Jharkhand polytechnic lateral entry previous year question papers (JCECEB’s DECE LE) are here for 2017, 2019 and 2023, each with its answer key, plus JCECEB’s answer keys on their own for 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026. Every paper has 100 questions, 50 in Mathematics and 50 in Science, for 100 marks in 2 hours with 0.25 deducted for a wrong answer, which is still the pattern for the lateral entry test expected in June 2027.
Jharkhand DECE LE Previous Year Question Papers
Pick a year to open its paper; the 2017 and 2019 keys are on the last pages of the same PDF.
Newest papersJharkhand DECE LE 2026 Question Paper
View 2026 papersAnswer key only
Jharkhand DECE LE Question Papers by Year
| Year | Papers | Answer key | Pattern that year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jharkhand DECE LE 2026 | Answer key only | Yes | View papers | |
| Jharkhand DECE LE 2025 | Answer key only | Yes | View papers | |
| Jharkhand DECE LE 2024 | Answer key only | Yes | View papers | |
| Jharkhand DECE LE 2023 | 1 paper | Yes | 100 Q · 100 marks | View papers |
| Jharkhand DECE LE 2022 | 2 answer keys only | Yes | View papers | |
| Jharkhand DECE LE 2019 | 1 paper | Not available | 100 Q · 100 marks · 2 h | View papers |
| Jharkhand DECE LE 2017 | 1 paper | Not available | 100 Q · 100 marks · 2 h | View papers |
Jharkhand DECE LE Paper at a Glance
| Questions | 100 multiple-choice questions: Mathematics 1–50, Science 51–100 |
|---|---|
| Marks and time | 100 marks in 2 hours |
| Marking | +1 for a correct answer, −0.25 for a wrong one; more than one option marked counts as wrong |
| Level | Class 10 Mathematics and Science |
| Medium | Hindi and English; the English version prevails if they differ |
| Mode | Offline, OMR sheet, at centres in Ranchi only |
| Papers on this page | 2017 (Set A), 2019 (Set A), 2023 (Set B) with keys; 2026 answer key only |
| Next exam | Jharkhand DECE LE 2027: June 2027 (expected). Application: May 2027 (expected) |
How to Use Jharkhand DECE LE Previous Year Papers?
- Time each paper at 2 hours. 100 questions in 120 minutes gives you 72 seconds a question. Split the time evenly, an hour for Mathematics and an hour for Science.
- Guess only after you cut two options. A wrong answer costs 0.25 mark. With two options left, a guess is worth about +0.375 marks on average, but a blind guess is worth very little.
- Solve 2023 first. It is the newest paper and has JCECEB’s official key for sets A to D. Its Mathematics section opens with calculus on derivatives and continuity, above the Class 10 level in the bulletin, so practise those too.
- Set a realistic target. In 2023 the top score was 65 out of 100 among 2,739 ranked candidates, so a steady 40 to 50 in practice is a good sign.
- Use the 2026 key for checking. The 2026 paper is not available, but its key helps you check answers to any 2026 questions you remember. About eight months remain before the June 2027 test.
Jharkhand DECE LE Previous Year Question Papers FAQs
How many questions are there in Jharkhand DECE LE?
100 multiple-choice questions for 100 marks in 2 hours: Mathematics (Q1–50) and Science (Q51–100) at Class 10 level.
Is there negative marking in DECE LE?
Yes. Each correct answer gets 1 mark and each wrong answer loses 0.25 mark. Marking more than one option counts as wrong.
Which DECE LE papers have answer keys?
All three papers do. The 2017 and 2019 Set A keys are printed at the end of their PDFs, and 2023 has JCECEB’s official key for sets A to D. 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026 have JCECEB’s keys but no papers.
Is the DECE LE paper in Hindi?
Yes. Questions are printed in Hindi and English, and the English version is final if the two differ.
What was the highest score in DECE LE 2023?
65 out of 100. 2,739 candidates were ranked in the 2023 result.
When is Jharkhand DECE LE 2027?
Jharkhand DECE LE 2027: June 2027 (expected). Application: May 2027 (expected). See the Jharkhand DECE LE 2027 page for every date.
Is the Jharkhand polytechnic lateral entry 2025 or 2026 paper here?
No. For 2025 and 2026 (exam held on 28 June 2026) only JCECEB’s answer keys are here, not the question papers. The newest full paper is 2023 Set B with JCECEB’s official key.
Is DECE LE the same as Jharkhand polytechnic lateral entry?
Yes. JCECEB’s Diploma Entrance Competitive Examination (Lateral Entry), DECE (LE), is the test for direct admission to the 2nd year (3rd semester) of engineering diploma courses in Jharkhand.