Smart tips to crack IIT-JEE and AIEEE 2011

This year the IIT-JEE is scheduled to be held on April 10 and AIEEE on May 1, 2011. Approximately five lakh students are expected to appear for IIT-JEE 2011 and the number appearing for AIEEE is expected to touch 12 lakh, making it the biggest entrance exam in our country.

A serious aspirant has separate strategies for Boards, IIT-JEE and AIEEE, however, what's common is the Board exam syllabus. Hence, it is advisable to make sure that when preparing for engineering entrance exams all chapters relevant to Board exams are definitely covered first.

My advice to students is to avoid selective study in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. This is because with the number of questions being more in objective type papers and with intermingling of their underlying concepts, all topics may be covered.

The syllabus is almost completely based on Class 11 and Class 12. View the exhaustive syllabus with all chapters and their topics by logging on to the IIT-JEE website.

The author is Head FIIT-JEE, NOIDA.

IIT-JEE 2011

This exam includes conceptual and tricky questions. Students have to be very conscious while marking the correct answers and understand concepts across all topics, very clearly. With just 12 weeks left for the exam, a serious aspirant ideally must have completed the syllabus by now.

Exam pattern

• There are question papers of three-hour duration, each. Both question papers comprise three separate sections on Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics. They will be of objective type, designed to test comprehension, reasoning and analytical ability of candidates.
• All questions will be Multiple Choice Type (MCQ).
• Negative marking will be followed in the checking of examinations.
• You can opt for a question paper in English or Hindi.
• Cracking the exam
• Students must focus on three things while preparing:
• Building the concepts
• Proper applications of concepts
• Practising of JEE-level problems

i. Time to be devoted to each subject (Physics, Chemistry, Maths)

All three are important and you must devote equal time for all subjects. Focus on topics of Class 12 Board exam, then revise Class 11 topics.

ii. Time to be devoted to regular classes at school

Majority of the topics of IIT-JEE are also covered in the Board exams, hence it is recommended that you prepare for both exams, simultaneously. Practise all NCERT problems while brushing up JEE chapters.

iii. When to start taking part/ full-length tests and how to go about analysing the results

Once you complete the syllabus of Class 12, you can start taking mock IIT-JEE tests. These tests can be taken as Part Syllabi or Full Syllabi. The part tests cover topics of Class 11 and Class 12, separately, whereas full syllabi tests are based on the complete Class 11 and 12 syllabi.

For better preparation one can join a test series programme. These tests not only check the level of preparation of an individual for IIT-JEE but also makes him or her aware about their command over the subject, speed in writing the exam, topics and strong and weak areas.

iv. Expert speak

Time management: Proper planning is most important in timely preparation and dealing with the study pressure.

• Divide these crucial 24 weeks aptly in the three subjects.
• Prepare a chapter-wise, topic-wise revision schedule.
• Create short notes, list all formulae and points to remember. This will help in quick revision before the examination.

Correct methodology: The correct approach for those appearing for the first time or second (last) time is to stick to one source and not to refer to multitude of books/ study material available in the market.

For example it is sufficient to go through study-packages, IIT-JEE archives, review-packages, work-books, Grand Masters Package/Equivalent, AITS/AIITS series etc, if you have enrolled at a training institute. To reap the benefits, the students, should remain focused throughout the preparation period, with a positive attitude to study with utmost concentration.

v. Do toppers prepare differently?

The key to right preparation is proper, timely planning. Toppers learn from their weak areas and practise well in time to correct them by all possible means. Correct attitude and acute focus is the key to be a topper. They divide their preparation time accordingly. They stick to a single system of preparation and have faith in themselves. Thus, they gradually build up their confidence level and are geared up to crack any difficult question. They ensure solving all previous IIT-JEE questions, keeping their concepts crystal clear.

vi. Important topics in Physics/ Chemistry/Mathematics

The syllabus of Class 11 & 12 contributes about 45 per cent and 55 per cent of IIT-JEE question papers respectively. When you are preparing all chapters of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, stress may be given on the following topics.

Mathematics: Quadratic Equations & Expressions, Complex Numbers, Probability, Vectors, Matrices in Algebra; Circle, Parabola, Hyperbola in Coordinate Geometry; Functions, Limits, Continuity and Differentiability, Application of Derivatives, Definite Integral in Calculus.

Expert tip: Try to do as many number of quality problems as possible to develop a sound confidence level.

Physics: Mechanics, Fluids, Heat & Thermodynamics, Waves and Sound, Capacitors & Electrostatics, Magnetics, Electromagnetic Induction, Optics and Modern Physics.

Expert tip: Practising quality problems is the key to success in this subject. If concepts are clear then this subject becomes all the more interesting.

Chemistry: Qualitative Analysis, Coordination Chemistry & Chemical Bonding in Inorganic Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Chemical Equilibrium in Physical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, complete as a topic.

Expert tip: Just put your efforts on practice in case of Inorganic Chemistry. In case of Organic part, first build up your all basic reactions, then start do lots of practice. And for Physical Part, same thing you have to do as in case of Organic Part.

Recommendation: Students are advised to avoid selective study in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. The reason being, the number of questions are more in the objective papers where there is intermingling of concepts from various topics.

Synchronising preparation for IIT-JEE, AIEEE and Board exams

For IIT-JEE, practice as much as you can. For AIEEE, many students tend to think that if they prepare for IIT-JEE, this enough for AIEEE. This is not correct as while preparing for AIEEE, as they have to prepare for CBSE exam, if they are freshers.

Otherwise, those who have ped also have to prepare for CBSE. Only then he can think of getting a rank less than 20,000 in AIEEE.

• Always start from BASICS.
• Build up on the right and appropriate CONCEPT.
• Don't refer to solutions before doing a SELF-ATTEMPT at least five times till you get the right answer.
• Avoid leaving the question in between because one must learn to understand till what level his/ her concepts are clear. One may also fail to see how close they were to the answer.
• Always try a question with a CONCEPTUAL APPROACH and not just read the question then start doing without getting the point that what question is saying.
• Your study schedule should be such that you will even easily get time for a little enjoyment daily.
• The most important thing is that you should have a time schedule as well as be REGULAR in study.
• Also, you will have to take appropriate sleep or rest of at least six hours a day if you are preparing for IIT-JEE. Otherwise your mindset for next day will not be in place.
• Never cram. Try to UNDERSTAND the problem or theory.
• Never lose your self-confidence.
• Keep in touch with intelligent students in your class or coaching centre to get that extra edge.
• Make it a point to appear in competitive Exams like OLYMPIADS, KVPY, SAT, Advanced Placements, etc, to brush up on your aptitude and analytical ability.
• Prepare as per prescribed syllabi of the exam. Don't over-stress yourself by going beyond the syllabus.
• Whenever you complete a chapter or topic, go through that topic from NCERT as this would prepare you for the Board exams.
• Problem-solving must be qualitative than quantitative. Keep in mind that you have done problems covering all concepts within a given chapter. So, be confident.
• If one has the right 'attitude' required towards preparation for the Exam then even an average students can think of clearing it.

IIT-JEE last-minute tips

Stay focussed and maintain a positive attitude

Develop speed. Refer to reputed mock-test series to build a winning exam temperament. Solve the past year's IIT-JEE papers. Focus on your weak areas and improve upon your concepts.

Practise of JEE level questions is necessary as it improves your reasoning and analytical ability.

Remember it is quality of time spent and not the quantity alone. Hence give short breaks of 5 to ten minutes after every one or two hours of serious study. Completely relax when you take a break. Practice meditation to develop inner calm, poise, confidence and power of concentration. These matter a lot on the day of examination.

Don't overstress yourself. Five to six hours of sleep every night is a must, especially three-four days before IIT-JEE to keep you physically and mentally fit. While short naps may help to regain freshness, avoid over-sleeping during the day.

Finally, don't be nervous if you find the paper tough since it is the relative performance that counts. Put your best analytical mind to work, and believe in your preparation.

AIEEE 2011

The All India Engineering Entrance Exam is recommended and considered to be a highly competitive exam for those aspiring to get admission to NITs and other top colleges. Therefore students start preparing for it much before the actual entrance examination. AIEEE is conducted by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Therefore the syllabus of AIEEE is from CBSE Class 11 and 12 syllabus.

Exam pattern

BE/ B.Tech: The exam is of three-hour duration with objective questions in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics with equal importance given to each subject. Each question will have four options. There is a negative marking of 1/4th marks also for incorrect answers.

B.Arch/B.Planning: The exam is of three-hour duration comprising three parts: Mathematics, Aptitude test and Drawing test. While Mathematics and Aptitude test will have objective questions and the drawing test will have questions to check the drawing aptitude.

Engineering/ Architecture Entrance Examinations (AIEEE) is amongst the most prominent exams for admission in engineering/architecture Bachelor's courses throughout most of the leading engineering/architecture institutes across the country. Hence, AIEEE is the most popular engineering Entrance examination for BE/ B.Tech aspiring students. Every year a huge number of students participate in this exam to get admission in the various reputed NITs and State-level institutes. You must practise a good number of problems in each subject, develop a very good speed in problem solving and be accurate in calculations and marking OMR.

For AIEEE, one will have to learn some tricks to solve all questions in the stipulated time frame.

AIEEE Last-minute tips

There are certain strategies you must follow to maximise your score:

• The examination may have different marking for different questions. One of the earlier versions of AIEEE had questions of this nature. Read the instructions carefully and understand the relative difficulty levels.
• In case all the questions carry equal marks, then the strategy should be based on time management i.e. identify those must do questions initially which you can easily do.
• Make sure that you identify those must do questions from each of the subjects - Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics irrespective of the question paper order.
• Study and analyse the IIT-JEE 2011 paper as accurately as possible so that you are able to answer similar questions if asked in your AIEEE paper.
• While solving the AIEEE paper, you have to be quick. Don't waste more than half- an- hour to 45 minutes in Chemistry. While solving the paper, most of the questions would be theoretical which requires less solving. Don't waste more than one hour in Physics and utilise the time in Mathematics.
• One last thing one should remember before taking this exam is don't get nervous while solving the paper. Even if you have attempted 70 per cent of the paper, it's enough to get a rank in Top 1000.