JEE Main 2022 Experts Tips by RL Trikha, Director of FIITJEE

The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) is India's most competitive engineering examination. Lakhs of students attempt this examination and the competition level is high so they often turn to coaching for guidance and expert consultation. One such coaching is FIITJEE, which is a premier institution providing coaching services to aspirants planning to take the JEE exam.

In a recent interview with Team Careers360, Director, RL Trikha, FIITJEE Group has shared his tips for candidates preparing for the JEE exam. Check the detailed IIT JEE preparation tips shared by him in the below article -

Q1. How to strategize the JEE preparation along with board exams?

Ans. This is the phase when students must not only focus on scoring good marks but also perfect the art of simultaneous preparation for two major examinations of their life - Board and JEE Main. It is not difficult, since NCERT syllabus and books of class XI & XII are the foundation of JEE Main. Hence if you prepare well for the Board smartly, understanding application of concepts, increase the speed and accuracy of solving JEE Main type problems, you are sure to scale both the examinations with high marks.

Here are some tips to master the simultaneous preparation of Board exams and JEE Main:

• Plan a Timetable. In order to attain what you aspire for, it is vital to have the right preparation strategy and follow it strictly. Make the most of the preparation time for board exams to optimize your JEE Main preparation. Be wise & plan out a well-structured strategy that caters to the requirement of both Board exams and JEE Main preparations.
• Prepare without losing Tempo: While the students are preparing for two distinct examinations, the good thing is that the syllabi are mostly common. Even the agency conducting both examinations was the same CBSE TILL 2017.Only from 2018 JEE Main is now conducted by NTA in computer mode. Sometimes due to lack of awareness and imaginary fear of not doing well by simultaneous preparation of both exams, students tend to exclusively focus on the board and start losing touch with the IIT JEE type questions. However, one must understand that if one is preparing for IIT JEE, one is automatically preparing for the Boards. The focus should be on understanding the concepts rather than mugging them up. The Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics remain the same, if one has a thorough understanding of the subject, one should be comfortably able to answer the questions in both types of examinations. One should continue to take JEE type mock tests even during this period. In fact, there are some students who take JEE type tests even during the preparatory holidays and they do exceedingly well in both the exams.
• Divide your preparation time equally. To ensure each subject is given equal emphasis, it is better to divide your preparation time suitably. Spend equal time to revise each subject and then attempt the sample/mock and past years papers. Preparation should be a mixed basket of revision of the JEE main syllabus and taking the sample papers. This way, you will be able to revise the syllabus while taking the sample/mock/past years papers simultaneously.
• Pick the right Study and revision strategy. In this phase when school students are flooded with all kinds of reference books from different publishing houses, it is vital to follow the right books without losing the track. NCERT textbooks serve the best purpose for serious students. Also use revision notes made progressively for two years of school/self-study/reputed coaching institute. At this stage of preparation with only a few months left you can make ready reckoners/concise notes listing chapter wise formulas and key points for in depth understanding of concepts and tricks learnt in their application.
• Get your basic concepts clear. Physics comprises three major sections – Modern, Optics and Electricity. Spend more time on sections that are challenging. Pay more attention to challenging topics in the three subjects. Do not ignore chemistry which is very high scoring with memorizing/practice depending upon the section. Inorganic requires more mugging. Physical chemistry needs practice in numerical. Past papers are a big help to know the format ,distribution and type of questions asked.
• Get the right temperament of exams. Preparing for two exams simultaneously needs to be done methodically and meticulously especially when it comes to getting used to the exam pattern. Be aware of the differences between the board exam paper pattern and the JEE Main pattern.
• Attempt previous years’ papers. Practice makes a man perfect. So, attempting previous years’ test papers of Board exams and JEE Main will help you hone your skills and concepts that you are not confident about and get into the real temperament of exams.
• Take mock tests. It is not too late to find out your weak areas and work accordingly to bridge that gap. Taking JEE Main mock tests will acquaint you with your current preparedness and also your shortcomings. Since 2018, JEE Main is conducted in Online mode, you must join the Online test series of some prestigious institutes to give you practice and familiarity in online mode.

Don’t let your preparation take a toll on your health. Preparation for such exams requires a lot of hard work and dedication, but at the same time, you have to ensure the state of your health is in the right condition. The mental and emotional strain of long nights of hard work can take a toll on your body. Thus, it is advised to eat healthy, take small breaks in between to relax, to sleep at night for 6 to 7 hours and stay relatively stress-free in order to deliver your optimum on the exam day.

Give special emphasis to the exclusive Board type questions: There are certain sub-topics in various subjects which generally get more weightage in the Boards because the questions are subjective. There are also some topics which are part of JEE Main but not part of the JEE Advanced exam which some students tend to ignore during their preparation. For example, in physics the chapters on Electronic Devices and Communications Systems are part of JEE Main and the Board exam but not part of the JEE Advanced Exam. Students should carefully study these chapters along with the Questions from the JEE Main Sample /mock/past years papers so that they can comfortably handle descriptive questions of Board and Multiple choice conceptual questions of IIT JEE from these chapters.

A good source to prepare these chapters would be an Archive of JEE Main/ AIEEE questions of the previous years for JEE Main along with a good collection of Sample Papers for Board.

Understand and develop the Examination Temperament: For the JEE Examination, what really matters is not only how much we know, but also of how much are we able to deliver in those three hours of the examination. Many students make the mistake of attempting the questions sequentially and finding that there is not enough time left to attempt the questions that they otherwise knew how to do. One must remember that JEE is a low scoring exam. Scoring even as low as 60% marks will get a student a decent rank and fetch him a good branch in a reputed college. Rather than aiming at solving all the questions, the aim should be to attempt all the questions that you are confident of doing correctly. The best way to do this is to quickly scan the entire question paper and solve the easy questions first, then go to moderate ones and finally attempt the tough ones without losing time for the easy ones.

Remember, the grades or marks that you score in examinations do play a vital role in determining your career graph. So, stay focused on your goal & put your best foot forward to bridge the gap between your aspiration and reality. Just do your best with a positive attitude & confidence and there would be no reason for you to stumble.

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Q2. Which subject or topics should I cover first?

Ans. All wheels of an automobile have to be inflated together to enable it to move. All the subjects are to be prepared simultaneously. It is advisable to finish all the topics of chapter/subject progressively. If the same chapter is being covered in school and coaching institutes, it is all the easier. If the two are not in sync, still you have to proceed chapter wise of each subject in a planned manner in sync with school/coaching institute. For getting one of the top ranks, selective study is to be avoided. Cover all topics.

Q3. How to make an effective study time-table?

Ans. Entire syllabus of the JEE Main is to be planned in the time available to you up to the day of examination. Last 2 to 4 weeks are to be kept for revision with the help of flagged short notes and formulae/concepts at a glance. Learn, practice, test and feedback, correction cycle is to be followed. Go with a school/coaching institute flow of coverage or you may design your own flow but keeping in mind the complete syllabus. Break into a monthly/weekly/daily time-table, listing subject/chapters/topics/practice of questions. Preferably equal time should be devoted to all subjects.

Thumb rule is that for every hour of lecture in the Coaching Institute you need a minimum 1 hour of assimilation/revision at home.

Q.4 As an expert what is your advice to students for JEE Main preparation?

Ans. JEE Main is designed mostly with questions of singular concepts and some even direct formula based. Except five numerical based (subjective) questions in each subject with a choice of any five from ten, all other questions are multiple choice questions single correct out of four choices given.

Preparation for this examination is not a process to be completed in a month or few months rather it is a continuous process of preparation for year(s) along with class XI & XII Board preparation. Few tips which will help even in the small time left.

Smart planning and time management are the key – a smart revision covering the entire syllabus well within available time. Make a study task table to utilize the time effectively by dividing the subjects and topics on a daily basis to cover revision comfortably. Allocate equal time to each subject. Discipline is the key to follow a timetable meticulously.

• Utilize the resources efficiently. Do not refer to many books. Flagged/tagged study material of a reputed coaching institute and your concise shot study notes and tricks to solve seemingly difficult problems are most handy to clear the application of concepts.

• Attempt online Mock Tests – These tests will provide comparative as well as progressive analysis exposing the weak areas of the student which will help to plan further path of preparation.

• Practice various types of questions. It is the quality and not quantity which will matter. Solve quality questions of past papers.

• Last week(s) strategy – Do intermittently quick revisions from short notes. Go through formulae and concepts at a glance of every chapter of all three subjects. Do not attempt new problems at this stage. Focus more on enhancing conceptual understanding by regular revision, test analysis of mock tests taken and corrective action.

• Believe in yourself, work smart, stay focussed with positive energy and optimism.

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05. Which are the best books to prepare for IIT JEE exam 2022?

Ans. I will advise the students to thoroughly study material provided by a reputed coaching institute. But they and others who are on their own, can refer to the following books.

PHYSICS

• NCERT class XI & XII

• H. C. Verma Concepts of Physics Vol. I & II

• Halliday, Resnick & Walker Fundamentals of Physics

• I. E. Irodov Problems in General Physics

CHEMISTRY

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

• O. P. TANDON

• MORRISON & BOYD

• Solomons

• NCERT class XI & XII

INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

• NCERT class XI & XII

• O. P. TANDON

• J. D. LEE

PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY

• O. P. TANDON

• P. Bahadur for numericals

• P. W. Atkins

• NCERT class XI & XII

MATHEMATICS

• S. L. Loney Plane Trigonometry

• S. L. Loney Coordinate Geometry

• Hall & Knight Higher Algebra

• NCERT class XI & XII

• I. A. Moron Problems in Calculus of one variable

• TMH Complete Mathematics for JEE Main

• Amit Agarwal Differential Calculus

• Amit Agarwal Integral Calculus

06. What are the best ways to handle stress anxiety on the exam date?

Ans. Practice Yogasana, Pranayama and Meditation/Relaxation every day at the same time of the day for convenience. Sleep at least 7 hours the night before examination day. Affirm to yourself mentally that I can do it. I will not worry even if paper looks tough at first sight. Remember it is the relative performance which matters. Take 5 deep breaths before starting the paper. Start with easy questions to give confidence. This itself will reduce the stress to a great extent. Then take up increasing difficulty level questions. Do not attempt questions you do not have any idea of. Avoid negative marking. Do not discuss the paper with any one after the examination. It will keep you calm for the next paper or examination if any in near future. Reach the examination hall at least 20 minute before the start.

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Q.7 Please share some high weightage topics on physics, chemistry and mathematics.

Ans. I advise covering all topics and chapters of all the 3 subjects and discourage selective study. However subject wise chapters with high weightage are given below:

Physics: Modern Physics, Heat and Dynamics, Optics, Current Electricity, Electrostatics, Magnetics carrying 8 to 20 marks questions.

Chemistry: Transition Elements and Coordination Chemistry, Periodic Table and Representative Elements, Thermodynamics and Gaseous State, Atomic Structure, Chemical Bonding, Chemical & Ionic Equilibrium, Solid State and Surface Chemistry, Nuclear Chemistry and Environment.

Mathematics: Coordinate Geometry - Parabola, Circle & Hyperbola, Limits, Continuity & Differentiability, Integral Calculus - Definite Integral, Vectors, 3-D Geometry, Statistics & Probability, Matrices and Determinants, Complex Numbers, Quadratic Equations.

There are variations from year to year. Hence it is advised to do the whole syllabus without any selective studies.

Q.8 How to prepare for JEE Main online?

Ans. There is no difference in student’s preparation strategy for online or off-line examinations. It is very helpful to join online test series on reputed platforms like myPAT who have FIITJEE as their content partner. Students will get first hand experience of doing online papers. Perfection will follow after taking all the tests in series made available by the reputed platform/institute. myPAT & FIITJEE provide one sample paper, 7 Part Tests and 10 Full Test papers. Students can then attempt mock practice test papers available on the NTA platform.

All the very best!

R L Trikha, Director FIITJEE Group.

Ex CMD, MECON