New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has decided to discontinue the optional questions in Section B of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main exam, marking a return to pre-pandemic format. These optional questions were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to accommodate students facing academic disruptions. The NTA’s decision now aims to assess candidates’ complete understanding of numerical concepts.
The JEE Main BE/BTech question paper comprises two sections: Section A and Section B. Section A consists of multiple-choice questions (MCQs), while Section B includes numerical value-based questions. In Section B, candidates are required to attempt 5 out of 10 questions, entering the correct integer value for each answer. Answers must be rounded off to the nearest integer. Each correct response in Section B is awarded four marks, with a one-mark deduction for incorrect answers. However, the overall score for JEE Main remains at 300 marks.
What new pattern can do…
Under the new JEE Main exam pattern, students lose the flexibility of the optional questions. Earlier, candidates could focus only on their strengths by choosing questions they felt confident about. However, now they must be prepared for all ten numerical questions, which enables them to cover the entire syllabus meticulously. As all the questions are compulsory in Section B, it will not only test students’ complete grasp of concepts but also add a significant layer of stress as students can no longer strategise based on their strengths or weaknesses.
Be it the toughest or easiest concepts, students must study all chapters comprehensively, as any topic can be tested. There might be a significant change in JEE Main cut-off marks because all questions in Section B are now mandatory. The lack of optional questions could lead to lower overall scores, affecting the overall sectional and category cut-off.
Stress mounts for students
This sudden shift in the JEE Main exam pattern raises concerns about the NTA’s timing. With less than three months left for the JEE Main January 2025 session exams, many students have already taken multiple mock tests and tuned to the exam pattern introduced during the pandemic. The change of pattern now leaves them scrambling to revise their strategies and adapt to the new structure, which may affect their performance. The NTA’s move is to make rigorous academic standards. Many believe that if this change had been announced at the beginning of the academic year, students could have prepared more effectively and with less anxiety. In this scenario, the burden is on the students to adapt quickly to the revised format, with minimal time to adjust their preparation strategies.
With students already in the final stages of preparation, a sudden rule change can feel like an additional hurdle rather than an academic boost. The move might result in a slight dip in cut-off marks particularly those already struggling with the demands of the highly competitive exam. In the end, while the NTA’s goal may be noble because this is the only way to get into India’s premium institutes including IITs, the execution and timing of this decision could have been handled with more sensitivity to the students’ challenges.
The NTA has announced that the online registration process for JEE Main 2025 January session will begin soon. Aspirants are now eagerly waiting for the information bulletin of JEE Main 2025 to check the detailed pattern of examination.
