Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) is an engineering entrance examination conducted for admission to various engineering colleges in India. JEE includes two examinations namely, JEE Main (previously AIEEE) and JEE Advanced (previously IIT-JEE). Engineering aspirants looking forward to getting admission to one of India’s top technical institutes are required to take JEE. The Joint Entrance Exam is one of the biggest competitive exams in India. In addition to that, JEE Advanced is regarded as one of the most challenging undergraduate exams internationally. Being so similar but different, both exams are interconnected. It is extremely important for the candidates to be well aware of the difference between JEE Main and JEE Advanced.
Check Eligibility For NTA JEE Main Exam
Read further to know the major differences between the two.
Major differences in JEE Main and JEE Advanced
JEE Main and JEE Advanced differ in various aspects. Let’s grab a look at some of those differences.
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- Exam conducting authorities
- Participating institutes
- Eligibility criteria
- Exam pattern
- Number of attempts
- Syllabus
- Difficulty level
Exam Conducting Authorities & Participating Institutes
The exam conducting authorities for both the exams are different. JEE Main is conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) or admissions NITs, IIITs, and other CFTIs whereas, JEE Advanced is conducted by IITs for admission to 23 IITs in India and ISM (Indian School of Mines).
In other words, the candidates who wish to pursue B.E./ B.Tech. from National Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Information Technology, and other Centrally Funded Technical Institutes are required to take JEE Main 2020 Exam. Those candidates who wish to take admission to one of the IITs are required to take JEE Advanced 2020 Exam after getting selected in JEE Mains.
- Official website of JEE Main 2020 is jeemain.nic.in
- Here is the Official Website of JEE Advanced – jeeadv.ac.in
Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for both the exams differ. While the JEE Main can be given by candidate fulfilling the JEE Main 2020 Eligibility Criteria. Only a selected few top rankers can take JEE Advanced exam i.e. JEE Main acts as an eligibility test for JEE Advanced. Only the top-scoring candidates of JEE Main can appear for JEE Advanced. Hence, the candidate must score well in JEE Main in order to be eligible to appear for JEE Advanced.
Let’s check the eligibility criteria for both.
| EXAM | ELIGIBILITY |
| JEE Main | The candidate must have passed the 12th qualifying examination with atleast 75% marks (65% for reserved category)] or to 20 percentile with Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects along with one of the Chemistry/ Biotechnology/ Biology/ Technical Vocational subject, making a total of five subjects. |
| JEE Advanced | Candidates must be in the top rank holder as specified by the respective Board. |
Exam Pattern
Both JEE Main and JEE Advanced constitutes of Paper-1 and Paper-2. Exam Pattern of JEE Main 2020 but is different from the JEE Advanced Exam Pattern 2020. Let’s take a look at the exam pattern of both one at a time.
JEE Main Exam Pattern
| SPECIFICS | JEE Main Pattern for Paper-1 | JEE Main Pattern for Paper-2 |
| Subjects | Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry | Mathematics, Aptitude Test, Drawing Test |
| Types of questions | MCQ | MCQ |
| Mode of Examination | Computer Based Test | Computer Based Test/ Pen & Paper Based |
| Total Marks | 360 | 390 |
| Duration | 3 Hours | 3 Hours |
JEE Advanced Exam Pattern
| SPECIFICS | JEE Advanced Pattern for Paper-1 | JEE Advanced Pattern for Paper-2 |
| Subjects | Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry | Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry |
| Types of Questions | MCQ | MCQ |
| Mode of Examination | Computer Based Test | Computer Based Test |
| Total Marks | 186 | 186 |
| Duration | 3 Hours | 3 Hour |
- Click here for JEE Main 2020 Result and Answer Key.
- Click here for JEE Advanced 2020 Result and Answer Key.
The candidates who wish to pursue B.Arch have to take another test which is the Architecture Aptitude Test (AAT). The candidate is required to apply for it after clearing the JEE Advanced.
Number of attempts
The number of attempts specifies the number of times a candidate can appear for the same exam. The number of attempts for JEE Main and JEE Advance differs as well. Let’s know about the number of attempts a candidate can make for the respective exams.
| EXAM | Number of Attempts |
| JEE Main | Three consecutive years |
| JEE Advanced | Two consecutive years |
Syllabus
The syllabus for both exams is different. JEE Main syllabus is on the same lines of Class 11 and 12 Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics syllabi. Whereas, JEE Advanced 2020 syllabus requires a few extra topics to be covered for the exam.
Difficulty level
Both the exams have a difficulty level of their own. However, JEE Advanced is considered to be tougher in comparison to the JEE Main. Thus, Only the candidates who clear the JEE Main cutoff with top marks can appear for the JEE Advance. Additionally, speed and accuracy are focused on in JEE Advanced Exam. Another factor making JEE Advance difficult to clear is that the top colleges have limited seats. Only the candidates clearing JEE Advanced cutoff make to the top colleges. The candidates need to give their best and score the maximum in order to pursue engineering in any of the IITs.
Click here for JEE Main 2020 Preparation tips
