If you prepare much later, you will not have time to revisit concepts
The Union HRD Ministry has on Tuesday announced the final schedule for the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) which will be held twice — January and April, 2019. JEE Main is considered one of the most competitive exams and every year, nearly 11 lakh students register for it. As competition is getting stiff, students are more alert and thereby there is an increase in the cut-offs. JEE Main is the gateway to NITs and it also opens doors to IITs.
From JEE rankers to IIT alumni, most people agree that early starters get an advantage in JEE. The biggest reason being — time. The more time you get before your JEE exam, the better. Here’s why you need as much time as you can get before your JEE exam, and how it will make a difference in your final performance.
Starting early gives more time to plan
If you start preparing early, you can gauge which subjects do you find easier and which ones do you require more time. For example, if you find Physics the toughest, you can make a study plan accordingly and spend more time studying the subject.
If you start preparing at the last minute, you are in a rush to complete the syllabus without any direction. Due to this, you will not overcome your weaknesses and will lose marks in the exam.
Starting early helps in get your basics right and master the core syllabus
JEE is a complex examination. The questions asked are not isolated to a single chapter. You must use your very basic concepts to solve various types of questions. Moreover, due to intense competition, the number of candidates securing the same marks has been increasing. This year, the highest marks secured were 350. However, this highest score was secured by 6 different candidates. This elevates the importance of every single mark.
What is the advantage if you start preparing early? Not only do you have time to understand the concepts in depth, but you can also go back to concepts that you had not fully understood. This will help you while solving calculation based and theoretical sections.
If you prepare much later, you will not have time to revisit concepts that you had learnt in grades 8, 9, and 10. Due to this, you may have difficulty solving tougher questions. Moreover, you will only be in a rush to remember the concepts without understanding them.
Starting early gives you time to solve mock tests and previous year question papers
Mock tests and previous year question papers give you the real feel of the exam.
If you start preparing early, you can estimate how well do you react to pressure situations. With more mock tests, you can develop strategies that work for you — from which subject you should solve first to where should you spend the least and most amount of time. Moreover, depending on how well you score in these tests, you can gauge how well will you do in the exam and what your rank could be. Accordingly, you can aim at preparing for JEE Advanced.
If you do not prepare well ahead, you will not be able to attempt as many mock tests. Hence will not be able to acclimatise yourself to the pressured environment.
It helps in learning from your mistakes
Solving mock tests and question papers is futile if you do not learn from your mistakes. If you have the time, you can sit back and review every mock test to look at where did you go wrong. You can then revise that topic or concept, and try to not make the same mistakes again. Moreover, the sheer experience will help you improve.
If you do not prepare in advance, you will either not attempt any mock test, and even if you do, you will not clarify your doubts.
Starting early leaves time to manage different preparation tactics for Class 12, state CETs, and NEET
If your board for Class 12 is not the CBSE, there might be minor variations in the syllabus prescribed for JEE, and the one followed by your Class 12 board. This applies to state CETs as well. If you are confused between engineering and medicine, you will need adequate time to prepare for NEET as well. Moreover, the methodology used to crack each of these exams is different from the other since the exam pattern is different.
Starting early for JEE not only puts you ahead of your competition, but it also ensures that you have a backup plan.
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. How early is early enough?
Today, students have started preparing for JEE as early as grade 8. This sort of a strategy in preparation is debatable. However, it is safe to say that you must start preparing at least by grade 10. This gives you enough time for a thorough preparation.
However, don’t be disheartened if you have missed the grade 10 bus. There are many successful students who had started preparing for JEE in grade 11. If you have started your preparations later than your friends, all you have to do is make up for lost time by working hard.
The author is VP Educational Content, Toppr.com