Integral Calculus was asked 312 times in the 111 JEE Main shift papers we counted from 2020 to 2025. That is about 2.8 questions a paper and 10% of all Mathematics questions, or about 11 marks a paper at +4 each. Two topics carried 61% of it: area under simple curves (96 questions) and properties of definite integrals (95).
It is in the syllabus as Unit 8 of 14 in Mathematics in the JEE Main 2027 syllabus.
How many Integral Calculus questions come in JEE Main?
| Year | Questions | Shift papers | Average per paper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 31 | 14 | 2.2 |
| 2021 | 75 | 26 | 2.9 |
| 2022 | 68 | 24 | 2.8 |
| 2023 | 36 | 12 | 3.0 |
| 2024 | 60 | 18 | 3.3 |
| 2025 | 42 | 17 | 2.5 |
JEE Main is sat in many shifts a year, each with its own paper, so compare the averages and not the yearly totals. Papers from 2021 to 2024 had 30 questions a subject and the others had 25, which is part of why those years run a little higher.
Which topics are asked most?
| Topic | Questions | Share of the chapter |
|---|---|---|
| Area under simple curves | 96 | 31% |
| Properties of definite integrals | 95 | 30% |
| Integration by substitution | 45 | 14% |
| Fundamental theorem of calculus | 40 | 13% |
| Integration by parts | 21 | 7% |
| Integral as an antiderivative | 9 | 3% |
| Partial fractions | 6 | 2% |
In what order should I study it?
The order the papers suggest is not quite the order the book uses, because you cannot do the heavy topics without the basics.
- Basics first, quickly. Standard integrals, substitution, by parts and partial fractions. You need these as tools, even though they are asked less directly.
- Then the fundamental theorem and definite integrals. Learn the properties, and practise spotting which one a question wants. This is the larger half of the chapter's marks.
- Then area under curves. Sketch the region before you integrate. Most slips here come from the wrong limits or the wrong region, not the integration itself.
- Finish with mixed previous-year questions under time. The Integral Calculus PYQ page has the count by year and ten questions with solutions.
If you only have a few weeks, go straight to definite integrals and area, and pick up the methods as they come. See high-weight JEE Main chapters for the last three months for how this fits with the other subjects.
How we counted
We sorted every question in the 111 JEE Main shift papers we hold from 2020 to 2025 by chapter and topic. Another count may place a question differently, so treat these as a guide to where the weight is, not a forecast. NTA does not publish chapter weightage.
Frequently asked questions
Is Integral Calculus important for JEE Main?
Yes. At about 2.8 questions a paper, it carries about 11 of the 100 Mathematics marks, or 10% of the Mathematics questions in our count.
Which topic in Integral Calculus is asked most?
Area under simple curves (96 of 312 questions) and properties of definite integrals (95). Together they make up 61% of the chapter.
Are indefinite integrals still asked in JEE Main?
Yes, but less directly. Substitution, by parts, partial fractions and antiderivatives together made up about a quarter of the questions, and the same methods are needed to solve definite integrals.