Many students preparing for engineering entrance exams often ask: What’s the difference between JEE Main and JEE Advanced? Understanding these differences can help students plan their preparation strategy effectively.

1. Purpose & Conducting Bodies

• JEE Main: Conducted by NTA for admission to NITs, IIITs, GFTIs, and as a qualifier for JEE Advanced.

• JEE Advanced: Conducted by IITs for admission to the 23 IITs in India.

2. Exam Pattern & Difficulty Level

• JEE Main:

  • 90 questions (Physics, Chemistry, Math).

  • Moderate difficulty, focuses on NCERT-based concepts.

  • Includes numerical & objective-type questions.

• JEE Advanced:

  • Much tougher with complex problems requiring deep conceptual knowledge.

  • Varies each year, includes multiple correct answers, integer-type, and matrix-match questions.

3. Admission Scope

4. Number of Attempts

• JEE Main: 2 attempts per year, can attempt for 3 consecutive years.

• JEE Advanced: Only 2 attempts in consecutive years after 12th.

5. Which One Should You Focus On?

• If your goal is IIT, prepare for JEE Advanced but clear JEE Main first.

• If you aim for NITs, IIITs, or GFTIs, then JEE Main is sufficient.

• Students should start JEE Advanced-level preparation early to increase their chances of IIT admission.

Final Advice

If you are aiming for IITs, JEE Advanced is crucial. But even if you don’t qualify for IITs, JEE Main still opens doors to top NITs and IIITs with excellent placement records.