the KOOLSKOOL blog
7Jul/121

IIT JEE new format, double the burden

After debating for weeks, the IIT Council finally gave its go ahead on the new format for the common entrance test for admission into engineering colleges, 2013. The test will now be a two-tier test where students will need to first appear for the JEE-Main examination followed by JEE-Advanced.  Only the top 1.5 lakh students who clear JEE-Main will qualify to appear for JEE-Advanced (formerly known as AIEEE) which will be held for those students seeking admissions into the IITs. However, of the students who clear the advanced examination, only those who were the top 20% in the various board exams will be granted seats in the various IITs.

Since the number of students clearing the JEE-Advanced examination is high, the council is now deliberating upon whether to adopt a subjective test approach for the advanced examination. Currently, the JEE pattern tests students using the Multiple-choice questions (MCQ) format.

If the format of the examination changes to a subjective format, the preparation for the exams will need to alter accordingly. For a subjective paper, students will need to understand the concepts well and apply them appropriately to succeed.

With the possibility of a change in pattern, the books that students will need to refer to might also change. Watch out for the latest on IIT JEE Books as chances are what you have or are planning to refer to while preparing for the exams are not up to date.

1Apr/120

Last minute subject wise preparation for IIT-JEE

In the last few days of your preparation for IIT-JEE, you will be touching on last minute topics. But, that should not lead you to ignore the basics, and neither should you skip revising. Here is a brief look at subject wise prepartion.

Chemistry: Most students who do well in IIT-JEE insist that there needs to be consistent focus on Chemistry, because it is quite different in nature from conceptual Physics or Mathematics. Experts suggest keeping focus on both Organic and inorganic chemistry. Focus areas in physical chemistry are electro-chemistry, thermodynamics and chemical equilibrium. In inorganic chemistry, focus on qualitative analysis, co-ordination chemistry and chemical bonding. While you work with numbericals, watch out for carelessness which might lead to calculation errors.

You should keep in might the reaction groups, species/ functional groups that occur as reactants and those that occur as resulting compounds, catalysts and reaction conditions. Understand the arrow mechanisms.

Mathematics: Be careful about co-ordinate geometry(circle, and other open curves)  and calculus related questions. For integration (in calculus), try to work out as much mentally without help of references as possibel. Similarly some focus is required on quadratics equations, complex numbers, and probability. In algebra, some stress on vectors and matrices is quired, and similarly conic sections in trigonometry

Physics: This subect is more conceptual and intuitive, and ideally you should find it hard to forget. Be perseverant and follow through till the end. Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Fuilds, Heat, Sound are important. And similarly electronics and basic magnetics, electro magnetic induction are important in Electric. Be very clear about Optics concepts.

17Jan/120

How to Crack the IIT JEE?

iitjee

Hundreds of thousands of students completing schooling in India each year dream of getting into prestigious institutions such as the IITs. However as we all know, the harsh truth is that only a few are able to make it. But that is not because the students who do not make it are not analytical enough. Research proves that apart from the aptitude of the student, the approach taken and the overall mindset has a far greater role to play in cracking an exam successfully.

Therefore, what are the most basic, and yet important but fine points of preparation that are commonly overlooked? Read on to find out, and make sure you don’t make the same mistakes!

  • Basics first: Yes, we understand you are dying to get cracking on those difficult problems, but not getting the basics right only hurts your progress and self-confidence in the long run. Even if it takes you twice as long as you expected, get the basic concepts very clear first.
  • Assess yourself: What kind of a problem-solver are you? Do you prefer concepts over drills, abstract questions over the numerical ones? If so, you might have a weakness in you that you need to overcome. If possible, get yourself assessed by a professional to figure out the problem areas and then work on balancing your skills.
  • Make a plan: Your study should not be driven by randomness. Time is limited, so you need to divide it wisely between theory, problem-solving, and leisure. Yes, taking a break is every bit as important as burning the midnight oil.

Follow these steps and power your way through the formidable IITs. And once you make it, do come back to share your success story!

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2Jan/110

50% marks needed for admission in professional courses

Based on the latest AICTE Process Handbook 2011-2012, the admission to any of the professional course including engineering, pharmacy and hotel management will need at least 50% in the required subjects. This is in addition to  the policy recommendation which gives more weight to Class XII exams for admissions through IIT-JEE.

We welcome this move as this forces the students to pay attention to school curricula instead of  only chasing coaching centers for an entrance examination.  The downside of studying with blinders on is that many students who aspire for an IIT or professional degree focus on the core subjects and miss out of the basic language and social skills.

There will be significant impact of this policy as in some states like Gujarat the present cut-off is as low as 35% for admissions. Also this affects states like Bihar where the access to good schools in rural areas is a problem. There may be yet other problems arising out of varying marking schemes followed by different state and national boards.

Over-all this might turn out to be an astute move, but the implementation of this is yet to be seen.

   
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