How to Avoid Negative Marking in JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Exam - Best Tips

How to Avoid Negative Marking in JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Exam?

Understand JEE Main 2026 Exam Pattern

The JEE Main 2026 will consist of two sections, Section A will have 20 multiple-choice questions, while Section B will consist of 10 Numerical value-type questions. For section B, candidates will have a choice to attempt any five questions out of 10. The exam duration is 3 hours with a total mark of 300. There will be a negative marking in both sections A and B. That’s why the students need to avoid negative marking in the real exam.

Here we provide a link to a detailed video, which may help candidates clear their basic doubts regarding the JEE Main exam.

Tips to Attempt JEE Main 2026 questions to Avoid Negative Marking?

According to Toppers, the strategy of attempting the JEE Main question paper should be smart enough. One should always jump upon direct, easy, and memory-based questions whose single reading makes a clear picture of the solution in the candidate's brain. One should read the questions using the old practice of ‘stop, look, and go’. Such easy questions should be attempted with patience while having complete control so that the candidate does not get over-excited and mark the incorrect option. Candidates should avoid expecting a certain concept to repeat in the questions and not lose their presence of mind. For questions where some sort of confusion remains and the exact answer is unknown, aspirants should apply the ‘option elimination theory’.

In addition to the above, aspirants should always take up the JEE Main examination afresh, regardless of how many attempts they might have given and how many previous year papers they have practiced. They should analyze it the first time and then attempt the paper. This is because many times, students assumed that they would not be able to score well because they were not fully prepared or that they did not score well in the mocks. They should always have a positive attitude towards the JEE Main question paper. Not being able to answer two consecutive questions should not let that student think that he or she is not going to qualify.

Time Management for attempting JEE Main 2026

JEE Main exam is conducted for 3 hours, and a total of 90 questions are asked in the exam. So the best strategy for attempting JEE Main is time management, wherein the whole time is divided for each question so that candidates do not devote more than the time allotted to that question. They should keep in mind that all the questions hold the same number of marks and thus, should mark the time-consuming questions for the last minutes to be attempted if they still have some time.

Explore New Exam Pattern for JEE Main 2026

The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains, which is one of the most difficult examinations in the country and is among the most sought-after entrance tests, is also conducted in an online computer-based format. The exam consists of three core subjects: The three common Subjects include Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. The Mathematics section is usually the most unpopular among many candidates since its curriculum is extensive, and the level of understanding of concepts is profound.

The exam is divided into two main sections:

Section A: The quizzes contained in this section are 20 MCQs for each course. What the MCQ requires is four options, and only one of them is the right answer.

Section B: This section has 5 numerical value questions for each of the subject areas, and the candidate only has to answer all five of these. These numerical value questions have to be answered accurately, sometimes to the second decimal place.

How to avoid negative marking in JEE Main 2026?

While practicing, candidates should focus on the JEE Main paper-solving strategy and the silly mistakes that take place due to hurry or lack of concentration. They should also understand how to deal with the questions, or better to, avoid those which they are unable to understand. Also, one should not attempt memory-based questions in a hurry but should go through the provided options and then click on the most appropriate one out of the options available.

How to reduce negative marking in JEE Mains 2026?

The very formula to avoid negative marking in JEE Main is to analyze one's mistakes while practicing with JEE Main mock tests, so that one knows what mistakes are repeating and why. As the Indian educational system is, students are made to focus on what is the right answer, but exams like JEE Main are conducted to ensure who understands the concepts better with their open and focused minds. That is why statements like ‘Which of the following is incorrect’ rather than ‘Which of the following is correct’ are introduced to create a sense of confusion and test the alertness and smartness of the aspirants. Those students who read the question thoroughly and calmly will not make any mistakes in such questions.

How to attempt the JEE Mains Paper?

Many students are too afraid of Physics and sometimes get nervous while dealing with the subject questions. As teachers suggest, one of the most effective JEE Main paper-solving strategies is to carefully read and understand the question provided and get into the essence of what exactly is being asked. The words using which the question is framed in itself carry the solution, and thus, all one has to do is frame a diagram in their mind as to what exactly is being asked.