Students, experts flag big errors in JEE Main papers
NEW DELHI: National Testing Agency (NTA), already under scrutiny over its conduct of competitive exams in recent years, faces fresh allegations of serious errors in JEE Main papers of April 2025.
After the release of answer keys, question papers and recorded responses, students from Kota – the country’s coaching capital – have flagged at least nine disputed questions in physics, chemistry and mathematics papers. Expert reviews from leading institutes back these claims, adding fuel to growing criticism of NTA’s competence and transparency.
Among the objections raised, four are from physics, three from chemistry, and two from mathematics. Experts say these are not minor ambiguities but outright factual errors. A director of a coaching centre stated that “objections have been submitted with evidence,” urging NTA to award bonus marks or drop the flawed questions altogether. One such example, cited by a physics expert, involves a question on hydrogen-like ions where NTA’s solution assumes an atomic number of 2, while it should be 3. Another question on current electricity lists 125mA as the correct answer instead of the actual reading of 5mA. A third question on equivalent resistance offered no correct option at all.
“It’s unacceptable that such basic mistakes are creeping into national-level exams,” tweeted @kamath_pramod, an educator and commentator, whose detailed breakdowns of the disputed questions have gone viral on X. In one of his posts, he wrote, “Q on modern physics from 7 April AM shift is conceptually flawed. If NTA doesn’t correct this, it’s injustice to lakhs of students.”
Many students are echoing this sentiment. “After months of prep, this is what we get? Blunders in physics, chemistry, and even maths?” wrote @kajalmishra2002. Some have called for accountability and a transparent audit of NTA’s paper-setting process.
This is not an isolated incident. NTA has faced increasing backlash over the past year, particularly following technical glitches in CUET-UG 2024, errors in NEET UG answer keys, and opaque objection-handling protocols. Each controversy has amplified demands for a regulatory overhaul. “We need to question the quality control mechanisms in place,” tweeted @KumarMr51.
Students and coaching institutions are now waiting for NTA’s official response to the objections. But faith in the agency’s credibility has already taken a hit. With the stakes of JEE Main higher than ever – where even a single mark can drastically alter a candidate’s future – pressure is mounting on NTA to not only acknowledge its mistakes but to institute deep systemic reforms.
