While graduating from Class 12, a very common question in most of our minds was/are "Should I take up Engineering or Medicine?", "JEE Main vs NEET: Which is better?", and so on. NEET is for the medical stream and JEE Main for Engineering.
As for difficulty level, NEET is slightly tougher than JEE Main but easier than JEE Advanced, but that is subjective, as seats are comparatively limited in NEET making it more competitive. After all, both are national-level common entrance tests that one needs to give usually after the 12th standard to enter the stream of science.
Table of Contents
- What is JEE Main?
- What is NEET?
- JEE Main vs NEET: Differences
- Which is Tough, NEET or JEE Main?
- Are JEE Main Questions Repeated in NEET?
- JEE Main 2024 Eligibility Criteria
- NEET 2024 Eligibility Criteria
What is JEE Main?
Joint Entrance Examination Main, or JEE Main, is a national-level entrance exam conducted for admission to top-notch engineering institutions in India like IITs, NITs, IITs, etc. This computer-based test is administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA). This year, JEE Main will be conducted in two sessions. JEE Main syllabus 2024 includes topics from three major subject areas- Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
What is NEET?
National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is a national-level entrance examination for students who intend to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate medical programs (MBBS, MD, MS) and dental courses (BDS, MDS) in government or private colleges in India. Conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), it is the most sought-after medical entrance exams in India. NEET 2024 is scheduled to be conducted on May 2024. NEET exam evaluates candidates' knowledge in three subjects- Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
JEE Main vs NEET: Differences
The main difference between JEE and NEET is that JEE Main is meant to get into the field of engineering, whereas NEET is used to make it into a medical college and pursue a career in that field. That being a major difference, the other more immediate difference is that JEE exam pattern has weightage for Mathematics, whereas NEET exam pattern has weightage for Biology.
NEET vs JEE can be understood better with the help of the table given below. And meanwhile, it should be noted that JEE Main is the first stage of JEE, and JEE Advanced is the next.
| Basis | JEE Main | NEET |
|---|---|---|
| Abbreviation for | Joint Entrance Examination | National Eligibility cum Entrance Test |
| Type | Computer-based test | Pen and paper-based |
| Subjects/ skills | Paper 1: Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics | Biology, Chemistry and Physics |
| Paper 2: Mathematics, Aptitude, Drawing and Planning | ||
| Used for | Admission to undergraduate Engineering and architecture courses in 31 NITs, 23 IITs and other colleges. Also serves as a prelim selection for JEE Advanced. | Admission to undergraduate Medical courses in government and private colleges. Qualifying it is mandatory for pursuing the same abroad. |
| Score Range | -75 to 300 | -180 to 720 |
| Frequency | 2 times in a year | Once a year |
| Restriction | 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% | General - 50% |
| Reserved - 65% | OBC - 45% | |
| SC/ST/PWD - 40% |
Which is Tough, NEET or JEE Main?
JEE Main and NEET both are tough exams to crack. As these exams are conducted annually and with the constraints of limited seats, cracking these exams becomes more challenging. Furthermore, the number of seats in medical institutes is much lesser than in engineering colleges. Hence, even if the questions' difficulty level is less in NEET than JEE Main, it makes the exam more competitive and adds another dimension to the difficulty for NEET.
However, if we look at the question which is tough JEE or NEET? from a general perspective, the answer to it will be much different. Below is the sequencing of papers from easiest to toughest:
- Least Difficult - JEE Main
- Difficult - NEET
- Most Difficult - JEE Advanced
Although all this becomes irrelevant if you have a particular career path already set out for yourself already. In that case, you have to take on the relevant paper to that career irrespective of the difficulty level.
Are JEE Main Questions Repeated in NEET?
When a student is giving both papers, there is a common question that arises in one’s mind: Are JEE Main questions asked in NEET? As we know that both papers have chemistry and physics as their common subjects, so that question is only natural to come to one’s head. Well, although the subject and even the course that one has to study may align together, the difficulty level varies.
If one is preparing for JEE Main, it will support the preparation of NEET and visa versa, but going by the assumption that enough questions will be repeated to make a difference will have unfavourable effects. One will have to prepare for both the papers so that they both will help the other paper with supportive and complementary topics and help solve the papers speedily.
Physics and Chemistry Syllabus for NEET and JEE Main 2024
For better clarity, you should refer to the courses that both papers cover. For a basic understanding, a broad overview of chemistry and physics is given below. It is to be noted that having through with what NCERT has to offer, is most important for basics for both the papers.
JEE Main
The students can check the syllabus of Physics and Chemistry from the pointers given below.
Physics
Section A
- Atoms and nuclei
- Communication systems
- Current electricity
- Dual nature of matter and radiation
- Electromagnetic induction and alternating currents
- Electromagnetic waves
- Electronic devices
- Electrostatics
- Gravitation
- Kinematics
- Kinetic theory of gases
- Laws of motion
- Magnetic effects of current and magnetism
- Optics
- Oscillations and waves
- Physics and measurement
- Properties of solids and liquids
- Rotational motion
- Thermodynamics
- Work, energy and power
Section B
- Experimental Skills
Chemistry
Physical Chemistry
- Atomic structure
- Chemical bonding and molecular structure
- Chemical kinetics
- Chemical thermodynamics
- Equilibrium
- Redox reactions and electrochemistry
- Solutions
- Some basic concepts in chemistry
- States of matter
- Surface chemistry
Organic Chemistry
- Biomolecules
- Chemistry in everyday life
- Hydrocarbons
- Organic compounds containing halogens
- Organic compounds containing nitrogen
- Organic compounds containing oxygen
- Polymers
- Principles related to practical chemistry
- Purification and characterisation of organic compounds
- Some basic principles of organic chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry
- Block elements (alkali and alkaline earth metals)
- Classification of elements and periodicity in properties
- Coordination compounds
- d- and f - block elements
- Environmental chemistry
- General principles and processes of isolation of metals
- Hydrogen
- P Block elements group 13 to group 18 elements
NEET Exams
The students can check the syllabus of Physics and Chemistry from the pointers given below.
Physics
- Alternating current
- Atoms
- Current electricity
- Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter
- Electric Charges and Fields
- Electromagnetic induction
- Electromagnetic waves
- Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance
- Gravitation
- Kinetic theory
- Laws of Motion
- Magnetism and Matter
- Mechanical Properties of Fluids
- Mechanical Properties of Solids
- Motion in a Plane
- Motion in a Straight Line
- Moving Charges and Magnetism
- Nuclei
- Oscillations
- Physical World, Units and Measurements
- Ray optics and optical instruments
- Semiconductor Electronics: Materials, Devices and Simple Circuits
- System of Particles and Rotational Motion
- Thermal Properties of Matter
- Thermodynamics
- Wave optics
- Waves
- Work, Energy and Power
Chemistry
- Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers
- Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids
- Biomolecules
- Chemical bonding
- Chemical Kinetics
- Chemistry in everyday life
- Coordination Chemistry
- d-and f-block elements
- Electrochemistry
- Environmental Chemistry
- Equilibrium
- General Principles and Process of Isolation elements
- Haloalkanes and Haloarenes; Amines
- Hydrocarbons
- Hydrogen
- N containing Organic Compounds
- Organic chemistry some basic principles and techniques - 1
- Organic chemistry some basic principles and techniques - 2
- p-block elements
- p-block elements
- Periodic table
- Polymers
- Redox reactions
- s-block elements
- Solutions
- States of Matter
- Structure of Atom
- Surface Chemistry
- The Solid State
- Thermodynamics
JEE Main 2024 Eligibility Criteria
The JEE Main eligibility criteria 2024 include age criteria, number of attempts, qualifying marks, and other aspects. To appear for B.E./B.Tech (Paper 1), it is compulsory for candidates to have studied Physics and Mathematics as well as one subject from Chemistry, Biology, and Biotechnology.
Moreover, B. Arch. (Paper 2) requires students to have studied and passed Physics, Chemistry, and Maths in class 12th. Further, students must have studied Mathematics at the 10+2 level if they are appearing for B. Planning (Paper 3). Take a look at the detailed eligibility criteria for JEE Main 2024 below:
| Criteria | Eligibility for General and OBC | Eligibility for Reserved Categories |
| Minimum Qualifying Marks | 75% aggregate marks in 12th | 65% aggregate marks in 12th |
| Age Limit | There is no age restriction for JEE Main 2024. It is recommended, however, that students ensure the age limit requirements of the institution, they are applying for. | |
| Maximum Number of Attempts | Twice a year, for three consecutive years | |
| Number of Subjects in Qualifying Exam | 5 Subjects | |
| Year of Passing Class 12 | Passing after 2022 or 2023 or currently appearing in 2024 | |
Eligibility Criteria for NEET 2024
NEET eligibility criteria states all the requirements that medical aspirants must meet in order to appear for the exam.The criteria involves factors like age, academic qualifications, nationality, number of attempts, etc. The information brochure released by NTA states that the upper age limit for NEET UG has been removed for all categories. Here is the eligibility criteria for NEET 2024:
| Criteria | Eligibility |
| Domicile | Citizens of India can apply for NEET 2024 |
| If the candidate does not stay in India, he or she must be an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) to be eligible to apply for NEET 2024 | |
| Minimum Age Criteria | 17 years |
| Maximum Age Limit | NMC has removed the upper age limit |
| Minimum Qualification | The candidate must have cleared class 12th with at least 50% aggregate marks, PWD-45%, and SC/ST-40% |
| Maximum Number of Attempts | There is no restriction on the number of attempts within the prescribed age limit. |
| Aadhar Card is Not Compulsory | According to the order of Supereme Court, a candidate is not required to have an Aadhar Card to apply for NEET 2024. Therefore, non-residents of India are also eligible to apply for the exam. |
