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Engineer, CA

How to prepare

JEE Main

Joint Entrance Examination (Main). Run by National Testing Agency (NTA).

The exam
Paper 1 (B.E., B.Tech) in the 2026 bulletin: a 3-hour computer-based test with 75 questions for 300 marks.
Opens
Paper 1 is for B.E. and B.Tech seats at the NITs, IIITs and other centrally funded and state institutes, and it is also the qualifying step for JEE Advanced (the IITs); Paper 2A is for B.Arch and Paper 2B for B.Planning.
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Your plan, step by step

  1. Now to March 2027 (Class 11)

    NCERT first, chapter by chapter

    Read each NCERT chapter with your school class, then do every NCERT exercise. Then solve that chapter's JEE Main past questions. Keep one notebook of formulas and one of mistakes. If you want B.Arch, start 30 minutes of sketching a day.

  2. April to June 2027

    Close the Class 11 gaps

    Class 11 is about half the syllabus. Revise weak chapters, add one reference book per subject, and take your first timed chapter tests on a computer or phone.

  3. July to October 2027 (Class 12)

    Class 12 NCERT plus practice

    Study Class 12 chapters with school. Every week, do one part test that mixes old and new chapters. Do not skip school: CBSE requires 75 per cent attendance to sit the boards.

  4. November 2027 to January 2028

    Weekly full mocks

    Take one full 3-hour mock every week at the same time as the real shift (9 am or 3 pm), using the NTA mock and SATHEE tests. Spend as long reviewing each mock as taking it.

  5. January 2028

    Session 1

    Sit Session 1. Treat it as a real attempt, not a trial. Then move to board exam preparation, which also helps your NCERT base.

  6. March to April 2028

    Session 2

    After the boards, spend two or three weeks on your weakest chapters from Session 1 and sit Session 2. The better of the two scores counts.

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

Paper 1 (B.E., B.Tech) in the 2026 bulletin: a 3-hour computer-based test with 75 questions for 300 marks. Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics each have 20 multiple-choice questions and 5 questions where you type a number. All 75 are compulsory. You get 4 marks for a right answer and lose 1 mark for a wrong answer, in both types.

  • Paper 1: 3 hours, computer-based test (CBT, taken on a computer at an exam centre).
  • Each subject: Section A has 20 MCQs (choose one option), Section B has 5 numerical questions (type the answer, rounded to the nearest whole number). 25 questions and 100 marks per subject.
  • Marking: +4 for a correct answer, minus 1 for a wrong answer, 0 if left blank. The minus 1 applies to the numerical questions too.
  • Your raw marks are turned into an NTA score (a percentile) because different shifts get different papers. If you sit both sessions, the better score counts.
  • Paper 2A (B.Arch): 3 hours, 77 questions, 400 marks. Mathematics 25 questions (100 marks) and Aptitude 50 questions (200 marks) on computer, plus a Drawing test of 2 questions (100 marks) on an A4 sheet with pen and paper.
  • Paper 2B (B.Planning): 3 hours, 100 questions, 400 marks, all on computer. Mathematics 25 (100 marks), Aptitude 50 (200 marks), Planning-based questions 25 (100 marks).
  • The paper is offered in 13 languages: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. The question paper shows English plus the language you chose.
  • Fee per session in 2026 for one paper at an Indian centre: Rs 1,000 (General male), Rs 800 (General female), Rs 900 (EWS or OBC-NCL male), Rs 500 (SC, ST, PwD).

When. Two sessions a year. In 2026, Session 1 was 21 to 30 January and Session 2 was 2 to 9 April (NTA 2026 bulletin). NTA's calendar puts JEE Main 2027 Session 1 on 22 to 24 and 28 to 30 January 2027. For a student in Class 12 in 2027-28, expect late January and early April 2028, but confirm in the 2028 bulletin.

Syllabus. NTA's JEE (Main) 2026 syllabus for Paper 1 covers Class 11 and 12 Mathematics (14 units, from sets and functions to trigonometry), Physics (20 units, including experimental skills) and Chemistry (20 units, including practical chemistry). It closely follows the NCERT Class 11 and 12 books. Paper 2A and 2B use the same Mathematics units plus aptitude, drawing or planning parts.

Source: NTA, JEE (Main) 2026 Information Bulletin (revised, November 2025)Source: NTA, Syllabus for JEE (Main) 2026
Study materialFree official material first, then books

Free and official

Books students commonly use

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

  • NCERT Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, Class 11 and 12 by NCERT

    The base for everything. Read these first.

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

    Physics concepts and graded problems.

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

    More Physics practice questions, chapter-wise.

  • Physical, Organic and Inorganic Chemistry (series) by O.P. Tandon

    Chemistry theory and practice beyond NCERT.

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

    Inorganic Chemistry reference. Use selectively; NCERT comes first.

  • Objective Mathematics by R.D. Sharma

    Mathematics practice at JEE Main level.

  • Plane Trigonometry and The Elements of Coordinate Geometry by S.L. Loney

    Classic books for trigonometry and coordinate geometry.

  • A Complete Self Study Guide for B.Arch Entrance Examination by P.K. Mishra (Arihant)

    Paper 2A aptitude and drawing practice, for B.Arch aspirants.

Source: Vedantu, Best Books for JEE Main and 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 (school, NCERT, SATHEE, NTA mocks, past papers)

Free, apart from books and internet

Students who can keep a daily routine and have a teacher or senior to ask doubts. Enough for many students aiming for NITs and state colleges.

Online course (live or recorded classes, test series)

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

Students in small towns with a steady internet connection who want structure and a test series without moving away from home.

Classroom coaching (local or in a hub such as Kota)

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 need a fixed timetable and face-to-face doubt clearing. It tends to help most when the student is already motivated; it does not fix a lack of interest in PCM.

How to choose a coaching centre

  • Take a free demo class and a sample test before paying anything.
  • Ask for a printed list of every fee, and a written refund policy. The 2024 Ministry of Education guidelines say a student who leaves midway should get a pro rata refund, including hostel and mess, within 10 days.
  • Ask who will teach your batch, their qualifications, and how long they have taught at this branch.
  • Ask whether batches are split by test marks. The Ministry of Education guidelines and the Supreme Court's 2025 directions say they should not be.
  • Ask the name of the counsellor and where the helpline is displayed. The Supreme Court's 2025 directions require a counsellor at institutions with 100 or more students.
  • Check that classes are not in school hours and that there is a weekly off. The guidelines cap classes at 5 hours a day.
  • For online courses, read the refund terms in the app before paying.

Red flags

  • Promises of a guaranteed rank or selection. The Ministry of Education guidelines bar this.
  • Topper photos without the course name and duration. The consumer authority (CCPA) has fined coaching institutes for this.
  • Pressure to pay a full year or two years upfront, with no refund policy in writing.
  • Very large batches, or batches reshuffled by test marks.
  • Advice to skip school or join a 'dummy' school. CBSE requires 75 per cent attendance to sit the boards.
  • Fee increases in the middle of a course, or teachers reporting salary delays.
Names families usually consider
  • Allen Career Institute. Headquartered in Kota. Its own pages list two-year (from Class 11), one-year (Class 12) and repeater courses by city and session. Source: Allen Rajkot, courses for JEE Main and Advanced 2026-27
  • Physics Wallah (PW). Online and classroom (Vidyapeeth). Its fee page said online IIT-JEE courses start from Rs 2,999, with a Rs 5,000 seat booking for classroom batches. Source: Physics Wallah fee page
  • FIITJEE. Several centres closed in January 2025. Fees there were Rs 1 lakh to 5 lakh per student, and the institute announced a proportionate refund process from June 2026. Source: ThePrint (not official)
  • Competishun. Runs live online JEE courses. Source: Competishun (not official)
  • Aakash. Commonly considered. No fee or course detail verified.
  • Motion. 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.
  • Unacademy. Online. Commonly considered. No fee or course detail verified.
  • Vedantu. 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

Use the free NTA mock test at nta.ac.in/Quiz to learn the computer screen. NTA also posts every 2026 shift's question paper and final answer keys on jeemain.nta.nic.in: download them and solve them in 3 hours, then check with the key. SATHEE (sathee.iitk.ac.in) runs a free all-India mock test series. Older years' papers can be found in the archive sections of the JEE Main site and in chapter-wise question books; check any unofficial copy against NTA's answer key.

  • Stop starting new books. Revise from your own notes, mistake notebook and NCERT.
  • Take a full mock two or three times a week at your actual shift time, and review every wrong and skipped question.
  • Numerical questions carry minus 1 too, so do not guess them blindly. Guess an MCQ only when you can rule out two options.
  • For Chemistry, reread NCERT inorganic and organic chapters line by line. Many questions come straight from them.
  • Sleep 7 to 8 hours. A rested brain scores more than one extra hour of late-night study.

Common mistakes

  • Buying many reference books and finishing none. One book per subject, done fully, beats five half-done.
  • Skipping NCERT, especially in Chemistry.
  • Only watching video lectures without solving problems on paper.
  • Never practising on a computer screen before the exam.
  • Treating Session 1 as a practice round. It can be your best score.
Who can sitAttempts, age, marks and subjects
  • No age limit to sit the exam (2026 bulletin). Colleges may have their own age rules.
  • Year of Class 12: for JEE Main 2026, students who passed Class 12 in 2024 or 2025, or were appearing in 2026, could sit. That is three years in a row. If the rule stays the same, a student who finishes Class 12 in 2028 can sit in 2028, 2029 and 2030. This is our reading of the 2026 rule, not an NTA statement for 2028.
  • Each year has two sessions, and you do not have to take both. The better score counts.
  • To sit the exam you need to have passed or be appearing in Class 12 or an equivalent (the bulletin lists boards, NIOS, a 3-year diploma and others).
  • For admission to NITs, IIITs and other JoSAA and CSAB institutes (not just to sit the exam): 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.
  • Subjects for those seats: B.E. or B.Tech needs Physics and Mathematics plus Chemistry, Biotechnology, Biology or a technical vocational subject. B.Arch (Paper 2A) needs Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. B.Planning (Paper 2B) needs Mathematics.
Source: NTA, JEE (Main) 2026 Information Bulletin (revised, November 2025)

This exam leads to

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Want a plan for your own situation?

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

Plan my JEE Main preparation
Sources, checked 27 September 2026

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