Let’s analyse

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Let’s analyse

Experts analyse the JEE Main, 2018, paper to give aspirants a sneak peek into how they would have fared this time round

‘Cut-off is going to be around 86’

Around 10 lakh students appeared in the JEE Main 2018 exam from over 2000 Centres in112 cities in India aand abroad. Aspirants had the choice of appearing in any one of the two types of papers or both. Paper-I is for BE/B Tech courses while Paper-II is for BArch/Planning. Paper-I on April 8, 2018 was off-line mode (pen and paper based) and on April 15-16, 2018 is online (Computer- based). Paper-II was only off-line  held on April 8, 2018.

Paper-I this year was like pattern in the past years 2014 to 2017. It had objective type questions multiple choice with one out of four correct with equal weightage to Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. There were 30 questions each in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry with marking scheme 4 marks for right answer and for each in-correct response, one-fourth of the total marks allotted to the question would be deducted from the total score.

The paper was balanced and set from CBSE syllabus of Classes XI and XII.

However as expected many of the questions are conceptual with some needing analytical skills. Prima facie 20 questions were easy; 55 questions appeared to be of moderate difficulty and 15 questions relatively difficult.

In our opinion a student who attempted the paper with cool head would have completed the paper.

Overall difficulty level for paper is like previous years however Chemistry was slightly tougher than last year.

Those looking for a detailed solution, it will be available on our website.

For a student who had focussed and were serious all through the two years in improving speed and accuracy by taking regular quizzes and mock tests on JEE Main pattern, must have done reasonably well. It is always relative performance, which matters in such competitive examinations

Cut-off for (Common Merit List) in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 was 113, 115, 105, 100, 81 respectively. Cut-off this year is going to be around 86.

Admission through centralised allocation process in NIT’s/IIIT’s/DTU/CFTI's for over 24,000 seats in undergraduate courses will be according to merit list based on marks in JEE Main exam, however the candidate must be in top twenty percentile of respective board or should score minimum 75 per cent marks in his Boards.

States like Haryana, Uttarakhand, Nagaland, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and some other institutes have joined JEE Main system, however their admission criteria will be notified by concerned authorities.

Top 2,24,000 candidates of JEE Main will be eligible to appear in JEE Advanced on May 20, 2018 to fight for 11,000 seats in prestigious IITs.

— The writer is RL Trikha,Director, FITJEE