JEE Main 2024 Question Papers — Shift-wise Analysis, Topic Distribution & Cutoffs
Official JEE Main 2024 resources from NTA, with shift-wise pattern analysis, topic distribution across Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, normalised percentile-to-rank tables, and category-wise cutoffs for the qualifying-for-Advanced rank list. Free, no signup, government source links.
Access Official Question Papers (2024)
NTA releases JEE Main 2024 question papers shift-by-shift via the candidate portal. Each shift gets a unique 75-question paper. Use the official portal below:
Exam Pattern — JEE Main 2024 Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech)
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Questions | 75 (25 per subject — Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics) |
| Question Types | 20 MCQs + 5 Numerical (per subject) |
| Duration | 3 hours (180 minutes) |
| Maximum Marks | 300 (each question 4 marks) |
| Marking Scheme | +4 correct, −1 wrong (MCQs & Numerical from 2025), 0 unattempted |
| Mode | Computer Based Test (CBT) |
| Languages | 13 (English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu) |
Pattern changes vs previous year
- Numerical section: 5 of 10 to attempt. Candidates could choose any 5 of 10 numerical questions per subject — a flexibility that 2025 removed.
- No negative marking on Numericals — encouraged candidates to attempt all 5 even if guessing.
- Total questions: 90 (30 per subject); answered: 75 (25 per subject).
Topic-wise Distribution (Across Shifts)
| Subject | Highest Weightage Chapters | Typical Questions/Shift |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | Modern Physics, Magnetism, Heat & Thermo, Wave Optics, Rotational | 3–4 questions each |
| Chemistry | Organic (GOC), Solutions, Equilibrium, Coordination, Periodic Properties | 3–4 questions each |
| Mathematics | Coordinate Geometry, Calculus, Matrices & Determinants, Vectors | 3–4 questions each |
Shift-by-Shift Difficulty Analysis (2024)
Session 1 (January 2024): Rated Easy-to-Moderate overall. Chemistry was particularly scoring with many direct NCERT-based questions. Mathematics was lengthier than Physics.
Session 2 (April 2024): Rated Moderate. Slightly tougher than January in Physics and Mathematics. Best-of-two scoring meant most candidates relied on their January score.
2024 saw record candidates clear the Advanced eligibility cutoff — partly attributable to slightly easier papers and the no-negative-on-NAT rule.
Cutoffs & Percentiles (2024)
| Category | Percentile Cutoff (JEE Advanced Eligibility) |
|---|---|
| General (CRL) | ~93.23 |
| OBC-NCL | ~79.67 |
| EWS | ~81.32 |
| SC | ~60.09 |
| ST | ~46.69 |
| PwD | ~0.0018 |
Source: Official NTA JEE Main 2024 cutoff notification. JoSAA seat allotment cutoffs are higher and tracked on our College Cutoffs page.
How to use JEE Main 2024 papers in your prep
- Mock-test mode: Pick any one shift, set timer to 3 hours, solve in one sitting. Do not check answers mid-test.
- Subject-isolation mode: Solve only Physics from 5 different shifts in 1 hour each. Spot which chapters NTA repeats.
- Numerical-only drill: The Numerical Answer Type (NAT) section is where rank is made. Solve just the 5 NAT questions from 10 different shifts in 1 hour total.
- Compare against your own 2024 attempt (if you appeared) — review questions you got wrong and identify the conceptual root cause, not just the formula.
Frequently Asked Questions — JEE Main 2024
How many shifts were conducted in JEE Main 2024?
JEE Main 2024 was conducted across approximately 24 shifts spanning both Session 1 (January) and Session 2 (April). Each shift had a unique question paper. Across all shifts, the question patterns and topic weightages remained broadly consistent, with normalisation applied to compute the final percentile.
How is JEE Main percentile calculated?
Percentile is calculated relative to all candidates in your specific shift. NTA uses the formula: Percentile = (100 × Number of candidates with raw score ≤ yours in your shift) / Total candidates in your shift. Across shifts, the best-of-two sessions percentile is your final NTA score.
What was the JEE Main 2024 cutoff for JEE Advanced?
The cutoff percentile to be among the top 2,50,000 candidates eligible for JEE Advanced is published category-wise. The General category cutoff in recent years has hovered around 93+ percentile. Exact category-wise cutoffs are in the Cutoffs section above.
Are JEE Main and Advanced papers similar?
No. JEE Main is broader and more formula-application focused with a fixed marking pattern (+4/−1). JEE Advanced is deeper, more conceptual, with variable marking and multi-correct questions that test true understanding. Mastering Main is necessary but not sufficient for Advanced.
Where can I find the official answer keys?
NTA releases Provisional Answer Keys within 3 days of each shift on jeemain.nta.ac.in. Candidates can challenge incorrect keys for a fee. The Final Answer Key — used for actual result computation — is released ~10 days later and published as a PDF on the NTA Document Archive.
Can I attempt JEE Main 2024 papers if I’m a 2027 aspirant?
Absolutely. JEE Main 2024 papers are the most syllabus-accurate practice you can get for the upcoming exam. The NCERT-based syllabus is identical, the pattern is the same, and the difficulty calibration is comparable. Use the 2024 papers exactly as a 2027 aspirant would use them — for timed mocks, topic drills, and weak-area diagnosis.