JEE Main B.Arch/B.Plan Books 2026: Check best books for exam preparation

Time required to cover JEE Main syllabus changes from one student to another student. In general, to complete the entire JEE Main syllabus, students would require around 1 year. The ideal time to start preparing for JEE Main is class 11 as the syllabus for JEE and class 11-12 is similar. Students who are studying in class 11 can point out the topics that are common in both and pay special emphasis to those topics.

While NCERT books are good to begin the JEE Mains preparation, students should not study only NCERT. As JEE Mains exam is known to test candidates conceptual and analytical skills, and to have all the knowledge that would help in achieving a good score, candidates must also refer other study materials as recommended by teachers to prepae for the exam.

Students who are preparing for JEE Main exam are advised to first cover the entire JEE Main syllabus. Covering only the high weightage chapters would decrease their chances of getting full/high score in JEE Main exam. Only after covering the entire syllabus, students can check most important chapters for JEE Mains.

JEE Main difficulty level is similar to class 12 board exams. Syllabus of JEE Main is similar to class 11 and 12 syllabus. The questions asked in exam are tricky and need an in-depth understanding of subjects. They need to have conceptual understanding of every topic to score well in exam. Those who study NCERT can get a decent score in JEE Mains.

There is no minimum mark needed to qualify JEE Main.

JEE Main is conducted twice a year: in January and April.

The exam pattern of JEE Main Paper 1 is:

Aspect	Paper 1 (BE/BTech)
Mode of Exam	Online (Computer-Based)
Subjects	Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics
Total Duration	3 hours
Total Marks	300 marks (100 per subject)
Number of Questions	Physics - 25 Chemistry - 25 Mathematics - 25
Numerical Value Questions	5 per subject, all compulsory
Question Types	20 MCQs + 5 Numerical (per subject)
Marking Scheme	+4 for correct, -1 for incorrect
Languages Offered	Hindi, English, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, etc.

For general students 60 marks is not good enough for admission in top NITs or IIITs. 60 marks will be around 80 percentile and will give rank between 1.5 and 2.5 lakhs.

There are two question types in JEE Main exam. Multiple choice questions and numerical ability questions. In MCQ, every question has 4 options with only 1 correct answer. Select the correct option. In numerical ability question type, no options are there. Solve them and write answer using keyword and mouse.

The syllabus for JEE Main Paper 1 (BE/B.Tech), Paper 2A B.Arch and Paper 2B B. Plan is different. JEE Main paper 1 exam is conducted for admission to BE/B.Tech, Paper 2A for B.Arch and Paper 2B is conducted for B. Plan courses. JEE Main paper 1 syllabus consists of Physics Chemistry and Mathematics. Paper 2A syllabus has Mathematics, General Aptitude and Drawing while Paper 2B syllabus has Mathematics, General Aptitude and Planning. Candidates must note that Mathematics syllabus is common/same in all three papers.

Candidates should take JEE Main mock tests at least once a week. However, in the last month before exam, frequency should be increased to 3 to 4 mock exam per week.

The best way to handle tough topics in any subject is to study the concepts of that particular topic. The conceptual understanding of any topic gives us the clarity to solve theoretical as well as numerical questions from that topic. NCERT text books are the best material to understand the core concepts.

Questions in JEE Mains exam is a blend of all the topics covered in the syllabus. However, there are some topics that are very much important and should be paid extra attentions while preparing for the exam. The list of important JEE Main topics are

Mathematics

• 3D Geometry
• Vector
• Applications of Derivatives
• Definite Integrals
• Limit, Cnntinuity and Differentiability

Physics

• Heat and Thermodynamics
• Electromagnetic Waves
• Ray & Wave Optics
• Kinematics
• Current Electricity
• Magnetism

Chemistry

• Electrochemistry
• Chemical Kinetics
• Thermodynamics
• p-block elements
• Chemical Bonding

National Testing Agency conducts JEE Main exam in a total of 13 languages. The languages in which paper is conducted are Assamese, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu in addition to Hindi English and Gujarati. Students can select the language of their choice from the available options while filling the application form. The language of JEE Main question paper during the exam will be available in 3 languages- English Hindi and the language selected by the candidates. The language of paper can be switched among these 3 languages during the exam.

No both are not same. But some topics are similar in JEE Main and JEE Advanced. Students who qualify the JEE Main exam and are among the top 250000 students are eligible to take the JEE Advanced.  Due to this reason majority of syllabi are the same, but a few extra topics are added in JEE Advanced.

National Testing Agency releases the JEE Main exam syllabus online. You can check the syllabus and know the names of chapters and topics. Here we have provded the detail of chapters in JEE Main syllabus.

• 19 Chapters in Physics (Also 1 chapter for experimental skills)
• 20 Chapters in Chemistry
• 14 Chapters in Mathematics

There is less possibility of any increase or decrease in chapters of JEE Main 2026 syllabus. However, candidates are advised to stay updated with the latest syllabus by visiting the JEE Main syllabus page or the official website of JEE Mains.

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.

Students can download JEE Main previous year question paper from Shiksha page. Candidates are provided JEE Main previous year question papers from the year 2014 to 2026. The papers can be downloaded as PDF and can be practised to prepare for the exam.

Yes, JEE Main exam has negative marking. 1 mark is deducted for every incorrect answer.

To crack JEE Mains on the first attempt, candidates need to start preparation as soon as possible. Get hold of conceptual clarity, consistent speed, and smart time management.

Starting the JEE Main preparation from class 11 or 12 is the best time. As JEE Main syllabus consists of topics from class 11 and 12, students can easily cover all the topics along with school. Students can begin by checking the topics that is covered in both school and JEE Main and give special attention to them. For all three subjects, study NCERT and also take help from reference books. Understand the concepts thoroughly and solve numerical problems. To crack JEE Main along with class 12, students should devote at least 2-3 hours for JEE beside class 12 studies. Regularly solve JEE Main mock test and solve previous year question papers to evaluate the performance.