The National Testing Agency (NTA) will close the registration window for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2025 on November 22, 2024. Aspirants can complete their applications for the Session 1 exam through the official portal, jeemain.nta.nic.in. The first session of JEE Main 2025 is scheduled to take place from January 22 to January 31, 2025.
JEE Main 2025 comes with several important updates to the exam pattern and eligibility rules. Aspirants must stay informed to prepare effectively.
JEE Main 2025: What are the new changes introduced this year?
The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2025, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), brings several notable changes that aspirants need to be aware of. These updates reflect a shift back to pre-pandemic norms and introduce structural adjustments. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the changes and their implications. Here’s a list of changes-
Removal of Optional Questions in Section B
The optional questions introduced during the pandemic have been removed. Candidates must now attempt all five numerical value questions in Section B of each subject. This marks a return to the pre-2021 exam pattern, eliminating flexibility in question selection.
Revised tie-breaking criteria
The tie-breaking rules have been updated. Although specifics are yet to be disclosed, these changes are expected to streamline the ranking process for candidates with identical scores.
Elimination of age limit
The age criterion has been removed. Any candidate meeting the educational qualifications, irrespective of age, is now eligible to apply.
Reduction in exam cities
The number of exam centers has been reduced from 300 to 284 for domestic candidates. International exam cities have also seen a decrease, which may impact accessibility for some overseas applicants.
Introduction of negative marking for Numerical Value Questions (NVQs)
Negative marking will now apply to numerical value questions. For each incorrect response, one mark will be deducted, aligning with the marking scheme for multiple-choice questions (MCQs).
Exam Structure Highlights
Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech): 90 questions in total (30 each from Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics).
Section A includes 20 MCQs per subject. Section B consists of 5 mandatory numerical questions per subject.
Paper 2A (B.Arch): 77 questions across Mathematics, Aptitude, and Drawing.
Increased weightage for the Drawing section (now 30% of total marks).
Paper 2B (B.Planning): 100 questions covering Mathematics, Aptitude, and Planning.
Return to pre-pandemic format, discontinuation of optional questions
The discontinuation of optional questions and mandatory answering of all numerical questions reflects a shift back to the traditional structure used before 2021. These adjustments aim to restore uniformity and rigour to the exam.
Adaptive difficulty level consideration
While not implemented yet, the NTA is exploring adaptive difficulty mechanisms that could adjust the difficulty of questions based on a candidate’s performance. This potential future change could bring a dynamic element to the testing process.
What the changes mean for aspirants?
The removal of optional questions requires aspirants to prepare comprehensively for all topics. The reintroduction of negative marking for numerical value questions necessitates greater caution during the exam. Additionally, the reduction in exam centers might require candidates to plan their logistics well in advance.
