In a significant move aimed at transforming India's premier engineering entrance examination, the IIT Council has proposed a major shift towards an adaptive format for the JEE (Advanced). The Council's recommendation, made during a key meeting, seeks to make the high-stakes test a better and less stressful assessment for lakhs of aspirants.
What is the Adaptive JEE Advanced Proposal?
The Council, which is the apex coordination body for the Indian Institutes of Technology and is chaired by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, has called for an expert committee to evaluate the feasibility of an adaptive test. This modern testing method would see questions dynamically generated and adjusted in real-time based on a candidate's demonstrated ability during the exam itself.
According to the minutes of the meeting held on August 25, 2025, and released recently, the Council has recommended that an optional adaptive test be conducted as a pilot project ahead of the main JEE (Advanced) exam later this year. This pilot is intended to collect crucial performance data. Based on the analysis of this data, a phased roadmap with specific timelines for a full transition to adaptive testing can be developed.
Addressing Coaching Industry and Student Stress
The push for reform was highlighted during the Council meeting by Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur. He expressed concerns about the current exam structure, the overwhelming prevalence of a massive coaching industry, and the significant emotional and financial strain placed on students and their families.
Prof. Agrawal argued that the JEE (Advanced) needs to do a better job of evaluating critical thinking and innate reasoning skills. He proposed the shift to adaptive testing as a solution, stating that "This model further reduces coaching dependency, enhances fairness, and allows flexible, secure testing environments." He elaborated to The Indian Express, explaining that in an adaptive test, a candidate begins with simpler questions, and as they solve them correctly, the difficulty level escalates, allowing for a precise assessment of their capability.
"If we bring in the component of aptitude-based questions, it can reduce the impact of coaching. Aptitude co-relates with innate intelligence. Coaching can only train students to use intelligence better; it cannot change that intelligence," Prof. Agrawal added. The Council has tasked a panel led by the JEE Apex Board (JAB) and IIT Kanpur to consider the proposal's operational logistics and its potential to lessen reliance on coaching centers.
Parallel Push for Mental Health Support
Alongside the exam reforms, the IIT Council has taken a serious note of student well-being, especially in light of tragic student suicides in recent years. The Council has recommended the creation of sanctioned posts for mental health professionals across all IITs.
The minutes emphasize the need for a sustainable, long-term solution within IITs, which host student populations ranging from 3,000 to 18,000. The Council stated that a proper structure of posts—ranging from counsellors and psychologists to psychiatrists—must be established. These positions can be filled on a regular or contractual basis.
IIT Gandhinagar has been asked to define a proper framework for these mental health posts, including avenues for promotion and quality assessment. IIT Gandhinagar Director, Prof. Rajat Moona, acknowledged that mental wellbeing is a serious concern and noted that while psychologists are regularly hired, efforts are ongoing to create coherent recommendations on staffing norms, such as the ideal counsellor-to-student ratio, for presentation at the next Council meeting.
The IIT Council meeting, which included the Directors of all IITs and chairpersons of their Boards of Governors, was held in August 2025 after a gap of two years. The JEE (Advanced) 2025 saw over 1.80 lakh candidates appear for the computer-based test, with 54,378 students qualifying. Prof. Agrawal confirmed that the expert committee to evaluate the adaptive testing model is yet to be formally constituted.
