JEE Main & Advance : Know the Difference

Before you get start going the JEE way, understand the differences between these two exams, and know how to approach the two differently.

Planning to appear for the Joint Entrance test (JEE) is not an overnight decision. Neither is the preparation. The decision to appear for one of the toughest entrance exams can only be taken after you know the ‘whats’, the ‘hows’, and the ‘whys’ of JEE. Here’s us demystifying it for you.

Understanding JEE Main and Advanced
JEE Main and Advanced are entrance exams for 10+2 level candidates planning to seek admissions into India’s most prestigious engineering colleges. The Joint Entrance Examination (Main) comprises two papers. Paper 1 is conducted for admission to Undergraduate Engineering Programs (B.E/B. Tech) at NITs, IIITs, other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) and institutions funded/recognized by participating state governments. JEE Main also acts as an eligibility test for JEE Advanced, which gets you into IITs. JEE Advanced also has two papers, Paper 1 and 2. Both exams are conducted in CBT (Computer Based Test) mode. Hence candidates need to be comfortable with the computerized exam interface.

So, what’s different?
While both JEE Main and Advanced exams, conducted for admissions into engineering courses, consist of the same subjects and are similar on many levels, there are also a few prominent differences between the two. It is important to understand these differences so that you can prepare for both exams parallelly. Let’s see point-wise:

i) SYLLABUS: Broadly speaking, subjective chapters like Chemistry in Everyday Life, Environmental Chemistry, Biomolecules, Communication Systems, Electromagnetic waves etc, which are present in the prescribed NCERT Books, only form a part of JEE Main. This is so because JEE Main syllabus is decided by NTA in CBSE pattern. JEE Main has more chapters quantitatively whereas JEE Advanced prefers to test the students’ understanding in a smaller domain but at a much greater depth. Click here for syllabus related to these two exams:
For JEE Main 2021: https://jeemain.nta.nic.in/webinfo2021/Page/Page?PageId=1&LangId=P
For JEE Advanced 2021: http://www.jeeadv.ac.in/

ii) QUESTION PAPER PATTERN: JEE Main Paper 1 consists of single choice MCQ and numerical questions. However, looking through JEE Advanced paper pattern trends, you must always be ready for surprises. The Advanced Paper consists of Multiple Correct MCQ, multiple matching questions and paragraph questions, in addition to the types of questions present in JEE Main paper. So, do not walk into the Advanced exam expecting a set paper pattern. Also, JEE Main has only one paper of three hours, while JEE Advanced consists of two papers of three-hour each.

iii) DIFFICULTY LEVEL OF QUESTIONS: JEE Advanced eligible candidates are the top percentile students of JEE Main. So naturally, the questions that come in JEE Advanced are more difficult, convoluted and trickier than in JEE Main. In JEE Advanced 2020, there were 54 questions in each paper, as opposed to 90 questions in JEE Main in 2021 (75 to be attempted).

iv) Study Material and Topic Prioritizing:

Physics
Questions from Current Electricity, Kinematics, Work, Power and Energy are common in JEE Main. You need to practice NCERT syllabus thoroughly if you want to score good marks in JEE Main. However, JEE Advanced requires special attention to topics like Rotational Mechanics, Waves and Oscillation, Electrostatics and Optics as they are very conceptual. Tricky questions often come from these chapters. These questions require critical thinking and you can benefit from practice with Advanced level books like IE Irodov. Questions from chapters like Error Measurements also need practice but should not be prioritized as not many stand-alone questions come from these topics in both Main and Advanced.

Chemistry
Some students ignore Chemistry because they find it boring. But the truth is questions from Chemistry, especially from Inorganic Chemistry, can be incredibly scoring. They can be answered just by reading the question and eliminating the options in JEE Main. So, do not make the mistake of ignoring Chemistry. Remember everything from equations to color of ions for factual chapters like Periodic Table, which includes the properties of s-block, p-block and Halogen elements.
The major difference in Main and Advanced is the type of questions asked in Chemistry. While questions in Main are mostly formula based, if you want to score well in Advanced, you must remember each approximation that is used for deriving formulae in topics like Chemical and Ionic Equilibrium and Mole Concept. While most of the syllabus of Chemistry overlaps for JEE Main and Advanced, do take account of chapters like Chemistry in Everyday life and Environmental Chemistry that feature only in JEE Main. Ensure that before you go for JEE Main, you read each and every line of NCERT as questions come directly from it, which makes these topics very scoring.

Mathematics
This is probably the most difficult subject for most. Mathematics accounts for the difference between the top ranks and the average ranks. So, the only way to tackle this subject is practice and more practice. No shortcuts here.
Coming to the differences, JEE Main mostly checks your knowledge of Math with questions that are common, following trends of questions from previous years. If you know your theory well, if you know every formula and have practiced enough, then you can easily score good marks in this subject.
But JEE Advanced is different ball game. Questions are tricky. Rather than learning each and every formula, focus more on how these are derived, how certain conditions are approximated. To take the questions a notch higher, JEE Advanced question setters often change assumptions in your derivations. If that happens, your practiced formulae do not work anymore. It is also possible that the concept of derivations from one chapter may be applied to another. So, while preparing, observe the details carefully. During practice, try to think of how the questions can be manipulated and what more can be asked from them.

IMPORTANT TOPICS FOR JEE MAIN AND JEE ADVANCED

v) Mock test strategy and time management: Everyone has a different style of attempting the question paper. Here are some general tips on attempting mock tests:

1. Don’t waste too much time on any of the questions
2. Attempt easy questions first, it gives a sense of confidence
3. Mark questions for later and review them when you get time
4. Don’t spend too much time on any one subject

Mathematics and Physics in JEE Advanced are often lengthy and tricky. So go through all the questions from Chemistry as soon as possible. That way you will get more time for the other two, especially Mathematics. Questions are lengthier in Advanced and need calculations. But don’t forget to extensively practice Ionic equilibrium in Physical Chemistry and derivations for JEE Advanced.

vi) Short notes: These help in both JEE Main and Advanced. We suggest going through short notes on the last day before JEE Main exam. While spend the last day before JEE Advanced going through the important questions and theories.

Conclusion
Some of you may think that JEE Main is not as important as it is only a qualifier exam for Advanced. But it plays a greater role. It acts as your backup plan if you don’t score well in JEE Advanced. More than that, JEE Main acts as a confidence booster for JEE Advanced. And confidence makes a whole lot of difference while attempting any exam.

Best of luck!

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is of a general nature and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.