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JEE Main vs NEET

By Shreya PatroApril 10, 2024
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Every student who appears for the Class 10th exams goes through a dilemmatic situation when it comes to deciding which stream they should select for their further education. They often wonder, “Should I opt for Engineering or Medicine?”, “Which is better - JEE Main or NEET?” and so on. After all, both are the national-level common entrance tests that one must appear to enter into the stream of science.


A good score in the NEET exam leads aspirants to secure admissions to top medical colleges, whereas a good score in the IIT JEE exams helps students get admissions to reputed engineering colleges. Both the JEE & NEET are India’s most renowned exams that enroll students in undergraduate programs and hold significant importance for higher education.


Note: 👉Unlock your dream college possibilities with our NEET College Predictor!


But when it comes to deciding which exam is easier to crack between these two, it is daunting for students. Both JEE and NEET are regarded as difficult competitive exams since thousands of students from all over the country take them to get admission to the college of their choice.


But if we take a closer look at them, the difference is huge. And here, we aren't talking about the level of difficulty but about career opportunities and establishing the groundwork for it.


Below, we will discuss the difference between IIT JEE and NEET in detail and figure out which is relatively tougher to get through. Take a look:
Difference Between JEE and NEET
Also Read: JoSAA Counselling 2024 - Mistakes To Avoid


All About IIT JEE

Joint Entrance Examination Main or IIT JEE is a national-level common entrance test conducted for providing admissions to top-notch engineering institutions in India like IITs, NITs, IIITs, etc. The exam is held in two steps - JEE Main and JEE Advanced. It serves as a Common Entrance Test for a total of 23 IITs, 31 NITs, 25 IIITs, and 19 GFTIs.


The computer-based test is administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA). To take the JEE Advanced exam, students must clear the JEE Main exam first while the eligibility to take the JEE Main exam is that the candidate must have passed the 12th exam or appeared for the 12th exam the same year. Students can enroll in various engineering graduate programs like Bachelor in Engineering (B.E.) and Bachelor in Technology (B.Tech.).


Students can check the JEE Main syllabus and JEE Advanced syllabus from the official website to get an idea of the exam preparation. Also, know about the exam patterns for JEE Main and JEE Advanced.


All About NEET 

The All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), formerly known as the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET). It is the common entrance test conducted for providing admissions to aspirants to the top medical colleges in India. Students get their degrees in various undergraduate medical courses (MBBS), dental courses (BDS), and equivalent courses like BAMS, BUMS, BHMS, etc in government or private medical and dental colleges in India.


Administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA), it is a single entrance test for admissions to over 66,000 MBBS and BDS seats across India. Limited seats and difficulty level of questions make this exam a tough nut to crack. The seat distribution is carried out based on the NEET results.


Key Differences Between IIT JEE & NEET

Both IIT JEE and NEET are the most popular, national-level entrance exams which are tough to crack. The major factor that differentiates between these two is where success leads you. For example, JEE Main is meant to get into the field of engineering while NEET is the pathway to top medical colleges.


Another differentiation factor is that JEE has more weightage in Math and NEET has in Biology. The next factors include subject-wise distribution or the frequency of conduction or exam pattern.


Basis

JEE (Main)

NEET

Full Form

Joint Entrance Examination

National Eligibility cum Entrance Test

Type

Computer-based test

Pen and paper-based

Subjects/ skills

  • Paper 1: Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics

  • Paper 2: Mathematics, Aptitude, Drawing and Planning

Biology, Chemistry and Physics

Number of questions

90 (30 questions from each subject)

180 Questions

Physics- 45, Chemistry- 45, Biology- 90 (Botany- 45, Zoology- 45)

Duration

3 hours

3 hours

Types of questions

60MCQs+ 30 Questions for which answer is a Numerical Value

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Marking Scheme

  • For MCQs: +4 for each correct answer; -1 for each incorrect answer; Unattempted questions will not be marked.

  • For Non- MCQs: +4 for each correct answer, no negative marking for incorrect answers or unattempted questions.

+ 4 for a correct answer, -1 for an incorrect answer

Used for

Admission to undergraduate Engineering and architecture courses in 31 NITs, 23 IITs and other colleges. 

Admission to undergraduate Medical courses in government and private colleges.

Score Range

-75 to 300

-180 to 720

Frequency

2 times in a year

Once a year

Restriction

Applicant must appear for the exam within 3 years of passing class 12th

Applicant must be at least 17 years old (if more than 25 years old, then subjected to the Supreme Courts’ orders)

Languages

Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odiya, Punjabi, Tamil, Urdu and Telugu.

Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu

12th Class Cutoff for Eligibility

  • General – 75%

  • Reserved – 65%

  • General – 50%

  • OBC – 45%

  • SC/ST/PWD – 40%

Exam Fees

  • General/ OBC (Non-creamy layer): Boys – Rs 650/- Girls–Rs 325/-

  • SC/ST/Boys – Rs 325/-  Girls– Rs 325/

General Category – Rs 1500General EWS/ OBC – Rs 1400 ST/ SC/ PWD/ – Rs.800

Official website

https://jeemain.nta.nic.in

https://neet.nta.nic.in/

JEE vs. NEET- Which is Easier to Crack?

Both JEE Main & NEET are national-level, competitive entrance exams that are difficult to crack. Since both of these exams are held once a year and the limited number of seats available, makes them more difficult.


Furthermore, the number of seats in medical institutes is much lesser than in engineering colleges. Hence, even if the questions are easier in NEET than in the JEE Main, it is still difficult, making the NEET exam tough to crack.


However, if we consider the question, “which is one easier, the IIT JEE or NEET?” The answers can vary from different perspectives. 

  • Least Difficult – JEE Main

  • Difficult – NEET

  • Most Difficult – JEE Advanced

However, the level of the difficulty of the exam depends on the aspirant’s intellectual level and study preparations.

Final Words!

So, now we can conclude that both the entrance exams vary based on their career, subjects, and exam pattern. NEET is the pathway to the medical stream and JEE is for engineering courses. NEET is slightly tougher than JEE Main as seats are comparatively limited in NEET, making it more competitive. 


Apart from that, the syllabus for the two papers is quite similar to Physics and Chemistry. Hence, all the subjects must be thoroughly understood by the aspirants. But in the end, it is completely up to one’s preferences, career goals, interests, and expertise. You can also prepare for both the JEE and NEET exams at the same time by providing extreme studying hours and smart revision.

FAQs on JEE Main vs NEET

1. Are NEET and JEE the same?

The main difference is that JEE Main is meant to enter into the field of engineering, whereas NEET is used to make it into the medical colleges.

2. Is JEE harder than NEET?

It depends on one’s perspective and level of exam preparation. However, NEET is slightly tougher than JEE Main as seats are comparatively limited in NEET, making it more competitive. 

3. Can I crack both JEE and NEET?

Yes. If you are good at Math and Biology, you can opt for the PCMB and prepare for both of the exams at the same time. 


Competitive Exams after 12th Science
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