Preparing for JEE Main 2026 Without the Option to Choose Questions in Section B

Under the revised JEE Main Exam Pattern, candidates will not be allowed to choose questions in section B of each subject. The pattern introduced during COVID-19 has been discontinued as per the latest notice issued by NTA.

JEE Main exam is one of the toughest exams in the world. As of 2025, 12,25,529 candidates appeared to write the exam from all over the country. Given the extensive JEE Main syllabus and consistently increasing competition poses a toll on candidates’ minds to achieve good marks and gain admission to decent engineering colleges.

Since the candidates now have to attempt all five questions even if they are not confident with any one of these questions, they must strengthen their preparation techniques. They must focus on areas of weakness, practice regularly to improve accuracy, and practice time management for the JEE Main exam.

JEE Main Exam Pattern 2026 

Starting from the previous year's JEE Main 2026 exam, the candidates will have to attempt all 5 questions in section B of each subject. Candidates seeking to appear for the 2026 JEE Main exam can check the following table for a detailed JEE Main exam pattern:

JEE Main New Paper Pattern for Paper 1 (B.E/B.Tech)

The detailed paper 1 pattern will soon be available on the official website of the National Testing Agency (NTA) @jeemain.nta.nic.in. Till then, candidates can look at the brief overview of the JEE Main 2026 paper 1 exam pattern:

JEE Main New Paper Pattern for Paper 2

The new JEE Main exam pattern also applies to paper 2 (B.Arch and B.Planning). Candidates can check the revised exam guidelines for JEE Main Paper 2 from the table provided below:

What’s New in the JEE Main Exam Pattern 2026?

What’s changed in the JEE Main exam pattern 2026? There’s no option to choose questions in section B. NTA has made 5 questions to be attempted compulsorily in section B of each subject.

Check the following table for a detailed analysis of the changes in the JEE exam pattern 2025 vs 2026:

Also Read: Top Free Resources for JEE Main 2026 Preparation

Impact of the New JEE Main Exam Pattern

The changes introduced in the JEE Main exam pattern previous year have hugely impacted the preparation strategy of the candidates. Now, they have to be more cautious about the chapters with lesser weightage, areas of weakness and their time management on JEE Main exam day, as all 5 questions are compulsory to attempt.

Moreover, the JEE Main cutoff will also be impacted, making the JEE Main qualifying marks dip significantly due to the removal of optional questions from the JEE Main 2026 paper pattern. At the same time, this will help those with lower ranks in JEE Main to gain admission to top colleges.

Also Read: List of Colleges for 1 Lakh Rank in JEE Main 2025

How to Adapt to the JEE Main 2026 Revised Exam Pattern?

The JEE Main exam is known for its competitive nature and difficulty level; and with the new JEE Main exam pattern for 2026, the difficulty level of the exam has soared high. The following are some JEE Main 2026 preparation tips to help candidates adapt to the JEE Main 2026 exam pattern:

• Candidates must devise a JEE Main preparation schedule to comprehensively cover all the topics included within the JEE Main syllabus. It means covering even those chapters with the least importance.
• Revision after each topic can be a great strategy to retain the information just learned. Moreover, candidates must make notes or placards, flow charts, and sticky notes during the revision to have a quick glance at important points during the last days of preparation.
• Practice consistently to improve accuracy and speed of answering the questions on the exam day. Candidates must ensure that they are solving both easy and difficult problems to be well prepared for all kinds of questions that might be asked in the exam.
• Observe the areas of weakness during revision and practice. Work on those areas by regularly solving JEE Main previous years question papers.
• Candidates can reward themselves upon getting good marks on the sample papers or the previous year’s papers to boost their confidence. This, in turn, would take the pressure off candidates’ shoulders.
• Appear for JEE Main mock tests during the last phase of the JEE Main 2026 preparation. Review the preparation level and have a glance at the short notes made during the revision. Also, attempt the JEE Main mock tests as if a real examination to check the actual level of preparation.
• Practice mindfulness techniques, deep breathing and exercise daily to combat the JEE Main exam pressure. Do not study at least 2 days before the exam, rather stay calm and prepare for the exam day.
• Moreover, do not take up new topics at the last moment for revision or comprehensive study. It will incur unnecessary stress.
• Now that the candidates will not have an option to choose questions in section B, they might get stuck on the questions with lesser preparation, they must not hinge upon one question. Revisiting or leaving the question entirely can be an option due to negative marking.

Also Read: Most Important & Repeated Questions in JEE Main with Solutions PDF

The revised JEE Main exam pattern 2026 provides no option for choosing questions in section B of each subject. In simple terms, the candidates will have to compulsorily attempt all 5 questions, even the ones they are not confident with. Thus, they must prepare the JEE Main syllabus extensively and practice regularly to not skip any chapter.