What no one will tell you about cracking JEE Advanced
Though the entrance examination for the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) has evolved considerably from its initial pattern, the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) is still one of the most competitive examinations for admissions to undergraduate programmes. Soon after students pass central board examinations, their attention is focused on cracking the examination. Here are some trends observed in the JEE Advanced 2015:
1. No repetitions: The JEE Advanced 2015, which was conducted on May 24, 2015, has once again justified the numero uno position of the IITs, for which it is conducted, by not repeating a single question from any of the last examinations. This gives the message loud and clear to all budding engineers that a clear understanding of fundamental concepts is what matters.
2. Severe negative marking: The 2015 paper (Paper 1 and 2) conducted by IIT-Bombay could create enough psychological pressure for the students in the examination hall, primarily owing to heavy negative marking. Unlike previous years, this year, if a correct answer awarded you "four marks" then an incorrect one penalised you with "two marks". It was a true test of the students' nerve for six hours.
3. Preliminary elimination: Out of 13,00,000 students desiring to study in the IITs, only 1,50,000 were eligible to sit for the entrance examination. This massive skimming was done through the JEE Mains examination, which was conducted two-and-a-half months back. Interestingly, only 1,24,000 students applied for the JEE Advanced, while on the D Day only 1,17,000 arrived. In other words, 33,000 eligible candidates succumbed to the pressure of appearing in this entrance examination. Eventually, out of the 1,17,000, there were 26,000 successful candidates who tasted success on June 17, 2015.
4. Madhya Pradesh students top the list: The state boasted of top three rankers in the general category. Even the topper among girls is from the state. As if this was insufficient, the topper of Open–PWD is also from Madhya Pradesh. Barring the topper, Satvat Jagwani, who hails from Satna, all the toppers mentioned belong to Indore!
Besides this year’s analysis, I would like to comment upon what strategies worked for toppers this year. The top rankers unanimously believed in staying up-to-date with the curriculum by devoting at least six hours everyday in self study.
Generally, students get disheartened during the first year of preparation. The chief reason is the huge difference in the syllabus between 10th and 11th standards. In fact, the absence of smooth conjugation between the syllabi of the two standards is such a major problem that it often results in quitting the game by many players. To achieve victory, one has to brave all these rough weathers by facing the hurdles as challenges. In the first year, Physics is highly conceptual while Mathematics is a combination of many aspects. To elaborate, If trigonometry and algebra requires trick then co-ordinate geometry requires full understanding of the results of theorem. On the other hand, in order to excel in Chemistry, one has to be hands-on in topics such as periodicity, bonding, mole concept and ionic equilibrium. In the second year, Chemistry demands concept clarity on GOC for better understanding of its organic portion. In order to tame the inorganic part, one has to completely stick to the National Council Of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) books. A major fraction of Mathematics is comprised of calculus, which requires practice of a high degree, while most of the curriculum on Physics is concerned with the electron. Modern Physics and Optics are those topics which carry adequate weightage to decide the fate of an aspirant.