University Entrance

JEE Main vs JEE Advanced: 2026 Prep Strategy, Cut-offs & Mock Test Plan

May 22, 2026 11 min read By Wrexa Edge Team

Lakhs of aspirants take JEE Main every January and April, but only the top 2.5 lakh qualify for JEE Advanced — the gateway to the IITs. Here is the difference, and a 12-week mock plan that works for both.

JEE Main — the qualifier

Conducted by the NTA twice a year, JEE Main is a computer-based test of 90 questions (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics) over 3 hours. Score on a normalised percentile. Marking is +4 / -1 for MCQs and +4 / 0 for numericals. Your best of two attempts counts.

JEE Advanced — the IIT gate

Two papers of 3 hours each, multi-select MCQs, numerical answer types, and matching. Far less predictable, far more punishing. Top 2.5 lakh JEE Main qualifiers compete for ~17,000 IIT seats.

Where students lose marks

The 12-week mock plan

Weeks 1 to 6 — alternate between a JEE Main full mock and topic drills. Weeks 7 to 12 — graduate to JEE Advanced paper-style mocks twice a week.

The Wrexa Edge engine respects NTA marking rules including the +/- 1 negative for MCQs, so your projected score is what NTA will actually give you. Explore the full University Entrance catalog.

Cut-off snapshot (2025)

Use these as a floor — actual closing ranks at IITs and NITs are far higher.

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