JEE Main has two papers, Paper-I and Paper-II. Candidates may opt for either or both of them. Both papers contain multiple choice questions. Paper-I is for admission to B.E./B.Tech courses and is conducted in a Computer Based Test mode. Paper-II is for admission in B.Arch and B.Planning courses and will also be conducted in Computer Based Test mode except for one paper, namely the 'Drawing Test' which shall be conducted in Pen and Paper mode or offline mode. From January 2020 an additional Paper - III is being introduced for B.Planning courses separately.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, JEE Main 2021 has a change in paper format and number of attempts. Now there will be 20 single choice questions and 10 numerical questions out of which only five numerical questions are to be attempted. The marking scheme is same as earlier i.e. for SCQs, +4 marks for correct answer and -1 marks for incorrect answer and 0 marks for not answered, and for numerical type questions, +4 marks for correct and 0 for incorrect.
JEE Main, unlike JEE Advanced, has a fixed exam structure and is not subject to change every year. Till 2018 JEE exam, paper-1 is of three hours duration and consists of thirty single choice questions in each of the three subjects (physics, chemistry and maths). 4 marks are awarded for correct answers and 1 mark is deducted for incorrect answers. Students taking this exam are usually in the age group 16-18.
A new pattern consisting of 20+5 questions per subject was introduced in January 2020 with 20 single choice questions + 5 numerical type question. In single-choice questions 4 marks are awarded for correct answers and no marks are deducted from numerical type questions. From 2013 to 2016, the marks obtained in the class XII school board examination used to be accorded a 40% weightage in deciding the JEE Main all India ranks.
The top students who take the JEE-Main qualify for the JEE-Advanced examination. In 2018, 224,000 students were allowed to take the JEE-Advanced, a number that had gone up from 220,000 in 2017 and 200,000 in 2016.
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET (UG), formerly the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), is an all India pre-medical entrance test for students who wish to pursue undergraduate medical (MBBS), dental (BDS) and AYUSH (BAMS, BUMS, BHMS, etc.) courses in government and private institutions in India and also, for those intending to pursue primary medical qualification abroad. The exam is conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA), which provides the results to the Directorate General of Health Services under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and State Counselling Authorities for seat allocation.
NEET-UG replaced the All India Pre Medical Test (AIPMT) and many other pre-medical exams conducted by states and various medical colleges. However, due to lawsuits being filed against the exam, it could not be held in 2014 and 2015.
NEET-UG is a single entrance test for admissions to more than 66,000 MBBS and BDS seats across India.
After the enactment of NMC Act 2019 in September 2019, NEET-UG became the sole entrance test for admissions to medical colleges in India including the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER) which until then conducted separate exams.