IIT-JEE (Indian Institute of Technology – Joint Entrance Exam) is a coveted exam for which lakhs of aspirants appear every year. It is a competitive and considerably tough exam. No one doubts this fact. But we strongly disagree with one popular opinion that only super meritorious students can only crack this exam
In fact, you can crack IIT in first attempt itself. Don’t be surprised. It can really happen. What you need to do is to prepare wisely and diligently using best practices. Learn these tips that successful candidates embrace and act on them without delay. We have brought those magical mantras for you that really work.
So, what are you waiting for?
Let’s start.
1. Start early
Everyone wants to understand how to crack IIT. So, let me begin by saying, ‘Start Early. The sooner you start, the more time you get to sharpen your skills to crack JEE exam. Ideally, students should start preparing for it after completing class 10th, but no need to worry if you are already in class 12 or have passed it. A year is enough if you study well in a planned and smart way using the right resources. Definitely, some extra efforts would be required!
2. Understand in detail about IIT exam
It is the first thing that every IIT-JEE aspirant should check.
- Check the IIT exam syllabus
- Marking scheme
- Stages (Mains and Advanced)
- What types of questions are asked in mains vs advanced
- Understand the difference between mains and advanced
- Exam duration
- The cutoff list of the last few years
- Number of seats/colleges
- Eligibility
3. Guidance is needed
You might be doing good in your academics but remember that IIT is a highly competitive exam with limited seats. Whether you want to join coaching or do self-study is a matter of your choice, but guidance is required in both cases.
Without it, even the brightest aspirant can fail and fail miserably. So, choose your Dronacharya and be like an Ekalavya. Just don’t cut away your thumb away in the process. You need it to write your exam.
4. Choose Study Material Wisely
Not just a few hundred but thousands of books and other learning resources are available in the market that promises you to get a coveted seat in IITs. But not all are good enough and can be trusted. In fact, you don’t even need to pick too much material for the same subject/topic. Consult people who have cleared this exam or tutors who shaped IIT dreams for many. Check this.
5. Avoid Rote Learning
This exam tests an aspirant’s knowledge and ability to solve real-world problems. Critical thinking is required about topics. So, avoid memorizing things. It won’t help you even come closer to the finishing race. Forget about lifting the winning trophy. Try to understand each concept to the core. Get a good grasp on the fundamentals.
6. Don’t ignore the importance of practicals
Let’s check these facts first before proceeding further.
- IIT-JEE asks various questions related to practical’s.
- There is a considerable weightage of practical questions that can create a make-or-break situation for you. In this exam, every mark matters.
- Visualization is very much required to solve IIT questions.
Do you think then just gaining a good theoretical understanding would help? We don’t think so. Try to give greater emphasis on science practical’s if you are serious about your IIT dream.
If your school does not have the necessary lab infrastructure or you want to practice more while sitting at your home, then we have a solution for you. 3D virtual science labs like SimuLab empowers students to perform experiments from anywhere, anytime, at a very affordable cost. You can try such apps to get a good grasp of science practical’s.
7. Make notes
While preparing for IIT, you must make your notes. It helps individual learners list important things and revisit them later as and when required. It boosts the pace of learning and proves beneficial in knowledge retention.
8. Practice Tests
- Try previous years’ IIT questions
- Give mock tests of reputed coaching institutes
Practice as many tests as possible after learning a single topic. The more you practice, the better your hold will become on that subject/topic.
9. Be honest
Do a SWOT analysis from time to time to restrategize your IIT preparation.
- Find out weak areas and analyze the reasons behind it
- Find areas where you are doing great
- Find areas where opportunities and threats lie
Don’t hesitate to discuss your weak areas with mentors. They can help you work on them in an efficient and pragmatic way. Just be honest, speak up, and act. Hesitation will only lead towards undesired outcomes. In the worst case — FAILURE. Students who really crack IIT JEE remain honest with themselves as far as their strengths and weaknesses are concerned.
10. Make a timetable
Discipline is very much required while doing preparation for IIT. So, make a balanced timetable where you can give dedicated time for studies in a day. It allows you to manage your day in a better and efficient way. It also teaches us time management, which is crucial for a competitive exam like IIT JEE.
Caution Note: Just be realistic. You don’t need to study throughout the day. Spare some time for family, health, and entertainment as well.
11. Revise
The human brain is not a computer chip that can remember everything as it is all the time. Unless you revise well in a regular time period, you can forget even the best-learned things of the past. So, don’t forget to revise. Weekly, allocate at least a day for revision.
12. Take care of your health & Chill
Only a healthy mind can give a good fight in a tough competitive exam like IIT. So, find time to
- Sit back and relax
- Perform meditation/yoga
- Perform physical exercises
- Chill out with friends and loved ones
- Play your fav sport etc.
Be cheerful throughout the journey. Also, eat healthy food that can provide your body with healthy nutrients. A healthy body and positive mind can do anything. So, take care of your health.
13. Be in a good company
The world is filled with both positive and negative people. The company you live in decides much about whether you make it or not. So, completely avoid negative people during IIT preparation. Be in the company of people who are full of hope, positivity, and passion for doing something. Surround yourself with positivity and see the outcomes.
14. Have faith in yourself
There might be a time come (and it happens even with many successful candidates) when you will feel exhausted, tired, low, and, worst case, defeated. So, in such a case, take a small break from study and do what you love. If nothing works, then talk to your parents or loved ones whom you trust. They will surely help you lift your morale.
Just like life, up and down situations may come during the preparation for IIT. So, have faith, be calm, and keep your hope alive during such a troubling time. Not all days will be the same. So, handle bad days carefully. Remember, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
15. Clear Your Doubts
Don’t wait until you finish the entire course. Once a topic is over, try clearing your doubts without fail. It gives complete clarity about a topic and boosts confidence to traverse forward momentum smoothly.
16. Consistency Matters
IIT preparation is like a marathon, not a sprint. So be consistent in your study. Studying too much for a few weeks/months and then suddenly reducing study hours by a big margin or taking a really long gap from studies affect IIT preparation adversely. Similarly, perform every mock test with equal enthusiasm, energy, and effort. Any leniency would affect your morale. Ultimately, marks matter!
17. Take Breaks
Once you are done with a concept/topic/chapter or let’s say a session of 2 hours in a single stretch. Take a break for 10 min. It gives your mind time to relax. And rejuvenate you to move on to the next topic with elevated freshness, focus, and energy. You can take a power nap (30Min) as well after studying for 4–5 hours. It really works. Ultimately, your brain also needs rest.
18. Not able to master all concepts; worry not!
It is all right if even after trying various times, you are not able to gain great expertise in a few topics. The syllabus of IIT is huge and quite diverse. It doesn’t really matter unless you make sure to sharpen your skills on the rest of the topics as per their weightage given by IIT.
19. Handle procrastination well
Don’t delay or postpone tasks regularly. It could negatively impact your IIT preparation.
20. Choose your questions rightly
Neither all questions are meant to be solved, nor are they required to attempt to clear the IIT exam. And since there is a negative marking pattern as well, be careful while picking questions. Solve those first that are your strengths, and then move on to others. It will give you a good positive start and help you to finish on a better note.
Final Words
Remember, you don’t need an IQ equivalent to Einstein to crack JEE but require a smart and tested approach during the preparation for IIT. Embrace these proven IIT preparation tips and study rigorously. If you follow precisely, you can crack JEE (Joint Entrance Exam) in the first attempt.
Writer – Ashwini Deshmukh
Senior Content Writer