Students aiming for engineering colleges in India need to know about two major exams: JEE Main and JEE Advanced . For 2026 , JEE Main applications for Session 1 have already closed, with exams planned for January and April . If you pass JEE Main , you can then apply for JEE Advanced . Registration for JEE Advanced 2026 is expected to begin in April , and the exam will be held in May . These exams have different goals, test patterns, and difficulty levels, which are important for students to understand.
What are JEE Main and JEE Advanced For?
JEE Main helps students get into top engineering colleges like National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs). It is also the first step to take the JEE Advanced exam.
JEE Advanced is the exam for admission into the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). Only students who qualify in JEE Main can appear for JEE Advanced .
Exam Pattern: Main Differences for 2026
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released details for JEE Main 2026 . The details for JEE Advanced 2026 are still awaited, but generally, the pattern remains similar with some changes each year. Here is a basic comparison:
| Exam/Details | JEE Main | JEE Advanced |
| Subjects covered | Physics, Chemistry & Maths | Physics, Chemistry & Maths |
| Number of papers | One | Two - Paper 1 and Paper 2 |
| Type of questions | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) Numerical Value Type Questions | MCQ (one correct answer) MCQ (multiple correct answers) Correct Answer Matching Numerical Value Type Questions |
| Total no. of questions | Total 75 questions ( 20 MCQ and 5 Numerical Value from each Physics, Chemistry and Maths) | No fixed numbers; changes most years |
| Exam duration | 3 Hours | 3 Hours (per paper) |
| Marking scheme | +4 marks for correct answer -1 mark for every incorrect answer | Changes each year. Negative marks for some incorrect answers. Questions can carry 1, 2, 3, or 4 marks. Some questions may not have negative marking. |
| Qualifying marks | Announced by NTA with results | Minimum marks needed in each subject and overall to get into a rank list. For example, last year, general category students needed 7 marks in each subject and 74 total marks out of 360 . These marks change for different categories. |
Syllabus Differences
Both JEE Main and JEE Advanced cover Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics topics from Class 11 and 12 NCERT books. However, there are important differences. Some topics are only in the JEE Main syllabus, while others are only in JEE Advanced . Students should check the official websites for the exact syllabus for 2026 to understand these differences.
Selection and Qualifying Marks
Every year, many students appear for these exams, but only a few get into their desired colleges. For JEE Main , students get an All India Rank based on their scores. This rank is used for admissions; there are no fixed qualifying marks for JEE Main .
For JEE Advanced , candidates must score a minimum number of marks in each subject and overall to qualify for a rank list. For example, for the previous year, the qualifying marks were as follows:
| Rank List | Minimum marks in each subject | Minimum aggregate marks out of 360 |
| Common Rank List (CRL) | 7 | 74 |
| GEN-EWS Rank List | 6 | 66 |
| OBC-NCL Rank List | 6 | 66 |
| SC Rank List | 3 | 37 |
| ST Rank List | 3 | 37 |
| Common-PwD Rank List (CRL-PwD) | 3 | 37 |
| GEN-EWS-PwD Rank List | 3 | 37 |
| OBC-NCL-PwD Rank List | 3 | 37 |
| SC-PwD Rank List | 3 | 37 |
| ST-PwD Rank List | 3 | 37 |
| Preparatory Course Rank Lists | 1 | 18 |
Difficulty Level
There is a big difference in difficulty between the two exams. JEE Advanced is known as one of the toughest exams in the world. JEE Main is also challenging, considered to be on the medium to difficult side, mainly due to the high number of students competing for limited seats.
Important Dates for 2026
- JEE Main 2026 Session 1 : Registration has closed. Application corrections are ongoing.
- JEE Main 2026 Exams : Will be held in January and April (two sessions).
- JEE Advanced 2026 Registration : Expected to start in April , after the JEE Main Session 2 results are announced.
- JEE Advanced 2026 Exam : Will be held in May .
