JEE Main 2021: How to score 250 in exam

By Ajay Kumar Sharma

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will hold the first session of JEE Main 2021 from February 23 to 26, 2021 in the computer-based test (CBT) mode in multiple sessions. Students are busy preparing since the Joint Entrance Examination examination is getting more competitive every year. Expert guidance coupled with dedication has always been the key to ace JEE. Can there be an effective strategy to score 250 or more out of a possible 300, besides a routine study? This article tries to answer it.

JEE Main 2021: Tips to crack exam

To begin with, students are advised to go through the JEE syllabus completely. They should learn the topics, understand the underlying concepts and apply the concepts to solve problems. They are advised to create a balance between all the three subjects by allocating an equal amount of time to them.

Students should identify their most productive hours and study those topics that they feel are the most challenging during this duration. They should take small breaks between their study sessions to increase their focus.

Students should also know how to strike the balance between board exam and JEE preparation. Board exams are meant to test students’ knowledge while JEE exams are meant to test the application of knowledge. Board exams expect students to present their answers in the best possible way by covering each step whereas the JEE exams expect them to solve the problems in the shortest possible time. Students should, thus, make the most of their time in school to study for the board exams. The mid-year exams are an ideal time for students to gauge their preparation level.

If students preparing for JEE understand all the concepts thoroughly, they will be able to perform well for the board exams. Therefore, JEE should ideally be their priority as it covers a superset of all problems that students are expected to solve during their board exams.

Thorough coverage of the NCERT books and NCERT Exemplar are a must for any preparation plan. Individual subject-wise discussion is given in the below paragraphs.

JEE Main 2021: Preparation tips for Physics

The physics section of JEE Main requires logical thinking skills, a thorough understanding of the fundamental concepts and application of mathematical skills to solve problems. The key to excelling in a subject like physics is starting with fundamental problems, gradually raising the difficulty level and analysing the mistakes. This strategy not only helps in crystal-clarity of the concepts but also sharpens the problem-solving skills.

There are plenty of resources to choose the problems from but students are recommended to solve their coaching’s study material before solving the previous years’ question papers. For theory and concept building, books like HC Verma and DC Pandey are recommended.

JEE Main 2021: Preparation tips for Chemistry

The syllabus for JEE chemistry can be divided into three sections – physical, organic and inorganic. For physical chemistry, students are expected to read the NCERT textbooks and work on building the concepts. If a particular concept becomes a bit too difficult to understand, students should discuss the same with their respective teachers and get it clarified.

After completing a chapter, students should write all the formulas and key concepts down in their notes and refer to them while solving problems. Students can start with solving NCERT problems and gradually complete their coaching study material after attaining a certain confidence threshold.

In organic chemistry, students should read and understand all the reaction mechanisms. While reading the theory, they should write down the reaction along with the mechanism for easy recall. Studying a few examples of the reactions and exceptions is also very crucial.

The inorganic chemistry portion involves memorizing a vast set of reactions. Hence, students should thoroughly go through the NCERT textbook along with their notes. Students should keep in mind that maintaining notes is very important to ace a subject like chemistry.

JEE Main 2021 Preparation Tips for Mathematics

The mathematics section of JEE requires a lot of focus and skill, so the key to success in this subject is maximum practice. Students are advised to solve each and every problem from JEE previous years’ papers.

Sometimes the questions asked in JEE are a bit lengthy and involve a lot of calculation. Students should, thus, be able to pick the easier problems first and then move on to the difficult ones. Students should also keep in mind important results and formulae so that they do not commit the mistake of deriving them during the exam.

The bulk of the mathematics syllabus in JEE is from the topics - coordinate geometry, vectors and 3D geometry, definite integration, and matrices and determinants. Students should, thus, pay special attention to these chapters. Good books on objective mathematics like the one by McGraw Hill publications are recommended.

Previous years’ papers are an indispensable source of practice. Students should use these papers as mock tests and analyse their mistakes. This exercise is bound to give them the real feel of the JEE exam scenario. Students can improve upon their problem-solving skills along with time management skills, learn about tactical leaves and develop exam temperament.

JEE Main exam is a test of student’s knowledge, speed and accuracy. So, the ideal way of preparation should focus on understanding the concepts in-depth rather than memorizing the formulas.

The JEE Mains 2021 exam will test your concepts in physics, chemistry and mathematics and students with strong problem-solving skills in these subjects are expected to excel in the exams.

(Ajay Kumar Sharma is National Academic Director (Engineering), Aakash Educational Services Limited)