JEE Main, BITSAT Compared: What Your Preparation Strategy Should Be

Birla Institute of Technology and Science Aptitude Test (BITSAT) is conducted for the admissions in the campuses of Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) at Pilani, Goa and Hyderabad. Almost all the candidates who appear for BITSAT sit for the Joint Entrance Examination Main (JEE Main) as well, which makes the former more competitive than the latter. This article will throw light on the commonalities and the differences between JEE Main and BITSAT which will help the candidates to prepare well for both the examinations simultaneously.

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JEE Main: Introduction

The Joint Entrance Examination Main (JEE Main) is the first of the two stages of JEE Advanced, a national-level entrance examination. JEE Main serves as a gateway for admission into National Institutes of Technology (NITs) Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) and government-funded technical institutions (GFTIs). JEE Main is written by students who intend to study engineering, basic sciences or architecture in some of the top colleges of the country. It also serves as a screening stage for JEE Advanced which is a gateway for admission in the undergraduate (BTech) and integrated postgraduate (BTech-MTech) programmes in the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

JEE Main is conducted by the National Testing Agency and JEE Advanced by one of the IITs each year, under the aegis of the Joint Admission Board (JAB). In 2023, the organising institute for JEE Advanced was IIT Guwahati and for 2024, it will be IIT Madras.

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BITSAT: Introduction

BITSAT is a national-level entrance examination conducted by the Birla Institute of Technology and Science for admission to undergraduate and integrated postgraduate programmes such as BE, BPharma, and Integrated MSc at BITS Pilani and other campuses. In this article the comparison is done only for BE programmes.

JEE Main, BITSAT: Exam Patterns

The JEE Main pattern was modified recently and numerical answer questions (questions having no options and numerical value of answer has to be entered in the input box using an on-screen keyboard) have been introduced in the examination.

In JEE Main, there are a total of 90 questions in which students have to attempt 75 questions in 3 hours. The JEE Main has three subjects:

• Physics

• Chemistry

• Maths

JEE Main contains two sections for every subject. Section 1 contains 20 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) while Section 2 contains 10 Numerical response questions out of which only 5 have to be attempted.

As per the latest exam pattern 2024, BITSAT is a three-hour long examination with a total of 130 questions. There are four sections in the paper:

• Part I : Physics
• Part II : Chemistry
• Part III : (a) English Proficiency and (b) Logical Reasoning
• Part IV : Mathematics or Biology (For B.Pharm. candidates)

A student appearing for the BITSAT examination has to choose between Biology and Mathematics for the last section. There are 30 questions on Physics; 30 on Chemistry; 20 on Logical Reasoning and 10 questions on English Proficiency; and 40 questions on Maths or Biology.

The BITSAT paper also includes 12 bonus questions, four from each in Physics, Chemistry, Maths or Biology and logical reasoning. These additional questions can be attempted only after the candidate has attempted all the 130 questions. If a candidate opts for the bonus questions, he/she cannot edit the answers to the first 130 questions. No extra time is given for attempting the bonus questions.

Almost all who want to score 390 or higher on the BITSAT — necessary for a seat in Computer Science in any of the BITS — (CS in any of the BITS) attempt the 12 bonus questions. These 12 additional questions are only available after you've completed the main part.

JEE Main, BITSAT: Differences And Similarities

Both JEE Main and BITSAT exams are now computer-based. Candidates have to write them at designated exam centres. JEE Main was held twice in the years 2021, 2023, and 2024 and the best score out of the attempts was taken into consideration for the merit or rank list. BITSAT is organized in two session in 2024, the higher of the two scores will be considered for admission.

While JEE Main is for admission in government engineering colleges, central and also for several states. BITSAT is only for the various campuses of one of the private colleges in India.

Over 11.62 lakh candidates registered for the two sessions of JEE Main in 2023 and about 11.13 lakh appeared in the examination. As per the JoSAA seat matrix, the total seats are 49085 including 17385 in IITs, while the number of seats in NITs and IIITs are 23954 and 7746 respectively in 2024. In comparison, BITSAT 2023 attracted around 2 lakh aspirants who competed for around 2000 seats.

The level of difficulty of JEE Main is higher than that of BITSAT since the questions in JEE Main are more concept-based. However, the BITSAT contains more questions and its candidates are usually more pressed for time.

The marking schemes are also different. In JEE Main, each correct answer fetches 4 marks and each wrong answer leads to the candidate losing one mark in negative marking. In BITSAT, each correct answer fetches 3 marks and each incorrect answer leads to the docking of one mark in negative marking.

In the case of JEE Main, the paper and solution are published on the official website for students to examine. Students can also ask for a review of the answer key once it has been posted on the official website, jeemain.nta.nic.in. In the case of BITSAT, the scores are displayed immediately once the exam is over.

BITSAT Vs JEE Main: Subject-Wise Preparation Strategy

BITSAT questions are easier than JEE Main and require recollection of the appropriate formulae. The questions asked in JEE Main are more conceptual and require deep knowledge of concepts and techniques. So, a student preparing for JEE Main can easily appear for the BITSAT exam as well. The major difference in the syllabus of the two exams is the presence of English Proficiency and Logical Reasoning in the BITSAT.

Given below are comparisons of questions in the two exams by subject.

PHYSICS

Syllabus Comparison

The syllabus for Physics is almost the same for BITSAT and JEE Main except that the chapter Experimental Lab Skills are present in JEE Main but absent in BITSAT. All remaining chapters from Class 11 and Class 12 Physics textbooks of the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) are relevant to both the examinations. Students preparing for BITSAT and appearing for JEE Main should prepare these topics well.

Weightage Comparison

For BITSAT, focus more on Mechanics as a huge percentage of the questions are from that topic. Topics such as Modern Physics, Current, Optics, and Electrostatics also claim considerable weightage. One should refer to a good reference book for Physics to get a good grip on the concepts and formulae.

Following is the detailed chapter-wise comparison between the two exams.

JEE Main Vs BITSAT Physics Chapter Wise Comparison

CHEMISTRY

Syllabus Comparison

The Chemistry syllabus of both exams includes all the topics and chapters included in the NCERT textbooks of Classes 11 and 12. A few chapters such as Solid State, Surface Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry etc. are present in BITSAT but absent from JEE Main. The level of questions asked in the examinations may vary as questions in JEE Main require more conceptual strength and BITSAT requires more application of formulae.

Weightage Comparison

In BITSAT, Organic Chemistry has a good weightage followed by Inorganic Chemistry. Some additional topics such as Biomolecules, Chemistry in Everyday Life, and Metallurgy should be studied in depth.

In the following table, the detailed syllabus comparison between the two exams is mentioned.

JEE Main Vs BITSAT Chemistry Chapter Wise Comparison

MATHEMATICS

Syllabus Comparison

A few chapters such as Linear Programming, Mathematical modeling and Linear Inequalities are not included in the JEE Main syllabus but are asked in BITSAT.

Weightage Comparison

Students should focus on Calculus, Complex Numbers, Statistics, Vectors, and Trigonometry as these chapters and topics constitute a large section of the Mathematics section of BITSAT.

In the following table, the detailed chapter wise compassion is being done.

JEE Main Vs BITSAT Maths Chapter Wise Comparison

Is BITSAT Easier Than JEE Main?

Yes, studying for JEE Main is sufficient for BITSAT. The syllabi of both exams are nearly the same as that of Class 11 and Class 12 Science stream.

The sole distinction to be kept in mind during JEE and BITSAT preparation is the pattern of question papers. The candidate should extensively practice questions from different reference books. Practicing mock question papers will familiarise a student with different types of questions, the marking method, and significant themes. A decent grasp of English and logical reasoning are required for the BITSAT.

A good BITSAT score of 312 out of 390 (80%) is considered satisfactory. In 2023, 331 was the cutoff for B.E. Computer Science in Pilani campus. where as cut of for JEE main 2022 and 2023 given below.

How Should One Prepare?

BITSAT consists of more questions to be attempted within three hours, which makes it more of a speed test. One must attempt mock test papers for both the exams as their paper patterns are different. Students should follow accuracy and time management practices to perform better in the examinations. Prepare a strategy of attempting the paper in an order that suits you and helps you in maximizing the score.

Some suggestions are:

a) Make a study timetable and stick to it

b) Study the concepts thoroughly from NCERT books

c) Use good reference books to gain knowledge and practise problems

d) Do regular self-study and analyze your strengths and weaknesses

e) Make revision notes so that it is easier to revise the concepts just before the examination

f) Prepare English and Logical Reasoning for BITSAT as the other subjects are also covered in JEE Main syllabus.

g) Attempt mock tests

h) Improve time management skills

i) Prepare a strategy to attempt the paper.