There is no doubt that entrance exams are challenging. Which is easier, the SAT or JEE? is one of the questions high school students ask the most. Here we will compare two of the most well-known but distinct exams, i.e., SAT vs. JEE. However, regardless of how difficult an exam may be, what matters more is which one you should choose based on your aptitude. Let's learn more in detail about both exams while discussing them.

LiveJEE Main 2026 Registration LIVE: NTA demo link shows server error ahead of official application formOct 9, 2025 | 9:51 PM IST

JEE Main 2026 is expected to be held in two sessions. NTA holds the entrance exam in two sessions to provide the following benefits:

Candidates will get two opportunities to improve their scores in the exam if they are not able to give their best in the first attempt.
In the first attempt, the candidates will get a first-hand experience of taking an examination and will know their mistakes which can be improve while attempting the test for the second time. This will reduce the chances of dropping a year and the candidates would not have to waste an entire year.
If anyone misses the examination due to reasons beyond control (such as the board examination or health issues), then candidate can appear for the second session.
A candidate is not required to take both the sessions, however, if someone appears in both the sessions, then their best NTA scores will be considered for merit list preparation.

This Story also Contains

SAT Exam
JEE (Joint Entrance Examination)
SAT vs. JEE Exam Pattern
Main Differences Between SAT And JEE

SAT Vs. JEE 2025: Selecting The Right Exam For Your Career

SAT Vs. JEE 2025: Purposes, Main Differences, Exam Pattern, And Exam Date

SAT Exam

The College Boards proposed that the students take and qualify for SAT exams in order to get admission to undergraduate courses in the United States. This exam was earlier known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test but has now been renamed the Scholastic Assessment Test. According to the official SAT syllabus 2025, there are three sections: EBRW (Evidence-based Reading and Writing), math, and an essay section. Mainly, the verbal, written, and mathematical abilities of the candidates are tested. Apart from the United States, this exam is also taken to get admission to undergraduate schools in Canada. Let’s look into details related to the SAT Exam.

1. Eligibility

The student can appear for the SAT exam only if he or she fulfils certain criteria, although the SAT exam does not impose many rules. So, a candidate is eligible for the SAT exam if:

• No minimum or maximum age limits are considered. However, it has been noted that students aged 17–20 are the highest among the candidates applying for the SAT exam.

• Candidates can also apply for SAT exams multiple times, as no fixed attempts are mentioned by the College Boards.

• Generally, high school qualification is required to sit for the SAT exam, as this is required to take admission in undergraduate courses.

2. Upcoming Exam Date 2025

The SAT exam is conducted seven times a year, roughly in the months of March, May, June, August, October, and December. The SAT exam dates 2025 have already been announced by the official authorities. The upcoming SAT 2025 exam date in India is March 8, 2025, May 3, 2025 and June 7, 2025.

Also Read | SAT Sample Papers 2025- Check Test Papers for Practice Here

3. Registration Process And Fees

The easiest way for SAT registration is to visit the College Board’s official website, create an account, and fill in all the details, including the exam name and the test centre. This is followed by the application fee submission. The candidate must also book the exam slots in advance to avoid last-minute hassles. Students appearing for the SAT exam 2025 need to pay the SAT exam fees at the time of registration. The SAT exam fees in India is USD 111 (SAT registration fee of USD 68+ SAT regional fee for registration of USD 43). There is also GST which is charged upon the SAT exam fee 2025 which is around USD 19.98. So, students pay a total of USD 130.98 as SAT exam fees in India. The SAT exam fees are the same all over India or any location.

Note: One can also register for the SAT via mail.

JEE (Joint Entrance Examination)

The JEE exam is attempted by candidates who wish to gain admission to engineering colleges, including prestigious ones like IITs and NITs. The conducting body is the NTA (National Testing Agency), and the test also allows admission to other technical courses in India. Candidates preparing for JEE Main 2025 must understand the syllabus of JEE Mains to crack the exam with good scores.

Also, Read | JEE Main 2025 Test Series , JEE Main Sample Papers Previous Years

1. Eligibility

There is no age limit, but candidates must have qualified for 12th grade or be appearing for 12th grade as a minimum educational qualification criterion.

2. Exam Date 2025

JEE Main Exam Date 2025: The test is usually conducted twice a year, roughly in January and April. NTA has released the JEE Main 2025 exam date for session one and session two at - jeemain.nta.nic.in. As per JEE Main schedule 2025, the session 1 exam will be conducted from January 22 to January 31, 2025, while session 2 will be held from April 1 to April 8, 2025.

3. Registration Process And Fees

The candidate can visit the official website, ‘jeemain.nta.nic.in, and fill in all the necessary data, like personal information and exam details, in the JEE Mains application form. After submitting and paying the fees, the candidate is registered for the exam.

JEE Main registration fee for general candidates is Rs 1000 and Rs 500 for SC/ST/PwD/Transgender for a single paper.

Also, Check:

JEE Main Result	JEE Main cutoff
JEE Main college predictor	JEE Main rank predictor

SAT vs. JEE Exam Pattern

JEE: The JEE exam enables admission to various subjects like engineering, architecture, and planning, so the JEE exam pattern is different for them. The exam pattern consists of Mathematics, Physics, and chemistry, while Mathematics, Aptitude, and Drawing Tests are the sections in B.Arch. The number of questions is 90, and the allotted time for the exam is 3 hours.

The SAT exam pattern has three sections, namely Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. The number of questions is approximately 150. The time duration for the exam is 3 hours; however, with the essay, an additional 50 minutes are given.

The SAT has no negative marking, but it is implied in the JEE.

Main Differences Between SAT And JEE

Let’s quickly summarise some of the differences between the two highly debated exams among high schoolers, which are the SAT and JEE.

• The SAT exam is mainly given by candidates who wish to gain admission to foreign universities, especially in the US and Canada. JEE is given by candidates to seek admission in technical courses, including admission to IIT, NIT, and architecture colleges in India.

• Both the SAT and JEE are tough exams that are attempted by millions of students. The SAT exam is hard, but in comparison, it is easier than JEE. It is because it includes some general topics; however, JEE has core subjects like Physics and Mathematics.

• SAT is conducted all year, but JEE occurs only twice a year.

• SAT scores are valid for an indefinite time, but JEE scores are valid only for a year. This means that a candidate’s score of 2025 is valid only for the academic year 2025.

• SAT does not have any prerequisite requirements regarding age, attempts, or educational qualifications, but JEE has specific requirements like class 12 exam appearance or passing being compulsory.

• Although JEE is more complicated, the SAT has an English section as per international standards that may be hard to qualify for.

• One can prepare for and appear for both exams simultaneously; however, the subjects differ. SAT preparation, including English sections, is not covered in JEE, while preparation for JEE has core subjects like physics, which are not part of SAT exams.

SAT vs JEE Main: Which one is tough?

JEE Main is tougher as it includes all theoretical and numerical questions which may require much more mind-grilling. However, the SAT exam is much easier as it has English and Mathematics only. However, both exams require equal and consistent efforts to get admission to premium colleges. Hence, find out your interest area and put effort into the same to get what you desire.

JEE Main Syllabus: Subjects & Chapters

Select your preferred subject to view the chapters

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Which is better IIT or SAT?

To know the best thing, first analyse your interest. Know what you aspire then work for the same. If you want to be an engineer then prepare for IITs and studying abroad is your dream then opt for SAT.

Q: Is SAT hard for Indian students?

If prepared well, no exam is tough. Hence, do proper research about the syllabus and cover all topics and chapters well before the exam so that you can revise same. Anything can be achieved with dedication and focused approach.

Q: Is SAT easy for CBSE students?

It depends in which medium you completed your studies. SAT is easier for English medium students and writing and reading covers most of the syllabus.

Articles

200 Marks in JEE Mains Percentile 2026 - Expected Percentile and Rank

10 hours ago

Admission

JEE Main 2026 Physics High Weightage Chapters and Topics

10 hours ago

Admission

How Many Days Left for JEE Mains 2026? Countdown & Exam Schedule

10 hours ago

Admission

150 Marks in JEE Main Percentile 2026 - Check Expected Rank

1 day ago

Admission

Certifications By Top Providers

Introduction to Accounting-Part 1 Basics of Financial Statements

Via Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

Basic 3D Animation using Blender

Via Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

People Management with Impact

Via Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

Essentials of Program Strategy and Evaluation

Via Stanford University, Stanford

Preparing for the AP English Language and Composition Exam

Via Tennessee Board of Regents

Learn to Speak Korean 1

Via Yonsei University, Seoul

1074 courses

817 courses

394 courses

273 courses

Harvard University, Cambridge

97 courses

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

83 courses

IT & Software

Teaching and Academics

Programming and Development

Health, Fitness and Medicine

Business and Management

Engineering and Architecture

General Management

Financial Management

Environmental Studies

History

Psychology

Artificial Intelligence

Explore Top Universities Across Globe

University of Essex, Colchester

Wivenhoe Park Colchester CO4 3SQ

University College London, London

Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT

The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh, Post Code EH8 9YL

University of Delaware, Newark

Newark, DE 19716

University of Nottingham, Nottingham

University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD

Bristol Baptist College, Bristol

The Promenade, Clifton Down, Bristol BS8 3NJ

How 'Clog the Toilet' Campaign Targets H1B Visa Holders and Indians?

7 min ⋆ Sep 29, 2025 10:09 AM IST

Why Ending OPT is Worse for Indian Students than Rising H-1B Fee for US Tech Workers?

6 min ⋆ Sep 27, 2025 11:09 AM IST

IELTS Result 2025 (Oct 1): Dates, How to Check & Exam Band Score

18 min ⋆ Sep 29, 2025 05:09 AM IST

H1B Visa Fee Hike Impact: UK, Germany and Canada Eyes Indian Tech Talent

5 min ⋆ Sep 26, 2025 12:09 PM IST

Trump Administration Proposes To End Work Permit For International Students After H1B Visa Fees Hike

5 min ⋆ Sep 25, 2025 10:09 AM IST

Indian Techie Shares his Journey from F-1 Visa to Green Card: Is the American Dream Still Alive?

4 min ⋆ Sep 25, 2025 06:09 AM IST

Popular Courses and Specializations

Popular Degrees

Popular Branches

List of colleges accepting JEE Main

National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli

Courses & FeesCut-offsAdmissionsPlacementsReviews

National Institute of Technology Karnataka Surathkal

Courses & FeesCut-offsAdmissionsPlacementsReviews

Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala

Courses & FeesCut-offsAdmissionsPlacementsReviews

Symbiosis Institute of Technology, Pune

Courses & FeesCut-offsAdmissionsPlacementsReviews

Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi

Courses & FeesCut-offsAdmissionsPlacementsReviews

VIT-AP University, Amaravati

Courses & FeesCut-offsAdmissionsPlacementsReviews

Questions related to JEE Main

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to JEE Main ?

How to study efficiently in last 3 months of jee

Hello

Here is the short guidance for you to score well and prepare for JEE

Stick to a smart routine – Prioritize high-weightage topics and revise daily with a focused timetable.
Solve PYQs & mock tests – Practice like it’s the real thing; analyze mistakes without panic.
Quality over quantity – Understand concepts deeply rather than rushing through chapters.
Stay healthy & rested – Your brain needs sleep, water, and breaks to perform at its best.
Trust your journey – Stay calm, believe in your preparation, and avoid comparing with others.

Read Complete Answer

SEJAL JAIN

8 Oct'25

i gave my 12th boards in 2025 feb, in which i got a compartment in result. i had an option to reappear in all subjects, I'll be reappearing in 12th boards 26, so how many jee adv attempts do i have and will there be any issues in registration of mains and advance as i will pass my12th in may 2026?

Hello

Since you’re reappearing for your Class 12 boards in 2026, that will be counted as your official passing year. So, you will be eligible to write JEE Advanced in 2026 and 2027. Although you submitted the boards in 2025, that attempt won’t be considered due to the compartment. JEE Advanced rules allow 2 attempts in 2 consecutive years after passing 12th. So you still have both chances left, which is great! Just make sure you meet the other eligibility conditions too. Keep your focus strong, you’ve got this!

Read Complete Answer

SEJAL JAIN

9 Oct'25

How to prepare for jee paper 2

Hello aspirant,

Like all competitive exams, JEE MAINS requires careful preparation and strategy to pass. The JEE Main exam is extremely competitive, so it's critical to carefully plan and strategy. Students can increase their speed, accuracy, and confidence by adhering to a systematic study schedule and practicing frequently.

To know complete preparation tips, you can visit our site through following link:

https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/jee-main-preparation-tips

Thank you

Read Complete Answer

Sajal Trivedi

8 Oct'25

Preparing books for learning JEE main

Hello aspirant,

Start with NCERT in every subject for JEE Main. For physics, use H.C. Verma and D.C. Pandey; for chemistry, use R.C. Mukherjee and O.P. Tandon; and for mathematics, use R.D. Sharma or Cengage. J.D. Lee assists with inorganic chemistry, while Morrison & Boyd assists with organic chemistry. Practice chapter-by-chapter Arihant or MTG past year's papers. For efficient preparation, concentrate on clear concepts, frequent revision, and passing practice exams.

Thank you

Read Complete Answer

Sajal Trivedi

8 Oct'25

Is income certificate required during registration of jee mains of current year??

Hello,

Generally an income certificate isn't required for the JEE Main registration, but if you want to claim the EWS quota, then you need this. You must provide the certificate, issued by a government authority, as proof of your family's income being below the specified limit for the reservation category you wish to apply under.

I hope it will clear your query!!