NTA Announces Changes in JEE Main Exam Pattern

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has introduced key changes to the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main), one of India’s most important entrance exams for engineering courses. In its latest press release dated October 17, NTA announced that the optional question format in Section B will be discontinued from the next JEE exam, which marks a return to the pre-pandemic exam pattern.

Removal of Optional Questions in Section B

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, a temporary change allowed candidates to answer any 5 out of 10 questions in Section B as a relief measure. However, starting from JEE Main 2025, this flexibility will no longer be available. The press release states, "The examination structure will revert to its original format, where Section B will contain 5 questions per subject, and all questions must be answered."

This change applies to Paper 1 (B.E./B. Tech), Paper 2A (B Arch), and Paper 2B (B Planning). Thus, candidates appearing for JEE Main 2025 will need to attempt all the questions in Section B, marking a return to the exam pattern used before 2021.

JEE Main 2025 Application Process

In addition to the changes in the exam format, NTA also announced that the application process for the first phase of JEE Main 2025 will begin soon. Detailed information regarding the application process will be available on the NTA’s official website. Candidates are advised to visit www.nta.ac.in and https://jeemain.nta.nic.in/ regularly for updates.

JEE Main Exam Structure

The JEE Main exam consists of three sections: Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, with a total of 90 questions—30 questions in each subject. The exam has two parts:

• Section A: 20 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) per subject.
• Section B: 5 numerical questions per subject, which must be answered by all candidates under the revised format.

The exam is scored out of 300 marks, and there is a negative marking for incorrect answers. Each correct answer earns 4 marks, while 1 mark is deducted for each wrong answer.

Final Instructions for Candidates

NTA advises all candidates to stay updated by regularly visiting the official websites for any further clarifications or announcements. The return to the pre-pandemic pattern signals a shift back to a more structured and uniform examination format for JEE Main 2025.