5 Key Changes in the Exam Pattern of JEE Main 2021

Students had been waiting for the JEE Main 2021 exam dates since November. The pandemic has dishevelled the academic year, yet students keep on paddling through the tough times. When the date of the exams came out, we must know that it brought a lot of changes with it. Especially that could define the career of these students. For example, candidates who appeared for JEE Main 2019 or JEE Main Advanced 2019, NTA will not allow them to appear for JEE Main or Advanced 2021.

The NTA also said that a candidate can attempt JEE Advanced a maximum of two times in consecutive years whether or not he/she has passed the qualifying examination JEE Main. The major changes that come though, are not the attempts.

1. No scrapping of 75% criteria

The candidates must have passed in final examinations of Class 12 with Science stream with at least 75% marks. The criterion enables only meritorious students to enter the top engineering colleges. But, students have been demanding that this criterion be removed. NTA has not removed the criterion. Affirming, it said, the minimum passing score to appear for JEE Main 2021 is 75% marks in the science stream.

2. Candidates will have to answer 75 out of the 90 questions

A total of 90 questions would be asked out of which 75 questions will have to be attempted. Plus, there will not be negative marking for the optional questions. These questions will be equally distributed among Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, each consisting of 25 questions. Out of the total questions in JEE Main 2020 Paper 1, each subject will have 20 objective type multiple choice questions along with 5 numerical based questions.

3. Exception for Covid-19 patients

If a candidate has cleared JEE Main 2020 but could not appear in JEE Advanced 2020 due to Covid-19 infection, then he/she does not have to appear for JEE Main 2021 again. These seats will not be considered in addition to the total number of seats.

4. Best of the attempts' score

From the commencing academic year, candidates will have an opportunity to take the exam four times a year, i.e., in February, March, April, and May. Applicants would be allowed to appear in all four attempts and the best of the attempts will be considered for the final merit list.

5.  More language options

For the first time, JEE Main 2021 will be held in 13 languages — English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.