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JEE Mains 2026 Difficulty Predictions have become one of the most searched topics among aspirants. Candidates who are appearing for JEE Main for the first time are trying to understand the exam pattern, revised syllabus, and expected competition level. With students closely tracking updates on JEE Mains 2026 exam pattern, syllabus, and registration dates, the biggest concern remains: how tough will the exam be this year?
Based on the analysis of JEE Main papers from 2021 to 2025 and rising competition trends, the difficulty level for JEE Main 2026 is expected to be moderate overall. However, some shifts may feel tougher due to more conceptual, numerical, and application-based questions.
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JEE Mains 2026 Exam Pattern: Overview
NTA will administer JEE Mains 2026 exam in CBT mode. Candidates will have 3 hours to attempt the questions. To get some more important facts about the exam pattern for candidates should refer to the table below:
| Particulars | Details |
| Exam mode | CBT |
| Number of sections and subjects | 3 (Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics) |
| Duration of exam | 3 hours (180 minutes) and 3.5 hours for Combined Papers4 hours for PwD candidates |
| Type of questions | MCQs: 4 options with only 1 correct option Numerical Value Questions: Questions whose answers are to be filled in as a numerical value |
| Section A (MCQ) | Mathematics: 20 Physics: 20 Chemistry: 20 |
| Section B (Numerical Value) | Mathematics: 5 Physics: 5 Chemistry: 5 In Section B, candidates must attempt all five questions. |
| How many questions are in JEE Mains | Paper 1: 75 QuestionsPaper 2A: 77 QuestionsPaper 2B: 100 Questions |
| JEE Mains Total Marks | Paper 1: 300 marksPaper 2A: 400 marksPaper 2B: 400 marks |
| Language of the paper | Assamese, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu in addition to Hindi, English, and Gujarati |
JEE Mains 2026 Exam Pattern: Paper-Wise a Detailed Breakdown
JEE Mains 2026 exam pattern is different for B.Tech, B.Arch and B.Plan. A detailed breakdown of paper-wise exam pattern has been shared below:
JEE Mains Exam Pattern 2026 for B.Tech/BE (Paper 1)
JEE Main Exam Pattern 2026 for B.Tech/B.E includes 75 questions across 3 subjects: Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. More information related to the exam pattern has been discussed below:
| Particulur | Details |
| Mode of Exam | Computer-Based |
| Subjects | Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics |
| Total Questions | 75 |
| Type of Questions | MCQs + Numerical Value |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Total Marks | 300 |
| Medium | 13 regional languages + English, Hindi, Gujarati |
JEE Mains 2026 Exam Pattern: Paper 1 Total Marks
Each subject in Paper 1 carries 25 questions, with 20 MCQs and 5 numerical questions. For more information refer to the table below:
| Subject | Section A (MCQs) | Section B (Numerical) | Total Questions | Marks |
| Physics | 20 | 5 | 25 | 100 |
| Chemistry | 20 | 5 | 25 | 100 |
| Mathematics | 20 | 5 | 25 | 100 |
| Total | 60 | 15 | 75 | 300 |
JEE Mains 2026 Exam Pattern for BArch (Paper 2A)
BArch paper contains 77 questions in total. A total of 400 marks questions will be there. To get a detailed insight into JEE Mains 2026 Exam Pattern for BArch, refer to the table below:
| Particulars | Details |
| Mode | Math & Aptitude: Online; Drawing: Offline |
| Total Duration | 3 Hours |
| Total Questions | 77 |
| Total Marks | 400 |
JEE Mains 2026 Exam Pattern: Paper 2A Total Marks
In Paper 2A, Aptitude carries the highest weightage with 200 marks, followed by 100 marks each for Mathematics and the Drawing Test.
| Section | Question Type | No. of Questions | Marks |
| Mathematics (Part 1) | 20 MCQs + 5 Numerical | 25 | 100 |
| Aptitude Test (Part 2) | MCQs | 50 | 200 |
| Drawing Test (Part 3) | Drawing-based | 2 | 100 |
| Total | — | 77 | 400 |
JEE Mains 2026 Exam Pattern for BPlan (Paper 2B)
BPlan paper has 100 questions in total, 25 from Mathematics, 50 from Aptitude and 25 from Planning. To check details refer to the table below:
| Particulars | Details |
| Mode | Online |
| Total Duration | 3 Hours |
| Total Questions | 100 |
| Total Marks | 400 |
JEE Mains 2026 Exam Pattern Paper 2B: Total Marks
Paper 2B follows a 400-mark pattern, where Aptitude alone gives 200 marks, while Mathematics and Planning contribute 100 marks each.
| Section | Question Type | No. of Questions | Marks |
| Mathematics (Part 1) | 20 MCQs + 5 Numerical | 25 | 100 |
| Aptitude Test (Part 2) | MCQs | 50 | 200 |
| Planning-Based (Part 3) | MCQs | 25 | 100 |
| Total | – | 100 | 400 |
JEE Mains 2026 Exam Pattern Marking Scheme
The marking scheme for JEE Main 2026 remains the same as in previous years. Students will get +4 marks for every correct answer -1 mark will be deducted for a wrong attempt
| Response Type | Marks Awarded |
| Correct Answer | +4 |
| Incorrect Answer | –1 |
| Unattempted | 0 |
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JEE Mains 2026 Exam Pattern: Total Number of Questions
Each JEE Main paper includes a different number of questions, so students should know the distribution before planning their strategy. While Paper 1 has 75 questions, Paper 2A includes 77, and Paper 2B contains 100 questions across different sections.
Total Questions in Paper 1 (BE/B.Tech)
Paper 1 is evenly divided across three subjects. Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry each have 25 questions, making a total of 75.
| Subject | MCQs (A) | Numerical (B) | Total Questions |
| Mathematics | 20 | 5 | 25 |
| Physics | 20 | 5 | 25 |
| Chemistry | 20 | 5 | 25 |
| Total | 60 | 15 | 75 |
Total Questions in Paper 2A (BArch)
BArch paper contains 77 questions, with 50 questions from Aptitude, 25 from Mathematics, and 2 drawing questions.
| Component | Questions |
| Mathematics | 25 |
| Aptitude | 50 |
| Drawing | 2 |
| Total | 77 |
Total Questions in Paper 2B (BPlan)
Paper 2B includes 100 questions, spread across Mathematics, Aptitude and Planning in a 25-50-25 format. In Paper 2B Aptitude has more weighatge.
| Component | Questions |
| Mathematics | 25 |
| Aptitude | 50 |
| Planning | 25 |
| Total | 100 |
JEE Mains 2026 Syllabus
JEE Mains 2026 Syllabus follows NCERT Curriculum. To check more details on the syllabus, you can refer to the table below:
| Physics Chapters | Chemistry Chapters | Mathematics Chapters |
| Laws of Motion | Structure of an Atom | Sets |
| Thermodynamics | Chemical Bonding & Molecular Structure | Conic Sections |
| Units & Measurements | States of Matter | Probability |
| Gravitation | Equilibrium | Sequences & Series |
| Kinetic Theory | Redox Reactions | Relations & Functions |
| Waves | Hydrogen | Permutations & Combinations |
| Mechanical Properties of Fluids | S-Block Elements | Introduction to 3D Geometry |
| Mechanical Properties of Solids | P-Block Elements | Statistics |
| Motion in a Straight Line | Organic Chemistry: Basic Principles & Techniques | Binomial Theorem |
| Motion in a Plane | Hydrocarbons | Limits & Derivatives |
| Work, Energy & Power | Environmental Chemistry | Complex Numbers & Quadratic Equations |
| System of Particles & Rotational Motion | Chemical Thermodynamics | Trigonometric Functions |
| Thermal Properties of Matter | Classification of Elements & Periodicity | Straight Lines |
| Oscillations | Some Basic Concepts of Chemistry | Linear Inequalities |
| Electric Charges & Fields | Solid State | Relations & Functions (Class 12) |
| Electrostatic Potential & Capacitance | Electrochemistry | Inverse Trigonometric Functions |
| Moving Charges & Magnetism | Solutions | Matrices |
| Magnetism & Matter | Chemical Kinetics | Determinants |
| Electromagnetic Induction | d- & f-Block Elements | Continuity & Differentiability |
| Alternating Current | Coordination Compounds | Application of Derivatives |
| Electromagnetic Waves | Biomolecules | Integrals |
| Ray Optics & Optical Instruments | Aldehydes, Ketones & Carboxylic Acids | Application of Integrals |
| Wave Optics | Amines | Differential Equations |
| Dual Nature of Radiation & Matter | Haloalkanes & Haloarenes | Vector Algebra |
| Atoms | Alcohol, Phenol & Ethers | Three-Dimensional Geometry |
| Nuclei | p-Block Elements (Advanced) | Linear Programming |
| Semiconductor Electronics | General Principles of Isolation of Elements | Probability (Class 12) |
| – | Surface Chemistry | Solution of Triangles |
| – | Polymers | – |
| – | Chemistry in Everyday Life | – |
JEE Mains 2026 Exam Pattern: Important Topics
NTA’s syllabus is vast, but analysing previous years helps in identifying scoring and frequently asked topics. These topics should be prioritised during revision.
Mathematics Important Topics
- Complex Numbers and Quadratic Equations
- Probability and Statistics
- Vectors and 3D Geometry
- Matrices and Determinants
- Limits, Continuity and Differentiability
- Application of Derivatives
- Definite Integrals
- Coordinate Geometry (Circles, Parabola, Hyperbola)
Physics Important Topics
- Current Electricity
- Thermodynamics
- Electrostatics
- Optics
- Electromagnetic Induction
- Waves and Sound
- Rotational Motion
- Kinetic Theory of Gases
Chemistry Important Topics
- Inorganic Chemistry: Chemical Bonding, Coordination Compounds, Periodic Trend
- Physical Chemistry: Mole Concept, Electrochemistry, Thermodynamics
- Organic Chemistry: Carbonyl Compounds, Amines
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Â Has the JEE Mains 2026 exam pattern changed?
No, the JEE Mains 2026 exam pattern remains the same as last year. Paper 1 still has 75 questions, Paper 2A has 77 questions, and Paper 2B has 100 questions. The revision made last year in Section B, where only 5 numerical questions are asked, remains unchanged.
2. How many questions are asked in JEE Mains 2026 Paper 1?
JEE Mains 2026 Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) has 75 questions in total. Each subject includes 25 questions (20 MCQs + 5 numerical-based questions).
3.  What is the marking scheme for JEE Mains 2026?
For every correct answer, candidates will get +4 marks, and for every wrong answer, 1 mark will be deducted. There is no negative marking for unattempted questions. This marking scheme applies to both MCQs and numerical value questions.
4. What is the exam pattern for JEE Mains 2026 BArch (Paper 2A)?
The BArch paper has 77 questions, including 25 Mathematics questions, 50 Aptitude questions, and 2 Drawing questions. The total marks are 400, with Aptitude carrying the highest weightage (200 marks).
5. How many questions are there in JEE Mains 2026 BPlan (Paper 2B)?
JEE Mains Paper 2B includes 100 questions: 25 from Mathematics, 50 from Aptitude and 25 from Planning. The paper carries 400 marks in total, with Aptitude contributing 200 marks.
