JEE Main · Physics · Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance
RC Circuits: JEE Main previous year questions
13 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
- 13
- in 12 of 108 shifts
- Years asked
- 7/8
- last asked 2026
- Weighted estimate
- 0.1
- model; history: 0.2 a shift on average, typically 0.0–0.2
Key findings
- 01
Asked in 7 of 8 years with analysed shifts and in 12 of 108 shifts: 13 questions, #170 of 196 topics. The years that asked it were 1.5 apart on average.
- 02
50% of its questions since 2020 tested an idea no earlier year had asked; 2 repeated an idea from the year before.
- 03
The most repeated idea is Initial and Steady State Behavior, asked 7 times in 6 shifts (2017, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2026), most often as “capacitor voltage at steady state”.
- 04
JEE Main has asked 7 of the 60 ideas in this topic; 50 have never been asked, directly or inside another question.
- 05
Mostly asked as single correct (46%); 38% need a numerical answer, 31% are easy and 0% hard.
- 06
The skill tested most is calculation (54%), then multi-step (31%).
Questions a shift, year by year
Out of the 25 Physics questions in a shift. Years differ in how many shifts Lumi analysed, so each year is scaled to one shift.
Raw count: 2017: 1 in 1 shift · 2020: 1 in 12 shifts · 2021: 5 in 24 shifts · 2022: 1 in 24 shifts · 2023: 1 in 12 shifts · 2024: 3 in 18 shifts · 2025: 0 in 8 shifts · 2026: 1 in 9 shifts.
- Up to 2023
- 0.2
- a shift, of 25
- Since 2024
- 0.1
- -0.2
- Usual gap
- 1.5 yrs
- between years asking it
- Shifts with it
- 12/108
- 11% of analysed shifts
How it is asked
Difficulty, format and skill
Across all 13 questions on RC Circuits since 2017.
Difficulty
QUESTIONS- Easy4 · 31%
- Medium9 · 69%
- Hard0 · 0%
Format
SHARE- Single correct · 6 Q46%
- Numerical value · 5 Q38%
- Diagram based · 2 Q15%
Skill tested
SHARE- Calculation · 7 Q54%
- Multi-step · 4 Q31%
- Application · 2 Q15%
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 60 ideas in this topic. 50 have never been asked yet.
- Asked directly7 · 12%
- Touched inside another question3 · 5%
- Never asked50 · 83%
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.
5 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; 1 came more than once.
capacitor voltage at steady state
Single correct · 6 shifts · 2 numericalresistance from decay time of field across capacitor
Numerical value · 1 shift · 1 numericalratio of times in capacitor discharge
Single correct · 1 shiftcapacitance from charging time to given voltage
Numerical value · 1 shift · 1 numericalinitial discharge current of capacitor
Numerical value · 1 shift · 1 numericalcharge flown from time-varying current
Single correct · 1 shiftcharge on capacitor in rc circuit with diode
Single correct · 1 shift
| Idea | Years asked | Times | Shifts | Format | Numerical |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial and Steady State Behaviorcapacitor voltage at steady state | 7 | 6 | Single correctMulti-step | 2 | |
| Discharging Equation Masteryresistance from decay time of field across capacitor | 1 | 1 | Numerical valueCalculation | 1 | |
| Fractional Charge Time Calculationratio of times in capacitor discharge | 1 | 1 | Single correctCalculation | – | |
| Charging Equation Masterycapacitance from charging time to given voltage | 1 | 1 | Numerical valueCalculation | 1 | |
| Initial Rate of Charginginitial discharge current of capacitor | 1 | 1 | Numerical valueCalculation | 1 | |
| Total Charge Flown Integrationcharge flown from time-varying current | 1 | 1 | Single correctCalculation | – | |
| RC Circuits with Ideal Diodescharge on capacitor in rc circuit with diode | 1 | 1 | Single correctApplication | – |
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
RC Circuits 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
- 5 Apr, Shift 2Q37Under steady state condition the potential difference across the capacitor in the circuit is __________ V.
Idea: Initial and Steady State Behavior
MediumSingle correct · figure
JEE Main 20243 questions in 2 shifts
- 5 Apr, Shift 1Q55The electric field between the two parallel plates of a capacitor of capacitance drops to one third of its initial…
Idea: Discharging Equation Mastery
New ideaMediumNumerical value - 1 Feb, Shift 2Q41A galvanometer (G) of resistance is connected in the given circuit. The ratio of charge stored in and is :
Idea: Initial and Steady State Behavior
Asked the year beforeMediumDiagram based · figure - 1 Feb, Shift 2Q56In an electrical circuit drawn below the amount of charge stored in the capacitor is ________ C.
Idea: Initial and Steady State Behavior
Asked the year beforeMediumNumerical value · figure
JEE Main 20231 question in 1 shift
- 8 Apr, Shift 1Q49In this figure the resistance of the coil of galvanometer G is . The emf of the cell is . The ratio of potential…
Idea: Initial and Steady State Behavior
MediumDiagram based · figure
JEE Main 20221 question in 1 shift
- 29 Jun, Shift 2Q37A capacitor is discharging through a resistor . Consider in time , the energy stored in the capacitor reduces to half of…
Idea: Fractional Charge Time Calculation
New ideaMediumSingle correct
JEE Main 20215 questions in 5 shifts
- 4 Aug, Shift 2Q26Employing a resistance of , a capacitor is charged through a battery of 12V. In time, the potential difference…
Idea: Charging Equation Mastery
New ideaMediumNumerical value - 27 Aug, Shift 1Q10Calculate the amount of charge on capacitor of 4 F. The internal resistance of battery is 1 :
Idea: Initial and Steady State Behavior
MediumSingle correct · figure - 31 Aug, Shift 1Q27A capacitor of 50 F is connected in a circuit as shown in figure. The charge on the upper plate of the capacitor is __________ C.
Idea: Initial and Steady State Behavior
EasyNumerical value · figure - 24 Feb, Shift 1Q13A current through a wire depends on time as where A/s and As. Find the charge…
Idea: Total Charge Flown Integration
New ideaEasySingle correct - 18 Mar, Shift 1Q26The circuit shown in the figure consists of a charged capacitor of capacity 3 F and a charge of 30 C. At time , when the…
Idea: Initial Rate of Charging
New ideaEasyNumerical value · figure
JEE Main 20201 question in 1 shift
- 9 Jan, Shift 2Q12Two identical capacitors A and B, charged to the same potential 5V are connected in two different circuits as shown below at time .…
Idea: RC Circuits with Ideal Diodes
New ideaMediumSingle correct · figure
JEE Main 20171 question in 1 shift
- 2 Apr (offline)Q16In the given circuit diagram when the current reaches steady state in the circuit, the charge on the capacitor of capacitance C will be :
Idea: Initial and Steady State Behavior
EasySingle correct · 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.