Introduction
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced that the JEE Main 2022 will be held in two phases. Firstly, between 16-21 April and secondly between 24-29 May 2022.
Apart from little time being available to prepare for the examination, success in JEE Main, however, is a planned and strategized combination of routine, self-discipline, study material, revision, past year papers, and a positive belief that you are set to succeed in this examination.
Do understand that given the democratization of information, access to coaching institutes, and access to past year toppers, the students competing with you have the same level of information access as you do. Success in this exam therefore ultimately comes down to consistency, dedication, and maintaining your motivation.
Read below to know JEE Main preparation tips, and how you can succeed in this examination.
Know the Exam Pattern
Before you even start preparing for any exam, it is imperative that you’re aware of the examination pattern, and structure. This will not only help you gain a fundamental understanding of what you’re aiming for but also what needs to be achieved.
Given below is a summary of the JEE Exam structure – Paper 1 (B. Tech / B.E.) (For complete structure, please visit the JEE website)
| Exam Metric | Details |
| Exam Dissemination Mode | The exam is held online, over a computerized platform |
| Subjects for the Exam | Physics, Chemistry, Math – famously known as PCM |
| Exam Length | 180 minutes (3 hours) – no break |
| Question Mode | MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) |
| Paper Length | 75 Questions |
| Languages Offered for Test Takers | In addition to Hindi, English, and Gujarati, they also offer Assamese, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu |
| Marking Methodology for the Examination | Every correct answer not only gets you +4 marks, but every wrong answer also gets you a -1. Hence, you need to strategize what to answer or what not to answer |
| Maximum Marks | 300 |
Early to rising is Early to Succeed
Today JEE preparation programs are available as early as class 8th. Coaching institutes, mentors, and industry experts call out that there is no ideal time to start preparation but starting as early as possible in one’s preparation journey.
While the JEE Syllabus is centered around subjects of senior secondary school, the motivation to start as early as in class 8th is to mold the child in a manner that is consistent with the effort required to succeed in the JEE Examination. Developing self-discipline, stamina to study long hours, absorb and analyze quant heavy content are all habits and routines that help one in the long run.
While most students start the preparation in class 11th, there are students who also excel within a few months of study. It is best that one starts preparing for the examination at least two years in advance and is leveraging their board preparation as a base to study advanced material required for the JEE.
Past is (sometimes, and mostly in examinations) is Representative of the Future
If not radically changed, a good way to start your preparation is by analyzing the past year’s question papers. This will help you understand the language, style, and maybe at this stage the difficulty level of the questions.
Solving a paper at the start will therefore help give you an understanding of your base level, which you can track as you progress through your preparation, and give more mock tests, and past year papers.
Do not leave analyzing and attempting past year papers during your preparation.
The Right Knowledge Gives the Right Results
While NCERT Solutions and NCERT books form the base of your board exam preparations, succeeding in JEE Main requires preparation that goes a notch above the usual course of NCERT based preparation.
Read below for the best content that one should access for their JEE Main preparation.
| Subject | Suggested Books | Author |
| Physics | Physics Class XI & XII | NCERT |
| Exemplar Problems | NCERT | |
| Physics Vol-1 and Vol-2 | Resnick Halliday | |
| Volumes 1 and 2 of Concepts of Physics | HC Verma | |
| Understanding Physics by Arihant Publications: Books for1- Electricity and Magnetism2- Mechanics (Volume 1 & 2)3- Optics and Thermodynamics and4- Waves and Thermodynamics | DC Pandey | |
| Mechanics Part 1 & 2 | DC Pandey | |
| Concepts of Modern Physics (SIE) | Arthur, Sobita Mahajan & S. Rai | |
| Problems in General Physics | I E Irodov | |
| Subject | Suggested Books | Author |
| Chemistry | Chemistry Class XI & XII | NCERT |
| Organic Chemistry Volume I | I L Finar | |
| A Guide to Mechanism in Organic Chemistry | Peter Sykes | |
| Concise Inorganic Chemistry | J.D. Lee | |
| Inorganic Chemistry | O.P. Tondon | |
| Mathematics | Mathematics Class XI & XII | NCERT |
| Differential Calculus for IIT-JEE | Amit Agarwal | |
| Integral Calculus for IIT-JEE | Amit Agarwal | |
| Trigonometry | S. L. Loney | |
| Complete Mathematics for JEE Main | Tata McGraw Hills | |
| Calculus and Analytical Geometry | Thomas and Finney | |
| Problems in Calculus of One Variable | I.A. Maron |
Have a Daily Timetable for Months in Advance
Study in the pattern that you expect the paper to be in. Ensure that for 3 hours, every day, you replicate exam-like conditions for either mock tests, revision, or preparation. This will acclimatize you like nothing else to succeed in the examination.
A daily schedule, subject-wise will therefore help you stay on track in terms of the syllabus and ensure you’re consistent in your preparation. Know that competitive exams are not only a part of subject knowledge but also part of muscle memory. Consistency is what drives muscle memory – your mind will consistently be involved in subjects, till they become a second language for you. Such an approach will ensure you don’t get any surprises in the exam, you’re acclimatized to questions, and understand the approach you need to take while attempting the examination.