Syllabus changes in JEE (Main) by NTA: what’s new?

Physics

Minor changes have been made to core areas: Mechanics and Thermodynamics.

The theory of the Carnot cycle has not been mentioned in the syllabus under Thermodynamics, although indirect questions may be asked about isothermal and adiabatic process. Damped and forced oscillations and the phenomenon of resonance are not a part of the chapter on Simple Harmonic Motion. In fact, the syllabus explicitly mentions spring-mass and simple pendulum as the oscillating systems covered, so it is unlikely that rotational SHM will make an appearance. Doppler effect is not included under the section on waves.

The changes are larger to application-based chapters: the chapter on Communication Systems has been eliminated following its exit from the NCERT textbook. Transistors from the chapter on Electronic Devices are not a part of the syllabus anymore. The theory of X-rays will not be part of the testing either. In the theory of Atoms and Nuclei, radioactive decay has not been mentioned, so the questions will probably be restricted to calculation of mass defect and the resulting kinetic energy (mass defect is a part of the syllabus).

Chemistry

The changes to Chemistry have been extensive and contribute to the bulk of syllabus decrease this year. Organic chemistry has been left mostly untouched, in keeping with the importance that research and industry gives to these areas. The course of Physical Chemistry has been reduced a bit: the chapters on Surface Chemistry and States of Matter and have been removed, along with the section Solid State. However, to some extent, this chapter will be covered anyway in Physics under Kinetic Theory of Gases.

Inorganic Chemistry has been stripped down to only four chapters. The chemistry of Hydrogen, and the of the s-block elements, will not be tested. As for the chapter on p-block, the syllabus only mentions general trends in physical and chemical properties, and electronic configurations. The chemistry of specific elements and their compounds is not explicitly mentioned, although caution has to be exercised as many facts from this chapter are a part of other chapters like redox reactions, equilibrium, and chemical bonding. The chapter on polymers, which has roots in organic as well as inorganic, is also not in syllabus anymore. The entire theory of metallurgy (general principles of isolation of metals has been eliminated.

Two other chapters have been removed: Environmental Chemistry, and Chemistry in Everyday Life.

Mathematics

The syllabus of Mathematics has not been changed significantly. A few minor changes have been made: the theory of three-dimensional geometry is limited to straight lines in 3-D space; the plane equation and its details have been left out. In trigonometry, the section no heights and distances has not been explicitly mentioned in the syllabus.