Everything you need to crack JEE Main 2026 — from exam pattern to the best books at the best prices
JEE Main 2026 — Key Facts
- Conducting Body: NTA (National Testing Agency)
- Purpose: Admission to NITs, IIITs, GFTIs + eligibility for JEE Advanced (IITs)
- Sessions: Two sessions per year (best score considered)
- Session 1: January 21-30, 2026
- Session 2: April 2-9, 2026
- Registration (Session 2): February 1-25, 2026
- Mode: Computer-Based Test (CBT) — except Drawing section
- Age Limit: No age limit
- Attempts: No limit on number of attempts
- Official Website: jeemain.nta.nic.in
Source: NTA JEE Main Official Website
JEE Main 2026 Exam Pattern
Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) — Most Popular
- Subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics
- Questions per subject: 25 (20 MCQs + 5 Numerical Answer Type)
- Total Questions: 75
- Total Marks: 300
- Duration: 3 hours
- Marking: +4 for correct, -1 for wrong (MCQs only), no negative marking for numerical answers
- Important: In numerical answer type, attempt only those you're sure about — out of 5, you only need to answer any 5 (all compulsory now)
Paper 2A (B.Arch)
- Subjects: Mathematics (25 Qs), General Aptitude (50 Qs), Drawing (2 Qs)
- Total: 77 Questions, 400 Marks
- Drawing: Pen-and-paper mode
Paper 2B (B.Planning)
- Subjects: Mathematics (25 Qs), General Aptitude (50 Qs), Planning (25 Qs)
- Total: 100 Questions, 400 Marks
Best Books for JEE Main 2026 — Complete List
Physics
- NCERT Physics (Class 11 & 12) — Foundation. Read every line. Free PDF at ncert.nic.in
- Concepts of Physics — H.C. Verma (Vol 1 & 2) — The gold standard for JEE Physics. Covers concepts + solved examples + exercises. New: ₹800 | Used: ₹300-400 on BookBazaar
- Problems in General Physics — I.E. Irodov — For JEE Advanced level. Challenging problems. New: ₹500 | Used: ₹200-250
- Understanding Physics — D.C. Pandey (5 books) — New: ₹2,400 | Used: ₹800-1,200
- Cengage Physics — B.M. Sharma (5 books) — New: ₹3,000 | Used: ₹1,000-1,500
Chemistry
- NCERT Chemistry (Class 11 & 12) — 60%+ JEE Chemistry questions are NCERT-based
- Organic Chemistry — O.P. Tandon — New: ₹600 | Used: ₹250-350
- Organic Chemistry — Morrison & Boyd — Advanced reference. New: ₹1,200 | Used: ₹400-600
- Physical Chemistry — O.P. Tandon — New: ₹600 | Used: ₹250-350
- Inorganic Chemistry — J.D. Lee (Concise) — New: ₹900 | Used: ₹350-450
- Cengage Chemistry (5 books) — New: ₹2,500 | Used: ₹900-1,200
Mathematics
- NCERT Maths (Class 11 & 12) — Start here. Solve every exercise problem.
- Objective Mathematics — R.D. Sharma — New: ₹900 | Used: ₹350-450 on BookBazaar
- Skills in Mathematics — Arihant (6 books) — By S.K. Goyal, Amit M. Agarwal. Topic-wise. New: ₹2,000 | Used: ₹700-1,000
- Cengage Mathematics (5 books) — New: ₹2,800 | Used: ₹1,000-1,400
- Problems in Calculus of One Variable — I.A. Maron — For advanced practice. New: ₹400 | Used: ₹150-200
H.C. Verma Solutions — Where to Find Free
H.C. Verma's "Concepts of Physics" is the most searched JEE book. Free solutions are available at:
- Vedantu — Chapter-wise video solutions + PDF
- BYJU'S — Detailed step-by-step solutions
- MathonGo — Free PDF solutions for all chapters
- Doubtnut — Video solutions by IITians
- YouTube — Physics Wallah, Unacademy channels
JEE Main Preparation Strategy
- Months 1-6: Build Foundation — Complete NCERT (Class 11-12) thoroughly. Solve NCERT exercises.
- Months 7-12: Deepen Understanding — Work through H.C. Verma, O.P. Tandon, R.D. Sharma Objective.
- Months 13-18: Problem Solving — Solve Cengage/Arihant topic-wise. Take chapter tests.
- Last 3 Months: Revision + Mock Tests — Take full-length mock tests. Solve 10+ years PYQs.
Save ₹10,000+ on JEE Books
The full JEE book set costs ₹18,000+ at new prices. Buy used on BookBazaar and save 50-70%:
- Full JEE Physics set (used): ₹1,500-2,500 (vs ₹6,700 new)
- Full JEE Chemistry set (used): ₹1,500-2,500 (vs ₹5,800 new)
- Full JEE Maths set (used): ₹1,500-2,500 (vs ₹5,700 new)
Read our detailed guide: Used JEE & NEET Books at 50-70% Off