Candidates Must Attempt All Questions in Section B Starting 2025

NTA Scraps Question Selection in Section B for JEE Main 2025

The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) is an engineering entrance assessment, conducted once a year in two phases. JEE Main is the first stage of this exam and students who wish to get admission to the National Institutes of Technology, Indian Institute of Information Technology, and other centrally funded technical institutes have to go through this exam. Every year more than 12 lakh students appear for the JEE Main exams which is also the gateway for the JEE Advanced exam.

The JEE Main exam has two papers, each with specific sections that test students on different aspects of their knowledge. On 17 October, in an official notification on its website, the National Testing Agency announced some significant changes to the format of the JEE Main 2025 by discontinuing the option to select questions in Section B of the exam.

The NTA confirmed that candidates will no longer have the choice of selecting questions in Section B. This feature was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to alleviate the pressure on students who face unprecedented challenges which allowed students to choose any five out of ten numerical questions. However, after the end of the pandemic, NTA is now reverting to the original exam structure. Candidates will no longer have the flexibility to choose questions in Section B from JEE Mains 2025 onwards, and they have to attempt all five questions in this section for each subject.

Additionally, the NTA announced that the application process for the first phase of JEE Main 2025 will begin soon, with further details to be shared on its official website. Starting with JEE Main 2025, Section B will consist of five mandatory questions per subject in Paper 1 (B.E./B. Tech), Paper 2A (B. Arch), and Paper 2B (B. Planning), and candidates must answer all five questions without any selection options.

Editor’s Note:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the education sector faced unprecedented challenges, prompting various adjustments to alleviate student pressure. These changes included flexible exam schedules, the adoption of remote learning, lenient grading policies, and numerous other adaptations aimed at supporting learners during this difficult time. Now since things are back on track, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has recently announced a significant change to the exam pattern for JEE Main 2025 which was introduced earlier during the pandemic. It has eliminated the option for candidates to select questions in Section B requiring all candidates to attempt all five questions present in the exam paper. This change reflects the NTA's commitment to maintaining rigorous standards for one of India’s most competitive engineering entrance examinations. As we move forward, prospective candidates need to prepare for this updated format, ensuring they are well-equipped to tackle the challenges ahead. 

Skoobuzz advises aspiring JEE Mains candidates to stay informed about these changes and keep checking the official website for any further notifications.