JEE Main 2021 Prep Tips & Benefits of Changes in Exam, Saurabh Kumar, Director Academics, Vidyamandir Classes

National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct JEE Main 2021 in four sessions in February, March, April and May. Also, NTA made changes in exam pattern by allowing choices within questions. These changes will certainly relieve students from the effect of study loss due to covid pandemic. Careers360 interacted with Saurabh Kumar, Director Academics, Vidyamandir Classes on how students will benefit from new changes brought in JEE Main 2021 and also tips & suggestions for the preparation of the exam. Check important tips from the expert about JEE Main 2021 preparation.

Careers360:- Now that NTA will conduct JEE Main four times in a year. How do you see it from a student's perspective?

Saurabh Kumar:- That JEE Mains will be conducted four times in a year- February, March, April and May, this decision is good for students. My personal advice to the students who are currently in class 12th is to attempt JEE Mains to be conducted in February and May owing to the fact that Board exams will be in April, most probably. As for the 12th passed students, I’d suggest they attempt their Mains in March and May. Everything has a downside but there’s also a bright side to JEE Mains being conducted four times a year. It’s a right move keeping in mind the pandemic and various restraints that a student has to face.

Careers360:- What changes should students adopt to prepare and appear for JEE Main 4 times.

Saurabh Kumar:- It’s not necessary for students to attempt JEE Mains 4 times, however, it’s totally up to them as to how many times they want to try. My recommendation for students would be to try to attempt maximum 2-3 times. Additionally, I’d advise the present batch of class 12th students to give their all in the February attempt and 12th passed students to attempt the exam in March wholeheartedly. There’s no extra preparation needed for 4 attempts. Moreover, if you don’t feel satisfied with your percentile even after 2 attempts, you can give the third one. Often when we are thrown with many options, we are bound to get laid back. Don’t get slacked, pour your sincere efforts in the very first endeavour. Don’t lose focus, strive for JEE Advance which is likely to happen at the end of June. The most important factor to be emphasised right now is the change in pattern of the options pertaining to given questions. Practice on problems related to integers, you can score well there. Refer to the important topics. Keep solving previous years question papers. There are more than 100 papers available on NTA’s website, try doing them. JEE Mains being organised four times in a year doesn’t make any difference, treat this as a normal paper.

Careers360:- Board exam will now be somewhere in between these four attempts? What should students do to appear in both board and JEE to score good marks?

Saurabh Kumar:- The Board examinations are likely to be conducted between May and June, after the guidelines issued by the Education Ministry. For the current batch of class 12th students, February and May attempt should be considered as utmost important as the boards to be scheduled sometime between March and April can hinder their scope of JEE Mains. However, there’s no need to panic and get tensed, address the coming exams like that of the previous years. Just stay focused and work hard.

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Careers360:- What would you advise to the students who are preparing for JEE Main 2021 among covid pandemic?

Saurabh Kumar:- First advice is that they should keep studying as regular as exams will not be diluted because of COVID. They should use online classes and try to take doubts physically if it is allowed by the government of that state with precautions. Keep taking a mock test and analyse them.

Careers360:- As coaching’s and schools have been closed for a long time, what should be the ideal practice for students studying by themselves?

Saurabh Kumar:- Schools & coaching’s are operational in online mode, so the medium of communication has changed so there is hardly any loss of studies. Ideal practice is to study online and interact with teachers in offline mode once a fortnight to keep themselves motivated. Please note the guidelines issued by the state government.

Careers360:- There’s still uncertainty in JEE Main 2021 dates and board exams. How should students be studying to perform well?

Saurabh Kumar:- First of all as I said there is uncertainty about the dates but exams will be there so students need to keep their preparation in full swing. Secondly dates of jee will be in February last as told by the ministry of education.

Careers360:- How good are online coaching for preparing exams like JEE Main.

Saurabh Kumar:- Offline coaching’s which are delivered online due to pandemic are only good for preparation. Mushrooming Edutech with no experience are very harmful for students.

Careers360:- Books play an overly critical role in the preparation; Kindly name some books which students should follow.

Saurabh Kumar:- Students should follow not more than one or two books per subject because too many books only create confusion. In my opinion VMC study material is best for preparing for JEE.

Careers360:- What is the best method to study according to you?

Saurabh Kumar:- Study/revise theory and important formula then do some solved examples followed by ample number of unsolved questions and note the questions which you were not able to do in first go and revise them again. While solving the questions see the key concepts and methods used and keep in mind.

Careers360:- Which of the topics you will suggest as important; Please mention it for Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics separately.

Saurabh Kumar:- From JEE Main point of view

Careers360:- Students rely hugely on coaching study material, where do you extract that from; which books are used for the purpose.

Saurabh Kumar:- There are so many books and references used in preparing the material it is very difficult to list them if I name a few that will be injustice to others if I broadly say maximum books are used for chemistry followed by physics followed by maths.

Careers360:- What role do coaching institutes play in the preparation of JEE Main exam

Saurabh Kumar:- Schools prepare students for board or curriculum exams and they are best in it but the goal of the school is not entrance exams so their pedagogy is not the same. Whereas coaching aims for clearing the entrance exam so they clear each and every concept how small or how complex it is then followed by practice then testing as per exam pattern and environment.

Careers360:- A lot of students find themselves nowhere citing the difficulty level of the exam, either in between their preparation or at the beginning; what would you say to encourage them.

Saurabh Kumar:- This normally happens because of a huge backlog and underestimating class 11th 12th studies feeling it is the same as class 10th. Firstly, we need to increase self-study time from class 11th and prevent creating a backlog. If the backlog is created then clear it on holiday or spending extra time on it.

Careers360:- As an expert, what would you suggest as a thumb rule to follow for JEE Main preparation

Saurabh Kumar:-

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