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Most students lose marks to time in one of two ways. They get stuck on a hard question early and never reach easy ones at the end, or they rush the last 30 minutes and make slips. A plan made before the exam fixes both.
How much time do you get per question?
From the official 2026 documents:
JEE Main Paper 1: 75 questions in 3 hours (JEE Main 2026 bulletin), about 2.4 minutes per question.
NEET (UG): 180 questions in 180 minutes (NEET 2026 bulletin), one minute per question.
JEE Advanced 2026 Paper 1: 48 questions in 3 hours (2026 Paper 1), about 3.75 minutes per question.
These are averages. Some questions take 30 seconds and some take five minutes, which is exactly why you need a method rather than a fixed pace.
What is the two-pass method?
Pass 1: harvest. Go through the paper in your chosen order. For each question, decide quickly: can I solve this now with a method I know? If yes, solve it. If you are not sure how to start, or you hit your time limit for that question, mark it and move on.
Pass 2: return. Go back to marked questions, starting with the ones you came closest to. Leave the ones you had no idea about for last.
Final minutes: check. Re-read the numerical answers you entered and the questions where you know you rush.
A sample budget for JEE Main's 180 minutes:
Pass 1: about 100 minutes across all three subjects.
Pass 2: about 60 minutes.
Final check: about 15 to 20 minutes.
For NEET, a similar shape works with shorter limits: pass 1 for about 130 minutes, pass 2 for about 35, and a short final check. Treat these numbers as starting points and adjust them with mock data.
In what order should you attempt subjects?
There is no single right order, but there is a right way to choose one:
Start with your most reliable subject. Early correct answers settle you and bank marks.
Put your most time-hungry subject where you have the most energy. For some JEE students that is mathematics; for some NEET students it is physics.
Test the order in at least two full mocks before the exam. Do not try a new order on exam day.
Within a subject, many students do the quick question types first. In JEE Main, that might mean the multiple-choice section before the numerical questions; in NEET, it might mean biology before physics, to bank time.
Should you change an answer?
Many students believe you should always stick with your first instinct. Research does not support that. Kruger, Wirtz and Miller (2005) note that most answer changes are from incorrect to correct, and people who change answers usually improve their scores. They argue the belief survives because a wrong change stings more and is remembered better than a wrong answer you failed to change.
The practical rule: change an answer when you have a concrete reason, such as a slip you found or a better method. Do not change it because of a vague feeling in the last minute.
How should you handle the last 15 minutes?
Stop starting long questions.
Check entered numerical answers against your rough work. In JEE Main, numerical answers also carry -1 for a wrong entry (bulletin), so a typo costs you.
Decide on remaining marked questions using the arithmetic in our post on negative marking and when to guess.
Practise it before it counts
A time plan only works if you have rehearsed it:
Use the two-pass method in every full mock for the next month.
After each mock, note how long each pass took and how many marked questions you converted.
Adjust the budget once, not every time.
Our guide to analysing a mock test shows how to separate time errors from concept errors, and previous-year papers are the most realistic material to rehearse on.
If you are preparing for JEE Main or Advanced and want timed practice that adjusts to you, Fermi Testprep includes adaptive mocks and live classes alongside a study plan that updates based on mastery.
Next step: write your skip rule and your subject order on a card, and use both in your next full mock.
