The Joint Entrance Examination – Main (JEE Main) is a national-level exam that paves the way for admission to BTech, BE, BArch, and BPlanning programmes in premier technical institutions across India. These institutions include the National Institutes of Technology, like the one in Kozhikode, and the Indian Institutes of Information Technology, such as the one in Pala, along with other centrally funded institutions and universities.
Each year, up to 2.5 lakh top-performing students across all categories in JEE Main qualify to sit for the JEE Advanced, which offers admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology.
The JEE Main exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency (www.nta.ac.in), and candidates can attempt the exam twice - in January and again in April 2025. Candidates may choose to attempt only one session if they prefer. The highest score across these two attempts will be considered for admission purposes. The marks scored for Plus Two do not factor into the JEE Main ranking.
The JEE Main question paper is available in 13 languages, including English and Malayalam, with Malayalam papers accessible only in Kerala and Lakshadweep.
Applications can be submitted through the official website, jeemain.nta.nic.in by keeping the timeline provided. After submission, a confirmation page will appear on the site. Only one application should be submitted per candidate. For attending the April session, the same application number can be used by paying an additional fee. Candidates may also opt to register for the April session alone. As no corrections are allowed once an application is submitted, applicants are advised to enter all details carefully.
Admission qualification
There is no age limit for appearing in the JEE Main. However, candidates are required to meet the age requirements set by the institution offering admission. Only those who completed their Class 12 (or an equivalent course) in 2023 or 2024, or who will appear for the Class 12 examination in 2025, are eligible for admission.
In addition to Class 12 qualifications, three-year diplomas approved by the AICTE or State Boards are also considered eligible. At the time of admission, however, if the institution requires additional qualifications like Class 12 marks, these will need to be met.
The reservation norms set for candidates are as follows: 15% for Scheduled Castes, 7% for Scheduled Tribes, 27% for Other Backward Classes (Non-Creamy Layer), and 10% for Economically Weaker Sections. An additional 5% reservation is available for differently-abled candidates within each of these categories.
Exam structure
For multiple-choice and numerical-value questions, each correct answer awards 4 marks, while each incorrect answer results in a deduction of 1 mark.
Since the exam is conducted across multiple sessions on different days, rankings are not based on raw marks alone. Instead, percentile scores are normalised and converted into NTA scores to assess each candidate's relative performance. Final rankings are calculated only after the April session is completed.
Some institutions may use the JEE Main ranking directly for admissions or apply slight adjustments.
Exam time
The examination is conducted in two sessions: 9 am to 12 pm and 3 pm to 6 pm The BArch and BPlanning exams, if taken together, extend to three and a half hours, running from 9 am to 12.30 pm in the morning session and from 3 pm to 6.30 pm in the afternoon.
Differently-abled candidates receive compensatory time of 20 minutes for each hour, regardless of whether a scribe is present to assist. Details on the syllabus are available on the official website.
Examination centres
Examination centres are available at various locations, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Chengannur, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Muvattupuzha, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, Payyannur, Kasaragod, Kavaratti, as well as international locations such as Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Manama, Kuwait, Doha, Riyadh, Singapore, and Washington. Candidates are required to select four examination centres in order of priority on their application.
Candidates applying from abroad must include at least one Indian centre in their preferences. Additional charges, such as GST and bank fees, apply, and special rates are set for examination centres outside India. All fees must be paid online. Detailed instructions regarding the submission of applications can be found on pages 4, 5, and 61-75 of the information bulletin.
For assistance, candidates can contact the helpline at 011-40759000 or email jeemain@nta.ac.in. Key websites: www.nta.ac.in and https://jeemain.nta.nic.in