Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has recently announced that the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2021 will be conducted in four sessions and will be spread across four consecutive months. However, it is not the only new provision made by the National Testing Agency (NTA) as the Engineering admission test will be diverse in many ways this year. New changes include the introduction of more regional languages, a new JEE Main 2021 exam pattern, and more. The decision was taken after the ministry examined the suggestions received for conducting the exams. The four exam sessions will be held in February, March, April, and May 2021.

Nishank said the decision for conducting the examination four times a year will give multiple opportunities to the candidates to progress their scores in the examination if they fail to give their best in the first attempt without wasting their whole academic year. In the first attempt, the students will get a first-hand experience of taking an examination and will know their mistakes which they can improve while attempting for the next time. This will reduce the chances of dropping a year and droppers would not have to waste a full year. If anyone misses the examination due to reasons beyond control, then he/she will not have to wait for one full year. The student’s best of the 2021 NTA Scores will be considered for preparation of Merit List/ Ranking.

Nishank also said that students will be given a choice to answer 75 questions -- 25 each in physics, chemistry and mathematics -- out of 90 in the JEE-Mains paper. In the exam paper of 90 questions, 30 questions each will be from physics, chemistry and mathematics, he said. The minister informed that a candidate need not appear in all the four sessions. The question paper will contain 90 questions, in which the candidate will have to attempt a total of 75 questions. In the new paper pattern, there will be no negative marking in the 15 alternative questions," Nishank said. "The candidates have to attempt 75 questions out of 90, or 25 questions out of 30 in each section of chemistry, physics and maths," he said.

JEE Main 2021: February schedule

The first exam session in February will take place between February 23 to February 26, 2021. 

The exam schedule for March, April and May 2021 will be released accordingly. Examination results will be declared after 4 to 5 days from the last date of the exams.

JEE (Main) 2021 exams will be held in 13 languages including Hindi, English, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu & Urdu. Exam will be conducted in Computer Based Test mode, and exam for B. Arch in offline mode. 

JEE (Main) Exams

The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main) comprises of two papers. The Paper1 is conducted for admission to Undergraduate Engineering Programs (B.E/B. Tech) at NITs, IIITs, other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs), Institutions/Universities funded/recognized by participating State Governments, as well as an eligibility test for JEE (Advanced), which is conducted for admission to IITs.