JEE-Main Exam Begins: Maths Tough, Physics and Chemistry Relatively Easy

Kota, January 22: The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE-Main), the nation’s largest engineering entrance test conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), began on Wednesday across 331 cities in India and 15 international centers. With a record 13.95 lakh applications for the January session, over 2 lakh students are appearing for the exam each day. On the first day, students found the Mathematics section challenging, while Physics and Chemistry were relatively easier.

Exam Schedule and Details

According to Allen Career Institute Director Brijesh Maheshwari, the exam for B.Tech admissions will take place on January 22, 23, 24, 28, and 29, conducted in two shifts:

• Morning Shift: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• Afternoon Shift: 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The exam for Paper 2A (B.Arch) and Paper 2B (B.Planning) will be held on January 30 during the afternoon shift. After the exams, NTA will release the answer keys, allowing students to raise objections before publishing the final results. Approximately 2.5 lakh students who qualify will be eligible to appear for the JEE Advanced exam on May 18, conducted by IIT Kanpur in online mode.

Paper Analysis: Mixed Reactions from Students

Nitin Vijay, founder and CEO of Motion Education, shared an analysis of the exam:

Mathematics:

• Difficulty Level: Moderate to Tough.
• Composition:
  • 40% easy questions.
  • 40% moderate questions.
  • 20% difficult questions, especially numerical-value-based problems.
• Changes: Students noted changes in the structure and pattern of numerical questions, making the section tougher compared to last year.
• Key Topics: Statistics, Probability, Vectors, 3D Geometry, Matrices, Determinants.

Physics:

• Difficulty Level: Moderate.
• Composition:
  • 50% easy questions.
  • 33% moderate questions.
  • 17% difficult questions.
• Key Topics: de Broglie wavelength, SMR, potentiometer, ray optics, heat, semiconductors.

Chemistry:

• Difficulty Level: Moderate to Easy.
• Emphasis: More questions were based on Class 12 syllabus than Class 11.
• Key Topics: Mole concept, catalysts, biomolecules, organic and physical chemistry.

Format and Structure

The computer-based test (CBT) comprised:

• Total Questions: 75, including MCQs and numerical-value-based problems.
• Maximum Marks: 300.
• Time Limit: 180 minutes.
• Marking Scheme:
  • +4 for correct answers.
  • -1 for incorrect answers.

Strict Security Measures

Approximately 11,000 students appeared for the JEE-Main exam across four centers in Kota. To ensure fairness, the examination was conducted under centralized CCTV surveillance with stringent checks.

Security Protocols:

• Items Not Allowed: Handkerchiefs, jewelry, electronic gadgets, geometry boxes, purses, calculators, log tables, earphones, and mobile phones.
• Attire Rules: Students were prohibited from wearing thick-soled shoes or clothing with large buttons.
• Biometric Verification: Students underwent biometric scans and were checked with metal detectors at entry points and during bio-breaks.

Special accommodations were provided for differently-abled candidates, including an extra hour and the option to use scribes.