JEE Main 2025 exam pattern change may lead to reduced cutoff, says expert | : Valley Vision

For engineering aspirants in India, cracking JEE Main is the Holy Grail—a coveted achievement that opens the doors to prestigious institutions and sets the stage for a successful career. However, succeeding in this engineering entrance exam is notoriously challenging due to its rigorous exam pattern and high difficulty level. Over 14 lakh candidates registered for the JEE (Main) exam this year while 2.5 lakh only qualified for the next stage, JEE Advanced.
Recently, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially announced a change in the exam pattern for the JEE Main 2025 exam. In a statement issued on Thursday, the NTA confirmed that the optional question format in Section B, introduced as a relief measure during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, will be discontinued. The NTA also announced that the application process for the first session of JEE Main 2025 will begin shortly, with detailed information to be made available on the NTA’s official website. Additional updates regarding the exam pattern are expected to be released once the registration window opens.

Explained: Revised exam pattern of JEE Main 2025

JEE Main is the national-level entrance test for engineering courses, with three subjects—Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. From 2021-2024, JEE Main aspirants had to answer 90 questions in total during this three-hour exam. Each subject consisted of 30 questions divided across two sections: A and B. Section A of every subject used to include 20 multiple-choice questions (MCQs), while Section B would include 10 numerical questions.
Candidates were allowed to choose any 5 out of 10 numerical questions in Section B of each subject. This flexibility was intended to help students tackle the hurdles posed by the pandemic and was in place until the JEE 2024 exam. However, from 2025, JEE Main Section B will revert to its pre-pandemic format, comprising only 5 numerical questions per subject, all of which will be mandatory.
Candidates can check the JEE Main exam pattern change notice by clicking on the link provided here.

JEE Main 2025: Will the change in exam pattern affect aspirants?

“The change announced by the National Testing Agency (NTA) in the JEE Main 2025 exam pattern is likely to bring down the cutoff as compared to the previous years,” says Ramesh Batlish, Managing Partner and Head, FITJEE NOIDA, in an exclusive interaction with TOI Education. “This is because there is negative marking and there are no optional questions now,” he explains.
He also underscored the importance of employing a comprehensive approach to studying rather than selective studying, a strategy that some students have implemented in recent years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when certain chapters could be overlooked due to the availability of optional questions. “Some students are more comfortable with theory-based topics than numerical problems. So they tend to shy away from the latter. Now, all chapters will have equal weightage. So, students can’t leave out any chapter of Physics, Chemistry or Mathematics,” adds Batlish.

JEE Main 2025 exam pattern and marking scheme

It is essential for the engineering aspirants to have a comprehensive understanding of the JEE Mains exam pattern. Take a look at the total number of questions, marks, and duration of the exam.

The marking scheme remains unchanged, with each correct answer earning 4 marks and a penalty of 1 mark for each incorrect answer. The total score for the exam is 300. Candidates are advised to regularly check the NTA’s website for further updates on the registration process and the revised exam format.