The basic difference between JEE Main and JEE Advanced is – You have to clear JEE Main exam AND make the cut-off mark with qualified All India Rankings to be able to take the JEE Advanced exam.
That’s it. JEE Main is a gateway to qualify for JEE Advanced exam. This is the basic difference between JEE Main and JEE Advanced. To go over all the other differences we need to first understand what the two exams are about.
JEE Main examination:
JEE Advanced examination:
| Exam Criteria | JEE Main | Jee Advanced |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility | Class 12th or equivalent pass with minimum 75% marks or be within the top 20 percentile of the class 12th examination . For SC/ST students the minimum score is 65% marks | The top 2,24,000 rank holders of JEE Main. |
| Attempts Allowed | Can be taken for three consecutive years | Can be taken only for two consecutive years |
| Exam Pattern and Mode | Paper1 and Paper2 (Only for Architecture) Paper1 can be taken Offline or Online Paper2 can only be taken offline and is optional Note: Offline means written with pen and paper | Paper 1 and Paper 2 Only offline mode for both papers Both Papers are compulsory |
| Exam Syllabus | Class 11 and class 12 physics, chemistry and mathematics as prescribed by CBSE | Class 11 and class 12 physics, chemistry and mathematics as prescribed by CBSE along with advanced concepts. These advanced concepts are not covered in JEE Main. For e.g. Bohr's Model in physics and hormonic progressions in mathematics. Also some topics that are already covered in JEE Main are not included in JEE Advanced. |
| Difficulty Level | Comparatively easier than Jee Advanced | Includes topics other than those covered in class 11th and class 12th and is more difficult |
Differences aside, securing a good All India Ranking in the JEE Main exam alone is sufficient to get admissions to several premier engineering institutions in India but, if getting admissions to the IITs is the ultimate goal then such students have to focus on the preparation for both JEE Main and JEE Advanced exams. Because, without doing well in both the exams, they will not get admission to the IITs.