Summary: The number of questions per section, the question types and the marks per question change from one JEE Advanced paper to the next. What stays steady is the level of thinking required. Prepare for every question type, and practise reading an unfamiliar marking scheme quickly.What the brochure promises, and what it does not
The JEE (Advanced) 2026 information brochure says the exam has two compulsory papers of three hours each, each with separate Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics sections. It says negative marks may be given for some questions, and that "details of the marking scheme will be provided" in the instructions at the time of the exam. That is all you get in advance.
Compare that with JEE Main, where NTA publishes the exact number of questions and the marking in the bulletin months ahead. For Advanced, you find out the structure on the morning of the exam.
How the recent papers compared
We went through the official question papers on jeeadv.ac.in. In each year below, all three subjects in a paper followed the same structure. The table shows one subject.
| Paper | Single correct | One or more correct | Numerical | Fourth section | Marks per subject |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Paper 1 | 4 (+3, −1) | 3 (+4, partial) | 6 (+4, integer) | 4 matching sets (+3) | 60 |
| 2023 Paper 2 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 2 paragraphs, numerical | 60 |
| 2024 Paper 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 (integer) | 4 matching sets (+3) | 60 |
| 2024 Paper 2 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 2 paragraphs, numerical | 60 |
| 2025 Paper 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 3 matching sets (+4) | 60 |
| 2025 Paper 2 | 4 | 4 | 8 | none | 60 |
| 2026 Paper 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 matching sets (+4) | 60 |
| 2026 Paper 2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 stems × 2 questions (+2 each) | 60 |
A few things stand out. In 2023 Paper 1, the one-or-more-correct section came first, before the single-correct section. The matching questions carried +3 in 2023 and 2024 but +4 in 2025 and 2026. Some years asked for integer answers in the numerical section, while in 2026 answers could be decimals rounded to two places. The 2025 Paper 2 had no fourth section at all. In earlier years the total marks also varied from year to year.
Some things held steady across these years. Single-correct questions carried +3 with −1 for a wrong answer. The one-or-more-correct questions used the same partial marking scheme. The numerical sections had no negative marking.
Why the IITs keep changing it
The IITs have never explained this officially, so what follows is our reading. JEE Advanced exists to find students who can think through an unfamiliar problem. A fixed format rewards drilled technique: students learn exactly how long to spend on section 2, which section to skip, and how to game the marking. Changing the format keeps the focus on understanding. The organising IIT also changes each year.
How to prepare for an unknown pattern
You cannot predict the format, so prepare for all of the formats that have appeared recently.
- Practise every question type in every subject. Single correct, one or more correct, integer and decimal numericals, matching lists, and paragraph or stem-based sets. A student who has only done single-correct MCQs meets the multiple-correct section as a shock.
- Practise multiple-correct questions with the partial marking in mind. The decision whether to mark one, two or three options changes your score a lot. Our page on partial marking in multiple-correct questions works through the arithmetic.
- Solve numericals to two decimal places without a calculator. Integer-only practice makes students careless with decimals.
- For matching questions, learn to eliminate. Often you need to be sure of only two pairings to find the single correct combination.
- Write mock papers with unfamiliar structures. Ask your teachers for mocks that change the section order and marks. Getting used to the feeling of an unexpected layout matters as much as the content.
A four-week practice rotation for Class 12 (after JEE Main)
| Week | Full papers | Focus between papers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Two recent Advanced papers (Paper 1 and 2 of the same year) | Multiple-correct questions: 20 a day across subjects |
| 2 | Two papers from an earlier year with a different structure | Matching lists and paragraph sets |
| 3 | Two mock papers with an unfamiliar layout | Decimal numericals without a calculator |
| 4 | Two recent papers again, fresh year | Error notebook and weak chapters only |
Our online previous year papers include JEE Advanced papers you can attempt with analysis afterwards.
What does not change
Behind the shifting format, the paper tests the same things every year: concepts from the syllabus applied in combinations you have not seen, often two chapters in one question. A student who understands mechanics well can handle a mechanics question whether it comes as a single-correct MCQ or a numerical. For this reason we spend so much time in Class 11 on concepts before speed. The format is the last thing you should worry about, and the first ten minutes of the paper are enough to read it, as we explain in the first 10 minutes of a JEE Advanced paper.
Common questions
Is the JEE Advanced pattern announced before the exam?
The brochure gives the overall structure (two papers, three hours, three subjects). The section-wise details and marking scheme appear in the instructions on the day.
Do both papers have the same structure?
Not necessarily. In 2025 and 2026, Paper 1 and Paper 2 had different sections and question counts.
Is the syllabus also different each year?
The syllabus is published in the brochure and changes far less than the pattern. Read it in the brochure for your year.