JEE Mains to be held four times a year; next exam from February 23-26

The JEE Mains will be conducted four times in a year from the next academic year, education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said on Wednesday (December 16). They will be held in February, March, April and May, he said

The decision has been taken to ensure the JEE Mains do not interfere with board exams of different states, he said. Students are allowed to attempt all the four times and the best score will be considered. He said the JEE Mains will next be conducted from February 23-26.

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The pattern of the exam has also been changed to accommodate changes to the syllabus, which were brought about due to the pandemic situation. The CBSE reduced its syllabus for Class 12 board exams by 30 per cent. Other state boards have also done the same. So there will be more choice in the JEE Mains question paper.

Nishank clarified that there will be no change in the syllabus for medical entrance exam NEET or engineering entrance exam JEE-Mains in 2021.

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Both JEE and NEET were postponed twice in 2020 due to the  pandemic.

Decision on board exams

The minister said consultations with stakeholders are on to decide when the class 10 and 12 board exams will be held. He said it will be announced soon.

“The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is yet to take a decision on the dates of conducting board examinations including practicals. In case students are not able to do practical in classes before the examinations, alternatives to practical examinations will be explored,” Nishank said.

There have been demands for postponing board exams to May because of the continued closure of schools and classes being held completely online.