On May 18, 2025, the IIT JEE Advanced 2025 Paper 1 examination was held from 9 am to 12 noon by the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. Thousands of the brightest minds across India took this examination, which leads to India’s premier engineering institutes.
At Origin Educare, we understand the nerves, excitement, and curiosity every student has after such an important exam. In this blog, we will analyze the Paper 1 exam, discuss the difficulty level and share faculty comments and student reactions to support you in understanding how this was this year.
Overview of JEE Advanced 2025 Paper 1
JEE Advanced is the second stage of the IIT entrance exam and this advanced exam is widely known for testing not just knowledge, but also problem-solving, speed, and accuracy in attempting questions. Paper 1 is for candidates seeking admission to B.E./B.Tech courses and was conducted this year in the morning session.
This year, a total of 187,223 candidates appeared for the JEE Advanced examination, consisting of 143,810 boys and 43,413 girls. The candidate statistics indicate high competition and aspirations.
Exam Pattern and Structure
One major source of relief for students was the exam format did not change from the previous year, which aided many students in feeling comfortably prepared.
- Total number of Questions: 48
- Subject distribution: Mathematics (16 questions), Physics (16 questions), Chemistry (16 questions)
- Question types: mix of multiple-choice questions, numerical answer type, match the column questions
- Marking scheme: varies with question type; some sections have negative marking
The distribution across three main subjects means students must have a good understanding of all three for them to achieve good scores.
Difficulty Level: What Students and Experts Say
Overall Difficulty: Moderate
In overall terms, most students and experts agreed that the difficulty of Paper 1 was moderate. It was not overly easy nor unexpectedly difficult, providing a nice balance and testing conceptual clarity as well as the ability to apply their knowledge to solve problems.
Subject-wise Difficulty Breakdown:
- Mathematics:
Moderate
Students felt that while Mathematics was challenging, it was manageable. Topics related to Matrices, Determinants, Vectors, 3D Geometry, Limits, Continuity, and Differentiation carried a stronger weightage in the examination, with math testing students for both their understanding of main concepts as well as their application and mastery of those concepts to intricate problems. - Physics
Moderate Physics had an equitable share of difficult problems. Students found questions on topics that can be difficult limited and required a good understanding, including Electromagnetic Induction (EMI), Electrostatics, Error Analysis, Sound Waves, Optics, and Mechanics as main topics. Mechanics - Chemistry: Relatively Easy
Chemistry was the easiest of the three subjects this year. The paper was heavily tilted towards Physical Chemistry, which had more proportionate weightage, and it was comforting for students to answer the questions. Thus, Chemistry proved to be a scoring subject for many aspirants.
Important Topics That Carried Weightage
A clear understanding of the subjects that had weightage this year can help students plan preparation.
Physics
- Electromagnetic Induction (EMI)
- Electrostatics
- Error Analysis
- Sound Waves
- Optics
- Units and Dimensions
- Mechanics (highest weightage)
Mathematics
- Matrices and Determinants
- Vectors and 3D Geometry
- Limits, Continuity, and Differentiation
Chemistry
- Physical Chemistry was heavily favored in the paper – students were evaluated based on topics involving use of formulas and problem-solving.
Student Reactions: What Did They Say?
Students immediately took to social media and discussion boards to express their thoughts immediately after their test. Here are the highlights regarding feedback from students:
- Mathematics had the highest difficulty level, but for students that had studied effectively, the questions were explicit. The problem-solving steps that were required were burdensome and did take time for some.
- Physics was referred to as having a good difficulty balance; the language used required careful reading and conceptual clarity.
- Chemistry provided a “relief” section for most students, so compare to the other content, it was easier and could be done quicker.
Many students had encouraged an easier exam pattern, in part to better lessen the stress of surprises.
Expert Insights from Origin Educare Faculty
The Origin Educare team of IIT JEE experts considered and observed the paper closely and provided us with expert comments:
- The moderate paper is of Paper 1 will mean that only some good candidates will score top marks overall.
- A clear emphasis upon foundational concepts across the subjects will mean surface learning won’t work; sound conceptual knowledge is key.
- Time management will remain paramount to the top-scoring candidates, given that moderate difficulty claim questions become hard questions fairly quickly when candidates do not complete the question in efficiently.
- The easier section of chemistry always meant that, as aspirants, they should rightly focus their score maximization efforts in this section through physical chemistry mastery.
Our experts suggest aspirants pay similar time and effort across both the entire curriculum and a narrower interest-based set of topics.
What This Means for Cutoffs and Admissions
Taking into account the overall moderate difficulty level and the suggestion that Paper 1 was easier than Paper 2 (taken in the afternoon), we expect the cutoff for the JEE Advanced 2025 Paper 1 to be between 90 and 95 marks.
This is slightly lower than last year, since this year’s exam was consider more difficult overall. On the other hand, since Paper 1 was moderate, candidates that had a similar performance across all subjects should be able to perform well based on this year’s marks distribution.
Tips for Future Aspirants from Origin Educare
For students that are preparing for the next JEE Advanced attempt or starting their JEE Advanced preparation journey, here are some takeaway messages from this year’s Paper 1 analysis:
- Conceptual Clarity! It’s important to understand concepts in the exam, not just memorize them.
- Practice in Timed Test Conditions: It’s going to be quick and you get more marks for attempting based on speed and accuracy.
- Important Topics: Pay attention to the topics that are highly repeat or have significant weightage, especially Mechanics in Physics and Calculus in math.
- Stay on top of Chemistry: Even if you find Chemistry easier than Physics/Maths, just keep practicing Chemistry to practice accuracy and speed.
- Keep Calm and Confident! While the exam pattern is the same as you have in the past, applying confidence to your study and calmness to the exam can really improve your performance.
At Origin Educare, we offer tailored 1-on-1 live classes, small group sessions, faculty guidance and some of the best study materials to prepare you confidently for your IIT JEE exams.
How Origin Educare Supports Your IIT JEE Journey
Everyone learns differently, so our coaching is infuse with the right amount of personal attention and personalized teaching techniques.
- 1-on-1 Live Classes – work with IIT-trained faculty with live 2-way interaction to make sure your issues can be resolve there and then.
- Small Group Sessions – enhances effective collaborative learning and, therefore, problem-solving.
- Expert Faculty – our faculty members are experience educators who can teach as well as motivate and guide you through your journey.
- Best Study Material – current, relevant study material that is exam-focus keeps your preparation aligned.
- Regular Mock Tests & Feedback – we guide you to understand your progress and improve weak points and areas before the big day.
Conclusion
The IIT JEE Advanced 2025 Paper 1 exam was a balanced assessment of students’ knowledge and problem-solving ability. The overall difficulty level was moderate with consistent question patterns and topic authority; the paper was an item of preparation and common sense.
If you are a student who gave the exam, it is now time to take a breather and evaluate according to my evaluation. Therefore,If you are a student who will apply for years to come after 2025, i would also encourage you to use some of this information to develop a focused preparation for next year.
Remember, IIT JEE is about smart work and not just hard work. And with Origin Educare, you have the best mindset and tools to approach this exam with confidence.
Stay tuned for my detailed analysis of JEE Advanced Paper 2 on the
