The Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE), which has approximately four lakh aspirants every year, is one of the most competitive entrance examinations in India. So, Education Times in association with Scholar’s Academy, a coaching institute, organised a counselling session for students titled ‘A Simplified and Systematic Approach to Crack IIT-JEE’ in North Delhi on May 3.
“Though most students spend laborious hours preparing for the entrance examination, few students are armed with the right approach,” said Sudhanshu Bajaj, academic director, Scholar’s Academy. “To optimise their preparation time, students essentially need the right guidance, a right attitude and most importantly, an understanding of the subject. The session was envisaged with the dual objective of equipping students with the right strategy in terms of preparation and dispelling various misconceptions that revolve around this examination,” he added.
According to Saurabh Kochhar, academic counsellor, Scholar's Academy, there is a proliferation of coaching institutes across the country today. He said, “Unfortunately, some of these institutes end up misdirecting students. Hence, students should be conscientious and conduct background checks of the potential coaching institutes that they are considering to enroll in.” Kochhar went on to add that students should choose an institute where they can be part of a medium-sized batch. “This is because in large groups, it is not always possible to give personal attention. But, it is also important to note that if students are taught in small groups or offered tuitions at home, they lose the competitive edge,” he explained.
Bajaj stated that teachers in coaching institutes should take the dual responsibility of teaching and mentoring. “Preparing for a competitive examination entails a lot of stress and anxiety. Particularly, given the fact that candidates for IIT-JEE are at an impressionable age; the importance of sustained mentoring cannot be undermined,” he informed. Bajaj added, however, that “it is also important to understand that this mentoring has to be in close understanding of the child’s individual disposition and abilities. In fact, it is this approach that distinguishes a coach in a coaching institute from a casual mentor.”
Speaking about the need for the right attitude, Kochhar said, “Many-a-time students are unable to cope with exam pressure and end up under-performing on the examination day. Hence, it is important to have a calm and relaxed approach. It is advisable for students to inculcate a co-curricular activity, like sports or music, during the preparation phase. These activities are not distracting and provide a much needed outlet from the regular study routine.” He also reiterated that students should be confident about themselves and not undermine their abilities.
According to Kochhar, many students find it difficult to accommodate their IIT-JEE preparations and CBSE preparations simultaneously. “Usually, students spend hours preparing for the IIT-JEE and are left with little or no time to prepare for their CBSE board examination. However, the right strategy would be allotting three hours of study time for each of these examinations,” he informed.
And the importance of the right knowledge? “Previous IIT-JEE results have revealed that students with the most enviable track records are not always successful in cracking this exam. In fact, there are instances of fairly average students successfully cracking IIT-JEE,” shared Bajaj. “This examination is actually a basic examination that tests one’s knowledge and ability to apply concepts in solving numerical problems. Consequently, more than anything, it requires thoroughness in terms of understanding that can be acquired through consistent study,” he added.
Also, students should be able to differentiate between the expectations of the CBSE examination and the IIT-JEE examination. “The former is concept-oriented and caters to students of varying aptitude while the latter is application-oriented and structured to test acumen that can predispose one to become an engineer. This understanding is crucial to tailor effective preparations for both,” informed Bajaj.
Bajaj also stated that most students aspiring to be engineers overemphasise theoretical knowledge and ignore the importance of soft skills. “Today, engineers across specialisations are presented with innumerable presentation opportunities in the course of their professional life. Therefore, while building their technical knowledge, students should also concentrate in sharpening their soft skills and this process should be initiated at the IIT-JEE preparation stage itself,” he said.
