Crack JEE in the first attempt with TASK strategy
Venkat Phanikiran
IIT JEE is a national-level engineering entrance exam which consist of two stages – JEE Main & JEE Advanced.
JEE Main is required for admission in NITs, IIITs and other Centrally/ State funded technical institutions, whereas JEE Advanced is for admission in IITs. JEE Main is the qualifying exam for JEE Advanced.
More than 10 lakh students take this exam every year. Out of which only a few get a chance to clear the same and get into the prestigious IITs. Thus, considering the competition, it is indispensable to know the tricks and tips to crack it in a very first attempt. Thus, it is imperative for all the students to follow the TASK Principle.
T: Time
Time is the most critical aspect of preparation for all JEE aspirants. The syllabus is so vast compared to the time available. So, it’s crucial to balance all the topics within the available time. Make a list of chapters having more weightage in exams and schedule your time judiciously. There is so much content available everywhere in the form of video lectures and books, however, the necessary rigour is lacking in most of them. Students lose precious time in pursuing fancy discussions instead of building necessary rigour. It is the attitude to go through the necessary rigour and face tough questions that makes the students exam ready. Going through the right lectures and solving the questions of appropriate level consistently is the key to success.
A: Attitude
To clear this exam, one should believe in themselves, and this self-belief is the first quality to build the necessary attitude. With the right attitude, you can become consistent in your practice, and gradually develop the necessary competency.
Aspirants should be disciplined to set a timetable and sit every day to study according to the defined schedule and the discipline to take tests with the proper dedication and then analyse the tests afterward.
S: SKILL
JEE is designed to test the ability to apply one’s knowledge effectively, and therefore, the critical thinking and application aspects are tested through the questions. Also to screen and select the best candidates there is a negative marking to the wrong questions. A question can go wrong due to misunderstanding the question, wrong interpretation of the data, applying an inappropriate formula, using a longer method that kills time and may lead to calculation errors. Therefore, it is important to build all these skills, and few tips listed below can help.
- Solving topic wise questions every day after each class to understand the basics in depth.
- Preparing a mind map of each chapter and revising it regularly.
- Attempt weekly tests and analyse the test results to identify areas that need improvement.
- Seek the guidance of mentors if you are unable to evaluate yourself.
K: Knowledge
Knowledge is prerequisite to build your skills needed to solve most of the questions in JEE that test your fundamental concepts through tricky questions.
It can be gained by:
- Start with NCERT books and underline the important concepts and formulas.
- Always make short notes while studying to make revision easier.
- Take help of standard books in Physics, Chemistry and Maths to increase your understanding of the subject.
- Practice all different types of questions like SCQs, MCQs, numerical, integer, matrix match, comprehension, assertion-reasoning, etc to balance your preparation.
Along with the above TASK formula, right mentoring by expert teachers in each subject and having a peer group for competition will enable you to crack JEE in your first attempt.
All the best!
The writer is Chief Academic Officer, Extramarks Education
