# Crack JEE (Main and Advanced) > Two sessions of JEE Main in January and April, then JEE Advanced in May for the top scorers — the eligibility rules, the pattern, and a 12-month plan that respects both. - **Section:** Entrance exams · **Region:** India · **Difficulty:** hard - **Time:** 12–24 months of preparation · Main sessions Jan and Apr · Advanced in May - **Cost:** JEE Main ₹1,000 (gen, male) per session; JEE Advanced ₹3,200 (gen); coaching optional - **You end up with:** A JEE Advanced rank for IIT admission via JoSAA, or a JEE Main rank for NITs, IIITs and GFTIs - **Last reviewed:** 2026-09-05 · **Canonical:** https://for.do/p/jee-main-and-advanced/ ## Before you start - Class 12 (or equivalent) in 2024, 2025 or 2026 for JEE Main 2026 — three consecutive years from passing - Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics in Class 12; 75% in boards (65% SC/ST) or top-20 percentile for IIT/NIT admission JEE is two exams in a chain. JEE Main, run by the National Testing Agency in two sessions (21–29 January and 2–9 April in 2026), decides admission to NITs and IIITs and who qualifies for the second exam. JEE Advanced, run by one IIT each year (17 May 2026, registration 23 April–5 May), decides the IITs. The plan below assumes you start about a year out; compress it if you are closer. ## 1. Confirm eligibility and the attempt clock - [ ] Count your Main years: the year you pass Class 12 and the next two. There is no age limit for Main. - [ ] Note the Advanced rule: top ~2.5 lakh Main qualifiers, at most two attempts in consecutive years, and age under 25 on 1 October of the exam year (relaxed five years for SC/ST/PwD). - [ ] Check your board percentage target now: 75% aggregate (65% for SC/ST) or top-20 percentile of your board, required at admission. ## 2. Learn the pattern you are actually facing - [ ] JEE Main Paper 1: 75 questions across PCM, 300 marks, 3 hours, +4/−1. Read the year's bulletin for the numerical section rules. - [ ] JEE Advanced: two papers, three hours each, all three subjects in each, with partial marking and unannounced formats. - [ ] Download the official syllabi for both; Advanced's is narrower but deeper. ## 3. Build the 12-month plan around the two Main sessions - [ ] Months 1–7: finish the full syllabus once, chapter tests weekly, NCERT for Chemistry theory. - [ ] Months 8–9: mock series for Main; sit session 1 in January as a real attempt. - [ ] Between sessions: fix the topics that cost marks in January; sit session 2 in April for the better score. - [ ] April–May: switch entirely to Advanced-style practice — previous years' papers under timed conditions. ## 4. Register on time - [ ] JEE Main: register on jeemain.nta.nic.in for each session separately when the window opens (typically November for January, February for April). Fee ₹1,000 for general male candidates per session; less for women and reserved categories. - [ ] Upload the exact photo/signature specs and choose four exam cities; centre allocation follows. - [ ] JEE Advanced: register on jeeadv.ac.in in the 23 April–5 May window if you qualify; fee ₹3,200 for general. ## 5. Sit the exams - [ ] Reach the centre with the admit card and a photo ID; the reporting time is usually 90 minutes before. - [ ] Main strategy: attempt Chemistry first for accuracy, bank the numericals, avoid negative-mark guessing below 50% confidence. - [ ] Advanced strategy: skim both papers for scoring sections before committing; partial-marking questions reward careful, complete answers. ## 6. Counselling: JoSAA and CSAB - [ ] After Advanced results (early June), register for JoSAA counselling with both ranks; fill choices for IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs in one list. - [ ] Verify documents at the reporting centre and pay the seat acceptance fee within the round deadline. - [ ] If you hold only a Main rank, CSAB special rounds fill remaining NIT seats after JoSAA. ## Where people get this wrong - Treating the two Main sessions as two exams. The better of your two session scores counts; session 1 in January is a real attempt and a free diagnostic for April, not a mock. - Missing the Advanced attempt window. Advanced allows two attempts in two consecutive years, and you must be in the qualifying pool of that year's Main — a gap year between the two is not possible. - Ignoring the 75% board rule until counselling. IITs and NITs enforce it at admission, not at the exam; a rank with a 72% board score is a rank you cannot use. - Solving only MCQs. Both Main and Advanced carry numerical-answer questions with no negative marking; skipping them in practice leaves easy marks on the table. ## Questions **How many attempts do I get?** JEE Main: the three years from your Class 12 passing year (two sessions each year). JEE Advanced: two attempts in two consecutive years, subject to qualifying through Main. **What is the JEE Main pattern?** Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech): 75 questions, 300 marks, three hours, computer-based — 25 per subject, 20 MCQs (+4/−1) and 5 numerical questions (+4/−1). Check the year's information bulletin; NTA has changed the numerical section format before. **And JEE Advanced?** Two compulsory three-hour papers on one day (17 May 2026), each covering all three subjects, with question types and marking that change every year and are revealed only in the paper. ## Tools used - [NTA (JEE Main, NEET, CUET)](https://find.do/t/nta-portal/) (official) — India's National Testing Agency — the registration portals for JEE Main, NEET-UG and CUET. - [JEE Advanced (organising IIT)](https://find.do/t/jee-advanced-portal/) (official) — Registration and past papers for JEE Advanced, run by a different IIT each year. ## Sources - [NTA — JEE Main 2026 (official)](https://jeemain.nta.nic.in) - [ALLEN — JEE Main 2026 dates, eligibility, pattern](https://allen.in/jee-main/exam) - [Motion — JEE Main 2026 dates, registration, pattern](https://motion.ac.in/blog/jee-main-exam/)