Students preparing for the highly competitive JEE exams for entry into top engineering institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) can now access practice tests directly on the Gemini platform for free as part of that pilot.
The move targets a lucrative layer of India’s coaching economy: mock test series. While classroom programs drive revenue at large players such as Allen, Aakash and PhysicsWallah, test series and online assessments are among their most profitable offerings.
Free, AI-generated mocks from a platform with Google’s scale and distribution could begin to commoditize that layer first, raising questions about pricing power and margins.
AI tools are not new to India’s coaching ecosystem. But a Big Tech entrant brings brand trust, built-in reach and the ability to distribute at scale without relying on subscription revenue. What does that mean for incumbents? Mint explains.
What exactly is Gemini offering?
Gemini’s JEE mock tests are free to access. Using content from PhysicsWallah (PW) and Careers360, Google is ensuring the questions align with the latest JEE Main syllabus and difficulty level.
Aspirants can generate full-length tests covering physics, chemistry, and mathematics, or choose subject-specific practice sets.
The experience is structured to simulate exam conditions, including a three-hour timer. Students can view answers immediately or review them at the end. The chatbot provides hints for tougher questions.
Once the test ends, Gemini generates a performance breakdown highlighting weak areas. Students can ask for step-by-step explanations of any solution, extending into the doubt-solving layer of test prep. The entire experience runs inside the existing Gemini app and web interface, requiring no separate subscription.
AI-powered test prep is not new to the JEE ecosystem.
Since generative AI launched, startups such as Grovita (launched in 2023) and Achieve.ai (2025) have positioned themselves as digital tutors for JEE aspirants. Either directly or through larger companies, these platforms use AI to map a student’s “learning DNA” and build custom study paths aimed at fixing weak spots.
The difference now is distribution: Gemini sits inside Google’s ecosystem.
Where mock tests sit in coaching economics
In India’s coaching economy, revenue and profit do not move in lockstep.
Offline programs at players such as PhysicsWallah, Allen and Aakash can charge up to ₹1-2 lakh per student. But real estate in hubs like Kota or Delhi, faculty salaries, hostels and operations compress margins to less than 20%.
Online offerings alter that equation. Once created, digital test series can scale at marginal additional cost. Distance learning modules and live online batches still incur teacher and marketing expenses. Test series, by contrast, are typically small-ticket but high-margin.
Allen’s Major Test Series, priced around ₹Rs 3,800-4,700 plus taxes, leans on its Kota pedigree. Aakash’s AIATS, at roughly ₹5,800, foregrounds All India Rank and structured national competition.
PhysicsWallah undercuts both. Its test series are currently listed at ₹999-1,999 after discounts of up to 70%, down from earlier tags near ₹6,999.
What Gemini lacks is a national leader board. Its focus is on instant feedback and explanations rather than rank-based competition. If free AI-led mocks divert even a slice of standalone demand, the pressure would likely be felt first in this high-margin segment.
In FY25, Allen clocked ₹41 crore in profits, down sharply from ₹243.8 crore in FY23 and ₹135.9 crore in FY24.
After reporting losses in recent fiscals, PhysicsWallah turned profitable in Q2 of FY26.
In FY25, Allen Career Institute reported revenue of ₹3,300 crore, narrowly ahead of PhysicsWallah, which posted ₹3,040 crore in the same fiscal year.
According to Redseer, India’s test-prep market was valued at approximately ₹1,00,000–1,10,000 crore in FY25.
Why PhysicsWallah is partnering with Google
PhysicsWallah is supplying content used within Gemini’s mocks, a move that may affect one of its more profitable product lines. But Gemini’s placement inside Google’s ecosystem could offer PW access to millions of students, along with added credibility and brand recognition.
Founders in the segment argue that mock tests are becoming commoditized and therefore vulnerable to disruption. Question banks and previous-year papers are already public. Basic mocks are no longer scarce.
Real differentiation, they argue, lies in rankings, analytics, mentorship and doubt support.
“Preparation for important competitive exams isn’t a mock test problem; it’s an outcomes problem,” Nitin Kukreja, chief executive of Allen Career Institute, said, adding that students may get questions for free, but they will still pay for accuracy, security, and results.
Kukreja also argued that what remains hard to replicate at scale is the end-to-end layer: faculty mentorship, disciplined routines, and human coaching that builds temperament and confidence.
AI can enhance each piece, he said, but “it cannot replace the full system.”
The trade-off is clear. If free mocks replace paid ones, profits shrink. If they instead push students toward paid courses, coaching firms can adjust.
How coaching firms are responding
Startups and established players alike are investing in AI.
PhysicsWallah, in its earnings call and draft red herring prospectus, had highlighted the rollout of AI tools across its learning stack. The company said its AI stack now resolves millions of interactions each month through offerings such as AI Guru, Ask AI, AI Grader and AIMentor. It is also building Aryabhata, a custom-built large language model tailored for Indian competitive exams such as JEE.
Allen said it is actively developing and using AI tools to augment its learning system, without sharing further details.
Queries sent to Unacademy and Aakash did not elicit a response till press time.
