The National Testing Agency (NTA) is gearing up to launch the registration period for JEE Main 2025, the engineering entrance exam that plays a crucial role in admissions to top technical institutes throughout India, according to a report by Kodacy. In conjunction with this announcement, the NTA has rolled out six major changes that will affect the exam format, eligibility requirements, and overall preparation for hopeful candidates.
These modifications aim to simplify the examination process and establish consistency in evaluation and ranking systems, which is vital for students aspiring to gain admission to institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs).
The JEE Main exam will revert to its pre-pandemic structure, removing the optional questions that were previously part of Section B. Candidates are now required to answer all 25 questions in each subject—physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Paper 1, which is targeted at B.Tech candidates, will consist of a total of 75 questions, including 20 multiple-choice questions and 5 numerical value questions for each subject. This adjustment guarantees that all candidates encounter the same number of questions, fostering a uniform evaluation process.
Negative marking will be applied to numerical value questions of NTA JEE Mains.
For the first time, negative marking will be introduced for numerical value questions (NVQs). Previously, penalties were only enforced for incorrect answers to multiple-choice questions. This new regulation means that candidates must be more careful when tackling NVQs, as incorrect answers will now lower their overall scores, highlighting the importance of precision.
New tie-breaking rules emphasize exam performance.
The criteria for breaking ties among candidates with identical scores have been updated. Previous factors like age and application number are no longer considered. The new system ranks candidates based on their subject-specific scores, starting with mathematics, followed by physics, and then chemistry. If there is still a tie, the ratio of incorrect to correct answers will be analyzed within and across these subjects. If the tie remains unresolved, candidates will receive the same rank.
JEE Main age limit lifted from eligibility requirements.
The age limit for applicants of JEE Main has been eliminated, allowing individuals of any age who meet the educational criteria to apply. This modification broadens access to the exam, enabling older candidates or those who have taken educational breaks to participate.
Decrease in exam centres and cities.
The number of exam centres has dropped from 300 last year to 284 this year, impacting both domestic and international sites. The number of international centres has decreased from 24 to 14, with several cities in countries like Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Hong Kong being removed. In India, there have been significant changes, including a reduction in exam cities in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, while Telangana and Maharashtra have experienced slight increases. Candidates should carefully review the updated list before choosing their exam locations.
JEE Main syllabus has been streamlined.
The syllabus for JEE Main has been modified to remove certain topics, continuing the adjustments made last year. In physics, topics such as Scalars & Vectors, Vector Addition and Subtraction, Scalar & Vector Products, Unit Vectors, and Resolution of Vectors have been eliminated. Chemistry has also seen the removal of entire chapters, including States of Matter, Surface Chemistry, and General Principles and Processes of Isolation of Metals. Simplifications or deletions in P-Block elements topics have been made. The mathematics syllabus remains unchanged from last year, keeping previous removals like Complex Numbers and Quadratic Equations.
