JEE Main 2025 Merit List: How NTA Will Prepare the Final Rankings for Engineering Aspirants

As the JEE Main 2025 examination concludes, lakhs of engineering aspirants now await the next big step—the final merit list. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially released the methodology it will follow to prepare the overall merit or All India Rank (AIR) list for JEE Main 2025.

This process is crucial, especially for candidates who appeared in both Session 1 and Session 2, as it directly determines admissions into India’s top engineering colleges including NITs, IIITs, and other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs).

Best Score Wins: How NTA Will Calculate the Merit List

According to the NTA’s latest guidelines, the best of the two NTA scores obtained by a candidate in Session 1 or Session 2 will be considered for the preparation of the final merit list. This applies to:

• Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech)
• Paper 2A (B.Arch)
• Paper 2B (B.Planning)

Example: If a student scores 92 percentile in Session 1 and 95 percentile in Session 2, the 95 percentile will be used for the final ranking.

Tie-Breaking Policy: When Scores Match

If two or more candidates score the same NTA score in their best attempt, NTA will apply a tie-breaking formula to determine their inter-se merit. The tie-breaking process includes:

1. Higher percentile in Mathematics
2. Higher percentile in Physics
3. Higher percentile in Chemistry
4. Fewer incorrect answers across all subjects
5. Age preference (older candidates ranked higher) – if applicable

Note: Exact tie-breaking parameters are officially listed in the JEE Main 2025 information bulletin.

Exam Timeline Recap: JEE Main 2025

• Session 1: Held in January–February 2025
• Session 2: Conducted on April 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9, 2025
  • Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech): April 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8
  • Paper 2 (B.Arch/B.Planning): April 9

What’s Next for Students?

• Answer Keys and Response Sheets: Already released by NTA.
• Result Announcement: Expected within the third week of April 2025.
• AIR/Merit List: Will be prepared based on the best of both session scores and released along with results.
• JoSAA Counselling: Likely to begin in June 2025 for admissions to IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs.

Final Word

With NTA’s transparent “best-of-two” scoring policy, aspirants who may have had an off day in one session still stand a strong chance if they’ve performed better in the other. Students are advised to regularly check the official website nta.ac.in or jeemain.nta.nic.in for updates on result dates and AIR announcements.

Stay tuned with Formfees for accurate updates and guidance on the upcoming JoSAA counselling, college cutoffs, and seat allotment process.

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