Exam Pattern

JEST Exam Pattern

Joint Entrance Screening Test 2026 (Physics)

Every part pays the same 2.5 marks a question, which is how 40 questions make 100 and why the three parts differ only in how many questions they hold. That uniformity is unusual, since a paper that splits into parts usually changes what a question is worth as well. No deduction is recorded in the source checked for this pattern, and an absence is not a zero, so confirm that figure against your own call letter before planning to attempt everything. The clock is generous enough to derive rather than recall, which is what a doctoral screening test asks for.

JEST 2026 Physics

Official 2026 pattern
Questions40
Total marks100
Duration180 minutes
Negative markingNot stated in the source we checked
SectionsPart A, Part B, Part C
TestQsMarks
Part A1025
Part B2050
Part C1025
Official source · checked 1 September 2026

The JEST 2026 Physics exam pattern is 40 questions carrying 100 marks, to be answered in 180 minutes. That works out to about 270 seconds per question on average, before any time spent reading instructions or revisiting marked answers. The 3 sections are Part A, Part B and Part C. Part B carries the most, 50 marks of the 100 or about 50%, against 25 marks for Part C. All sections share one composite timer, so you are free to move between them and spend your time where it earns most.

JEST 2026 Physics marking scheme

  • Each correct answer is worth 2.5 marks.
  • Worked example: attempt 32 of the 40 questions and get 24 right and 8 wrong, and you score 60 out of 100.

Practising against the same clock is the point of a mock test: at 270 seconds a question, the difference between a good score and an average one is usually pacing rather than knowledge. Attempt a free JEST mock test to see where your time actually goes.

JEST exam pattern: frequently asked questions

How many questions are there in JEST?

JEST has 40 questions. That leaves about 270 seconds per question in JEST.

What are the total marks in JEST?

JEST is out of 100 marks, which works out at 2.5 marks a question.

How long is the JEST exam?

JEST runs for 180 minutes.

Does JEST have a sectional time limit?

No. JEST runs every section on one composite timer of 180 minutes, so you can move between sections freely and give the slower ones more of your time.