Jan 20, 2025, 06:25 PM IST
The National Testing Agency (NTA), established in November 2017 by the Government of India, is responsible for conducting key national-level entrance exams, including the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), which serves as the gateway for aspiring engineers to gain admission to prestigious institutions including IITs and NITs.
Over the years, the format of JEE has evolved. The exam pattern had changed even during the pandemic to alleviate the difficulties caused by the disruptions in learning. Now, for JEE Main 2025, the exam pattern will revert to its pre-pandemic format.
Previously, candidates could select 5 out of 10 numerical questions in Section B of each subject. Starting in 2025, all five numerical questions per subject are mandatory, removing the earlier flexibility.
With the removal of optional questions, students must now prepare comprehensively across all chapters in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, as each subject carries equal importance.
Negative marking is now applicable to both multiple-choice and numerical questions. Each incorrect response will result in a deduction of 1 mark, maintaining consistency in the marking scheme.
The total duration of the exam remains three hours. Candidates will need to complete 75 questions—20 multiple-choice and 5 numerical in each of the three subjects—within this timeframe.
The maximum score for JEE Main 2025 continues to be 300 marks, preserving the existing marking structure.
Experts suggest that the increased difficulty due to mandatory numerical questions may lead to lower cutoffs in JEE Main 2025, offering some relief to aspirants.
The session 1 of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2025 will be held on January 22, 23, 24, 28 and 29, 2025 for paper 1 and on January 30, 2025 for paper 2. The first paper is for Engineering (BE/BTech) and the second paper is for Architecture and Planning (BArch/BPlanning) courses.