Check key differences between JEE Main and Advanced

JEE Main 2024: Candidates qualifying JEE Main are able to appear for JEE Advanced. The JEE Main 2024 session 1 exam is set to be held from January 24 to February 1.

JEE Advanced 2025: Changes in exam from next academic session

JEE Main 2024: After qualifying JEE Main, candidates can appear for JEE Advanced. (Representative image. Express photo by Deepak Joshi)

— Ramesh Batlish

The Joint Entrance Examination Main (JEE Main), formerly All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE), is a computer-based test for admission to various technical undergraduate programs in engineering, architecture, and planning across colleges in India. It is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

After qualifying JEE Main, candidates can appear for JEE Advanced. It used to be the sole prerequisite for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology bachelor’s programmes and is usually hosted by one of the IITs. Check the key differences between JEE Main and JEE Advanced.

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Read | JEE Main 2024: Effective revision techniques

JEE Main	JEE Advanced
JEE Main is the entrance exam for admission to the NITs, IIITs, and other central/state government funded institutes. It is also the qualifying exam for JEE Advanced.	JEE Advanced is for admission to the IITs, IISTs, and RGIPT.
The JEE Main exam is held twice a year.	JEE Advanced is held once a year.
NTA (National Testing Agency) organises the JEE Main.	The IIT Joint Admission Board (JAB) organises the JEE Advanced.
A candidate may take JEE Main for a maximum of three years.	A candidate may take JEE Advanced for a maximum of two years.
The JEE Main Paper-1 is a 3-hr paper each for Paper-1 (B.E./B.Tech), Paper-2A (B. Arch), Paper-2B (B. Planning). Here Paper-2A and 2B are Optional.	The JEE Advanced is of 6 hours. (Paper 1: 3 hours and Paper 2: 3 hours). Both Paper-1 & Paper-2 are compulsory.
JEE Main Paper-1 (for B.E./ B. Tech) consists of 90 questions (of which only 75 are to be answered). Marking scheme is +4 for every correct answer and Negative marking of -1 for an incorrect answer. Questions are multiple choice with single correct answer and Numerical Based Questions with Integer or decimal digit answers.	The number of questions and the distribution of marks in the JEE Advanced exam is not fixed. Questions may be multiple choice single correct answer, Multiple choice multi correct answer, Integer Type Questions with answer either a single digit or correct to two decimal digits. Marking Scheme is not fixed. There may be partial marking in multi-choice multi correct answer type questions.
The question paper for the JEE Main is available in 13 languages -English, Hindi, Gujarati, Assamese, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.	The JEE Advanced question paper is only available in English and Hindi.
The JEE Main Paper is divided into two papers: Paper 1 and Paper 2. Paper 1 (B. Tech/B.E.) is administered online (Computer Based Examination). Story continues below this ad Paper 2 (B.Arch.) is available in online for Aptitude & Maths sections and offline mode (pen and paper-based examination) for drawing section. Paper-2 (B. Planning) is administered online (Computer Based Examination).	The JEE Advanced Exam consists of two papers: Paper 1 and Paper 2. The JEE Advanced exam is only available online (Computer Based Examination).