JEE Main and Advanced- Know everything from syllabus to preparation strategy!

IIT JEE is one of the biggest milestones that the engineering aspirants need to cross in order to get into their dream institutes, the IITs. JEE is the two tier gateway to the IITs. The aspirants first need to sit for the JEE Main and those who feature in the top 150000 ranks are eligible to take the JEE Advanced. Students all over the country try their level best to qualify this elite exam as it determines their future to a large extent. They obviously try to consult the best possible study material and books. But the problem is that most of the students are not aware of the difference between JEE Main and Advanced. The two papers are related to each other, but there is a slight difference between the two. In order to crack JEE Advanced, one must follow a proper strategy which is not like the JEE Main.

We discuss here some of the highlights of JEE Main and Advanced and how one should proceed towards its preparation.
 

JEE Main

• JEE Main Study Material: The aspirants are advised to consult the NCERT books thoroughly. The JEE Main syllabus can be thought of as a replica of the CBSE syllabus and the NCERT books cover almost the entire syllabus of JEE. However, once you are done with these books, you may refer other books for practicing questions.   

• Important topics: JEE is highly competitive and you cannot be selective in your studies. However, it is important to know the important topics so as to focus on them. Some of the topics which require special attention include:

1. Physics: Current Electricity, Heat &Thermodynamics, Electrostatics, Work Energy Power, Wave Motion, Simple Harmonic Motion, Magnetic effect of current & Magnetism and Physics of Nucleus.

2. Chemistry: Chemical Kinetics, Chemical Bonding, Transition Elements, s-block elements, general organic chemistry, p-block elements and Redox reactions.

3. Mathematics: Vectors, Probability, Three-Dimensional Geometry, Matrices Determinants, Limits, Indefinite Integration, Sets, Relations & Functions and Definite Integration.

• Preparation Strategy: JEE Main is the first step that you need to cross in order to get closer to your dream. If you are able to feature in the top 1.5 lakh rank holders, only then you shall stand eligible to take JEE Advanced. Hence, you need to be focused and determined.

The candidates are required to attempt 90 objective type questions in a period of 3 hours. Hence, it is extremely important to maintain your speed. Solve tons of AIEEE previous year question papers. Learn various tricks, shortcuts to save time and obtain correct solutions. Always try to eliminate the options instead of trying to attempt the question. This saves a lot of time and JEE Main is nothing but a test of how accurately and promptly one can obtain the solutions.

After covering the entire syllabus, you must focus on attempting numerous numerical from JEE Main previous year question paper. Prepare all the three subjects Physics, Chemistry and Math but once you cover all three, focus more on the area of your expertise. Say, if you are fond of Physics, then work harder on Physics so as to fetch maximum marks. 

JEE Advanced 

• JEE Advanced Study Material: NCERTs help in laying foundations. But, it is important to refer other reference books as well. NCERT books should be consulted for the basics and then it is important to attempt questions from other reference books. The syllabus is almost the same as the CBSE syllabus, but there are some topics which are not included in JEE Advanced. So, in a way the JEE Advanced curriculum is somewhat less than that of the CBSE. The topics which do not form a part of JEE Advanced curriculum include:

Physics: Electronic Devices, Magnetism & Matter, Principles of Communication systems and Electromagnetic Waves.   

Mathematics: Linear Inequality, Mathematical Reasoning, Statistics and Mathematical Induction.

• Crucial Topics: Some of the topics which carry good weightage in the exam and hence one should not miss out include:

1. Physics: Electrostatics, Heat &Thermodynamics, Rotational Motion, Wave Motion, Laws of Motion, Magnetic effect of current & Magnetism, Ray Optics, Simple Harmonic Motion and Wave Optics.

2. Chemistry: General Organic Chemistry, Alcohol, Phenol Ether, Redox Reactions, Chemical Bonding, Coordination Compounds, p-block elements, s-block elements, Aldehyde Ketone, Solutions, Solid State & Chemical Thermodynamics.

3. Mathematics: Probability, Circles, Definite Integration, Theory of Equations, Vectors, Complex Numbers, Three-dimensional Geometry, Sequences & Series, Matrices & Determinants, Sets, Relations & Functions, Application of Derivatives and Differential Calculus.

• Preparation Strategy: You need to qualify JEE Advanced in order to get into the elite IITs. JEE Advanced is a bit different from Main in respect of type of questions asked. In addition to single correct MCQs, it might include questions with multiple correct answers, integer answer type questions or assertion-reason based questions. Due to this it is extremely important to know the intricacies of each and every topic. Questions with multiple correct answers are quite demanding. You need to focus on every option. Hence, practice maximum number of questions from the previous year papers so as to get acquainted with the type of questions asked. It is extremely important to have a good speed in order to remain competitive in JEE Advanced. Try to take various mock tests of 3 hours.                   

Moreover, since both JEE Main and Advanced have negative marking, so refrain from blind flukes. Attempt only the questions you are most confident about. While sitting for the JEE Main 2014, try to attempt the theoretical questions first and then move on to the numerical. You are likely to gain confidence if you attempt some confident questions in the beginning. This infuses positive energy and further increase the efficiency and speed of attempting questions.

Morale and determination are of utmost importance. Have faith in yourself and you are sure to win this race.