JEE Main 2027 Mathematics — Exam Pattern & Marking
Mathematics is one of three subjects in JEE Main (Paper 1, B.E./B.Tech), carrying the same weight as Physics and Chemistry. It is the most decisive subject for a top rank: it is calculation-heavy, and accuracy under time pressure separates the best scorers. Here is the pattern that has been stable in recent years and is expected to carry into 2027.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Mode | Computer-based test (CBT) |
| Subjects | Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics |
| Questions per subject | 25 (20 MCQ + 5 numerical-value), all compulsory |
| Total questions | 75 across the three subjects |
| Marks per subject | 100 (25 questions x 4 marks) |
| Total marks | 300 |
| Marking | +4 correct, -1 wrong (MCQ and numerical both) |
| Duration | 180 minutes (3 hours) |
Since 2025 all five numerical-value questions per subject are compulsory (the earlier "attempt any 5 of 10" option was removed), and every numerical answer is typed as a number, so there is negative marking there too. Always cross-check the official 2027 information bulletin (expected around October 2026) for any revision.
How Mathematics is Weighted — the 14 Units
The NTA Mathematics syllabus is organized into 14 units. Coordinate Geometry alone is the single most weighted area of the paper, and Calculus (limits, differentiation, integration) together forms the largest block. The table below lists all 14 units with their approximate share of the paper and a priority tag. Weightage bands are indicative (based on recent papers) and vary year to year.
| # | Unit | Area | Weightage | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sets, Relations and Functions | Algebra | 8-10% | High |
| 2 | Complex Numbers & Quadratic Equations | Algebra | 6-8% | High |
| 3 | Matrices and Determinants | Algebra | 6-8% | High |
| 4 | Permutations and Combinations | Algebra | 4-5% | Medium |
| 5 | Binomial Theorem | Algebra | 5-6% | Medium |
| 6 | Sequence and Series | Algebra | 5-6% | High |
| 7 | Limit, Continuity and Differentiability | Calculus | 8-9% | High |
| 8 | Integral Calculus | Calculus | 6-7% | High |
| 9 | Differential Equations | Calculus | 5-6% | Medium |
| 10 | Co-ordinate Geometry | Geometry | 15-17% | High |
| 11 | Three Dimensional Geometry | Geometry | 7-8% | High |
| 12 | Vector Algebra | Geometry | 4-5% | Medium |
| 13 | Statistics and Probability | Prob/Stats | 6-7% | High |
| 14 | Trigonometry | Trigonometry | 4-6% | Medium |
Algebra — Unit-wise Syllabus (Units 1-6)
Unit 1 — Sets, Relations and Functions. Sets and their representation; union, intersection and complement of sets and their algebraic properties; power set; relations, types of relations, equivalence relations; functions — one-one, into and onto functions, composition of functions and inverse of a function.
Unit 2 — Complex Numbers and Quadratic Equations. Complex numbers as ordered pairs of reals; algebra of complex numbers; modulus and argument (amplitude); Argand diagram; triangle inequality. Quadratic equations in the real and complex number systems and their solutions; relation between roots and coefficients; nature of roots; formation of quadratic equations with given roots.
Unit 3 — Matrices and Determinants. Matrices, algebra of matrices, types of matrices, transpose; determinants of matrices up to order three, properties and evaluation; area of a triangle using determinants; adjoint and inverse of a square matrix; solving a system of simultaneous linear equations by determinants and by the matrix method, and testing consistency.
Unit 4 — Permutations and Combinations. Fundamental principle of counting; permutation as an arrangement and combination as a selection; the meaning of and ; simple applications.
Unit 5 — Binomial Theorem and Its Simple Applications. Binomial theorem for a positive integral index; general term and middle term; properties of binomial coefficients; simple applications.
Unit 6 — Sequence and Series. Arithmetic and geometric progressions; insertion of arithmetic and geometric means between two given numbers; the relation between AM and GM; sum of the first terms of the special series , and .
Calculus — Unit-wise Syllabus (Units 7-9)
Unit 7 — Limit, Continuity and Differentiability. Real-valued functions and their graphs; limits, continuity and differentiability. Differentiation of sums, products, quotients and composite functions, and of trigonometric, inverse-trigonometric, exponential, logarithmic and implicit functions; derivatives up to second order. Rolle's and Lagrange's mean value theorems. Applications of derivatives — rate of change, monotonicity (increasing/decreasing), tangents and normals, maxima and minima.
Unit 8 — Integral Calculus. Integral as an anti-derivative; standard integrals of algebraic, trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic functions; integration by substitution, by parts and by partial fractions. Definite integral as the limit of a sum; the fundamental theorem of calculus; properties of definite integrals; evaluation of areas of regions bounded by simple curves.
Unit 9 — Differential Equations. Ordinary differential equations — their order and degree; formation of differential equations; solution of first-order, first-degree differential equations by the method of separation of variables, and of homogeneous and linear differential equations.
Geometry & Vectors — Unit-wise Syllabus (Units 10-12)
Unit 10 — Co-ordinate Geometry. Cartesian system of coordinates in a plane; distance formula, section formula, locus and its equation. Straight lines: slope; various forms of the equation of a line; intersection of lines; angle between two lines; distance of a point from a line. Circles: standard and general equations; equation of a tangent. Conic sections: standard equations and properties of the parabola, ellipse and hyperbola (eccentricity, foci, directrix, latus rectum).
Unit 11 — Three Dimensional Geometry. Coordinates of a point in space; distance between two points; direction cosines and direction ratios of a line; equation of a straight line in space; equation of a plane; angle between two lines, two planes, and a line and a plane; shortest distance between two skew lines.
Unit 12 — Vector Algebra. Vectors and scalars; addition of vectors; components of a vector in two and three dimensions; scalar (dot) and vector (cross) products; scalar triple product and their applications.
Probability, Statistics & Trigonometry, and How This Course Is Organized
Unit 13 — Statistics and Probability. Measures of dispersion: mean deviation, variance and standard deviation of grouped and ungrouped data. Probability: addition and multiplication theorems; conditional probability; Bayes' theorem; probability distribution of a random variable; Bernoulli trials and the binomial distribution.
Unit 14 — Trigonometry. Trigonometric identities and equations; inverse trigonometric functions and their properties; heights and distances.
How the rest of this course works. From Chapter 2 onward, every chapter is one NTA unit and is pure practice. Each chapter gives you six graded question sets — two Easy, two Medium, one Hard, and one JEE Main previous-year-style set — each opening with a short concept-and-formula recap and then 25 or more questions with full worked solutions. Because Mathematics is entirely problem-solving, the Hard sets are genuinely multi-step: they chain formulas and ideas the way the toughest JEE Main questions do, and they include numerical-value questions that mirror Section B of the exam.
Chapter numbering follows the NTA unit order: Chapter 1 is this syllabus, Chapter 2 is Sets, Relations and Functions (Unit 1), and so on through Chapter 15 (Unit 14, Trigonometry). Work through the Easy sets to lock in the formulas, use the Medium sets to build speed, and treat the Hard and PYQ sets as your exam-readiness check.