What Is JEE? Eligibility Criteria, Application, and Preparation

The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) is a competitive examination required to enter some of India’s preeminent engineering universities, colleges, and institutions. If you’re considering a career in engineering, understanding the JEE  and what’s involved in preparing for it could significantly affect your performance.

About the National Testing Agency

The Ministry of Education (MoE) founded the National Testing Agency (NTA) as a testing organisation. It is an independent testing agency working under the Societies Registration Act (1860) to conduct effective and standardised tests to evaluate the proficiencies of applicants for admission to top learning institutions. 

NTA is a system that promotes teaching, learning, and assessment. The organisation firmly supports assessments' validity, reliability, accuracy, equality, and confidentiality.

What is the JEE Exam?

JEE stands for Joint Entrance Exam, a national engineering entrance examination administered by NTA. The JEE exam involves candidates who clear two examination levels: JEE (Main) and JEE (Advanced). 

The mission of JEE (Main) includes two testing sessions, Paper 1 and Paper 2. The objective of Paper 1 is to categorise candidates suitable for sitting in JEE (Advanced) or gaining admission to a Bachelor of Engineering (BE) or Bachelor of Technology (BTech) undergraduate programme at one of the following types of institutions:

• National Institutes of Technology (NITs)

• Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs)

• Other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs)

• State-funded or -recognised institutions and universities

The purpose of passing Paper 2 of JEE (Main) is to gain admission to a Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) or Bachelor of Planning (BPlanning) programme. 

The JEE (Advanced) is similar to JEE (Main), but its questions are more thorough. Passage of the exam qualifies you for admittance to prestigious IIITs.

NITS and IIITs

The NITs and IIITs are some of the most eminent Indian universities that provide technological education of superior calibre globally. These institutions are well-known for their excellence in quality teaching methods and exceptional teaching faculty. They prepare the brightest minds in their classes, making them internationally recognised. 

Graduates from these institutions are renowned for their professional achievements. IIITians are also known to rank among the top candidates for admission to famous universities worldwide for post-graduation study abroad.

Taking the JEE(Main) 

As of 2023, the JEE (Main) entrance examination has two sessions. Thus, as an applicant, you can have the following advantages:

• If you cannot deliver your best on the first attempt, you can enrol for session two. So, you have two chances to enhance your exam marks.

• Through the first attempt, you can gain first-hand experience with the examination. You can also learn from your mistakes to perform better on the second attempt.

• The examination pattern lowers the probability of dropping the year among the students, saving your entire year from being sacrificed.

• If you miss the examination due to unforeseen circumstances (class 12 board exams, for example), you won't need to wait for the whole year. 

You can skip both sessions of the examination. But, if you appear in both, the NTA shall consider your best score for preparing the Merit List/Ranking. 

JEE (Main) eligibility criteria

Now, let's discuss the essential  eligibility requirements  for JEE (Main). As of 2023, eligibility criteria are as follows:

• You must pass class 12 board examinations or an equivalent qualifying exam with physics, mathematics, biology, chemistry, or biotechnology.  

• There isn’t an upper age limit for JEE (Main) exam eligibility.

• An applicant is eligible to sit for the JEE (Main) examination in three successive years from the year they appear for the class 12 board examination. One try covers both the January and April attempts of the same year.

JEE (Main): How to apply

Take the following steps to apply for the JEE (Main) examination:

1. Go to the Joint Entrance Examination's official website, jeemain.nta.nic.in

2. Select the link "Registration for JEE Main" on the homepage. Depending on the time of year you visit the page, you will register for Paper 1 or Paper 2 of the current year or next year.

3. You will be redirected to the official application site hosted by the NTA and the MoE.

4. Type your application number and password in the respective fields to log in.

5. You can now begin filling out the JEE (Main) application by providing all the necessary information, submitting the documents, and paying the registration fee.

6. After submitting the required documents, you must download the application for your records.

JEE (Main) facts and figures:

The following are facts about the JEE (Main) to help you become more familiar with the exam process: 

• Exam duration: The exam sessions for Paper 1 and Paper 2 are three hours each. If you choose to take Paper 2 BArch and BPlanning simultaneously, the session is three hours and 30 minutes. Persons with disabilities (PwD) are provided extra time, totalling four hours and 4 hours and 10 minutes, respectively. You are encouraged to arrive two hours before the exam begins.

• Fees: Paper fees are determined by the type of degree you are pursuing, your economic category, and gender. As of 2023, fees range from ₹500 to ₹2,000 inside India and ₹2,500 to 10,000 outside India.

• Languages: Exams are administered in English, Hindi, and Urdu in all examination centres within India. Specific exam centres also offer Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu exams.

• Testing centres: When applying for the exam, you can state your preference for four cities. Within India, there are 399 testing centres to choose from. Outside of India, you can take the JEE (Main) in 24 countries, including but not limited to UAE, Malaysia, Australia, the US, Canada, South Africa, and Nepal.

JEE (Main): 4 exam preparation tips

Each year, a limited number of IIIT and NIT seats are available for incoming students, so you must do well on the JEE (Main) to qualify for admittance to the institution of your choice or to take the JEE (Advanced). Therefore, applicants must prepare strategically for the JEE (Main) examinations. So, let's move towards some effective preparation strategy for clearing the JEE (Main) in one attempt.

1. Start your preparation with NCERT.

The NCERT textbook is the foundation for the JEE entrance exams, particularly the JEE (Main). Most students start their preparation with reference books right from the very beginning, leaving their conceptual understanding and theoretical knowledge limited.

2. Have a questioning mind.

By challenging ideas, you can boost your interpretation of concepts and then use your clearer understanding to handle complex problems on those concepts. If you try to memorise notions, you cannot quickly solve complex problems.

3. Use multiple solution techniques to solve questions.

When answering questions, attempt to find various solutions for one question rather than trying to answer with one method. It will aid you in discovering additional approaches to solving a problem, making you better equipped for the exams.

4. Use effective time management.

It's essential to practice questions to finish your paper on time. Try to solve questions within the set duration, and take several mock tests. Use time management applications to monitor your time while practising different chapters and their exercises.  

Learn more

Strengthen your skills in chemistry, maths, and physics with a course like How Things Work: An Introduction to Physics, Introduction to Mechanics Specialisation, Introduction to Physical Chemistry, and Introduction to Calculus to help you prepare for the JEE (Main).