JEE Main Exam Pattern 2026: Marking Scheme, Questions & Subject-Wise Marks Distribution

As a student, if you plan to appear for JEE, it is very important to understand the JEE Main exam pattern. Most of the time, candidates have various questions related to the exam. For example, they would want to know how many questions are there in JEE Mains, the total marks in JEE Mains and there is negative marking in JEE Mains.

This year, the National Testing Agency will conduct the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) 2026 session 2 from 2nd April to 9th April 2026 (tentative). Thus, students need to know more about the JEE Mains Pattern so that they can score good marks in the exam. In this blog, candidates can learn more about the JEE Main Exam Pattern, JEE Main Marking Scheme, how many papers in JEE Mains and more.

JEE Main 2026 Important Dates & Events

Session 2 for the JEE Mains will be conducted from 2-9 April 2026 (tentative). Below is a table mentioning some of the important dates that are related to the exam:

Events	Dates
Online Registration For Session 2 Begins	1st February 2026
Online Registration For Session 2 Ends	25th February 2026
Re-opening of Registration Portal	12th to 13th March 2026
JEE Mains Session 2 Exam Dates	2nd April to 9th April 2026 (Tentative)

JEE Main 2026 Total Marks and Overall Structure

The JEE Main Exam pattern is designed to test students in three main subjects: Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. According to the latest JEE Main pattern, there will be three papers. Paper 1 is for BE/B.Tech courses, Paper 2A is for B.Arch and Paper 2B is for BPlan. 

Students can take the exam in 13 languages, including Assamese, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Telugu, Tamil, Punjabi, Urdu, Gujarati, Hindi and English. According to the JEE Main Question Pattern, Paper 1 contains Multiple Choice Questions and Numerical Value Questions. Paper 2 consists of Objective Type questions and Drawing-Based questions. 

Likewise, the total number of questions in JEE Mains Paper 1 (BE/B.Tech) consists of 75 MCQs for a total of 300 marks. Paper 2A for B.Arch will contain 77 questions for a total of 400 marks and Paper 2B for B.Plan will contain 100 MCQs for a total of 400 marks.

Now that students know about the overall structure of the JEE Mains exam, let us look into the JEE Main Question Pattern for each paper. 

JEE Main Exam Pattern 2026 for Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech)

The JEE Mains Question Paper Pattern for Paper 1 is for BE/B.Tech candidates. This paper consists of Multiple Choice Questions and Numerical Value Questions in subjects like Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Below is a table that shows the exam mode, duration, JEE Main Marking Scheme and more:

Particulars	Details
Exam Mode	Computer-Based Examination (CBT)
Exam Duration	3 Hours
Number of Sections	Mathematics Physics Chemistry
Total Questions in JEE Mains Paper 1	75 questions (25 questions in each subject)
Total Marks	300 Marks (100 Marks in each section)
Marking Scheme of JEE Mains Paper 1	In the MCQ section, students will get four marks for a correct answer and negative marks for each wrong answer   For Numerical Based Question- Students will be awarded four marks for each correct answer and one mark will be deducted for a wrong answer

JEE Main Exam Pattern 2026 for Paper 2 (B.Arch & B.Plan)

All the exams in JEE Main Paper 2 are conducted through Online mode except for the B.Arch Drawing exam, which has to be conducted offline. The JEE Main Total Marks for this paper is 400 marks. Below is a table mentioning the mode of exam, duration, total number of sections, how many questions in JEE Mains Paper 2 and more. 

Particulars	Details
Mode of Exam	Computer-based, except for the Drawing Section in B.Arch, which takes place offline
Language	English, Hindi, Punjabi, Kannada, Odia, Punjabi and more
Exam Duration	3 Hours
Total Number of Sections in B.Arch (Paper 2A)	Part 1-Mathematics Part 2-Aptitude Test Part 3-Drawing Test
Total Number of Sections in B.Plan (Paper 2B)	Mathematics Aptitude Test Planning Test (MCQ’s)
Types of Questions	MCQs, Numerical value-based, multiple-choice questions, drawing aptitude, & planning for B.Plan exam
Total Number of Questions	B.Arch-77 questions B.Plan-100 questions
Total Marks in Paper 2	400 marks
Marking Scheme of JEE Mains Paper 2	MCQs: Four marks for each correct answer and a negative mark for every wrong answer Drawing Test: Two questions are asked of students and are evaluated out of 100 marks

Total No of Questions in JEE Mains Exam 2026

JEE Main is conducted for three separate exams, such as B.Tech, B.Arch and B.Plan. Each paper has a different syllabus and exam pattern. However, not all questions are compulsory in JEE Mains. Below is a table mentioning the total number of questions in each paper:

JEE Mains Paper-1 (B.Tech)

Subjects in Paper 1	Number of Questions in Section A	Number of Questions in Section B	Total Questions
Mathematics	20	5	25
Physics	20	5	25
Chemistry	20	5	25
Total	60	15	75

JEE Main Paper 2A (B.Arch)

Subjects in Paper 2A	Number of Questions in Section A	Number of Questions in Section B	Total Questions
Mathematics	20	5	25
Aptitude	50		50
Drawing	02		2
Total	72	5	77

JEE Main Paper 2B(BPlan)

Subjects in Paper 2B	Number of Questions in Section A	Number of Questions in Section B	Total Questions
Mathematics	20	5	25
Aptitude	50		50
Drawing	25		25
Total	95	5	100

JEE Main Exam Pattern 2026 Subject-wise Marks Distribution

Now that candidates know about the number of questions in each section of all three papers, they need to know about the marks distribution of JEE Mains. Below is a table mentioning JEE Main subject-wise marks for each paper. 

Paper 1: Subject-Wise Marks Distribution

Subjects	Section A	Section B	Marks
Maths	20	5	100
Physics	20	5	100
Chemistry	20	5	100
Total Marks in Paper 1	75		300

Paper 2A: Subject-Wise Marks Distribution

Subjects	Number of Questions	Marks
Maths	25	100
Aptitude	50	200
Drawing Test	2	100
Total Number of Questions & Marks in Paper 2	77	400

Paper 2B: Subject-Wise Marks Distribution

Subjects	Number of Questions	Marks
Maths	25	100
Aptitude	50	200
Planning Test	25	100
Total Number of Questions & Marks in Paper 2B	100	400

JEE Mains 2026 Syllabus

Students who are appearing for the JEE Main exam must be aware of the exam’s paper pattern & syllabus, because it helps them prepare a proper schedule and learn all the important topics. Below is a table that mentions the NTA JEE Mains Syllabus, focusing on the important topics. 

Physics	Chemistry	Mathematics
Simple Harmonic Motion	Electrochemistry	Complex Number
Rotational Motion	Salt Analysis	Calculus
Thermodynamics	Ionic Equilibrium	Vector & 3D
Electrostatics	Thermodynamics & Thermochemistry	Probability
Magnetism	Aldehydes & Ketones	Trigonometric Equation
Optics	Aromatic Hydrocarbons	Properties of Triangles
Modern Physics	Coordination Compound	Quadratic Equation
Kinetic Energy	Alkyl Halides and Aryl Halides	Sequence & Series and more

JEE Main Sample Paper

Once students understand the exam pattern, they should begin solving the JEE Main Sample Paper. Solving the JEE Mains Model Paper helps students increase their speed and accuracy, identify their strengths & weaknesses and reduce exam-day anxiety. Students can download the JEE Sample Paper PDF from the NTA official website and start practising for the exam to score good marks.

JEE Main Exam Pattern FAQs

Ques 1: How many marks in JEE Mains?

Answer: The total marks in the JEE Mains are 300 for Paper 1 and 400 for Paper 2 as well as Paper 2B. 

Ques 2: Is there negative marking in JEE Mains? 

Answer: Yes, there is a negative marking in the JEE Mains Entrance Exam. 

Ques 3: How many questions are there in JEE Mains?

Answer: JEE Mains Paper 1 (BE/B.Tech) consists of 90 MCQs, Paper 2A for B.Arch will contain 82 questions, and Paper 2B for B.Plan will contain 105 MCQs.

Ques 4: How many papers are there in JEE Mains? 

Answer: There are 3 papers in JEE Mains, which are Paper 1 for (BE/B.Tech), Paper 2A for B.Arch, and  Paper 2B for B.Plan. 

Ques 5: Is it mandatory to attempt all questions in the JEE Mains entrance examination?

Answer: No, it is not compulsory to attempt all questions in the JEE Mains Entrance Exam.