JEE Main · Chemistry · Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers
Ethers: JEE Main previous year questions
12 questions in the 108 JEE Main shifts Lumi analysed, in 7 of 8 years. Pattern: Asked most years. 4 came in 2024–26. Here is how it is asked and which ideas come back.
- Questions
- 12
- in 12 of 108 shifts
- Years asked
- 7/8
- last asked 2026
- Weighted estimate
- 0.1
- model; history: 0.1 a shift on average, typically 0.0–0.3
Key findings
- 01
Asked in 7 of 8 years with analysed shifts and in 12 of 108 shifts: 12 questions, #171 of 196 topics.
- 02
67% of its questions since 2020 tested an idea no earlier year had asked; 1 repeated an idea from the year before.
- 03
The most repeated idea is Williamson Synthesis Limits, asked 4 times in 4 shifts (2021, 2023, 2025), most often as “reagent pair failing williamson ether synthesis”.
- 04
JEE Main has asked 7 of the 52 ideas in this topic; 44 have never been asked, directly or inside another question.
- 05
Mostly asked as single correct (42%); 0% need a numerical answer, 33% are easy and 25% hard.
- 06
The skill tested most is multi-step (50%), then application (33%).
Questions a shift, year by year
Out of the 25 Chemistry questions in a shift. Years differ in how many shifts Lumi analysed, so each year is scaled to one shift.
Raw count: 2017: 0 in 1 shift · 2020: 3 in 12 shifts · 2021: 3 in 24 shifts · 2022: 1 in 24 shifts · 2023: 1 in 12 shifts · 2024: 1 in 18 shifts · 2025: 2 in 8 shifts · 2026: 1 in 9 shifts.
- Up to 2023
- 0.1
- a shift, of 25
- Since 2024
- 0.1
- 0.1
- Usual gap
- 1.0 yrs
- between years asking it
- Shifts with it
- 12/108
- 11% of analysed shifts
How it is asked
Difficulty, format and skill
Across all 12 questions on Ethers since 2017.
Difficulty
QUESTIONS- Easy4 · 33%
- Medium5 · 42%
- Hard3 · 25%
Format
SHARE- Single correct · 5 Q42%
- Diagram based · 4 Q33%
- Two statements · 1 Q8%
- Assertion–reason · 1 Q8%
- Other · 1 Q8%
Skill tested
SHARE- Multi-step · 6 Q50%
- Application · 4 Q33%
- Conceptual · 1 Q8%
- Diagram reading · 1 Q8%
Repeats
New idea, or one asked before?
Each column is a year. Blue questions tested an idea no earlier year had asked; navy ones went back to an idea from an earlier year. 2017 is the first year, so everything in it counts as new. Heights are question counts, and Lumi analysed 1 to 24 shifts a year, so compare the split inside a column rather than heights across years.
- Idea asked for the first time
- Idea asked in an earlier year
Coverage of the topic
JEE Main has asked 7 of the 52 ideas in this topic. 44 have never been asked yet.
- Asked directly7 · 13%
- Touched inside another question1 · 2%
- Never asked44 · 85%
Ideas come from Lumi’s JEE syllabus map. A never-asked idea is not a safe skip: across all of JEE Main, 22% of questions since 2024 tested an idea no earlier year had asked.
Drill down
Chapter, idea, question
Every idea JEE Main tested in this topic, with its eight years. Open one to read the questions.
6 ideas inside
Squares are the 8 years with analysed shifts, 2017 to 2026. A number is the questions that year when there is more than one; the shade is scaled to one shift, so a year with more analysed shifts (1 to 24 a year) does not look darker. Share is of the level above.
Ideas
Every idea inside this topic
7 different ideas were tested; 2 came more than once.
reagent pair failing williamson ether synthesis
Single correct · 4 shiftspredict product of reaction
Diagram based · 3 shiftsstatement i/ii on ether cleavage
Two statements · 1 shiftidentify compounds in reaction sequence
Single correct · 1 shiftidentify compound from ether cleavage and tests
Single correct · 1 shiftpredict product of reaction sequence
Other · 1 shiftpredict product of reaction sequence
Diagram based · 1 shift
| Idea | Years asked | Times | Shifts | Format | Numerical |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williamson Synthesis Limitsreagent pair failing williamson ether synthesis | 4 | 4 | Single correctApplication | – | |
| Cleavage of Alkyl-Aryl Etherspredict product of reaction | 3 | 3 | Diagram basedMulti-step | – | |
| Cleavage of Benzyl Ethersstatement i/ii on ether cleavage | 1 | 1 | Two statementsApplication | – | |
| Temperature Dependence in Alcohol Dehydrationidentify compounds in reaction sequence | 1 | 1 | Single correctMulti-step | – | |
| Cleavage of Vinyl Ethersidentify compound from ether cleavage and tests | 1 | 1 | Single correctMulti-step | – | |
| Cold HI Cleavage (SN2)predict product of reaction sequence | 1 | 1 | OtherMulti-step | – | |
| Excess Hot HI Cleavagepredict product of reaction sequence | 1 | 1 | Diagram basedMulti-step | – |
Times and shifts count every analysed shift. Across JEE Main, 78% of questions since 2024 went back to an idea an earlier year had asked; the rest were new. All repeated ideas
Every question
Ethers questions, year by year
The opening words of each question as it appeared in the official paper, with the idea it tested. Open one for its options and the official answer.
JEE Main 20261 question in 1 shift
- 6 Apr, Shift 2Q66Consider the following reaction. [figure: benzyl phenyl ether, ] HI Product…
Idea: Cleavage of Benzyl Ethers
New ideaEasyTwo statements · figure
JEE Main 20252 questions in 2 shifts
- 4 Apr, Shift 2Q68A toxic compound "A" when reacted with NaCN in aqueous acidic medium yields an edible cooking component and food preservative "B". "B" is…
Idea: Temperature Dependence in Alcohol Dehydration
New ideaHardSingle correct - 8 Apr, Shift 2Q67Which one of the following reactions will not lead to the desired ether formation in major proportion ? (iso-Bu ⇒ isobutyl, sec-Bu ⇒…
Idea: Williamson Synthesis Limits
MediumSingle correct · figure
JEE Main 20241 question in 1 shift
- 29 Jan, Shift 1Q77The major product (P) in the following reaction is
Idea: Cleavage of Alkyl-Aryl Ethers
MediumDiagram based · figure
JEE Main 20231 question in 1 shift
- 10 Apr, Shift 1Q75Suitable reaction condition for preparation of Methyl phenyl ether is
Idea: Williamson Synthesis Limits
EasySingle correct
JEE Main 20221 question in 1 shift
- 28 Jul, Shift 2Q44Compound I is heated with Conc. HI to give a hydroxy compound A which is further heated with Zn dust to give compound B. Identify A and B.…
Idea: Cleavage of Alkyl-Aryl Ethers
Asked the year beforeEasyDiagram based · figure
JEE Main 20213 questions in 3 shifts
- 27 Aug, Shift 1Q45Given below are two statements : one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R). Assertion (A) : Synthesis of…
Idea: Williamson Synthesis Limits
New ideaMediumAssertion–reason - 27 Aug, Shift 2Q41The major product of the following reaction, if it occurs by mechanism is : [reaction drawn: a benzene ring bearing OH,…
Idea: Williamson Synthesis Limits
New ideaMediumDiagram based · figure - 18 Mar, Shift 2Q44Main Products formed during a reaction of 1-methoxy naphthalene with hydroiodic acid are :
Idea: Cleavage of Alkyl-Aryl Ethers
New ideaEasySingle correct · figure
JEE Main 20203 questions in 3 shifts
- 2 Sep, Shift 1Q43The major aromatic product C in the following reaction sequence will be : 2-methyl-2H-chromene (benzene ring fused to a pyran ring with O,…
Idea: Excess Hot HI Cleavage
New ideaHardDiagram based · figure - 2 Sep, Shift 2Q43An organic compound ‘A’ () when treated with conc. HI undergoes cleavage to yield compounds ‘B’ and ‘C’. ‘B’ gives…
Idea: Cleavage of Vinyl Ethers
New ideaHardSingle correct · figure - 4 Sep, Shift 2Q41The major product [B] in the following reactions is :…
Idea: Cold HI Cleavage (SN2)
New ideaMediumOther · figure
Questions from the official JEE Main Paper 1 shifts published by NTA (CBSE for 2017). Questions NTA dropped are left out. Topic and idea tags, counts and notes are Lumi’s.