NTA returns to pre-Covid format for JEE Main 2025. Here are the changes

NTA has removed the option to select questions in Section B of JEE Main 2025, reverting to the pre-pandemic format where candidates must answer all five questions per subject.

In Short

• NTA discontinues optional questions in JEE Main Section B
• JEE Main 2025 returns to pre-pandemic exam format
• Registration for JEE Main 2025 to start soon

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced a significant change for the upcoming Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2025. The optional selection of questions in Section B, which was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, has now been discontinued.

This change will apply to Paper 1 (BE/BTech), Paper 2A (BArch), and Paper 2B (B Planning) of the JEE Main 2025.

WHY WERE OPTIONAL QUESTIONS INTRODUCED?

In response to the disruptions caused by COVID-19, NTA introduced an option in Section B of the JEE Main exam in 2021. Candidates were allowed to choose any five questions out of ten, helping students navigate the uncertainties of the pandemic.

However, this was always intended as a temporary measure. Since the World Health Organisation declared the end of the Covid public health emergency in May 2023, NTA decided to revert to the original exam structure.

WHAT’S NEW FOR SECTION B IN JEE MAIN 2025?

In the 2025 exam, Section B will contain only five questions per subject, and candidates must attempt all five. There will no longer be an option to select which questions to answer.

This update returns the exam format to how it was before the pandemic. The NTA confirmed that these changes will apply to all JEE Main 2025 papers.

EXAM DETAILS AND REGISTRATION

The official notice from NTA also stated that the detailed exam pattern for JEE Main 2025 will be available in the Information Bulletin.

The registration process for the online application form is expected to begin soon, with all details available on the official JEE Main website: jeemain.nta.nic.in.