“Sir, if I clear JEE Main, do I still need to write JEE Advanced?” Many Class 11 and 12 students in Sikar ask this in their first month of coaching. The confusion is normal because both exams share the name JEE and both test Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Here is the difference between JEE Main and Advanced in short. JEE Main is the first exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), and it provides admission to NITs, IIITs, and other central institutes. JEE Advanced is the second exam, conducted by the IITs, and it is the only exam for IIT admission.
In this blog, you will learn:
- who conducts each exam and which colleges it leads to
- how the exam pattern, marking and languages differ
- the eligibility, age limit and number of attempts for each
- how ranks are made, and how to plan your preparation
Every rule below is taken from the official JEE Main 2026 Information Bulletin and the JEE Advanced 2026 Information Brochure. The 2027 documents were not released when this blog was written, so check the official websites once they come out.
Who conducts each exam and where does it take you?
NTA conducts JEE Main. Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) is used for admission to NITs, IIITs, other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) and institutes funded or recognised by participating state governments. Paper 2 is for B.Arch and B.Planning. JEE Main Paper 1 is also the eligibility test for JEE Advanced, so you must clear it before anything else.
JEE Advanced 2026 was conducted by the seven zonal IITs under the Joint Admission Board, with IIT Roorkee as the organising institute. Your JEE Advanced result decides admission to the bachelor’s, integrated master’s and dual degree programmes in all 23 IITs. Seats for both are allotted through JoSAA counselling.
So the order is fixed. You write JEE Main first, and only if you rank among the top candidates do you get a chance to sit for JEE Advanced.
How is the exam pattern different?
JEE Main 2026 Paper 1 was a 3-hour Computer-Based Test (CBT) with 75 questions for 300 marks. Each subject had 20 multiple-choice questions in Section A and 5 numerical questions in Section B, for 100 marks per subject. A correct answer gets +4, and a wrong answer gets -1 in both sections. The exam runs in two sessions, and in 2026 they were held in January and April. If you write both, NTA takes the better of your two scores for the merit list.
JEE Advanced 2026 had two papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2, each of 3 hours, and writing both is compulsory. Both were held on May 17, 2026, in CBT mode only. Each paper has separate Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics sections. The brochure says the questions test comprehension, reasoning and analytical ability, and negative marking may apply to some questions. The question types and marking scheme can change every year, so read the pattern for your year in the official brochure and practise previous years’ papers.
So JEE Main checks your speed and accuracy over 75 questions, while JEE Advanced checks how deeply you understand each concept.
Which languages can you choose?
JEE Main 2026 was offered in thirteen languages: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. JEE Advanced 2026 was available in English and Hindi, and you could switch between the two at any time during the exam.
Who can apply, and how many attempts do you get?
For JEE Main 2026, there was no age limit. You could apply if you passed Class 12 or an equivalent exam in 2024 or 2025, or were appearing for it in 2026, from any recognised Central or State board. This means you get JEE Main in your Class 12 year and the two years after it, with two sessions in each year.
For JEE Advanced 2026, you had to meet all five of these conditions:
- You must be among the top 2,50,000 candidates (all categories included) in JEE Main 2026 Paper 1.
- You must be born on or after October 1, 2001. SC, ST and PwD candidates get a five-year relaxation, so the date for them is October 1, 1996.
- You can write JEE Advanced a maximum of two times, in two consecutive years.
- You must have appeared in Class 12 for the first time in 2025 or 2026, with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as compulsory subjects.
- You must also meet the rule about earlier admission at an IIT, which is explained in the brochure.
After JEE Advanced, getting an IIT seat has one more condition. You need at least 75% aggregate marks in Class 12 (65% for SC, ST and PwD candidates), or you must be in the top 20 percentile of successful candidates of your board. So do not ignore your board exams while preparing for JEE.
How are ranks made in each exam?
JEE Main results come as NTA scores, which are percentile-based. If you appear in both sessions, the better of your two NTA scores is used to prepare the merit list. JEE Advanced ranks are based on aggregate marks, which is the total of your Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics marks.
Is the syllabus the same for both?
Both exams cover Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, but each has its own official syllabus. NTA releases the JEE Main syllabus, and the organising IIT releases the JEE Advanced syllabus on jeeadv.ac.in. Download both PDFs and compare them chapter by chapter. Mark the topics that appear only in the JEE Advanced list.
JEE Main vs JEE Advanced at a glance
| Point | JEE Main (2026) | JEE Advanced (2026) |
| Conducted by | National Testing Agency (NTA) | Seven zonal IITs under JAB (IIT Roorkee organised 2026) |
| Leads to | NITs, IIITs, CFTIs, state institutes; eligibility for JEE Advanced | All 23 IITs |
| Papers | Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech), Paper 2 (B.Arch/B.Planning) | Paper 1 and Paper 2, both compulsory |
| Duration | 3 hours (Paper 1) | 3 hours each paper |
| Sessions | Two (January and April) | One |
| Languages | 13 languages | English and Hindi |
| Age limit | No age limit | Born on or after Oct 1, 2001 (5 years relaxation for SC, ST, PwD) |
| Attempts | Class 12 and two years after | Maximum two, in consecutive years |
| Ranking | NTA score (percentile), best of two sessions | Aggregate marks |
How should you plan your preparation?
If you are in Class 11, prepare for JEE Advanced level from the start, because a strong concept base covers most of JEE Main as well. Solve JEE Main papers regularly too, for speed.
If you are in Class 12, write the January session of JEE Main seriously. You still have the April session to improve your score. Keep your board exam preparation on track, because the 75% rule matters for IIT admission. If you are a dropper, check your JEE Advanced attempt count and Class 12 year carefully before you plan another year.
Remember: JEE Main gives you NIT and IIIT seats and decides whether you can write JEE Advanced, while JEE Advanced alone decides IIT admission. As a next step, open jeemain.nta.nic.in and jeeadv.ac.in tomorrow, download both syllabus PDFs, and mark the chapters that are extra for JEE Advanced. All the best.
Also Read:
NEET 2027 CBT Practice: How to Shift from OMR to Screen
Preparation Journeys of Toppers: What They Say About Consistency, Tests and Revision
How to Balance School and JEE Preparation Together
Sikar vs Kota for NEET Preparation
Frequently asked questions
JEE Main comes first. Only the top 2,50,000 candidates in JEE Main Paper 1 can register for JEE Advanced.
Yes. NIT, IIIT and CFTI admissions are based on JEE Main Paper 1. You need JEE Advanced only for IITs
Yes, for most students. JEE Main checks your speed and accuracy over 75 questions. JEE Advanced checks how deeply you understand each concept, with questions that test comprehension, reasoning and analytical ability.
No, it is your choice. But writing both helps, because if you appear in both sessions, NTA uses the better of your two NTA scores for the merit list.
There was no age limit for JEE Main 2026. You only need to have passed Class 12 in 2024 or 2025, or be appearing for it in 2026.
Yes. JEE Advanced 2026 was available in English and Hindi, and you could switch between the two at any time during the exam. JEE Main is offered in 13 languages.
Yes. To get an IIT seat after JEE Advanced, you need at least 75% aggregate marks in Class 12 (65% for SC, ST and PwD candidates), or you must be in the top 20 percentile of successful candidates of your board.
In JEE Main 2026, a wrong answer got -1 in both sections. In JEE Advanced, negative marking may apply to some questions, and the marking scheme can change every year, so check the official brochure for your year.
No. Both cover Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, but each exam has its own official syllabus. Download both PDFs and mark the chapters that appear only in the JEE Advanced list.
Yes, if you meet all the conditions. As per the 2026 rules, you must have appeared in Class 12 for the first time in 2025 or 2026, and you can write JEE Advanced a maximum of two times, in two consecutive years.
No. Seats in IITs, NITs, IIITs and other CFTIs are all allotted through JoSAA counselling. Your JEE Advanced rank is used for IITs and your JEE Main rank for the other institutes.
