How Many Hours to Study for JEE Main Per Day - One of the most common questions among aspirants is how many hours to study for JEE Main per day to ensure a balanced yet effective preparation strategy. JEE Main examination preparation is a long journey where the candidate needs to strategize, dedicate his precious time & energy. The question that seems to be frequently asked by JEE Main aspirants is: How many hours must you study each day? In any case, the answer is a combination between school, coaching, and studying at home, which are indications of efficient preparation. This article gives details of the most preferred number of hours to study, and the best way to manage your studying time, and also presents them in a format usually asked as How many hours to study for JEE Main in class 12 with school. Additionally, let's also discuss how many hours to study for IIT JEE Main preparation and tips to maximize the possibilities in the provided amount of time.
As per last year's JEE Main information bulletin, there is no age limit for the candidates appearing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains 2026 exam.
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Understanding how many hours to study for JEE Main per day becomes even more crucial when you aim to complete the vast syllabus thoroughly and on time. Let's look at some important parts of the syllabus so u can understand how much syllabus you have to cover in the short remaining period. You can visit each link to have an overview of the chapters/topics link attached:
PHYSICS
Students can check the list of easy and scoring chapters for JEE Mains Chemistry 2026 in the table below-
CHEMISTRY
Candidates can check the easy and scoring chapters for JEE Mains Maths from the given table.
MATHEMATICS
To make steady progress, students often ask how many hours to study for JEE Main per day, and the answer usually lies between 6 to 8 hours depending on one’s grasp of the concepts. The number of hours you need to study daily depends on the stage of your preparation and personal learning pace. Below is a guideline for different phases of JEE Main preparation:
Preparation Phase | Recommended Study Hours Per Day | Focus Areas |
Early Stage (Foundation) | 4–6 hours | Understanding concepts, NCERT textbooks, basics |
Mid-Preparation (6–8 months left) | 6–8 hours | Problem-solving, advanced concepts, mock tests |
Intensive Revision (Last 3 months) | 10–12 hours | Full-length tests, weak areas, time management |
While planning a schedule, understanding how many hours to study for JEE Main per day helps in setting realistic and consistent daily goals. JEE & the school schedules are taxing; however, if one follows a proper timetable this is the most manageable feat. Here’s a daily plan tailored for students in Class 12:
Morning (Before School):
1–1.5 hours: Review what was taught the previous day in coaching or school.
Single subject concentration for the morning.
Evening (After School):
2–3 hours: Learn concepts that have been in class throughout the day in coaching or school.
Solve number computation and find the areas that one struggles in.
Morning:
3–4 hours: Revise all the topics covered for the whole week and find solutions to questions answered under these topics.
Afternoon:
2 hours: Write a mock test or solve the papers of the previous years.
Evening:
2 hours: Revise and correct mock test results and spend time on the areas that need improvement.
By following this plan, students can easily prepare for board exams as well as JEE as it answers the usual question of how many hours should be devoted to JEE Mains preparation.
JEE Main Mock Test | |
JEE Main Sample Paper |
Experts recommend customizing your study plan based on your pace, but knowing how many hours to study for JEE Main per day helps maintain discipline throughout the preparation journey. For aspirants targeting IIT JEE Advanced alongside JEE Main, the preparation demands a higher level of dedication. Here’s how to optimize your study hours:
Time of Day | Activity |
6:00 AM – 7:00 AM | Revise previous day’s notes or formulas |
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Solve advanced-level problems (Physics/Math) |
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Study theoretical concepts (Chemistry/Math) |
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Take mock tests or work on challenging areas |
9:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Analyze mock test performance and errors |
A total of 10–12 focused hours daily is ideal during intensive phases of preparation. Breaks and relaxation should be included to avoid burnout.
1. Quality Management Over Quantity
Excessive study that is not well directed only wastes much time.
Make sure that each study session has a set of objectives such as one chapters in a textbook or a set of exercises.
2. Active Learning Techniques should be applied
The direct tasks are to summarize the topics into one’s own words, solve various problems, and explain the concepts to peers.
Passive techniques entail, for instance, can provoking rereading of the material in a bid to try and understand it much better.
3. Take Mock Tests Regularly
Devote 2-3 hours per day for mock tests.
Provide a variety of exam-like conditions, so students will be able to have the necessary time control to provide accurate answers.
4. Prioritize Weak Areas
Spend more time on subjects that many students find difficult without spending less time on subjects they already understand well or are good at.
Try to cover equal weights in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
5. Maintain Health and Sleep
Physical fitness is particularly important for the development of the mind which will enable one to prepare well.
Rest the body for 6 – 8 hours and indulge in mild exercise to keep the body fresh.
Activity | Weekdays (Hours) | Weekends (Hours) |
Coaching/School | 5–6 | N/A |
Self-Study (Theory) | 2 | 4 |
Problem-Solving | 2 | 3 |
Mock Tests | 3 | 3 |
Revision | 1 | 2 |
Total | 10–12 | 12–15 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
It is advised that IIT JEE preparers should spend 8 – 10 hours daily in the initial phase and 10 – 12 hours in the final phase. It is necessary to study for both JEE Main and JEE Advanced at an equal level.
Yes, but only if those 6 hours are to be put to good and consistent use. Deal with topics that are most likely to contribute most of the weightage, a few problems, mock tests. Flexible with the hours of study regardless of the progress rate or performance accomplished.
JEE preparation requires 4-6 hours a day, with important segments such as revision, solving problems, and mock tests. Ideally, the hours in a weekend should be invested to study can reach 10-12 so as to cover all the materials.
It depends on the stage of preparation and the learner individuality. For those learners who undertake basic studying, they can set a target of studying for 4-6 hours per day, while those who choose to revise for many hours, may spend 10-12 hours. Frequency is more crucial than the period of time.
On Question asked by student community
Hello Swati
Yes, your EWS certificate will be valid for JEE Main 2026 and counselling if it’s issued after April 1, 2025.
This is because EWS certificates are valid for one financial year from April to March.
So, a certificate made in October 2025 will be for FY 2025–26, which covers both JEE and counselling. You’ll need the certificate number during JEE registration in October 2025.
Even if you don’t have it yet, you can still register and upload it later during counselling. Just make sure the certificate clearly mentions the correct financial year.
Always keep a few extra copies and the original ready for verification.
You're good to go if it’s issued after April 1, 2025
Hello Hitesh
A state EWS certificate is usually not valid for JEE Advanced or JoSAA counselling.
You’ll need an EWS certificate in the central government format, as required by IITs.
Even if issued by your local authority, it must clearly mention it’s as per Govt. of India norms.
You can visit your tahsildar/revenue office and request it in the “central format for JEE.”
Make sure the issue date is after April 1, 2025, for it to be valid in 2026 counselling.
You don’t need it at the time of JEE Main, only during Advanced registration and JoSAA.
You still have enough time to get it updated, so no stress, just don’t delay it too long.
Hello,
Yes, there are some good residential schools in Tamil Nadu that provides both board studies along with best and strong coaching for JEE/NEET.
Here I list out best Residential integrated school in Tamil Nadu:
Vevea ham School Dhara Puram, Tirupur
Narayana Boarding School, Athipalayam (Coimbatore)
Chinmaya International Residential School (CIRS)
Sindhu Schools, Dhara Puram
From my opinion, you should visit and check their past records, fees, and see which one suits your needs best.
All the best.
Hello,
Here are some important chapters for JEE Mains:
Mathematics:
Physics
Chemistry
These are the high-weightage chapters; by focusing on these chapters, you can improve your score.
you can also check this link for more details:
https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/most-important-chapters-of-jee-main
I hope this answer helps you!
Given the condition the you were a PCB student and gave your mathematics equivalent a year later as a private candidate, you are eligible for JEE MAINS. Infact a PCB student is also eligible to take the JEE MAINS. However, the admission process into various NITS and other colleges will be slightly complex than the general admission process. Though, factually you are eligible as a candidate and as a student who is eligible for all the colleges falling under the JEE umbrella including NITS.
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