The JEE Main 2026 notification has been released on October 31, 202,5, with a few changes made in the JEE Main 2026 exam structure of B.Arch and BPlan. As per the new exam pattern for the JEE Main BArch 2026 exam, the paper will comprise a total of 77 questions instead of 82 questions, in which all the questions will be compulsory. On the other hand, the JEE Main exam pattern 2026 for the BPlan paper, the total number of questions will be 100 instead of 105 questions, and all the questions will be compulsory. Check the complete details on “What’s New in the JEE Main B.Arch and B.Planning exam structure for 2026” in the article.
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What’s New in JEE Main B.Arch and B.Planning Exam Structure for 2026?
Check the changes in the JEE Main 2026 BArch and BPlanning exam pattern for the January and April sessions below:
B.Arch (Paper 2A):
Total Questions: 77 (20 MCQs + 5 NATs in Mathematics, 50 Aptitude, 2 Drawing)
Questions to Answer: 77 (all are compulsory)
Drawing Section: Now has only 2 compulsory questions (earlier 3); continuing as pen and paper.
Removal of Optional Questions: NO optional questions in Section B (NAT); earlier, students would answer any 5 out of 10, now, 5 out of 5 are compulsory.
Negative Marking: Negative marking is now included for Section B (NAT) questions as well, in line with Section A.
Marks: Still 400 maximum, marking scheme unchanged.
Quick Links:
| JEE Main 2026 Syllabus | JEE Main Previous Year Question Papers with Solutions PDF |
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B.Planning (Paper 2B):
Total Questions: 100 (20 MCQs + 5 NATs in Mathematics, 50 Aptitude, 25 Planning-Based).
Questions to Answer: 100 (all compulsory; previously, it was 105 questions, with any 100 to be attempted).
Planning-Based Section: No structural change, remains as 25 MCQs.
Mathematics: 5 NATs only (no longer 10 with choice); all must be answered, all with negative marking.
Maximum Marks: 400, unchanged.
Exam Duration: Both exams are 3 hours.
Language and Mode: No change, both are offered in multiple regional languages; Drawing for B.Arch is still pen-and-paper, others online.
JEE Main B.Arch & B.Planning Exam Pattern: 2026 vs 2025
The comparison between the JEE Main exam pattern 2026 and 2025 has been provided in the table below:
Particulars | JEE Main Exam Pattern for 2025 (2A and 2B) | JEE Main 2026 Exam Pattern for Paper 2A and 2B |
|---|---|---|
B.Arch Total Questions | 82 (75 to answer) | 77 (77 to answer, all compulsory) |
B.Arch Drawing | 3 questions (all to answer) | 2 questions (all to answer) |
B.Arch Maths NAT | 10 NATs, answer any 5 (no negative marking) | 5 NATs, all compulsory (negative marking now applies) |
B.Planning Total Questions | 105 (answer any 100) | 100 (all compulsory) |
B.Planning Maths NAT | 10 NATs, answer any 5 (no negative marking) | 5 NATs, all compulsory (negative marking) |
Negative Marking in NATs | No (for NAT) | Yes (now negative marking for NATs too) |
Maximum Marks | 400 for both papers | 400 for both papers |
Mode | CBT for all except Drawing (pen-paper for Drawing) | Same |
To conclude, the NTA has eliminated the optional NAT questions from both the papers (2A & 2B), making all the questions compulsory. On the other hand, the negative marking has also been applied to the NAT questions for Session 1. The JEE Main 2026 exam will focus on the accuracy of the aspirants in all NAT questions, drawing, with no scope to skip or pick the easier questions. This makes precision even more important, especially with negative marking in place for those questions.
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FAQs
Yes, aspirants can choose to appear for either or both papers according to their admission preference.
Both exams remain 3 hours long. The Mathematics and Aptitude sections are computer-based tests, but the B.Arch drawing section is still pen-and-paper-based.
Yes, unlike 2025, negative marking is now applied to NAT questions in both B.Arch and B.Planning papers for JEE Main 2026.
The B.Planning paper now has 105 questions, with all being compulsory (previously 100 out of 105 to be attempted). Mathematics includes 5 NAT questions (up from 5 choices out of 10 earlier), all with negative marking, plus 50 aptitude and 25 planning MCQs.
For JEE Main 2026, the B.Arch paper has 77 compulsory questions (20 MCQs + 10 NATs in Mathematics, 50 aptitude, and 2 drawing questions), with the drawing section reduced to 2 questions from 3, and negative marking introduced for NAT questions.
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