With IIT-JEE entrance exam just a few days away, students are studying hard to give their best. Aakash Chaudhry tells you that proper strategy and planning, especially during last minute helps ace the exam
The final and crucial day has almost approached and the JEE aspirants are all set to give their best shot as they know that this is the “big chance” for them. Nowadays, the IIT-JEE entrance exams are structured with respect to testing students’ aptitude, analytical, logical and reasoning skills. Therefore, it is an imperative for students to plan a right strategy ahead of the test. Even though the syllabus of Class XII and the new IIT-JEE are similar, the pattern of the exam is quite different.
Many students get jitters and goose bumps on the thought of understanding formulae, equations and theorems. Now that not many days are left, they don’t have to lose sleep and mind over what and how to study. Here are some important topics and last minute strategies to make sure that you come out with flying colours.
JEE Main
The JEE Main paper is an apt example of time management for exams. It’s crucial to optimise your performance by practicing a good number of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). There are 90 questions in all to be done in three hours duration. So on an average, you must aim to devote two minutes per question. But there are questions which may consume more time than others. That means one must be able to solve some other questions in lesser time so as to manage time well. This could be achieved by going through a good number of MCQs.
Important topics (Main)
Every portion of the syllabus is important, but, there are certain topics in every subject which form the basis of the entire subject and can serve your purpose of scoring well. These topics can be applied in all other chapters, and therefore, having a thorough understanding of them is important.
Physics: You should have a fair understanding of Kinematics and Dynamics and it is essential to be able to build a strong problem solving ability. Also, the Theory of Fields (Electromagnetism) is very important.
Chemistry: Physical chemistry can fetch you real good scores and hence all the units in it must be done carefully. Students tend to neglect Inorganic Chemistry but just a proper understanding of it can prove beneficial.
Mathematics: Calculus forms a base for almost every part of mathematics. Other important and scoring topics are determinants, sequences, permutation and combination. The student must be able to relate the complex numbers with coordinate geometry and vectors. Three dimensional should be practiced to get that additional or compensating score.
JEE Advance
General preparation strategy
For JEE (Advanced) one should build a strong foundation of concepts and developing skills to tackle numerical problems, that need calculations as well as a good aptitude. For this one needs to be thorough with theory pertaining to each topic, test the understanding of the theory by solving short answer type and assertion reason- based questions. Also the aspirant should be able to solve a good number of subjective type problems. This would certainly help in developing even deeper understanding of the subject. Finally, a student must practice a good number of MCQs to build up speed and accuracy.
Topics of Importance
Physics: In addition to mechanics and electrodynamics; enough time must be allotted to heat and thermodynamics, optics and modern physics. These topics are generally the most neglected topics which can prove to be risk factors. But they are the easiest and scoring topics and share a good percentage of total marks of the exam.
Chemistry: Enough time should be devoted to general principles of organic chemistry, as this will make the remaining part easy to comprehend. Physical chemistry is important as numerical problems asked from this section are scoring and not too difficult. Pay special attention to learn inorganic chemistry as there are many facts and figures to be remembered. One can learn this topic by continuous revision.
Mathematics: One must be able to understand inter-relationship between various topics so as to know their importance. The knowledge and skills developed by understanding and preparing for Coordinate Geometry, can be used to solve problems in complex numbers. The knowledge of vectors is also very helpful in these topics. To solve problems of probability, the student must be strong in permutation and combinations. Formula and problem solving skills developed by thorough practice of trigonometry are useful in almost all topics.
last minute tips
Don’t touch any new topic: This is time to revise and go through already prepared topics. Taking up new topics will only lead to a panicky situation. It’s advisable to be thorough with whatever you know than skim through new concepts and chapters.
Be well versed with physics, chemistry and mathematics: Keep a track of all the topics in the respective subjects, as there are certain topics that make for an entire subject. Application based chapters are very important to be looked upon. It is essential to pay equal weight-age to physics, chemistry and mathematics as the exam constitutes questions based on the same. Always remember that you must prepare keeping in mind the exam notification, syllabus, patterns and importance of chapters so you can pay special attention to topics of utmost importance.
Refer to NCERT Textbooks: Treat NCERT textbooks as a bible. Going through the concepts and key points of this textbook makes for a strong foundation for entrance exams. Several illustrated examples are very well explained to clear all doubts.
Mock test papers: Run through last five years’ mock text IIT-JEE test papers. This will help you understand the pattern and complexity of an entrance paper. Also, practicing them will enhance your skills to appear for the nearing exam. A student should have taken at least 15 to 20 full length tests before taking the actual exam.
Rest and Relax: It is good to take some time off and do things that rejuvenate you and keep your mind cool. Watching a movie, meditation, jogging or playing football is advisable.
Don’t lose mind and be confident: The IIT- JEE is just like any other exam. As long as you are doing your bit and keeping yourself disciplined & motivated about your preparation, clearing the entrance exam will appear to be a cakewalk!
The writer is Aakash Chaudhry, director, Aakash Educational Services ltd.