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Beyond Doctor,
Engineer, CA

How to prepare

JEE Advanced

Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced). Run by The IITs.

The exam
Two compulsory papers of 3 hours each on the same day, both on computer.
Opens
Bachelor's, integrated master's and dual degree seats at all the IITs (through JoSAA counselling), and B.Arch at IIT (BHU) Varanasi, IIT Kharagpur and IIT Roorkee after an extra drawing test.
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Your plan, step by step

  1. Now to March 2027 (Class 11)

    Deep concepts, not shortcuts

    Learn each chapter from NCERT, then from one concept book (for Physics, H.C. Verma is common). JEE Advanced rewards understanding why, so derive formulas yourself and solve problems that mix two chapters.

  2. April to June 2027

    Finish Class 11 properly

    Revise all of Class 11. Start solving JEE Advanced past papers chapter by chapter from the official archive, which goes back to 2007.

  3. July to November 2027 (Class 12)

    Class 12 plus harder problems

    Study Class 12 chapters with school. Add one advanced problem book per subject only after the basics are firm. Keep going to school: boards and the 75 per cent rule for IIT seats both depend on it.

  4. December 2027 to January 2028

    JEE Main first

    You cannot sit JEE Advanced without a top 2,50,000 JEE Main rank, so give JEE Main Session 1 full attention. Take weekly JEE Main mocks.

  5. February to April 2028

    Boards, then Session 2

    Prepare for the boards, then JEE Main Session 2 if you need a better score. Keep one JEE Advanced past paper a week going.

  6. April to May 2028

    Two-paper days

    In the last month, practise both papers on the same day, 9 am to 12 and 2:30 to 5:30, on a computer. Use the official practice tests on jeeadv.ac.in.

This plan is advice from the author, not an official schedule. Adjust it to your school and your pace.

What the exam testsPapers, marks, marking and the syllabus

Two compulsory papers of 3 hours each on the same day, both on computer. Each paper has Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. The IITs change the question types and marks every year and announce them only on the exam screen. In 2026 each paper had 180 marks, 360 in total.

  • 2026 timing: Paper 1 from 9 am to 12 noon, Paper 2 from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm. You must sit both papers.
  • Mode: computer-based test only. The paper is in English and Hindi, and you can switch between them during the exam.
  • The brochure says only that negative marks 'may' apply to some questions and that the marking scheme is shown at the start of the exam. So practise all the question types.
  • In the 2026 Paper 1, each subject had 60 marks: 4 single-correct MCQs (+3, minus 1), 4 one-or-more-correct MCQs (+4 with partial marks, minus 1), 4 numerical answers (+4, no negative) and 4 matching-list questions (+4, minus 1).
  • In the 2026 Paper 2, each subject had 60 marks: 4 single-correct MCQs (+3, minus 1), 5 one-or-more-correct MCQs (+4 with partial marks, minus 1), 5 numerical answers (+4, no negative) and 2 paragraph-based sets with 2 numerical questions each (+2, no negative).
  • The 2026 top scorer got 330 out of 360. 1,79,694 candidates sat both papers and 56,880 qualified.
  • Registration fee for 2026 at Indian centres: Rs 1,600 for female candidates and for SC, ST, PwD candidates; Rs 3,200 for all others.

When. Once a year, on one day in May, a few weeks after JEE Main Session 2. The 2026 exam was on Sunday 17 May 2026 (JEE Advanced 2026 brochure). For the 2028 exam, expect May 2028, but the date is set by that year's organising IIT.

Syllabus. JEE Advanced has its own Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics syllabus, printed in Annexure I of the JEE (Advanced) 2026 brochure. It is based on Class 11 and 12 topics, like JEE Main, but the questions test deeper reasoning and combine several ideas. The Architecture Aptitude Test (AAT) has a separate syllabus: freehand and geometrical drawing, three-dimensional perception, imagination and aesthetic sensitivity, and architectural awareness.

Source: JEE (Advanced) 2026 Information Brochure, 2026 question papers and results press releaseSource: JEE (Advanced) 2026 Information Brochure, Annexure I
Study materialFree official material first, then books

Free and official

Books students commonly use

Commonly used, not endorsed. Finish the free official material first.

  • Concepts of Physics, Volumes 1 and 2 by H.C. Verma

    Physics concepts. Usually the first book after NCERT.

  • Understanding Physics (series) by D.C. Pandey (Arihant)

    Large bank of Physics problems at JEE level.

  • Problems in General Physics by I.E. Irodov

    Very hard Physics problems. Only after the basics are strong, and selectively.

  • Concise Inorganic Chemistry by J.D. Lee (adapted editions)

    Inorganic Chemistry reference beyond NCERT.

  • Problems in Physical Chemistry for JEE by Narendra Awasthi

    Physical Chemistry numericals.

  • Organic Chemistry (problem books for JEE) by M.S. Chouhan

    Organic reaction practice at JEE Advanced level.

  • Problems in Calculus of One Variable by I.A. Maron

    Calculus problems at JEE Advanced level.

  • The Elements of Coordinate Geometry and Higher Algebra by S.L. Loney; Hall and Knight

    Classic books for coordinate geometry and algebra.

Source: Motion, Best Books for JEE Advanced 2027 (commonly used, not endorsed) (not official)
Coaching: do you need it?Your options, how to choose, red flags

Self-study with free material (NCERT, official past papers, SATHEE)

Free, apart from books and internet

Strong, self-driven students with someone to ask doubts. Every JEE Advanced paper since 2007 is free on jeeadv.ac.in.

Online course or test series

Varies. Physics Wallah's own fee page said online IIT-JEE courses start from Rs 2,999 (checked September 2026).

Students who want advanced-level problem sets and a test series without leaving home.

Classroom coaching

Varies by city and course. Fees of Rs 1 lakh to 5 lakh were reported at FIITJEE centres that closed in 2025 (ThePrint).

Students who work best with a fixed timetable and peers at a similar level. It is not a shortcut: JEE Advanced still depends on the hours you spend solving problems yourself.

How to choose a coaching centre

  • Ask for past results of the exact course you are considering, with how long those students studied there, not only topper photos.
  • Take a free demo class and a sample test before paying.
  • Get every fee and a written refund policy on paper. The 2024 Ministry of Education guidelines ask for a pro rata refund within 10 days if a student leaves.
  • Ask whether batches are split by test marks, and who the counsellor is. The Supreme Court's 2025 directions say institutions should not split batches by marks and must have a counsellor if they have 100 or more students.
  • Check the timetable leaves time for school and self-study. The guidelines cap classes at 5 hours a day.

Red flags

  • 'Guaranteed IIT seat' or rank promises. The Ministry of Education guidelines bar these.
  • Topper adverts without the course name and duration. The CCPA has fined institutes for this.
  • Pressure to pay a two-year fee upfront, with no written refund policy.
  • Very large batches, or 'star batches' reshuffled after every test.
  • Advice to skip school or join a 'dummy' school. CBSE requires 75 per cent attendance, and IIT seats need 75 per cent in Class 12 or a top 20 percentile.
  • Fee rises mid-course, or teachers leaving often.
Names families usually consider
  • Allen Career Institute. Headquartered in Kota. Its own pages list two-year, one-year and repeater courses for JEE Main and Advanced by city. Source: Allen Rajkot, courses for JEE Main and Advanced 2026-27
  • Physics Wallah (PW). Online and classroom (Vidyapeeth). Online IIT-JEE courses from Rs 2,999; Rs 5,000 seat booking for classroom batches, per its own fee page. Source: Physics Wallah fee page
  • FIITJEE. Several centres closed mid-session in January 2025. A proportionate refund process was announced from June 2026. Source: ThePrint (not official)
  • Motion. Kota-based. Publishes JEE Advanced guides on its site. No fee detail verified. Source: Motion, Best Books for JEE Advanced (not official)
  • Aakash. Commonly considered. No fee or course detail verified.
  • Narayana. Commonly considered. No fee or course detail verified.
  • Resonance. Commonly considered. No fee or course detail verified.
  • Sri Chaitanya. Commonly considered. No fee or course detail verified.
  • Vidyamandir Classes. Commonly considered. No fee or course detail verified.
  • Unacademy. Online. Commonly considered. No fee or course detail verified.
  • Listed so you know the names, not ranked or endorsed. Visit, ask the questions above, and compare in writing.
Mocks and the last monthsPractice tests, final months, common mistakes

All past JEE Advanced papers from 2007 are free on jeeadv.ac.in/archive.html, and the 2026 papers, answer keys and official solutions are linked from the home page. The Resources page has official Paper 1 and Paper 2 practice tests on the real computer screen. SATHEE (sathee.iitk.ac.in) offers free mock tests too.

  • Solve at least the last eight to ten years of official papers in full, under time, both papers on the same day.
  • Read the marking scheme on the first screen carefully. Types and negative marks change each year.
  • In multiple-correct questions, mark only options you are sure of. Partial marks reward care; a wrong option can cost you marks.
  • Keep revising JEE Main-level basics too. Many JEE Advanced marks come from standard questions done without errors.
  • Plan for the long day: eat, rest and reset between Paper 1 and Paper 2.

Common mistakes

  • Jumping to Irodov or other very hard books before the basics are firm.
  • Ignoring JEE Main. Without a top 2,50,000 rank you cannot sit JEE Advanced at all.
  • Neglecting the boards. IIT seats need 75 per cent in Class 12 or a top 20 percentile.
  • Practising only one question type. The paper mixes single-correct, multiple-correct, numerical and matching questions.
  • Using up both attempts without a plan. There are only two, in consecutive years.
Who can sitAttempts, age, marks and subjects
  • You must first be among the top 2,50,000 in JEE Main Paper 1 (B.E., B.Tech), across all categories. In 2026 this was split as 10 per cent GEN-EWS, 27 per cent OBC-NCL, 15 per cent SC, 7.5 per cent ST and 40.5 per cent open, with 5 per cent for PwD within each.
  • Age (2026 rule): born on or after 1 October 2001, with 5 years' relaxation for SC, ST and PwD. The date moves with each year's brochure.
  • Attempts: at most two, in two consecutive years. For a student who finishes Class 12 in 2028, that means 2028 and 2029 if the rule stays the same.
  • Class 12 (2026 rule): you must have appeared in Class 12 for the first time in the exam year or the year before, with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
  • For an IIT seat: at least 75 per cent aggregate in Class 12 (65 per cent for SC, ST, PwD), or be in the top 20 percentile of your board, with PCM.
  • For IIT B.Arch you must also pass the Architecture Aptitude Test (AAT), which only JEE Advanced qualifiers can take. There is no separate AAT rank.
Source: JEE (Advanced) 2026 Information Brochure

This exam leads to

Engineering

Want a plan for your own situation?

Tell Raahi your class, your marks and how many hours you have.

Plan my JEE Advanced preparation
Sources, checked 27 September 2026

Rules change every year. Confirm each detail on the official site before you register or pay.