IIT-JEE: Students, be prepared for surprises

The most-competitive exam is round the corner and experts have doled out11th-hour tips for students taking up the IIT- JEE, scheduled for Sunday. Professors suggest that students should always be prepared for a few surprises in the pattern of the paper.
“The pattern is always unexpected. There could be a few surprises. However, if students are well-prepared, there is no need to worry,” said HN Subrahmanyam, education consultant, BASE.

With more than five lakh students appearing for the exam this year, Subrahmanyam said that since all the students would come across the same hurdles, there was no cause for concern. “Students should go in with a positive attitude. They should remember that there is no need to get anxious at the last minute,” he said.

Sridhar, founder of Ace Creative Learning, has a piece of advice—reading through the paper for the first five minutes. “While attempting the exam, 45 minutes should be allotted for each subject during each session. After paper-I, the only analysis that should be done is to understand the pattern of paper-I. More attention should be given to the subject in paper-II if the candidate has not attempted that subject to his/her satisfaction in paper-I. If you think a problem involves multiple steps, try to attempt it in the end,” he said.

It’s not only important to keep cool before and during the exam, even afterwards students should avoid discussing the subject matter with others. This, Sridhar said, makes one unnecessarily tense. “Just stay confident and encourage yourself for the efforts you have been putting in,” he said.

Subrahmanyam urged students to reach the exam centre at least half an hour prior to the commencement of the exam. “If the address of the venue is not certain, parents should go a day before and check out the place. During a break between papers, students should go through the summary notes that they should have prepared, he added.