 questions of 12 marks	MCQ with one or more than one correct option	+4 ONLY if (all) the correct option(s) is(are) chosen +3 If all four options are correct but ONLY three options are chosen +2 If three or more options are correct but ONLY two options are chosen, both of which are correct +1 If two or more options are correct but ONLY one option is chosen and it is a correct option 0 If none of the options is chosen (i.e. the question is unanswered) -2 In all other cases
3	6 questions of 24 marks	integer type	+4 for the correct answer 0 for no attempts no negative marks
4	2 questions of 12 marks	Paragraph type with numerical answers	+3 If ONLY the correct option is chosen 0 If none of the options is chosen (i.e. the question is unanswered)

Also Read: How to Crack JEE Advanced 2026 Without Coaching With Self Study

Commonly asked questions

Q: What are some important topics in JEE Advanced chemistry?

In JEE Advanced chemistry the high weightage chapters include:

p-block
Chemical bonding
Coordination compounds
Electrochemistry
Ionic & Chemical Equilibrium
Electrochemistry & Surface Chemistry
Aldehyde & Ketones
Polymers
Biomolecules

Q: What has been the highest score in JEE Advanced till date?

The fact that no candidate has every scored full marks in JEE Advanced, signifies the exam's difficulty level. However, the highest marks one has achieved till date in JEE Advanced is 355 marks out of 360. This was scored by Ved Lahoti in the year 2024.

Analysis of JEE Advanced Exam Pattern Over the Years

Over the past year, the JEE Advanced exam pattern has changed a lot of times. We have analysed it for you below in the following sections:

Total number of questions asked in past years
Total marks in the past years
Major types of questions asked and marks in each type over the past years
Difficulty level of the questions over the years
Weightage of questions from classes 11 and 12

Also Read: How to Crack JEE Advanced 2026 in First Attempt?

Let's check these sections one by one below:

JEE Advanced Exam Pattern: Total number of questions asked in the past 13 years

The number of questions asked in JEE Advanced over the past years is as follows:

Year	Questions per paper	Total questions in papers 1 and 2 together
2012	60	120
2013	60	120
2014	60	120
2015	60	120
2016	54	108
2017	54	108
2018	54	108
2019	54	108
2020	54	108
2021	57	114
2022	54	108
2023	54	108
2024	51	102
2025	48	96

You might also want to check: JEE Advanced previous year question papers with solutions and answer keys.

JEE Advanced Exam Pattern: Total marks in the past years

The marks in JEE Advanced over the past years have fluctuated. Check the table below;

Year	Total marks
2012	408
2013	360
2014	360
2015	504
2016	372
2017	366
2018	360
2019	372
2020	396
2021	360
2022	360
2023	360
2024	360
2024	360

Also Read:

Revised JEE Advanced syllabus

JEE Advanced Exam Pattern: Major types of questions asked

The broad types of questions that are asked in JEE Advanced are:

Single correct
Multiple correct
Numerical type
Paragraph type
Matrix match type
Question stem (Paragraph type question with answer in numerical form) - new in 2021

The variation in these types of questions is expected each year in JEE Advanced. Therefore candidates must be ready for any type of combination of questions from above in their upcoming JEE Advanced examination.

Marks distribution in each type of question asked over the past years

Type of questions	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
Single correct	24	12	72	18	36	54	36	0	63	99	0
Multiple correct	24	12	72	48	144	144	192	144	168	192	216
Numerical type	56	24	96	76	72	198	108	144	45	45	192
Paragraph type	-	12	36	0	36	0	0	36	36	36	48
Matrix match type	12	-	36	12	0	0	36	36	54	0	48
Question stem	-	-	0	0	72	0	0	0	0	0	0

JEE Advanced Exam Pattern: Difficulty level of the questions over the years

From 2012 to 2025, the difficulty level of the paper subject-wise, is as follows:

The overall level of difficulty:

Subject	% of Difficult questions	% of moderate questions	% of easy questions
Maths	26	54	20
Physics	23	55	22
Chemistry	20	61	19

It can be noted that more than 60% of the questions in JEE Advanced over the years, have fallen in the easy and moderate level of difficulty.

Also Read: JEE Main vs JEE Advanced Preparation

The difficulty level of the type of question over the years:

Type of questions	% of Difficult questions	% of moderate questions	% of easy questions
Single correct	16.67	27.78	55.56
Multiple correct	25.71	17.14	57.14
Numerical type	23.08	19.23	57.69
Paragraph type	16.67	25	58.33
Matrix type	28.57	14.29	57.14

Also Read: Colleges accepting JEE Advanced scores

JEE Advanced Exam Pattern: Weightage of questions from classes 11 and 12

The weightage of questions found in the JEE Advanced question paper over the past years is as follows:

Subject	Weightage of class 11	Weightage of class 12
Physics	53%	47%
Chemistry	47%	53%
Maths	39%	61%

Read More:

Commonly asked questions

Q: What can be the difficulty level of JEE Advanced 2026 given that IIT Roorkee is conducting it?

The aspirants of JEE Advanced must keep in mind that the difficulty level of the exam cannot be determined by the IIT conducting the exam. The JEE Advanced paper is not made by one single IIT; rather, it is prepared by experts from multiple institutes. The difficulty level of the exam is independent of the IIT conducting the exam.

Thus, note that the conducting IIT do not set the difficulty level of the paper and neither do they set the exam paper.

The difficulty level of the exam will vary based on the preparation of the candidates. The same question paper can be difficult for the candidates with poor preparation while a well prepared candidate will find the same paper easy or less challenging.

Q: Is both papers of JEE Advanced exam compulsory?

YES. To be eligible for IIT admission and pass the JEE Advanced exam, candidates have to appear in both the papers. A candidate skipping any one of the two papers will be not eligible for ranking.

JEE Advanced 2026 Exam Pattern FAQs

Check below some of the most frequently asked questions on JEE Advanced 2026 exam pattern:

Commonly asked questions

Q: What are some books to prepare for JEE Advanced maths?

To prepare for JEE Advanced Maths, toppers and experts have recommended the following books:

Arihant Problem Book in Mathematics for IIT JEE by SK Goyal
NCERT Maths Class 11 and 12
Cengage Maths by G TIWANI
Comprehensive Mathematics for JEE Advanced by Tata McGraw Hill publications
Problems Plus in IIT Mathematics by A Das Gupta

Q: How to prepare for JEE Mains 2nd attempt as well as JEE Advanced simultaneously also BITSAT and CET at the same time?

Preparing for exams like JEE Mains, JEE Advanced, BITSAT, and other CETs can seem overwhelming, but you can achieve this with a strategy. Here are the facts:

Compare the syllabus: All engineering entrance exams have almost the same syllabus. There might be some additional topics in some exams. The aspirant must study the syllabus for all exams and find out the topics that are extra, and prepare those separately. Almost 90% of the topics will be common for all entrance exams, and hence, syllabus completion for one exam will lead to completion of the syllabus for all the exams.
Prepare for JEE Mains and incorporate the preparation for all other exams: Apart from JEE Advanced, all the exams are pretty straightforward for a well-prepared candidate. JEE Advanced require a higher level of preparation as the questions are multi-conceptual. However, the state-level entrance exams, and exams like BITSAT, VITEEE, etc., have direct questions. Most of the questions in JEE Mains are also direct and require the application of basic concepts. Hence, the candidates must prepare for one exam, like JEE Mains, that will cover their preparation for all other exams.
JEE Advanced needs extra effort: For JEE Advanced candidates must focus on time management and building exam day temperament. Learn how to apply multiple concepts to a question.

The bottom line is to prepare for JEE Mains to cover the preparation for all other CETs and exams like BITSAT and VITEEE. For JEE Advanced, work on sharpening your skills of time management, stress handling, multiple concept application, speed and accuracy.

Q: What are the important topics in JEE Advanced physics?

The important topics in JEE Advanced physics are: