How to Prepare for JEE Main Exam 2026 – Study Plan, What and How to STUDY, QPs

How to prepare for JEE Main 2026 – According to statistics released by the NTA, 15,39,848 unique candidates registered for the last edition of the JEE Main exam. This might give you a clear idea about the extent of competition the exam brings.

So, to get a good score in the exam and give yourself a good chance of admission into one of the top engineering institutes, your preparation needs to be top notch, without leaving any scope for mistakes. The JEE Main entrance exam is the pathway to top engineering colleges like the NIFTs, IIITs, and CFTIs. Scores of the JEE Main exam are even used to shortlist candidates for JEE Advanced. So, whichever way you look, JEE Main is the common thread that binds all the top engineering colleges in the country.

To do well in JEE Main, demands dedicated and smart preparation. Key decisions you will have to make include the choice of books, how many sample papers to solve, etc. Keep reading to get solutions to all these concerns and more.

How to prepare for JEE Main 2026 – Easy and Effective Tips

Here are some easy to follow tips that you can incorporate to prepare for the JEE Main exam.

1. Follow the JEE Main syllabus – While it may sound quite cliche, it needs to be repeated that you must strictly follow the official JEE Main 2026 syllabus. If you manage to complete the entire syllabus, you are more or less are guaranteed of a good score. A rule of thumb you can follow is if you get stuck with a topic, it is better to take help rather than to waste prodigious time trying to master it yourself. Also, divide the topics into segments like – easy, moderate, and difficult. This way you will have a more practical view of what you are facing, how much time it may be needed to complete the syllabus, etc. Another way to divide the syllabus could be based on the weightage they carry; yo need to may special attention to those topics that carry high weightage.
2. Go through the exam pattern – Along with the syllabus you also need to know the JEE Main exam pattern, like, the types of questions asked, questions per section, etc. Without the knowledge of the exam pattern, you will not be able to decide how to prepare, how much to prepare, etc. For instance, if the paper includes objective type questions, there is no point wasting time on learning how to answer subjective-type questions. Also, time management becomes critical in objective-type papers. 
3. Make a STUDY time-table – Depending on the difficulty, weightage, and any other parameter you set, you need to allocate time for each topic. Start following the table when you start preparation. As you move deep into JEE Main preparation, you might realize that some topics might need extra time, while you may be able to complete other topics in less time. If that is the case, you will have to revisit the timetable and make the adjustments. Also, make time for revision, solving of sample papers, and mock tests.
4. Gather the best books for JEE Main preparation – You need to get the study material settled at the outset. If you don’t know how to judge good books, here are few pointers – 1) good books will have very few errors 2) explain the concepts in simple, and easy-to-understand language, 3) cover the topic in detail, 4) contain examples, charts, and other illustrations to explain a concept, 5) contain problem sets for practice, 6) will be published by a well-known publisher.
5. Solve JEE Main sample papers – You can START solving sample papers after completing a few topics. Find out the questions relevant to those topics in the sample papers and solve them. In the initial phase, you will have very few questions to solve, but as you complete more topics, the question list will grow bigger. This exercise will help you clear the concepts at the very outset and learn how to use concepts to solve a variety of problems. You may also have this question – how many sample papers to solve? The answer to this question is solve as many as you can. In fact, when solving the sample papers, you can easily analyze where you lack, what you need to do to improve certain areas, and whether to keep solving sample papers or not.
6. Take mock tests – Mock tests are meant to be taken a few days before the exam to align one’s body clock with the exam timings, and to get an exam-like ambience to settle in. So, treat mocks like one last hurrah before the final exam. Plug gaps if there are any and get ready for the main course, which is the JEE Main 2025 exam. 

How much time do I need to prepare for JEE Main

An exam like JEE Main can’t be tackled just like that. In fact, if you take any regular guy, he or she will need at least 6 months time to master the JEE Main syllabus. If you are a genius or a fast learner, that is another matter.

So, it is highly recommended that you START your preparation early.

Note the JEE Main syllabus has three subjects – Maths, Physics, Chemistry. More often than not, students tend to do well in one or two subjects, while struggling in the others.

If that is the case, you need to be rigorous and relentless in your exam preparation. Also, be methodical. This way your effort becomes repetitive which will help retention. 

When starting your JEE Main 2026 preparation, if you find the going tough, don’t get intimidated. Persistence is a virtue when preparing for an exam like JEE Main, and you need to be at it all the times. That being said, don’t get burned out!

To keep the morale and energy level up, in between your studies, go for short breaks. Take a walk, do some light exercise, watch a movie, listen to your favorite songs, or have some light chat with your parents, friends, etc. Just don’t talk or think about exam preparation for some time. This way you will feel lighter and won’t feel like there is a heavy burden on your shoulders.

Free Tools to Prepare for JEE Main 2026 Exam

There are many tools that the candidate can utilize to prepare for the JEE Main. And the good thing is many of these tools are free. Here are the top THREE free tools to prepare for JEE Main exam.

1. NTA Abhyas App – The app can be used on Android and iOS devices. To download the app, go to nta.ac.in/abhyas. According to students who have used the app, it has a good bank of questions, with the difficulty level matching (and in some cases even exceeding) of JEE Main. That being said, some questions may be out of syllabus or some topics may carry less (or more weightage) than is given in the syllabus. So, you need to bear these things in mind when taking the mocks.
2. Swayam – The SWAYAM platform is a very good resource for JEE Main exam preparation, as it contains free video lectures, self-assessment tools, and study material. The platform has all the courses from Class IX to PG level. There is no eligibility criteria or age limit for joining an online course in SYAYAM. All the courses delivered through SYAYAM are free; however, if you wish to get a certificate, you must pay a nominal fee and appear in a proctored exam. To register for a course, go to the official website – swayam.gov.in – and click “Register as Student.”
3. Melvano