If you have been selected to take the JEE (Advanced) exam, it makes sense to prepare well for it, too.
JEE test observers say there may not be major changes in the question papers but candidates must be prepared for changes in the negative marking system.
The test is relatively easy to crack if you understand the focus given to various topics in the past three years, says B. Pavan Kumar, deputy director of FIIT-JEE, Chennai. He advises reading the NCERT books thoroughly.
“Around 50 to 60 per cent questions are easy and can be solved even by a mediocre student,” he says, advising students to ensure that calculations are done properly as calculators are not allowed.
According to him, the Indian Institutes of Technology follow a standard procedure wherein, usually, only around 20 per cent of the paper requires good problem-solving ability.
A candidate with good understanding of definitions and formulae can solve around 30 per cent of the questions. The remaining requires a little thinking and analysis and careful application of concepts.
Managing timeIn each of the two papers, since candidates have to answer 60 questions in three hours as per last year’s format, candidates must attempt the easy and moderate questions which comprise 60 to 70 per cent and are “scattered across the paper”, says Mr. Kumar. Tougher questions come next as they require more time. The toughest questions are best left for the end.
“Do not mark the answers for the remaining questions without solving as they attract negative marking. Ensure that you mark the optical response sheet correctly as it is here that most students end up making mistakes. Since the JEE (Advanced) marks are used for admission to IITs, remaining focused on writing the test meticulously helps,” he says.
