How Many Questions Are There in JEE Mains? (2026 Pattern)

JEE Main Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) has 75 questions total, and every single one is compulsory. There's no optional section anymore. If you've read that the paper shows 90 questions and you only need to attempt 75, that information is out of date—that internal-choice structure was removed starting with the 2025 pattern and continues unchanged into 2026. Preparing with an Online Maths Tutor For JEE Mains can help students adapt to the updated exam pattern, strengthen their mathematical concepts, and improve accuracy in compulsory questions.

When we work with JEE aspirants at findmyguru, this is the change that catches returning droppers off guard most often — students who prepped for the previous exam cycle sometimes assume the old "pick your 5 out of 10" flexibility still exists in Section B. It doesn't, and skipping topic coverage on that assumption is a real risk.

Subject-Wise Breakdown (2026 Pattern)

Total marks for Paper 1: 300, with each subject contributing 100 marks.

Marking Scheme

• Each correct answer: +4 marks

• Each incorrect MCQ answer: −1 mark

• Unattempted questions: 0 marks, no penalty

  
  

Because every question is now compulsory, there's no scope to sidestep a weak topic the way Section B's old choice structure allowed. Full syllabus coverage across all three subjects matters more this year than it did under the previous pattern.

How This Differs from JEE Advanced

JEE Main's pattern is fixed and predictable — a set 75 questions with a defined +4/−1 scheme. JEE Advanced, by contrast, varies its question types and marking scheme from year to year, mixing single-correct, multiple-correct, and matching-type formats. Clearing JEE Main is the gateway to JEE Advanced eligibility, but the two exams test differently, and preparation for one doesn't map directly onto the other. If you're working out your JEE Advanced eligibility window, our guide on how many attempts are allowed for JEE Advanced covers that separately.