January 15, 2026
Summary: The JEE B.Arch exam (Session-1) is scheduled to take place on 29th January 2026, with an expected 40000 to 60000 candidates taking part in the exam across 343 centres in India. This article is curated to help you understand the JEE B.Arch Exam Analysis 2026, JEE B.Arch Main Question Paper Analysis of past years and what experts say about how the exam has evolved over the years.
If you are preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main Paper 2, B.Arch) for admission to architecture courses, the JEE B.Arch exam analysis 2026 is important. It helps you understand the difficulty level, exam pattern, JEE Main Paper 2 B.Arch syllabus, and important topics and plan your preparation accordingly.
Additionally, the JEE Main B.Arch paper analysis also helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses in various topics; thus, helping you focus on the weak areas which need more attention. And students who took the exam on 29th January 2026 will be eagerly waiting to know the right answers to the questions attempted to understand the competition amongst other students.
So, here is the JEE B.Arch Exam Analysis 2025 for you!
The JEE B.Arch Exam 2026 will be conducted on 29th January 2026 . Once the exam is over, we will provide a detailed analysis to help you understand the pattern, difficulty level, and key insights from the exam. Stay tuned for the comprehensive breakdown!
Here are quick highlights of the JEE Mains Paper 2 Exam listed below:
|
Section |
Question Type |
No. of Questions |
Marks per Question |
JEE Mains Paper 2 Total Marks |
Negative Marking |
|
Mathematics |
MCQ + NAT |
25 |
4 |
100 |
Yes, -1 for wrong answer |
|
Aptitude Test |
MCQ |
50 |
4 |
200 |
Yes, -1 for wrong answer |
|
Drawing Test |
Subjective |
2 |
50 |
100 |
No |
|
Total Paper 2 |
— |
77 |
— |
300 |
- |
This distribution reflects the official JEE Main Paper 2 (B.Arch) pattern conducted by NTA.
|
Section |
Major Topics Observed |
Approx. Weightage |
|
Mathematics |
Coordinate Geometry, 3D Geometry, Trigonometry, Vectors, Calculus |
Moderate |
|
Aptitude |
Spatial Ability, Visual Reasoning, Architectural Awareness, Analytical Reasoning |
High |
|
Drawing |
Perspective Drawing, Composition, Human Scale, Urban Elements |
High |
Aptitude and Drawing continue to dominate scoring potential in the JEE Main B.Arch Paper.
Also Read: JEE Main B.Arch Paper 2025 PDF
|
Section |
Difficulty Level |
Ideal Attempts |
Scoring Strategy |
|
Mathematics |
Moderate |
14-17 / 25 |
Accuracy over volume |
|
Aptitude |
Easy–Moderate |
38-42 / 50 |
Speed-driven scoring |
|
Drawing |
Moderate–Tough |
2 / 2 |
Concept clarity & neatness |
B.Arch Mathematics remains the differentiator; Aptitude remains the score booster.
|
Section |
Recommended Time |
Practical Strategy |
|
Mathematics |
60-75 minutes |
Solve easy first |
|
Aptitude |
90-100 minutes |
Maintain fast pace |
|
Drawing |
60-75 minutes |
Plan before execution |
|
Buffer / Review |
10-15 minutes |
Re-check calculations |
Time discipline heavily impacts rank.
Check: JEE Main Paper 2 Result 2026
After the JEE Main Paper 2 (B.Arch) exam is conducted, the National Testing Agency (NTA) uploads the official answer key and candidate response sheets on its official website - https://jeemain.nta.nic.in.
First, NTA releases a provisional answer key, which allows students to check their answers and raise objections if they feel any answer is incorrect. If a student challenges any question, a small processing fee is charged per question. All challenges are reviewed by subject experts, and based on this review, NTA publishes the final answer key.
The final answer key is the only version used to calculate your result and NTA score. Once the final answer key is released, no further objections are accepted.
Along with the answer key, NTA also displays:
These remain available online for a limited period (usually a few days), so students are advised to download and save them for future reference.
|
Stage |
What Happens |
|
Provisional Answer Key Released |
Students can check correct answers on the official NTA website, before results are finalized & announced |
|
Challenge Window Opens |
Students can raise objections against any answer (around Rs.200 paid per question) |
|
Expert Review |
Subject experts verify all challenges |
|
Final Answer Key Published |
This becomes the official basis for result calculation |
|
Response Sheet Available |
Students can download their attempted answers and question paper |
|
Result Preparation |
Scores are calculated only using the final answer key |
All these activities happen only on the official portal: jeemain.nta.nic.in.
Read More: Guidelines for JEE Main Paper 2 exam
Once the final answer key is released:
The process of Normalization is an established practice for comparing candidate scores across multi-shifts papers and is similar to those being adopted in other large educational selection tests conducted in India. For normalization across Shifts, NTA shall use the percentile equivalence.
This ensures fairness across different shifts.
|
Question Type |
Marks Awarded |
|
Correct Answer |
+4 marks |
|
Wrong Answer |
–1 mark |
|
Unattempted Question |
0 marks |
|
Drawing Section |
Evaluated and added to total |
These marking rules apply to both MCQs and numerical questions in Paper 2.
i.e., JEE Main 2023 raw score = 4 X number of correct answers - 1 X number of wrong answers
|
Year |
Overall Difficulty |
Aptitude Section |
Mathematics Section |
Drawing Section |
Paper Nature |
|
2023 |
Moderate |
Balanced |
Moderate |
Moderate |
Concept focused |
|
2024 |
Moderate-Tough |
Tough |
Moderate |
Moderate |
Higher reasoning |
|
2025 |
Tough |
Tough |
Tough |
Moderate |
Time intensive |
|
2026 |
Moderate-Tough |
Moderate |
Moderate |
Tough |
Creativity heavy |
This shows that while 2026 was slightly easier than 2025 overall, the Drawing section became more demanding.
Check: Jobs after JEE mains
|
Topic Area |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
2026 |
Trend |
|
Spatial Ability (Aptitude) |
High |
High |
Very High |
Stable |
|
|
Logical Reasoning |
Moderate |
High |
High |
Slight ↓ |
|
|
Mathematics Depth |
Moderate |
Moderate |
High |
↓ |
|
|
Perspective Drawing |
Moderate |
Moderate |
High |
↑ |
|
|
Urban / Human Scale Drawing |
Low |
Moderate |
Moderate |
↑ |
Time management remains critical, especially for drawing.
Check | JEE Main Paper 2 Important Topics
The JEE Main B.Arch cut off percentile refers to the minimum NTA percentile required to qualify for architecture admissions and counselling eligibility. The cut-off percentile changes every year based on:
Based on recent trends and the moderate-tough difficulty level of JEE Main Paper 2 (2026), the expected qualifying percentile is likely to remain close to previous years, with slight variation.
|
Category |
Expected Cut Off Percentile Range |
|
General (UR) |
93+ percentile |
|
OBC-NCL |
75 - 85 percentile |
|
EWS |
75 - 80 percentile |
|
SC |
55 - 65 percentile |
|
ST |
45 - 50 percentile |
|
PwD |
0 - 5 percentile |
These are indicative estimates based on historical trends and exam difficulty, not official cut-offs.
Read More | JEE Main Paper 2 Expected Cut-Off Marks
|
Factor |
Impact on Cut Off |
|
Paper Difficulty |
Tougher paper → Lower cutoff |
|
Number of Test Takers |
More candidates → Higher cutoff |
|
Top Score Distribution |
Higher average scores → Higher cutoff |
|
Seat Availability |
Fewer seats → Higher competition |
|
Normalization Across Shifts |
Percentile equalizes difficulty |
Many students confuse qualifying cut off with actual college admission cut-off.
|
Type |
What It Means |
|
Qualifying Cut Off Percentile |
Minimum percentile required to participate in counselling |
|
Admission Cut Off Rank / Percentile |
Actual percentile needed to get a seat in a specific college |
Top architecture colleges may require significantly higher percentiles than the qualifying cut-off.
Must Read | Top Architecture Colleges Accepting JEE Mains Score 2026
What Percentile Should You Target for Top Architecture Colleges?
|
Score Range |
Approx Percentile |
Expected Rank |
Category |
|
280-320 |
98-99.5% |
Top 500 |
Excellent - SPA level |
|
240-280 |
95-98% |
500-1500 |
Very Good - Top NITs |
|
200-240 |
90-95% |
1500-2500 |
Good - Mid NITs |
|
160-200 |
80-90% |
2500-4000 |
Decent - Lower NITs |
|
Below 150 |
Below 80% |
4000+ |
Needs improvement |
Also Check: JEE Main paper 2 Question Papers
Students communicated mixed reactions informing that the paper was comparatively easy than the previous year. However, the paper was lengthy.
For JEE Main B.Arch Question Paper Analysis of Aptitude & Drawing, the total number of questions was 78, with 400 marks.
Aptitude Questions in the JEE Main Paper 2 were:
Questions for aptitude mainly appeared from the above topics. Students attempting session 2 in April must focus on the above topics as there are chances of these topics appearing in session 2.
GK/ AAT Questions in the JEE Main Paper 2 were:
More questions from planning and architecture were asked in this section.
Mathematics Questions in the JEE Main Paper 2 were:
In 2025, there were 2 questions in the drawing section. One was based on rendering an image as per given specifications and the other question had 2 options. Candidates could either choose to create a 3D sculpture with crackers or sketch of a basketball playground with players. Students found the drawing section lengthy, it required prompt planning and clean execution within stipulated time limit.
Check: Trends and difficulty level of JEE Main Paper 2 Exam
This section provides a structured analysis of the JEE Main Paper 2 (B.Arch) 2024 question paper, covering difficulty level, topic distribution, question patterns, and drawing trends based on the official paper.
|
Section |
Difficulty Level |
Student Impact |
|
Mathematics |
Moderate-Tough |
Lengthy calculations, multi-concept problems |
|
Aptitude |
Easy-Moderate |
High scoring but time-consuming due to visuals |
|
Drawing |
Moderate |
Focus on rendering + perspective |
|
Overall Paper |
Moderate-Tough |
Balanced but required strong time management |
The paper leaned more towards concept clarity and visualization rather than pure memorization.
Section-Wise Question Distribution - 2024
|
Section |
Question Range in Paper |
Approx. Questions |
Nature of Questions |
|
Mathematics |
Q1-Q30 |
~30 |
Calculus, vectors & 3D geometry, probability & statistics, matrices, sequence and series, coordinate geometry & circles |
|
Aptitude |
Q31-Q80 |
~50 |
Architecture GK, building material & construction, visual reasoning, spatial reasoning, materials, symbols, design fundamentals |
|
Drawing |
Q81-Q82 |
2 |
Rendering + perspective sketch |
Distribution confirms the heavy weight of JEE Main Paper 2 Aptitude + Visualization skills.
Difficulty + Ideal Attempts – 2024
|
Section |
Difficulty |
Ideal Attempts |
Strategy Insight |
|
Mathematics |
Moderate-Tough |
15-18 / 30 |
Accuracy > volume |
|
Aptitude |
Easy-Moderate |
38-42 / 50 |
Speed-based scoring |
|
Drawing |
Moderate |
Both questions |
Clean execution |
Aptitude was the main score booster, while Math differentiated ranks.
Check | JEE Main Paper 2 Rank Predictor Tool
The JEE B.Arch 2023 question paper drawing questions are as follows:
1 - The first JEE B.Arch main question was related to a portrait of a native American girl; she was in a semi-quarter pose, was wearing a feather hair band, earring and had smokey eyes. So with any rendering technique like scribbling or sketching, you had to create the portrait.
2 - The second question was related to 2D designing, which was very simple. You had to create a 2D composition with the shape of a Motorcycle. Considering the motorcycle's tire, you had to create a circle; with the inspiration of the seat, you had to draw a trapezium; with the inspiration of the silencer, you had to create a rectangle. There was no outline given, and you had to use 3 colours of your choice.
Check | JEE Main Paper 2 for International Applicants
JEE B.Arch Exam Analysis 2026 benefits students who have given their exam in session 1, those who are planning to attempt it again in session 2 in April 2026 and those who wish to take the exam next year.
The students who took the exam can have a general idea of the difficulty level of the exam and expected JEE Mains cut-off marks determining the probability of getting a seat in the desired college.
Likewise, the students wishing to take the exam next year should definitely go through the analysis to understand how to approach their preparation and planning. Practise JEE B.Arch Main question paper 2025 and previous year papers before taking the session 2 exams.
Preparing for JEE Main Paper 2 for B.Arch program at IITs in 2026? We can help you with exact strategic roadmap, study material and crucial feedback required to ace this exam.
Join the best JEE B.Arch Crash Course and get expert guidance on all JEE Mains Paper 2 subjects.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions appeared in the drawing section of JEE B.Arch Exam 2026?

How difficult was JEE Main Paper 2 (B.Arch) 2026?

What was the topic distribution in JEE B.Arch 2026?

How to manage time in JEE Main Paper 2?

What is the official marking scheme for JEE Main Paper 2 (B.Arch) 2026?

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