JEE Main: Here's what you need to know

Every year, thousands of candidates apply for Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and give their best to secure a seat in one of the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

As the exam pattern has changed, aspirants should be mindful of it before moving on to the preparations stage.

Exam pattern

The latest changes introduced by the National Testing Agency (NTA) are as follows:

From now on, candidates who wish to apply for Bachelor of Planning (BPLanning) courses will be required to give a separate exam. JEE Main 2020 will be conducted in three sections: Paper 1 for BTech and BE, Paper 2 for BArch and Paper 3 for BPlanning.

This gives them the choice to appear for one, two or all three papers. When it comes to BE or BTech paper, there will be 75 questions in total as compared to 90. Each section will now have 5 questions less. Therefore, an aspirant will need to solve 25 questions instead of 30.

Similarly, Paper 2 for BArch will have a total of 77 questions. In the drawing test, candidates will now require to solve two questions instead of three. While Part 1 and Part 2 of this paper will be computer-based, Part 3 will involve pen and paper test.

Preparation tips

Being aware of these latest changes in the JEE Main exam pattern will help you prepare better. Here are some pointers that facilitate your preparation for the upcoming JEE, and even crack it in one go.

Prepare a daily timetable and smartly allocate days for each topic. Always remember not to spend much time on one topic, rather study at least 2-3 topics, side by side. Doing so will help you stay engaged and maintain the momentum instead of getting bored and gradually losing out interest. Apart from doing regular revisions, fix a day, for instance, Sunday, for revising the work done in the past week.

Practice solving more and more questions rather than mugging up the theory part. As part of regular revision practice, prepare a list of 50-60 standard questions that should cover all the relevant topics and practice them rigorously.

Divide the syllabus into Class 11 and Class 12 topics. It is always advisable to start your preparations with a lower level (Class 11) and then gradually proceed to a higher level (Class 12) to make your base stronger, which will help you better understand the higher-level subjects. Remember, JEE will comprise a right mix of both levels. Prepare accordingly!

Carefully analyse the question papers of last 10-15 years of both JEE and AIEEE. Doing so will give you a clear idea of which topics should be given the maximum weightage.

Don’t forget to cover those topics that are being asked almost every year. This shows the level of importance they carry. For instance, a candidate should never miss out topics such as thermodynamics, organic chemistry, calculus, complex numbers, coordinate geometry among others. Most essentially, revise them at least 2-3 times on a regular basis.

Lastly, never break your sleeping pattern as it may affect your health and make you feel lethargic the next day. Maintaining a disciplined sleep cycle will enable you to stay active and focused during exam hours. And remember the mantra: Study, solve, eat, sleep and repeat.

(The writer is founder, Catalyst Group)