IIT-JEE: It's all about the right strategy

With the Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE) scheduled on April 10, students should work around the three pillars of success-- conceptual clarity, contextual familiarity and application expertise.

Students can use the following advice for starting the final preparation for IIT-JEE.

Days before IIT-JEE  

• Scan all the topics in a stipulated time frame
• Work backwards to plan your schedule for revision 
• Start concentrating on the topics that you have covered rather than wasting time on new topics 
• Revise and revise all important concepts and formulae. Even if you have studied 70 per cent of the syllabus thoroughly, do not harbour negative thoughts 
• Caution – The IIT-JEE test may carry negative marking for wrong answer. So take calculated risk of guessing

Master time management skills  

• Divide the total time into components based on total number of questions and your conceptual knowledge
• Gauge if you would be able to solve the question or not. Avoid taking risk if the probability of committing mistake is high 
• Revise last year’s question papers and model test papers

A day before IIT-JEE 

• Quick revision of your formulae and short notes. Do not read new topics just before the examination
• Organize yourself. Use this checklist — admit card (please read the overleaf instructions thoroughly), two pencils (sharpened at both ends), an eraser, a sharpener, wrist watch, one blue lead pen and other related stationeries 
• Take sound sleep of at least 6-8 hours before the examination

The day of IIT-JEE 

• Wake up early in the morning
• Eat a light meal 
• Reach the test center at least half an hour before the exam. 
• If your examination center is in another city reach their the day before the exam 
• Ensure the place you stay is calm and clean 
• Never go to the center on an empty stomach. Keep snacks handy. Keep relevant medicine handy. Carry water/ glucose for instant energy

During IIT-JEE 

• Keep your permission letter on your table
• Re-check your stationeries 
• Synchronize your wristwatch with the center clock, read instructions quickly 
• Fill the information sheet Clarify even the simplest doubt 
• Caution Do not use a red pen or pen where data to be filled with pencil only 
• Give all three subjects equal time — 50 minutes each 
• Use the diagram or value of constants given in the paper in solving a numerical. If the value is not mentioned, use the one you remember 
• Carry out all rough work only in the space provided 
• It is better to solve slightly fewer questions faultlessly 
• While attempting questions, segregate them by the 7, m, 4 method 
• If you don't know these questions do not waste time attempting them 
• While attempting the answers, do not shade the answer key immediately. Instead, tick your response with a pencil on the answer paper 
• Keep marking questions with7,m, 4 in the first round of solving the paper. All questions should be segregated into one of these three categories. This saves valuable time later 
• Fill out the answer key 30 minutes before final time. Fill out the responses to questions attempted after this directly in the answer key

Dos & Don’ts 

• Do not get de-motivated or overexcited with the question paper. Do not be depressed by tough questions
• Do not get emotionally attached to any question. It is not necessary that you will be able to solve a question from topics you have prepared well 
• Do not argue with anyone

—The author is director, Career Point Infosystems, Kota