8 tips to crack JEE Mains

It's important to keep the momentum going leading up to the exam.
Be consistent in your approach so you can reach your goals, says JEE educator Om Sharma.

The IIT-Joint Entrance Exam (Main) is a computer-based online examination administered by the National Testing Agency for students interested in studying undergraduate courses at India's top engineering colleges, including the Indian Institutes of Technology and National Institutes of Technology.

The JEE is currently in its second phase and will be held on March 15, 16, 17, and 18 this year.

The exams will be conducted in two shifts: 9 am to 12 pm and 3 to 6 pm.

It was recently announced that the JEE Main 2021 exam (Paper 1) will be conducted four times a year.

The exams began in February 2021 and will conclude in May. Registration for phase 2 started on March 1.

The syllabus for JEE Main 2021 will not change throughout the year.

Students will have the option of taking any 75 of the 90 questions (25 per subject).

There will be two sections for each subject. Section A entails Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs), while Section B will have questions that will have to be filled as a numerical value.

For section B, there is no negative marking and candidates are required to attempt any five of the ten questions.

Here are some of the strategies that aspirants can follow to crack JEE mains 2021:

1. Focus on JEE Main or Advanced

Categorise yourself among the following:

• If you score greater than 180 marks, you should then focus on IIT JEE Advanced.
• If your score is between 110 to 170 marks, you can choose a mid-path of JEE Mains and Advanced.
• If your score is less than 110, you should focus on remaining attempts at IIT JEE Mains 2021. (These marks are not considered under the reservation policy. If you belong to reserved category, plan accordingly)

2. Combating Board Exam

If you are appearing in Class 12 board exam this year or if you have dropped (students improving their board exam score), then make a thorough attempt for JEE Main in the month of March and April.

Planning this way will leave you with ample time to focus on your boards in the month of May.

3. Reality Check: Acceptance

Once the scorecard is out for the February attempt, students get to know about their actual performance on national level.

Sometimes, it becomes difficult for the students to accept the result.

It may bring down the confidence but students must stay positive with support from their teachers, mentors and perform with all their energy and improved problem solving skills in the remaining JEE Main attempts.

4. Self-analysis of February attempt

Students must keep a checklist of their mistakes from February attempt; like calculation mistakes, poor time management, uncovered syllabus and start working on these.

It is important to remember that things will not change overnight but will certainly improve.

5. Role of parents

While a student appears for a competitive exam, the role of parents becomes very crucial.

Providing them with a supporting atmosphere certainly increases their efficiency.

Instead of frequently monitoring their academic performance, follow a balanced approach to boost their motivation.

6. Performance pressure

The syllabus for JEE Mains will be the same in every attempt. However, after a few attempts, it becomes very difficult to keep momentum going.

Many students lose their motivation to appear for the remaining exams.

Do not underestimate yourself, be consistent and keep performing until you reach your goals.

7. Avoid discussion over college allocation

Do not indulge yourself in discussing college allocation as per your marks as JEE exam is yet to get over.

Invest your time wisely and utilise it to improve your PCM (Physics-Chemistry-Math) skills. Also, stay connected with your subject mentors.

8. Stay healthy physically and mentally

After a certain point, exam stress becomes challenging. It is essential to keep a balance of both mental as well as physical health.

Avoid late night studies and get proper sleep.

Try to eat more healthy and light food. Covid safety and vaccination are also equally important.

The rank list will be released online after the National Testing Agency (NTA) announces the JEE Main results.

Students' ranks will be assigned based on their performance in the JEE Mains entrance exam.

The candidate's All India Rank and Category Rank will be included in the online rank list.

It's no surprise that this exam is considered as one of the most difficult exams in the country for BTech. With the right tactics and approach, however, any aspirant can pass the JEE Mains in the first attempt.

Om Sharma is a top IIT JEE educator at Unacademy, a Bengaluru-based edtech firm.