Preparing For JEE Main and AP EAPCET? Subject-Wise Question Paper, Exam Analysis

A large section of students write both national and state-level entrance tests for Engineering every year. At the national level, the main exam is the Joint Entrance Examination Main (JEE Main) through which admission is granted to a large number of central technical institutions as well as engineering colleges in participating states. State “common entrance tests” such as the Andhra Pradesh Engineering Agricultural and Pharmacy Common Entrance Test (AP EAPCET) are for state public and private institutions only.

Since thousands prepare for both simultaneously and will eventually have to pick an institution through one over the other, it helps to compare the exam patterns, difficulty level and other aspects of the JEE Main and AP EAPCET. Clarity on the similarities and differences is critical for developing an efficient strategy for acing them.

JEE Main: Introduction

The JEE Main is the national-level exam through which admission is granted to National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and Government-Funded Technical Institutions (GFTIs). It also serves as a screening test for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) for final admission, the top rankers in JEE Main have to write another test, the JEE Advanced.

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These lead to admission to undergraduate (BTech) and integrated postgraduate (BTech-MTech) programmes. The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts the JEE Main. The JEE Advanced is organised by a different IIT each year – JEE Advanced 2023 was conducted by IIT Guwahati and JEE Advance 2024 will be conducted by IIT Madras.

AP EAPCET: Introduction

The AP EAPCET is for admission to a range of BTech, BPharma, and Veterinary Science degree courses including Engineering, Biotechnology, Dairy Technology, Agriculture, Food Science and Technology, Horticulture, and Pharmacy. There are around 320 colleges which admit through AP EAPCET for engineering and 72 colleges for BSc and BPharma. The top 10 colleges in which admission is via AP EAPCET are:

• Koneru Lakshmaiah (KL) University, Guntur

• Andhra University College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam

• Vignan's Foundation for Science Technology and Research, Guntur

• Jawaharlal Nehru Technical University (JNTU), Kakinada

• Velagapudi Ramakrishna Siddhartha Engineering College (VRSEC), Vijayawada

• G Pulla Reddy Engineering College (GPREC), Kurnool

• GMR Institute of Technology (GMRIT), Rajam

• Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam

• Godavari Institute of Engineering and Technology (GIET ), Rajahmundry

• Madanapalle Institute of Technology and Science (MITS), Madanapalle

The AP EAPCET includes two different exams – one for Engineering, and the other for BSc and BPharma courses. Here, only the Engineering part is discussed.

AP EAPCET, JEE Main Exam Patterns Compared

The NTA JEE Main exam pattern includes multiple choice questions(MCQ) as well as numerical types of questions. In all, there are 90 questions, of which 75 are mandatory to attempt. The JEE Main question paper contains three sections, one for each of the following three subjects:

• Physics

• Chemistry

• Mathematics

In JEE Main, each subject is divided into two sections. Section 1 has 20 MCQs that must all be answered; Section 2 has 10 numerical questions, of which only five must be answered. Each correct response fetches four marks; zero is awarded for an unanswered question; in the case of MCQs, for every incorrect answer, one mark is deducted following the “negative marking” policy. In case of wrong answers to Numerical Questions, no marks are deducted.

The AP EAPCET Engineering exam is a three-hour test with a total of 160 questions. This paper, too, is divided into three sections:

• Physics

• Chemistry

• Mathematics

A candidate has to answer all parts. There are 40 questions each from Physics and Chemistry, and 80 from Maths. All of them are MCQs, with one mark awarded for each correct response. The AP EAPCET does not have a negative marking policy.

JEE Main, AP EAPCET: Differences, Similarities

Both JEE Main and AP EAPCET are computer-based. On behalf of the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE), Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Kakinada conducts the EAPCET once a year.

The NTA conducted the JEE Main twice in 2019,2020,2022,2023 and 2024 and four times in 2021. For candidates who write the JEE Main multiple times in a year, the best score is considered for the JEE Main result and rank list.

The number of applicants for the JEE Main is many times the number writing the AP EAPCET. In 2024, more than 2.31 lakh students applied for JEE Main January sessions and 12.57 lakh for the April session, with around 12.25 lakh students eventually appearing for the January session. Between JEE Main and JEE Advanced, admission is granted to 39,767 seats, including 17,385 seats at IITs and 22,382 seats at NITs, GFTIs, IIITs, and other colleges. The AP EAPCET test was taken by over 1.95 lakh candidates in 2023.

Both JEE Main and AP EAPCET - Engineering cover the same three subjects, Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. However, in the JEE Main, all three are equally important and carry equal weightage in marks. In the AP EAPCET - Engineering exam, the weightage assigned to Mathematics is twice that of Physics and Chemistry individually.

The AP EAPCET question paper has questions in English and Telugu. JEE Main is held in over a dozen languages including English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.

A student can write JEE Main for three consecutive years starting from when they are in Class 12. While there is no upper age limit for applying for AP EAPCET.

The rank card produced in the case of the AP EAPCET , contains significant information regarding a candidate's performance in the exam, including marks obtained, rank and qualification status. In the case of JEE Main, candidates are provided scorecards with percentiles for each component as well as the overall percentile.

AP EAPCET, JEE Main Syllabus, Subject-Wise Preparation

The difficulty levels of AP-EAPCET and JEE Main differ. The questions in the JEE Main are more challenging. But the questions in the AP-EAPCET are more in number. Given below are detailed comparisons between questions from different subjects asked in the two exams.

PHYSICS

Syllabus Compared

Experimental Skills is missing from AP EAPCET and Communication Systems chapter from JEE Main, apart from this the physics syllabus in AP EAPCET and JEE Main is nearly the same. The AP EAPCET does not ask about experimental lab abilities. However, the questions in the AP EAPCET are more formula-based and simpler than those in the Jee Main.

Weightage Compared

The most common questions in the AP EAPCET are about Heat and Thermodynamics. After Heat, several topics from Mechanics are important, including Rotation, Work and Energy, and Laws of Motion. In the AP EAPCET, Mechanics make up 40% of the Physics section.

Chapter-Wise Comparison Between JEE Main And AP EAPCET Physics

CHEMISTRY

Syllabus Compared

Except for Experimental Lab Skills, the Chemistry syllabus in both examinations covers all topics and chapters included in the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks for Classes 11 and 12. The AP EAPCET does not ask questions on the Lab Skills. For Chemistry in the case of AP EAPCET the questions are easy to solve but higher in number than in the JEE but must be solved within the same time-frame.

Weightage Compared

In AP EAPCET, all sections of Chemistry – Organic, Inorganic and Physical – carry equal weight. The s - block, p - block, d and f - block elements are the most scoring topics in AP EAPCET. Questions from Chemical Bonding And Molecular Structures are few but the topic crucial as it is foundational for both Organic and Inorganic Chemistry. Following is the detailed chapter-by-chapter comparison of the JEE Main and AP EAPCET syllabus.

Chapter-Wise Comparison Between JEE Main And AP EAPCET Chemistry

MATHEMATICS

Syllabus Compared

Mathematics is the most significant subject for AP EAPCET - Engineering as it contributes the most questions. Mathematics questions make up about 50 percent of the exam. In JEE Main, Mathematics consists of 33 percent of the questions. The AP EAPCET’s Maths questions are not easy but they are significantly less challenging than the JEE Main.

Weightage Compared

Students should focus on Trigonometric Equations, Triangle Properties, Complex Numbers, Calculus, and Probability, according to previous years’ questions and tests in the AP EAPCET.

Chapter-Wise Comparison Between JEE Main And AP EAPCET Mathematics

AP EAPCET, JEE Main: Which Is Easier?

AP EAPCET is simpler than JEE Main, but it has more than double the number of questions in JEE Main to be solved within the same time-frame.

However, if we compare the quality of questions, AP EAPCET questions are easier to solve. The AP EAPCET and JEE Main syllabuses are essentially identical, in terms of Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, to those of Classes 11 and 12.

The biggest difference between the two exams is in the question paper pattern.It is a good idea to practise questions from a few different reference books. Previous years’ question papers and mock test questions can make a student become familiar with various types of questions, grading schemes, and essential themes.

Prepare For JEE Main, AP EAPCET Together

Both examinations are essentially identical in terms of complexity. However, AP EAPCET contains a larger number of questions. Because the exam patterns differ, it is vital to prepare for both tests by practising on old question papers and sample test papers. Here’s what can work:

• Make a study schedule that works for you.

• Do not leave out any part of the syllabus

• Solve all of the previous years’ tests and practise papers

• If feasible, conduct group study

• Work hard but also work smart

• Avoid studying at odd hours or when tired

• Read all course material carefully