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Maths is the section where JEE Main candidates most often run out of time. Questions are long, there is no calculator, and one stubborn integral can eat ten minutes. This post sets out the official pattern, a two-pass plan for the 25 questions, two worked examples that show time-saving checks, and a practice routine.
What does the maths section contain?
The JEE (Main) 2026 Information Bulletin gives each subject 20 multiple-choice questions in Section A and 5 numerical-value questions in Section B, for 100 marks. Both sections score +4 for a correct answer, −1 for an incorrect one and 0 if unanswered. Section B answers are entered on an on-screen keypad and rounded to the nearest integer. The whole paper is 180 minutes for 75 questions, and the bulletin's CBT instructions let you move between sections at any time.
The JEE (Main) 2026 syllabus lists 14 maths units, from sets and relations to trigonometry. NTA's examination calendar puts JEE (Main) 2027 Session 1 at 22 to 24 and 28 to 30 January 2027, tentatively. Check the 2027 bulletin and syllabus when they come out.
How should you split your time?
There is no official split, but 180 ÷ 3 = 60 minutes per subject is a sensible starting budget. Within maths, try two passes:
Pass 1, about 35 minutes: read every question once. Solve the ones you can see a method for straight away. Mark the rest.
Pass 2, about 20 minutes: return to marked questions in order of how close you got.
Last 5 minutes: check Section B rounding and saved answers.
Sixty minutes for 25 questions is 2.4 minutes each, so a question still unclear after three minutes in pass 1 should be marked and left.
Worked example 1: let the options do the work
Sample question (written for this post): how many real roots does f(x) = x³ − 3x + 1 have? Options: 0, 1, 2, 3.
Instead of solving the cubic, check signs at a few integers:
f(−2) = −8 + 6 + 1 = −1
f(−1) = −1 + 3 + 1 = 3
f(0) = 1
f(1) = 1 − 3 + 1 = −1
f(2) = 8 − 6 + 1 = 3
The sign changes between −2 and −1, between 0 and 1, and between 1 and 2. A continuous function crosses zero at each sign change, so there are at least three real roots, and a cubic has at most three. The answer is 3, in under a minute.
Worked example 2: use structure in a numerical question
Sample question: find the coefficient of x² in (1 + x)⁶(1 − x)².
Direct way: (1 + x)⁶ starts 1 + 6x + 15x², and (1 − x)² = 1 − 2x + x². The x² coefficient is 15 × 1 + 6 × (−2) + 1 × 1 = 15 − 12 + 1 = 4.
Structural check: (1 + x)⁶(1 − x)² = (1 + x)⁴(1 − x²)². The x² term comes from ⁴C₂ = 6 times 1, plus 1 times (−2x²), giving 6 − 2 = 4. Two methods, same answer: enter 4.
When should you guess?
Expected marks from a blind guess among four options: (1/4)(4) + (3/4)(−1) = 1 − 0.75 = 0.25. If you can rule out two options for certain, it becomes (1/2)(4) + (1/2)(−1) = 2 − 0.5 = 1.5. Section B has no options to eliminate, so a guessed integer is rarely worth −1. Our post on negative marking and when to guess goes further.
Which mistakes cost the most?
Starting with the hardest question because it is question 1.
Expanding everything instead of testing options.
Forgetting the domain, such as a logarithm's argument or a square root.
Rounding Section B too early in the working.
Not saving answers before moving on.
A weekly practice routine
Two timed maths sets a week of 25 questions in 60 minutes, using the two-pass method.
One full NTA paper a fortnight. NTA posts shift-wise papers, such as the 2 April 2026 Shift 1 paper.
A shortcut log. After each set, note one question where substitution, symmetry or a special value would have been faster.
Mixed-unit practice. Do not let chapter titles tell you the method.
Fix method errors with worked solutions. When you chose the wrong approach, the Fermi Problem Library has a step-by-step solver that explains the reasoning rather than printing an answer.
Our guide to the JEE Main computer-based test screen covers saving answers and the numeric keypad.
Set a 60-minute timer this week, attempt 25 mixed maths questions in two passes, and note how many you marked in pass 1.
