JEE Main VS JEE Advanced 2025 - Difference in Syllabus, Exam Pattern

JEE Main VS JEE Advanced 2025 - Difference in Syllabus, Exam Pattern

Ongoing Event

JEE Main Application Date:31 Oct' 25 - 27 Nov' 25

Team Careers360Updated on 04 Dec 2024, 05:40 PM IST

JEE Main Vs JEE Advanced - Key differences: Aspirants can check this page for the key differences in JEE Main and JEE Advanced. It will help in devising a combined preparation plan. Here at careers360, we have brought to you our differences between JEE Main Vs JEE Advanced. The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts JEE Main every year, which is a gateway to admission in NITs, IIITs, and CFTIs through JoSAA counselling. The top 2,50,000 JEE Main qualifiers are eligible to take the JEE Advanced exam. Based on their eligibility criteria, admission to various types of institutes, exam pattern, syllabus etc students will be able to differentiate between JEE Main Vs JEE Advanced crystal clear. Therefore, students need to understand the differences between the two exams and prepare accordingly.

LiveJEE Main 2026 Registration LIVE: NTA application link at jeemain.nta.nic.in; exam cities increases to 323Nov 9, 2025 | 10:49 AM IST

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct the JEE Main 2026 in two sessions — Session 1 from January 21 to 30, and Session 2 from April 2 to 9. Registration for Session 1 began on October 31, and the last date to submit applications is November 27.

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This Story also Contains

  1. JEE Main VS JEE Advanced- Key differences
  2. JEE Main VS JEE Advanced- Eligibility
  3. JEE Main VS JEE Advanced- Exam pattern
JEE Main VS JEE Advanced 2025 - Difference in Syllabus, Exam Pattern
JEE Main VS JEE Advanced 2025 - Difference in Syllabus, Exam Pattern

JEE Main is conducted by NTA, while JEE Advanced is conducted by participating IITs. Candidates qualifying for the JEE Main exam are considered for admission to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. Whereas JEE Advanced qualifying candidates will be offered admission to the best IITs. However, JEE Main and JEE Advanced candidates will have to fulfil the minimum eligibility conditions to secure admission. Students can refer to the article below to learn more about JEE Main VS JEE Advanced in detail.

What is JEE Main vs JEE Advanced

JEE Main is an entrance exam for admission to NITs, IIITs, and other central or state government-funded institutes. It is conducted twice a year by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and follows the NCERT syllabus, making it relatively easier compared to JEE Advanced. Students can attempt JEE Main for up to three consecutive years.

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JEE Advanced is specifically for admission to IITs, IISTs, and RGIPT. Conducted once a year by one of the seven IITs on a rotational basis, it is considered more challenging and tests a deeper understanding of concepts. Only the top 2,50,000 JEE Main rank holders are eligible to take JEE Advanced, which allows only two attempts in consecutive years.

JEE Main VS JEE Advanced- Key differences

JEE Main is the entrance exam for NITs, IIITs, and other government-funded institutes, and also qualifies students for JEE Advanced, which is required for IIT admissions. JEE Main is held twice a year, while JEE Advanced is held once for top-ranking students. Understanding the differences helps students plan their preparation effectively. Given below is a detailed table for students to understand JEE Main VS JEE Advanced -

Key differences- JEE Main VS JEE Advanced

Difference

JEE Main

JEE Advanced

Official website link

jeemain.nta.ac.in

jeeadv.ac.in

Admission to institutes

Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)

Eligibility

  • Should have passed 10 + 2 from science background with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as compulsory subjects.

  • Minimum 75% aggregate

One among top 2,50,000 candidates who cleared JEE Mains.

Paper

  • Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech.)

or

  • Paper 2A (B.Arch.)

or

  • Paper 2B (B.Planning.) and B.Arch. & B.Planning (both)

  • JEE Advanced Paper 1 & 2

  • JEE Advanced AAT

Registration Fee

Single Paper

  • General/OBC Male Candidates - Rs. 900

  • General/OBC Female Candidates - Rs. 800

  • SC/ST/PwD/Transgender Candidates - Rs 500


More than One Paper

  • General/OBC Male Candidates - Rs. 2000

  • General/OBC Female Candidates - Rs. 1600

  • SC/ST/PwD/Transgender Candidates - Rs. 1000

Female Candidates (all categories) ₹ 1600

SC, ST, and PwD Candidates ₹ 1600

All Other Candidates ₹ 3200


Exam Duration

3 Hours

6 Hours

Counselling

Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JOSAA)

Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JOSAA)

JEE Main VS JEE Advanced- Eligibility

The eligibility criteria for JEE Main and JEE Advanced differs slightly based on various factors. Students can refer to the key pointers below to check the difference between JEE Main Vs JEE Advanced.

Age- When it comes to JEE Main Vs JEE Advanced, there is no age restriction for the JEE Main exam. For JEE advanced five years of age relaxation is given to ST, SC and PwD candidates.

Attempt- A candidate can attempt JEE (Advanced) a maximum of two times in two consecutive years. As for JEE Main, students are eligible to appear the exam 6 times for over three consecutive years.

Education qualification- Students will need to pass 10 + 2 to qualify for both JEE Main and JEE Advanced exam. Students are also required to pass with a minimum aggregate of 75% for general (65% for SC/ST).

JEE Main VS JEE Advanced- Exam pattern

JEE Main consists of multiple sections and is held twice a year, allowing students three consecutive years to participate. It serves as the qualifying exam for NITs, IIITs, and other government-funded institutions. On the other hand, JEE Advanced, conducted once a year, comprises two papers with multiple-choice and numerical-type questions. It is specifically for students seeking admission to IITs and other select institutes, with only two attempts allowed in consecutive years. To understand the exam pattern for JEE Main Vs JEE Advanced, students should look out for the exam marking scheme, exam mode of conduct, language etc. Students should therefore refer to the table below for differences between JEE Main and JEE advanced.

Exam pattern for JEE Main VS JEE Advanced

Particulars

JEE Main details

JEE Advanced details

Mode of Conduct

Computer-based examination

Computer-based examination

Language of Examination

English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.

English and Hindi

Type of Questions

  • Multiple choice questions (MCQs)

  • Questions with numerical values as answers

  • MCQs

  • Numerical value answer type questions

  • Single-digit integer answer

No. of Sections

Three are three sections:

  • Mathematics

  • Physics

  • Chemistry

Both papers include 3 sections-

Paper 1-

  • Physics

  • Chemistry

  • Mathematics

Paper 2-

  • Physics

  • Chemistry

  • Mathematics

JEE Mains Total questions

75 Questions (25 questions in each section)

54 Questions (18 questions each)

jee main vs jee advanced marks

300 Marks (100 marks for each section)

306 Marks

JEE Mains negative marking

MCQs:

  • For each correct answer Four marks will be awarded

  • Negative marking of one mark on each wrong answer.


Questions with numerical value answers:

  • Four marks for each correct answer

  • Negative marking of 1 mark for each wrong answer.

The exam has a concept of full, partial and zero marks.


JEE Main vs JEE Advanced difficulty

Moderate to difficult

Moderate to difficult

Difference Between JEE Main And JEE Advanced

JEE Main is the entrance exam for admission to NITs, IIITs, and other central and state government-funded institutes. It is held twice a year, allowing students multiple opportunities to take the exam.

JEE Advanced is used for admission to IITs, IISTs, and RGIPTs. Unlike JEE Main, JEE Advanced is conducted once a year and is specifically for students who have qualified JEE Main.

JEE Main Vs JEE Advanced SyllabusJEE Main includes Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Aptitude test, and Planning-Based Objective Type.
JEE Advanced covers Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics with a focus on specific topics
JEE Main Vs JEE Advanced which is better

JEE Main is aligned with the NCERT syllabus and is generally easier than JEE Advanced. It provides entry to NITs, IIITs, and other GFTIs and also serves as the qualifier for JEE Advanced. A top 2,50,000 rank in JEE Main allows you to sit for JEE Advanced.

JEE Advanced, on the other hand, is more challenging and tests a deeper understanding of concepts. It is specifically for admission into the top-tier Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other select institutions like IIST and RGIPT. To gain admission to these elite colleges, a high rank in JEE Advanced is crucial.

JEE Main vs JEE Advanced preparation
JEE Main includes Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics from CBSE classes 11 and 12.
JEE Advanced has additional topics like Thermal Physics and electrochemistry not covered in JEE Main. Some topics are exclusive to JEE Advanced.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Which is better: JEE Mains or Advanced?
A:

Students wanting to secure a better seat in top technology institutes like IITs should aim for JEE Advanced.

Q: What is the gap between jee mains and jee Advanced?
A:

The gap between JEE Mains and JEE Advanced is around 40- 50 days.

Q: How much time is given in JEE Advanced?
A:

Students will be allotted a total of 3 hours for the JEE Advanced exam.

Q: What is the difference between JEE Mains and JEE Advanced?
A:

Students can refer to our article to know about the differences between JEE Mains and JEE Advanced.

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Questions related to JEE Main

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to JEE Main ?

Hi dear aspirant,

You want to prepare for JEE Mains in 2 months. Don't worry you still make the most of your preparation with a smart strategy. You can check out these detailed tips and tricks from Careers360 including important topics, revision strategies, and ways to improve your speed and accuracy.

Here's the link you can check :

https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/jee-main-preparation-tips

If you follow a proper plan and practice regularly, you can boost your chances of scoring well in JEE Mains.

BEST REGARDS

Currently, there is no official release of JEE Mains 2026 registration begin. But on an average, every year there will be 11 Lakh to 12.5 Lakh students register

Hello,

If you belong to the BC (Backward Class) category, you can choose OBC-NCL in JEE Mains only if your caste is included in the Central OBC list released by the Government of India.

Here’s how it works:

  • Central OBC list: Used for national-level exams like JEE, NEET, UPSC, etc.

  • State BC list: Used only for state-level admissions or jobs.

So, if your BC caste name is in the Central list, select OBC–NCL while filling the JEE form.
If your caste is not in the Central list, choose General category, because the state BC certificate won’t be valid for JEE.

Example:
If you’re BC in Tamil Nadu but your caste isn’t in India’s Central list, you’ll be counted as General for JEE.

Hope you understand.

Hello,

No, it’s not compulsory to fill the APAAR ID in the JEE Main application form right now.

If your APAAR ID shows a “credential mismatch” error even after entering the correct number, don’t worry, you can simply leave it blank and continue filling the form.

  • The APAAR ID field is optional for most students.

  • It’s mainly for linking your academic records under the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) system.

  • The mismatch often happens if your Aadhaar details or school record name format differ.

So, you can submit your JEE form without the APAAR ID, and it won’t affect your application.


Hope you understand.