Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) is an entrance exam conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) in India for admission to undergraduate engineering courses. It consists of two tests – JEE Main and JEE Advanced. Both are highly competitive exams that require a lot of hard work and dedication to crack. In this article, we will talk about the differences between JEE Main and JEE Advanced so that you can better understand which one is right for you.
Difference between JEE Main and JEE Advanced : Highlights
| Particulars | JEE Main 2023 | JEE Advanced 2023 |
| Number of Attempts | 3 (Attempting two sessions of the same year is counted as 1) | 2 |
| Candidates Appeared (2022) | 9,39,008 | 1,41,699 |
| Mode of Language | 13 languages (English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu) | 2 languages (English and Hindi) |
| Eligibility | Qualified class 12th from a recognized boards | Ranked among top 2,50,000 JEE Main rank holders |
| Number of Papers | 3 | 2 |
| Topics Covered | Physics: Electronic Devices, EM Waves and Communication Systems; Chemistry: Biomolecules and Chemistry in Everyday Life; Mathematics: Sets, Relations and Functions, Statistics and Probability, Trigonometry and Mathematical Reasoning | Physics: Blackbody radiation, Kirchoff's law, Newton's law of cooling, Absorptive and Emissive powers, Wien's Displacement Law, Stefan's Law; Chemistry: Biomolecules and Chemistry in Everyday Life; Mathematics: Algebra, Vectors, Differential Calculus, Integral Calculus, |
| Conducting Authority | JEE Apex Board (JAB) under National Testing Agency (NTA) | IIT Bombay |
| Official Website | jeemain.nta.nic.in | jeeadv.ac.in |
What is JEE Main?
The JEE Main is an entrance examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to undergraduate engineering courses in Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs). It is also a qualifying examination for the JEE Advanced, which is conducted for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
JEE Main is held twice a year, in January and April. The exam consists of two papers: Paper 1 is for candidates seeking admission to B.E./B.Tech courses, while Paper 2 is for candidates seeking admission to B.Arch/B.Planning courses. Both papers are held on the same day and candidates can attempt both papers or either paper, as per their choice.
Paper 1 of the JEE Main consists of three sections: Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Each section has 30 questions, for a total of 90 questions. Candidates are allotted 3 hours to complete the paper.
Paper 2 of the JEE Main consists of three sections: Aptitude Test, Drawing Test and Mathematics. The Aptitude Test comprises 50 multiple-choice questions, while the Drawing Test has 2 questions that have to be attempted on a drawing sheet provided at the examination centre. The Mathematics section has 20 questions from Class XII level Mathematics syllabus. Candidates are allotted 3 hours to complete Paper 2.
You should also read: JEE Main Syllabus
What is JEE Advanced?
JEE Advanced is the second stage of Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for admission to engineering colleges in India. It is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) under the guidance of the Joint Admission Board (JAB).
The examination consists of two papers: Paper 1 and Paper 2. Both papers are compulsory and must be attempted in order. Each paper is three hours long and will be held in a single session on a single day. Candidates will have to attempt all questions in both papers using an Optical Response Sheet (ORS). There will be no negative marking in Paper 1 but there will be negative marking in Paper 2 for wrong answers.
Paper 1 will consist of objective type questions from Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics designed to test comprehension, reasoning and analytical ability of candidates. Paper 2 will consist primarily of questions designed to test the candidate's understanding of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics and their ability to apply these.
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Difference between JEE Main and JEE Advanced : Key Differences
- JEE Main is the easier of the two exams, making it a good option for students who are not confident in their abilities to perform well on the more challenging JEE Advanced.
- JEE Main offers more chances to qualify for the IITs, as students can take the exam multiple times if they do not score high enough on their first attempt.
- As JEE Main is easier, it generally has a lower success rate in getting students into the IITs than JEE Advanced does.
- JEE Main does not cover all of the material necessary for admission into the IITs – only about 50% of what will be on the JEE Advanced. This means that students who qualify for and choose to attend an IIT will need to prepare for an additional entrance exam.
Difference between Eligibility Criteria of JEE Main and JEE Advanced
JEE Main Eligibility Criteria 2023
The table below shows the eligibility criteria of JEE Main 2023:
| Particulars | Details |
| Age Limit | There is no JEE Main Age Limit |
| Qualifying Examination | Candidates must pas 12th class examination from a recognized board. |
| Year of Passing Qualifying Examination | Candidates must have passed 12th class exam in 2021, 2022, or those appearing in 12th class can also apply for the JEE Main 2023 Exam. |
| Important Subjects in Qualifying Examination | Candidates must have read 5 subjects in 12th class:
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| Admission Criteria for IITs, NITs, IIITs, and CFTIs |
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Also read: JEE Main Eligibility
JEE Advanced Eligibility Criteria 2023
The table below shows the eligibility criteria of JEE Advanced 2023:
| Particulars | Eligibility |
| JEE Advanced Age Limit | Candidates belonging to general category must have been born on or after 1st October 1997. |
| Candidates belonging to SC/ST or PwD category will have 5 years of age relaxation. | |
| Qualifying Examination | Candidates who passed 12th class exam in 2022 or 2023 with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics will be considered eligible. |
| Candidates who appeared in 12th class exam in 2021 or before that will not be considered eligible for JEE Advanced 2023 Exam. | |
| If 12th class result for the year 2020-2021 was declared on or after 19th October 2021 then candidates who passed 12th class exam in 2021 will be considered eligible for the exam. | |
| No. of Attempts | Candidates who stand eligible for the exam can appear in the exam at most two times that too in consecutive years. |
| JEE Main 2023 Score | Candidates must be amongst top 2,50,000 students (including all categories) in B. E./ B. Tech Paper. |
| IITs Earlier Admission | Candidates mustn't have been admitted to any of the IITs earlier irrespective of their decision of admission. |
| JEE Advanced AAT 2023 Eligibility Criteria | Candidates willing to take JEE Advanced AAT 2023 must qualify JEE Advanced 2023 Exam and they must also secure the required cutoff marks to possess higher chances of admission. |
Difference between Exam Pattern of JEE Main and JEE Advanced
The format of the JEE Main Exam is fixed. Every year, the NTA publishes the exam pattern along with the official notice. Meanwhile, the JEE Advanced Exam Pattern is not fixed.
JEE Main Exam Pattern 2023
JEE Main is divided into three papers for B.E./B.Tech, B.Arch, and B.Planning.
| Specifications | JEE Main Exam Pattern for Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) | JEE Main Exam Pattern for Paper 2A (B.Arch) | JEE Main Exam Pattern for Paper 2B (B. Planning) |
| Exam Mode | CBT | Mathematics and Aptitude- CBT Mode, Drawing- Pen and paper mode | CBT |
| Subjects | Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics | Aptitude Test, Mathematics and Drawing | Mathematics, Aptitude Test, and Planning Based Objective Type |
| Total Questions Asked | 30 Questions (20 MCQs + 10 NAT) in each section | 82 (Mathematics- 30; Aptitude- 50; Drawing- 2) | 105 (Mathematics- 30; Aptitude- 50; Planning- 25) |
| Total Questions to be Answered | 25 Questions (20 MCQs + 5 NAT) in each section | 77 (Mathematics- 25; Aptitude- 50; Drawing- 2) | 100 (Mathematics- 25; Aptitude- 50; Planning- 25) |
| Type of Questions | Mathematics- 20 MCQs + 10 NAT; Physics- 20 MCQs + 10 NAT Chemistry- 20 MCQs + 10 NAT | Mathematics- 20 MCQs + 10 NAT; Aptitude- 50 MCQs; Drawing- 2 questions | Mathematics- 20 MCQs + 10 NAT; Aptitude- 50 MCQs; Planning-based questions- MCQs |
| Medium of Exam | English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu | English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu | English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu |
| Duration of Exam | 3 Hours | 3.5 Hours | 3.5 Hours |
| Total Marks | 300 | 400 | 400 |
| Marking Scheme | For MCQs: +4 for each correct response; -1 for each incorrect response; Unattempted questions will not be marked. For Non-MCQs: +4 for each correct response, no negative marking for incorrect answers or unattempted questions. | For MCQs: +4 for each correct response; -1 for each incorrect response; Unattempted questions will not be marked. For Non-MCQs: +4 for each correct response, no negative marking for incorrect answers or unattempted questions. For Drawing Test: 2 questions of 100 marks | For MCQs: +4 for each correct response; -1 for each incorrect response; Unattempted questions will not be marked. For Non-MCQs: +4 for each correct response, no negative marking for incorrect answers or unattempted questions. |
For detailed information: JEE Main Exam Pattern
JEE Advanced Exam Pattern 2023
JEE Advanced is divided into two papers: Paper 1 and Paper 2. Candidates must pass both exams to be eligible for JEE Advanced.
Candidates for B.Arch admission at IITs must additionally pass the AAT exam after passing the JEE Advanced.
| Specifications | JEE Advanced Pattern for Paper 1 | JEE Advanced Pattern for Paper 2 | JEE Advanced Pattern for AAT |
| Exam Mode | CBT | CBT | Offline |
| Subjects | Physics; Chemistry; Mathematics | Physics; Chemistry; Mathematics | Freehand Drawing; Geometrical Drawing; Three Dimensional Perception; Imagination and Aesthetic Sensitivity; Architectural Awareness |
| Type of Questions | MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) | Numerical type Questions | MCQs, Numerical type, Sketching and Drawing, etc. |
| Medium of Exam | English and Hindi | English and Hindi | English |
| Duration of Exam | 3 Hours | 3 Hours | 3 hours |
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How to prepare for JEE Main and JEE Advanced
JEE Main:
To prepare for JEE Main, students should first understand the syllabus and the exam pattern. They should then create a study plan accordingly and start preparing for the exam well in advance. Additionally, students must solve as many previous years' papers and mock tests as possible to get an idea of the type of questions asked in the exam.
Also read: JEE Main Preparation Tips
JEE Advanced:
To prepare for JEE Advanced, students must first clear JEE Main with a good rank. They should then start preparing for JEE Advanced immediately after the announcement of the exam date. Students must focus on understanding the concepts and solving as many questions as possible from each topic. Additionally, they should solve previous years' papers and mock tests to get an idea of the type of questions asked in the exam.
So, which exam should you take? It depends on your goals. If your goal is simply to get into an IIT, then you should take the JEE Main exam. However, if your goal is to get into one of the top IITs, then you should take the JEE Advanced exam. However, since both exams cover similar topics and require an in-depth knowledge base, it's important to prepare as thoroughly as possible before taking either one. With careful study and practice, you can increase your chances of success on either exam!