For millions of students in India who dream of becoming engineers, the JEE exam is considered the biggest hurdle. Every year, many students, along with their 12th-grade studies, work day and night to prepare for this exam. But during preparation, a question arises in the minds of almost every student and parent: what is the difference between JEE Main and JEE Advanced? Both have similar names and almost the same syllabus, yet their rules, difficulty levels, and objectives are different.

What is the JEE Exam?

JEE, or Joint Entrance Examination, is the country's largest engineering entrance exam. It provides admission to the country's top and renowned engineering colleges. This exam is conducted in two stages: first, JEE Main, and second, JEE Advanced. Both exams are related to each other, but they are not the same.

What is JEE Main?

JEE Main is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). This exam is considered the first step into the world of engineering. Through JEE Main, students get admission to 31 NITs, 26 IIITs, several government technical institutions, and many private colleges. Additionally, JEE Main also acts as a screening test for JEE Advanced. This means that unless you pass JEE Main, you will not get a chance to appear for JEE Advanced.

What is JEE Advanced?

JEE Advanced is conducted every year by different IITs across the country. This exam is considered more difficult. It provides admission to the country's 23 IITs. For students who dream of studying at an IIT, JEE Advanced is the most important exam. Only a limited number of students who score well in JEE Main get the opportunity to appear for JEE Advanced.

How many times can you take the exam?

There is a limit on the number of attempts for both JEE Main and JEE Advanced. JEE Main can be attempted a total of three times: once while in 12th grade and then in the two consecutive years after that. JEE Advanced, on the other hand, can only be attempted twice: in the 12th grade year and the following year. There are no further opportunities after that.

Exam Pattern

JEE Main is a three-hour computer-based test. It consists of questions from Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, with equal weightage given to each subject. It includes both multiple-choice questions and numerical questions. Negative marking is applied for incorrect answers in some questions.

JEE Advanced consists of two papers: Paper 1 and Paper 2. Both papers are three hours long. The question format varies; it includes multiple-choice questions, numerical questions, and matching-type questions. The pattern may change slightly each year.