5 Common Mistakes To Avoid While Preparing for JEE

Exams put us under extreme pressure, due to which we make silly errors and mistakes. This pressure is doubled if you are at a crucial stage in your career and are preparing for a national level exam like JEE. These silly errors made during JEE preparation can turn into rather grave errors and make us lose marks. This article provides you with essential tips which you can follow to avoid making mistakes while preparing for JEE. 

JEE Exam Details

JEE or the Joint Entrance Exam is a national-level exam offering admission into various engineering colleges across India. This exam is divided into two main phases- JEE Main and JEE Advanced. 

• JEE exam opens up admission into – 23 IITs, 31 NITs, 25 IIITs, and 19 Government engineering colleges in India. In addition, a student will get admission based on the AIR- the All India Rank- that he will get. 
• NTA or National Testing Agency is the exam conducting authority for JEE Main. 
• JEE Main has two papers- Paper 1 and Paper 2: Paper 1 conducts admission into B.Tech/B.E. courses and Paper-2 are for admission into B.Arch and B.Planning courses.
• JEE main went through a change in the exam pattern due to COVID-19. JEE Main now has 20 SCQs and ten numerical-based questions. Therefore, students have to attempt a total of 5 numerical questions out of ten. 
• For MCQs, students will be awarded four marks for each correct answer and -1 for each wrong answer. The marks distribution remains the same for numerical questions except that there is no negative marking for wrong answers.

JEE ADVANCED

Once students clear the JEE Main, they can appear for the JEE Advanced exam. This JEE exam is conducted by one of the 23 IITs each year. For instance, last year IIT Delhi had conducted it. 

Eligibility Criteria For JEE

The eligibility criteria for JEE Main and Eligibility criteria for JEE Advanced includes- age limits, qualifications, number of attempts, and nationality. 

5 Common Mistakes To Avoid While Preparing for JEE

Millions of Indian students sit for the JEE exams, but only a select few make it to their dream engineering colleges. The main reason behind this is not because they were not serious or did not give their hundred per cent. Apart from studying for 14 hours a day, students tend to make some silly and common mistakes, which is enough to spoil their preparation for the JEE exam. What are these five common mistakes? Let us see!

Visual Story on JEE Advanced Preparation

Common Mistakes to Avoid in JEE Advanced 2022 Exam

• Focussing more on quantity than quality 

Many students under pressure start taking notes or referring to different books and coaching centres. There lies a misconception that studying every book in the market will make you smarter and help you score more. But this strategy falls flat on its face as it leads to confusion and stress. 

Therefore, students should only focus on certain notes and books and cover the syllabus well in time. Moreover, many students plan on dedicating a certain number of hours to every chapter and end up regretting it. This is because they study hurriedly rather than focusing on important topics. 

A better way to plan would be to target certain concepts and topics and dedicate time to them. This method would help them understand the concepts completely and prevent the accumulation of superficial knowledge. Always remember QUALITY > QUANTITY.

• Not making their notes

When you start preparing for a tough national-level exam like- JEE, it gets easier to find yourself overwhelmed by the number of reference notes, books, guides, and model test papers recommended. Referring to several sources without creating your hand-written notes can put you in an unfavourable position. 

If you do not make your notes or reference copies, you will end up competing for the entire syllabus but will not find yourself any wiser. Besides, preparing your notes helps to pace up the revision process. You can make your bullet points, flow charts, and tables of specific topics and concepts that appear difficult to you.

• Cramming instead of understanding

Students often get under pressure to complete the entire syllabus, and in that hurry, they forget to understand and read properly. This process soon turns into a habit, and they end up finishing the syllabus but have no idea of important questions and the tricks applied to solve them. 

Even while solving previous years’ papers, they keep jumping from one question to another, forgetting that the main aim of the activity is to understand the concepts and become better at solving. Therefore, always focus on understanding each concept, be it in physics or chemistry. 

• Studying only specific topics

Many students stick to reading and understanding only the essential topics or reappear in the previous JEE exams. This method is not entirely wrong, but ignoring the entire syllabus can be risky. 

To give an example- due to a shortage of time, a student decides to focus only on the important topics in Physics. Moreover, some students focus only on certain subjects and do not prepare well for chemistry or maths. Therefore, you must make a well-defined study plan and follow it religiously to prevent this.

• Leave revisions for the last minute

This is the biggest mistake most students make while preparing for JEE. Given the vastness of the syllabus, students solely focus on completing the entire syllabus for once and then plan on revising it completely towards the end. This increases their burden and leads to panic and stress. Revisions should be done every week without fail. 

Also See: JEE Mains 2022 Preparation Tips | JEE Mains 2022 Strategy

Quick Tips to Help You Prepare Better For JEE

While preparing for JEE, following some tips can help students save time and strategize their study schedule. Below are some quick tips to help you prepare well for the JEE exam-

• Know the entire syllabus for JEE- Know which topics you have to focus more on and which is your most scoring subject. At the same time, remember not to skip any topic or subject. You can visit the official website of the National Testing Agency to know the detailed syllabus. 
• Go through JEE Main Exam Pattern and JEE Advanced Exam Pattern- This step will help you prioritize specific topics and know the marks distribution scheme. 
• Divide the syllabus- Separating the syllabus into what needs to be studied for the board exams and what different topics need to be covered for JEE will help you focus. You can also create a separate category, highlighting the toughest, more challenging, and challenging topics for you.
• Analyze the previous years’ papers- Analysing the last years’ papers will help you give time to the topics that hold a lot of weightage in the main exam. However, studying the entire syllabus is also essential.
• Have a well-planned revision strategy- Make a fail-proof revision plan and include weekly revision in it to test your knowledge.
• Time-management- It plays a crucial role in every student’s life. Moreover, having clear-cut time management will help you pay undivided attention to essential topics. 

Also See: Tips to crack JEE Mains 2022 | How to prepare for JEE Mains at home

Frequently Asked Questions on 5 Common Mistakes To Avoid While Preparing for JEE

Q1. What should be my action plan for cracking JEE?

You can follow the steps given below to have a solid strategy to crack the JEE exam-

• Study every chapter and understand each concept rather than cramming it.
• Make your separate notes, which you can refer to during the revision process.
• Do not forget to solve questions on the topics that you complete.
• Give JEE mock tests and solve at least ten previous years’ papers daily.
• Get all your doubts resolved by consulting your teachers and counsellors.

Q2. When was JEE started in India?

JEE stands for Joint Entrance Exam and was started in the year 2002. 

Q3. Should I take breaks while studying for JEE?

Taking breaks while studying for JEE is very important. However, you should not indulge in it completely. Refreshing your mind is important. Whenever you feel stuck and cannot comprehend any more topics, take a break for five minutes and then get back to studying.

Q4. What are some important exam day tips for JEE?

You should make sure to follow the following tips on the day of your JEE exam-

• Check your admit card and other specific documents required for the exam.
• Be sure of your exam centre. If possible, visit a day in advance and check the exact location and traffic congestion.
• Get a good night’s sleep.
• Prepare your exam kit a day in advance.

Q5. How is JEE Main different from JEE Advanced?

Here are a few points of difference between JEE Main and JEE Advanced-

Also, read the blog on preparation tips to ace the JEE Exam.