Is the JEE Main exam pattern changed in 2026?

No, a major change was announced by NTA in the JEE Main exam pattern 2025. The option to choose 5 questions in section B of each subject has been discontinued. Now, only 5 questions will be posed, and all of them must be answered. The JEE Main exam pattern 2026 will be released by the NTA soon.

How many questions should I attempt in the JEE Main exam 2026?

All candidates must attempt 75 questions in the JEE Main exam. However, earlier the provision to choose any 5 questions in section B is no longer applicable. The question paper will only contain 75 questions, instead of 90.

What is the impact of the JEE Main revised exam pattern?

The new JEE Main exam pattern for 2025 has made the question paper even more difficult. However, it also means that the JEE Main cutoff will see a dip.

How can I ensure to complete all questions in the JEE Main exam 2026?

Practice is the key to ensuring that the candidates attempt all questions in the JEE Main exam. They must revise using short notes and consistently solve previous years' JEE Main exam papers.

Do I need 75% in class 12th to appear for the JEE Main exam 2026?

Yes, the 75% criteria still apply to the JEE Main 2026. The candidates who have secured at least 75% aggregate marks in class 12th will be eligible to gain admission to top engineering colleges through the JEE Main exam 2026.

How to prepare for the JEE Main 2026 exam with new exam pattern.

Now that all the questions will be compulsory to attempt in section B of the JEE Main paper, candidates must cover the JEE Main syllabus comprehensively. They must make short notes and revisit them time and again for better information retention. Moreover, they must consistently practice the previous year's questions.

Is JEE Main 2026 going to be tough?

With the introduction of the new JEE Main exam pattern for 2025, the difficulty level of JEE Main is likely going to soar. However, the official brochure of NTA is still awaited; thus, analysis of the JEE Main 2026 difficulty level is uncertain.

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

The JEE Main 2026 revised exam pattern does not provide a choice exercise optional questions in section B of each subject. Thus, candidates must improve the accuracy of answering questions and work on weak areas.

Table of Contents

JEE Main Exam Pattern 2026
Impact of the New JEE Main Exam Pattern
How to Adapt to the JEE Main 2026 Revised Exam Pattern?

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 1 (B.E/B.Tech)
Particulars	Details
Mode of Examination	Computer-Based Test
Duration of Exam	3 hours
Language of Exam	English Hindi Assamese Bengali Gujarati Kannada Marathi Malayalam Odisha Punjabi Tamil Telegu Urdu
Number of Sections	3 Sections: Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics
Types of Questions	Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions
JEE Main 2026 Total Number of Questions	Mathematics: 25 questions (20 MCQs and 5 NAT questions). Attempting all 5 mark questions is compulsory. Physics: 25 questions (20 MCQs and 5 NAT questions). Attempting all 5 mark questions is compulsory. Chemistry: 25 questions (20 MCQs and 5 NAT questions). Attempting all 5 mark questions is compulsory. Total Questions: 75
JEE Main 2026 Total Marks	300 marks (100 marks for each section)
Negative Marking	4 marks are awarded for each correct response and 1 mark deduction for each wrong answer for both MCQs and NAT questions.

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:

JEE Main New Paper Pattern for Paper 2
Particulars	Details
Mode of Examination	Computer-Based Test, except for Drawing section in B.Arch (conducted in a pen and paper-based mode)
Duration of Exam	3 hours
Language of Exam	English Hindi Assamese Bengali Gujarati Kannada Marathi Malayalam Odisha Punjabi Tamil Telegu Urdu
Number of Sections	B.Arch (Paper 2A): Part 1: Mathematics Part 2: Aptitude Test Part 3: Drawing Test B.Plan (Paper 2B): Mathematics Aptitude Test Planning Tests (MCQs)
Types of Questions	B.Arch: Mathematics: MCQs and NAT questions Aptitude: MCQs Drawing: Drawing Aptitude B.Plan: Mathematics: MCQs and NAT questions Aptitude and Planning: MCQs
JEE Main 2026 Total Number of Questions	B.Arch: 77 questions B.Plan: 100 questions
JEE Main 2026 Total Marks	400 marks
Negative Marking	For MCQs and NAT questions, 4 marks are awarded for each correct response and 1 mark is deducted for each wrong answer. Drawing Test: 2 questions are evaluated out of 100 marks

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:

JEE Main Exam Pattern 2025 vs 2026
Differentiating Factor	2025	2026
Total Number of Questions	90	75
Compulsory Questions	75	75
Optional Questions	15 (5 from each section)	-

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.