In India, the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main is a thorough national entrance exam. In addition to being the only prerequisite exam for the second, more difficult level, JEE Advanced, it is the required entry point into prestigious government and centrally financed engineering, architecture, and planning schools.

History of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main

Significant reorganisation has occurred throughout the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main's history, mostly to streamline admissions and lessen the strain of taking numerous entrance tests on candidates.

The Genesis: From Multiple Exams to AIEEE (2002)

From Several Tests to AIEEE (2002) Before 2002, prospective engineering students faced a great deal of intellectual and logistical burden since they had to take multiple, incompatible entrance exams administered by state governments or individual institutions.

The Need for Standardisation: The Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), the recently established National Institutes of Technology (NITs), and other central institutions requested an admission exam that was of a higher calibre than the Common Engineering Test (CET).

The Introduction of AIEEE (2002): The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) introduced the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) in 2002. With the exception of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), which had their own entrance exam, the IIT-JEE, it was intended to function as a single, nationwide exam for admission to the majority of engineering and architecture programs in India.

The Major Transition: Renaming and Unification (2013)

The government's decision to combine the two main national engineering tests into a two-tiered system was the biggest shift.

Renaming to JEE (2013): The AIEEE was formally discontinued in 2013 and changed its name to JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) Main. At the same time, the original IIT-JEE was renamed JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) Advanced.

• The goal of the reorganisation was to provide a more straightforward and uniform structure in which JEE Main served as the JEE Advanced screening exam. JEE Advanced, which is still the entry point to the IITs, is only open to the best candidates from JEE Main.

Weightage to Board Marks: The 2013 pattern first implemented a complicated approach that assigned weighting to both the Class 12th Board marks and the JEE Main result (usually 40% to Board marks and 60% to JEE Main) for admission to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. Later, this criterion was abandoned in favour of focussing solely on the JEE Main rank, with admission eligibility requiring a minimum of 75% or the top 20% of board scores.

The Modern Era: NTA and CBT (2018 onwards)

The conducting body and the examination method were altered in the final metamorphosis.

Shift to NTA (2018/2019): In 2018, CBSE relinquished its examination-conducting duties to the newly established National Testing Agency (NTA), with NTA assuming full administration in 2019.

Computer-Based Test (CBT): The previous paper-and-pen format for the examination (Paper 1, B.E./B.Tech.) has been replaced by an entirely computer-based test (CBT) since 2018.

Multiple Sessions: In order to give students the opportunity to raise their results and relieve the academic burden of a single, high-stakes test, the NTA implemented the policy of holding the JEE Main twice a year (in January and April) beginning in 2019.

Examination Overview and Purpose

Formerly called the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE), the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE)-Main is a computer-based, standardised test administered in India.

Conducting Body

The National Testing Agency (NTA), an independent body under the Indian government's Ministry of Education, administers the test.

Core Objectives

Admission to Undergraduate Programs: The main objective is to admit students to undergraduate programs offered by the National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and other Government-Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs) throughout the nation. These programs include B.E./B.Tech., B.Arch., and B. Planning.

JEE (Advanced) Qualification: To be eligible to take the JEE (Advanced) exam, which is necessary for admission to the esteemed Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), one must have a JEE Main score. JEE (Advanced) is open to the top 2,50,000 JEE Main rank holders.

Examination Frequency

Typically, JEE Main is held twice a year in two distinct sessions, with the first session taking place in January and the second in April. Candidates are given two chances to raise their scores under this arrangement, and the top score from all efforts is taken into account for the final merit list.

JEE Main Application Fee Structure (In India)

There is a required application fee for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main. This charge varies greatly according on your gender, category, and exam location (in India or outside of India).

• During the application procedure, the non-refundable cost must be paid online using UPI, Net Banking, a credit card, or a debit card.

• The cost of a single paper (B.E./B.Tech., B.Arch., or B.Planning) at Indian centres is summarised in the following table.

Category	Gender	Fee (INR) for Single Paper	Fee (INR) for Both Papers
General	Male	₹1,000	₹2,000
General	Female	₹800	₹1,600
Gen-EWS / OBC (NCL)	Male	₹900	₹2,000
Gen-EWS / OBC (NCL)	Female	₹800	₹1,600
SC / ST / PwD / Third Gender	Male / Female / Third Gender	₹500	₹1,000

Fees for Centres Outside India

Candidates opting for exam centres outside India must pay a substantially higher fee due to additional administrative expenses.

Paper(s)	Category	Gender	Fee (INR)
Single Paper	General	Male	₹5,000
Single Paper	General	Female	₹4,000
Both Papers	General/Gen-EWS/OBC (NCL)	Male	₹10,000
Both Papers	General/Gen-EWS/OBC (NCL)	Female	₹8,000
Single Paper	SC/ST/PwD	Male / Female	₹2,500

Eligibility Criteria (Who Can Apply)

The candidate's passing year of the qualifying exam and the grades they received are the main factors that determine their eligibility.

Age Limit and Attempts

• Age Limit: Candidates applying for JEE Main are not subject to any age restrictions.

• Attempts: A candidate may take the test up to three times in a row. This essentially translates to up to six sessions over three academic years (the year they first appear for Class 12 and the two consecutive years) because the exam is administered twice a year.

• Year of Passing: In the current year or the two years prior, candidates must have passed their Class 12 (or equivalent) test.

Minimum Academic Requirements for Admission

Admission to NITs, IIITs, and CFTIs requires certain scores on the Class 12/qualifying exam, but anyone who meets the attempt limit is welcome to take the test:

General Category: Must place in the top 20 percentile of successful applicants in their individual qualifying board exam, OR receive at least 75% of the possible points in the Class 12 exam.

SC/ST Category: Needs to receive at least 65% of the possible points in the Class 12 test.

Detailed Exam Pattern and Structure

With the exception of the B.Arch. Drawing Test component, the JEE Main exam is administered using a computer-based test (CBT).

There are three separate papers on the test:

Paper	Course	Subjects	Mode	Total Questions (Approx.)	Total Marks
Paper 1	B.E. / B.Tech.	Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics	CBT	75	300
Paper 2A	B.Arch.	Mathematics (Part I), Aptitude Test (Part II), Drawing Test (Part III)	CBT (Part I & II), Offline (Part III)	77	400
Paper 2B	B.Planning	Mathematics, Aptitude Test, Planning Based Questions	CBT	100	400

Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech.) Structure

For each of the three subjects (Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics), the section is divided into two parts:

Section	Question Type	Questions per Subject	Attempt Strategy
Section A	Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)	20 Questions	All 20 are compulsory.
Section B	Questions with Numerical Value Answers (Integer/Decimal)	10 Questions (typically)	Candidates must attempt 5 out of the 10 offered questions.

Total Questions to Attempt: 25 per subject 3 subjects = 75 Questions Total Duration: 3 Hours (180 minutes)

Negative Marking Scheme (Crucial Point)

Yes, there are negative marks in the JEE Main examination. The marking scheme is designed to reward accuracy and penalize guesswork.

Action	Marks Awarded
Correct Answer	+4 Marks
Incorrect Answer	-1 Mark (Negative Marking)
Unattempted Question	0 Marks

Key Points on Negative Marking

• MCQ Section (Section A): Each incorrect response results in a penalty of one mark.

• Numerical Value Section (Section B): The questions in this section must be carefully chosen because the same +4, -1, and 0 marking scheme is typically used for the numerical answer questions as well.

• Drawing Test (Paper 2A): While other components of Paper 2 receive negative marking, the Drawing Test portion of B.Arch is usually assessed subjectively.

Registration and Examination Languages

How to Apply

On the official NTA JEE Main website (jeemain.nta.nic.in), the full registration process is completed online. The application must be completed, scanned photos and signatures must be uploaded, and the exam price must be paid online. Session 1 and Session 2 applications are frequently distributed separately.

Medium of Examination

To accommodate students from different geographical locations, the test is available in multiple languages. English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu are the 13 languages in which candidates can choose to take the test.