Countdown to IIT-JEE begins

READY RECKONER

There are only a few days to go for the six-hour test that you have been preparing for. There are certain basic rules that govern your operational efficiency during this phase. All these caveats are based on the assumption that you are/have been a serious student, who has been preparing for IIT-JEE consistently because there are no quick fixes for faulty preparation. Nor is there any book of formulae that will act like a magic potion!

Ensure that you take one full-length test every alternate day for enough exam-feel.
These exams need to be timed like the actual exams.
As far as possible take the test during the same timeframe of the actual examination — from 9 am to 12 noon, and from 2 pm to 5 pm.

 Doing a ‘what went right’ and ‘what went wrong’ analysis is important after every exam. Ideally, you should do that within 12 hours of taking the test and spend at least half the total time spent taking the examination on this exercise.

On the day of the examination,  do ensure that you arrive at the venue at least an hour earlier than the start time. Identify your classroom/examination hall and then mentally prepare yourself. This is neither the time to touch base with old friends whom you haven’t seen for a long time nor is this the time to exchange ‘last minute tips’ with other candidates. Three hours is a long duration. But unless you plan out properly, the time — when distributed among the three subjects — will seem inadequate. Once inside the examination hall, do not talk to anybody else. Your interaction — if required — should only be with the invigilator in the hall.

Invest some time in studying the pattern of the paper at the micro level. You should treat the time spent on this as an investment. You should try to identify the pattern — or the difference in the pattern — with one or more of the several model examinations you would have taken till now.  Chess players have to make their moves within a specified time window. If you look at the way they play, more than 90 per cent of the time is spent thinking about what the move should be. They know that thinking and planning is essential before every move.  Similarly, you should spend some time thinking before rushing to solve a problem.

In the present scheme of questions that appear in JEE, a fair bit  of analysis is required as compared to the problem solving that ruled the roost some years ago.
There will be different types of questions with different marking schemes and possibly different negative marking schemes as well. Treat tough questions with respect and understand that there can be as many as one-third questions that you may not be able to do within the time limit. You will do well to concentrate on your strengths. Remember, everybody has strong and weak areas when it comes to academics.
(The writer is with T.I.M.E.)