JEE Mains 2026: What is the difference between JEE Main and JEE Advanced? Learn how many times you can attempt both exams..
JEE Mains 2026: JEE Main and JEE Advanced are the country's largest entrance examinations for admission to engineering courses. JEE Main is conducted in two sessions. The JEE Main 2026 Session 1 exam will be held from January 21st to January 30th. The second session will be held in April 2026. The JEE Advanced exam is conducted in a single session. The exam will be conducted by IIT Roorkee on May 17th. Let's understand the difference between JEE Main and JEE Advanced and how many times students can appear for these exams.
JEE Main is conducted every year by the National Testing Agency (NTA), while JEE Advanced is conducted every year by different IITs. Students from the 12th-grade science stream appear in both these examinations for admission to engineering courses.
What is the difference between JEE Main and JEE Advanced?
JEE Main scores and ranks are used for admission to NITs, IIITs, and state engineering colleges across the country, while JEE Advanced is only for admission to all 23 IITs in the country. This is the biggest difference between the two exams. More than 2 lakh top-ranked candidates from JEE Main appear for the JEE Advanced exam every year. Around 10 lakh 12th-grade science stream students appear for JEE Main every year.
How many times can students take the JEE Main and JEE Advanced exams?
To appear for JEE Main, students must have passed 12th grade in the science stream. General category students must have 75% marks in 12th grade, and reserved category students must have 65% marks in intermediate. Students can appear for the JEE Main exam a total of three times: once while in 12th grade and then for two consecutive years afterward. Students can appear for the JEE Advanced exam only twice: once while in 12th grade and then the following year.
What is the exam pattern for JEE Main and JEE Advanced?
The JEE Main exam is conducted in CBT (Computer-Based Test) mode and has a duration of 3 hours. The exam includes questions from Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and numerical value-based questions. There is negative marking for MCQs, but not for numerical questions. The JEE Advanced exam, on the other hand, consists of two papers, each with a duration of 3 hours. The exam includes MCQs, numerical questions, and matrix-match type questions.
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