The timing of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2025 session 2 has put students in trouble because some of the exam dates conflict with CBSE Class XII board exams. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has fixed JEE Main session 2 on April 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9, 2025. Though the prominent science subjects like Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics do not overlap with the JEE Main dates directly, many other board exams like language papers, Home Science, and Psychology overlap with the engineering entrance exam.

This coincidence has caused student confusion among candidates appearing for both exams. Though the majority of students pursuing JEE Main hardly take language papers or Home Science, the concern is relevant to those who have chosen these papers in addition to science streams. Such students are now faced with the challenge of coping with back-to-back tests without enough intervening time for practice.

As per the CBSE board exam timetable, several language papers such as Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Odia, Assamese, and Kannada will be conducted on April 2. The Home Science and Psychology exams will be conducted on April 3 and April 4, respectively, between 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM. On both these days, JEE Main session 2 exams will also be held. This conflict has created an apprehension within students and their parents regarding how they will conduct both exams in case they have chosen subjects having a common paper.

In spite of the redundancy, CBSE had previously stated that attempts have been made so that board examinations and entrance tests are not concurrent. In the official notification published with the date sheet, CBSE said, “The date of conduct of entrance examinations intended for the students of class XII have been considered and attempts have been made to finish the examinations well in advance of the entrance examinations.” The announcement has not, however, dissipated concerns amongst affected students, particularly those who are now left with a crowded exam calendar in the first week of April.

JEE Main is one of the most important exams for engineering hopefuls all over the nation since it is the key to entering the National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and other engineering institutes. Students who pass JEE Main and secure a place within the desired cutoff can also take JEE Advanced, which decides entry into the elite Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). JEE Main is conducted in two sessions in 2025—January and April—giving students a chance to take the exam twice and enhance their scores.

There were a record 13,11,544 candidates who enrolled for Paper 1 (BE/BTech) in the January session of JEE Main 2025, which indicates how competitive the exam is. The April session will also see an equal number of registrations, with most students depending on this attempt to enhance their scores.

While that is happening, the CBSE Class XII board examinations are being held over 120 subjects, with more than 17 lakh students taking them in 2025. CBSE has scheduled to finish the board examinations by April 4, which will leave students taking both JEE Main and board examinations to manage a hectic schedule with hardly any time for rest or preparation.

Students and teachers have complained about the mental and physical pressure resulting from consecutive exams. Most think that though the major science subjects do not conflict with JEE Main dates, the overlap of other subjects still causes tension for the concerned. Few of the students who have studied Home Science or Psychology in addition to their science courses now need to juggle their JEE Main exam on the same day with not much time to change concentration between different courses.

According to experts, students who are impacted by the overlap should carefully plan their study schedule so that they can give enough time for both their board exams and JEE preparation. Whereas JEE Main actually examines students based on Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, CBSE board exams demand a different strategy with a focus on descriptive answers and subject-specific knowledge.

In spite of the difficulties, students are optimistic that their preparation in the last few months will enable them to cope with the congested exam schedule. Most coaching centers and schools are also providing advice to students on how to balance board exams with JEE Main preparation.

Since JEE Main is the most important stepping stone for would-be engineers and CBSE board exams are a similarly important aspect of determining the student’s scholastic career, the overlapping of exams becomes a pressing issue. Although it has been noted by CBSE that it took into account dates of entrance tests while preparing the schedule for the board exams, the fact that there will inevitably be some students with a nightmare period in April is undeniable.

As the exams near, students and parents are eagerly waiting for more information from CBSE and NTA. In past years, small conflicts in board exams and entrance exams have been settled with special provisions, and students expect authorities to take into account any adjustments if needed. For the time being, students are asked to concentrate on their studies and have a good balanced preparation strategy to do their best in both board exams and JEE Main.