How to crack JEE Main: Follow these tips

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With the dreams of cracking the exam which is regarded among India’s toughest entrance examinations and with only a minute percentile of students cutting through to the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology colleges, the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) is aspirational. The IIT JEE is a national-level engineering admission test that is divided into two stages: JEE Main and JEE Advanced. JEE Main is a screening test that determines the aspirations who have qualified to take JEE Advanced, which is the ultimate exam used to choose students for admission into the 23 IITs, 31 National Institute of Technology (NITs), and other government-funded institutes.

Key exam Statistics – Around 7.2 Lakh aspirants attempted the exam in 2021. The total number of seats offered through this entrance is about 13,583 seats in IITs, 21,133 seats in NITs, 4700+ seats in IIITs, and 5806 seats in GFTIs which are allotted depending on the rank secured.

Understanding the Syllabus for the JEE exam

The NTA (National Testing Agency) is responsible for conducting the JEE. The revised syllabus is updated on the official website along with the official notification for the exam every year. JEE syllabus primarily covers 3 subjects – Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry. For the sake of preparation, aspirants must refer to the JEE Main full curriculum.

Understanding the exam pattern for the JEE Main exam

The JEE Main exam pattern was changed in the 2021 session to account for syllabus reductions by CBSE and state boards. The pattern for next years’ JEE Main is anticipated to remain the same. Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics will now each contain 30 problems. Each of these subjects will be divided into two portions. Section A will include 20 multiple-choice questions and Section B will have 10 numerical value response questions. In Section B the candidates are required to attempt any five of ten questions. The exam will be held in 13 languages across India.

Key Points to note about the exam – It would be a time-bound computer-based test with a time restriction of 3 hours (additional 1 hour to be provided to differently-abled students) A total of 90 questions will be posted across the 3 sections and a maximum of 75 need to be answered by the candidates. The paper pattern for JEE Main Paper 2 for B.Arch and Paper 3 for B.Planning differ. Aspirants must check the updated patterns and marking scheme on the official website.

JEE Main Marking Explained 

The total marks in the JEE Main exam are 300, Each section is for 100 marks. For the MCQ type of questions, the scheme of marking is +4 marks awarded for every correct answer and a negative marking of -1 for every incorrectly marked answer. For the numerical value type answers, +4 would be awarded for every correct answer and there is no penalty of negative marking for incorrect or non-attempted questions.

JEE Main eligibility criteria  

The aspirants who have just passed out of the 12th standard and those who are re-attempting the JEE Main exam must be fully aware of the latest JEE Main eligibility criteria. The JEE Main eligibility requirements will contain important information such as educational qualification, age limit, nationality, marks achieved in class 12, required courses, and so on. Before applying for the entrance test, every aspirant must review the JEE Main eligibility requirements.

Effective Tips for cracking the JEE Main exam –

Preparation for JEE Main exam requires strategic preparation and meticulous planning for the respective subjects. Each subject in the mains exam requires a different style of learning, study plan, and revision strategy. Aspirants must be aware of the entire syllabus and make a plan of action accordingly to cover from fundamentals to advanced level of problem-solving. This needs to be accompanied by effectively solving previous year papers, referring to online course material, additional resources, and regular mock tests to be prepared for the actual exam.

  •     Knowing one’s areas of strengths and weakness – Since the JEE follows the NCERT syllabus on a broad level, Aspirants would have a certain understanding of their key strengths and areas which require improvement in each subject. The chapters can be divided accordingly and more focus should be given to important topics.
  •     Preparing for JEE Advance simultaneously

The aspirants need to realize that JEE Main and Advanced are a part of the same entrance and should not be looked at as different exams altogether. The foundational preparation for both the tests in terms of conceptual knowledge should remain the same. It is recommended from previous toppers of the exam that students must have a preparation strategy that included time for solving the JEE advanced questions regularly.

  •     Creating a subject-wise strategy – It is very important to create an individualized subject-specific strategy. For example, the Chemistry of JEE is divided into 2 distinct blocks – Inorganic, Organic, and Physical chemistry, the candidate must be aware of his comfort zone in solving problems coming from each of these and focus to improve the remaining during the preparation phase and also when attempting the questions in the final exam.
  •     Mock tests strategy – To enhance time management and problem-solving skills experts recommend attempting the mock tests with a reduced time limit. Aspirants must be able to select and eliminate the lengthy and tricky questions to score high. The purpose of mocks is to simulate exam-like conditions and also help the candidates be familiar with the computer-based interface.

Conclusion

Preparing for JEE Main is at a critical juncture where the aspirants have to balance their preparation for the 12th Board examinations. The students must prepare the theory for boards and try to apply the same in solving the questions. JEE coaching has proven to be effective in helping the students to learn better and the experienced faculty aid the students to crack the exam. On the other hand, students who have prepared on their own have also passed their board exams with flying colours and cracked the JEE exam. Preparation for JEE is a task that requires patience, practice, and perseverance, aspirants must give it their best with complete dedication.

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