We all know that there are two sessions of JEE Main exam every year. But do you know the difference between JEE Mains session 1 and 2? Probably not. It is because most of the aspirants think there is no difference. However, this is not the truth; there are some differences between JEE Mains session 1 vs session 2, including competition level, preparation time, exam handling pressure, etc.
Before reading this article, you should know one thing: technically, there is no difference between JEE Main session 1 and 3 apart from the exam dates. This one difference is the cause for many other differences that are not noticeable but matter a lot for an aspirant who wants to beat the increasing competition in JEE every year.
This article will explore the points mentioned above and the other major differences in JEE Mains Session 1 vs Session 2. These JEE Mains session 1 and session 2 differences
can help you prepare and plan out your exam attempts.
JEE Mains Session 1 vs Session 2: Differences
As mentioned above, the JEE Mains session 1 vs session 2 aren’t easy to see. Students only realize that these differences are there after they take the exam, which doesn’t help them. This is why these differences have been gathered here for your benefit.
One thing to note before we get into the differences is NTA allows you to register for JEE Mains for both sessions together. In this case, your final scores will be taken from the session where you performed better. Because of this, most students prefer this safer option and register for both sessions. With that out of the way, here are the main differences between JEE Mains Session 1 and 2.
Date
The first and most obvious difference between JEE Session 1 and 2 is the exam date. You might already know this; the 2 sessions are held a few months apart from each other, with board exams falling right in between. So what are the dates?
Session 1 is usually held between 23rd January and 1st February before the board exams start. Session 2 is usually held between 5th April and 13th April, right after the board exams end.
Idea of Cutoff Marks
When comparing JEE Mains Session 1 vs Session 2, you might not realize this, but those who register and appear for JEE Mains Session 2 have an idea of what the cutoff marks will be.
You might think, “How is this possible?” This is because you can use the qualifying cutoff marks for Session 1 to predict the cutoff for Session 2. The information helps make your idea of the cutoff marks accurate enough to help your preparations.
Additionally, because of the gap between the two sessions, there is more than enough time for you to focus your studies according to the prediction.
State of Mind
Why bring up state of mind? This point has been brought up because of one reason. Almost all students will want extra time to prepare and study for important exams, and that is true wherever you go. But even if they don’t realize it, some students study and perform better when they have a shorter deadline.
Understanding whether you perform better under stress or with more time to study is important so that you can schedule your preparation efficiently.
Another point to mention here is exam preference. Some students will prefer to take the harder exams first to eliminate that worry as soon as possible. Meanwhile, other students will want to leave the tougher exams for last, as taking the easy exams will allow them to focus on the tough exams.
Preparation
When it comes to preparations for JEE Mains, many students who took it in previous years said that Session 2 was easier because of their previous preparations for board exams. This is another important difference between JEE Session 1 and 2, as without proper preparation, getting good scores in JEE Mains is close to impossible.
The other reason they felt easier in session 2 was that they felt less stressed about the exam. Because the board exams had been completed by then, they were able to focus more efficiently on their JEE Mains attempt.
Difference in Competition
How is there a difference in competition? As Session 1 is held in January, most of the students appearing for it are freshers (first timers), giving you a fairer competition. By getting better competition, you could score well enough to be qualified. This helps to give you a headstart in your JEE Advanced preparations.
Session 2 has more repeaters and students who already appeared in Session 1, making it tough on the students who are appearing for JEE Mains for the first time. This leads to tougher competition in the exam, even if the preparation is done well.
Difference Due To Multiple Attempts
JEE Mains Session 1 and Session 2 have another major difference. As students can use their attempts to get JEE Mains to appear in both sessions of a year, the two sessions take on different roles.
Session 1 becomes something like a mock test or like the pre-boards, where you can use the first attempt to learn what your mistakes are and work on them to improve your score. But here, you have the advantage that if you get a good score, you can use that and start your JEE Advanced preparation early.
Session 2 feels more like the main exam, where the second attempt is the main one, making it much more crucial to get good scores here if you didn’t in session 1. Even if it is more important, your preparation for the exam gets more direction, as mentioned above because you know your mistakes and your weak points. So you can use them to guide your studies and prepare for your main attempt to the best of your ability.
Difficulty
Apart from how difficult the exam appears to be for each student, there is a difference in the attempt itself for JEE Mains session 1 and session 2. What’s the difference?
When a student registers and appears for JEE Mains session 1, they don’t have the slightest idea of how difficult the exam paper is going to be. The only possible hint they could have is knowing which institute prepared the question paper. That is a hint, but not a good one to use during your preparations.
On the other hand, when preparing for the attempt in Session 2, you already have the clue you need. Whether you appeared for session 1, or someone you know appeared in it, you get to know the actual difficulty of the kinds of questions that will be on the paper, helping you prepare for it both mentally and academically.
Winning Approach for JEE Main Session 1 & Session 2
Now that you know some of the bigger differences between JEE Mains Session 1 and Session 2, let’s look at something to help your preparations for JEE Mains 2025 or further attempts. Here are some tips to help you prepare a winning approach for session 1 and session 2:
Tips for JEE Session 1
- Because of the date for session 1, the first tip is to avoid any kind of procrastination. Be in an active mode to appear for Session 1 as the chances of securing a good score in it are higher because of the level of the competition.
- Spend some time during your board preparation to solve the problems related to JEE Mains.
- Use mock tests and previous year’s question papers for your advantage. Include them in your preparation, analyze common mistakes, and focus your preparation on improving them.
Tips for JEE Session 2
- If you appeared for session 1 as well, use the information from your last attempt and scorecard to see where your preparation is lacking. You can use that as a crutch to move your preparation forward and focus your attention on the mistakes that cost you those precious few marks.
- Don’t let any information go to waste. Use what you know about the cutoff and the difficulty to your advantage. It will help you know how tough the competition could be, giving direction to your preparation for the next session.
- Just like before, use mock tests and previous year’s question papers to understand which topics you need to work on, what your common mistakes are, and how to fix them.
Conclusion
With 2 sessions that students can register for in JEE Mains, knowing the difference between JEE Session 1 and 2 is important. Even if you apply for one or both, if you know these differences, you can use them to your advantage by preparing according to the session.