Students often struggle to balance their preparation for JEE Main and class 12th board examinations. Juggling school with JEE Main preparation is a very tough task and several times students wonder if it's possible to prepare for JEE Main and boards simultaneously. Statistics proves it is. Various toppers over the years have done it and so can you. So the big question is how to prepare for JEE Main and boards simultaneously. It is extremely important to know that with hard work and dedication, cracking JEE Main and 12th board examinations is possible.
The Joint Entrance Examination Main, or JEE Main, is conducted twice a year as a computer-based test (CBT) by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to 31 National Institutes of Technology (NITs), 25 Indian Institutes of Technology (IIITs) and 28 Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs).
Students can appear in either one or both the examinations and the best of the two scores is considered for ranking. Every year, over 9 lakh candidates appear for JEE Main. In order to ace both examinations with flying colours, it is important to have a right balancing strategy.
In this article, we present to you the compiled preparation tips from experts and toppers regarding JEE Main and 12th class boards.
Know complete syllabus
The first step to begin preparing for any exam is to know the exam pattern and the topics covered in the exam. Knowledge of the syllabus and the weightage assigned to each section will help you formulate the correct JEE Main and boards exam preparation strategy.
JEE Main syllabus:
Subject | Branch | Percent wise Coverage of Topics in JEE Main (past years) |
Physics | Mechanics | 30% |
Heat and Thermodynamics | 7% | |
Electrostatics and Current Electricity | 17% | |
Magnetism and Electromagnetic Induction | 13% | |
Optics and Waves | 3% | |
Modern Physics | 10% | |
Simple Harmonic Motion, Waves and Elasticity | 7% | |
Semiconductor Devices, Electromagnetic Waves and Principles of Communication | 13% | |
Chemistry | Organic Chemistry | 30% |
Inorganic Chemistry | 30% | |
Physical Chemistry | 40% | |
Mathematics | Coordinate Geometry | 17% |
Calculus | 27% | |
Algebra | 27% | |
Vector/3-D Geometry | 10% | |
Trigonometry | 6% | |
Sets and Relations, Mathematical Reasoning, Statistics | 13% |
Class 12th boards syllabus
Mathematics -
S.No. | Mathematics Units Names | CBSE Class 12 Maths Chapter Wise Weightage 2019-20 |
1 | Relations and Functions | 8 |
2 | Algebra | 10 |
3 | Calculus | 35 |
4 | Vectors and Three - Dimensional Geometry | 14 |
5 | Linear Programming | 5 |
6 | Probability | 8 |
Total | 80 | |
Internal Assessment | 20 | |
Physics
S. No. | Physics Units Names | Marking Weightage of CBSE 12 Physics Syllabus |
1 | Electrostatics | 16 |
2 | Current Electricity | |
3 | Magnetic Effects of Current and Magnetism | 17 |
4 | Electromagnetic Induction and Alternating Currents | |
5 | Electromagnetic Waves | 18 |
6 | Optics | |
7 | Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter | 12 |
8 | Atoms and Nuclei | |
9 | Electronic Devices | 7 |
Total | 70 | |
Chemistry
S. No. | Chemistry Units Names | CBSE Class 12 Chemistry Chapter Wise Marking Scheme |
1 | Solutions | 23 |
2 | Electrochemistry | |
3 | Chemical Kinetics | |
4 | Surface Chemistry | |
5 | General Principles and Processes of Isolation of Elements | 19 |
6 | p -Block Elements | |
7 | d -and f -Block Elements | |
8 | Coordination Compounds | |
9 | Haloalkanes and Haloarenes | 28 |
10 | Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers | |
11 | Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids | |
12 | Organic Compounds containing Nitrogen | |
13 | Biomolecules | |
14 | Polymers | |
15 | Chemistry in Everyday Life | |
Total | 70 | |
JEE Main exam pattern
PAPER | SUBJECTS | TYPE OF QUESTIONS | Mode of Examination |
BE/BTech. | Mathematics, Physics & Chemistry | Objective Type - Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) & Questions for which answer is a numerical value, with equal weightage to Mathematics, Physics & Chemistry | “Computer Based Test (CBT)†mode only |
BArch | Mathematics – Part I | Objective Type - Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) & Questions for which answer is a numerical value | “Computer Based Test (CBT)†mode only |
Aptitude Test – Part II | Objective Type - Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) | ||
Drawing Test – Part III | Questions to test drawing aptitude | “Pen & Paper Based†(offline) mode to be attempted on Drawing sheet | |
BPlanning Paper 2 | Mathematics – Part I | Objective Type - Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) & Questions for which answer is a numerical value | “Computer Based Test (CBT)†mode only |
Aptitude Test – Part II | Objective Type - Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) | ||
Planning Based Questions - Part III | Objective Type - Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
Make Your Own Timetable
Now that you are familiar with the topics and the exam pattern, it is time to make a robust yet practical study plan that you can follow. It's important to note that your timetable should include equal preparation time for JEE Mains as well as boards.
Divide your study hours into small study sessions. Take a break of five-ten minutes after every study session.
Know your most efficient time of the day and aim for it. For instance, there are students who feel productive at a certain amount of time in a day. Use that time efficiently.
Distribute study time as per your grip on the topic. There are certain topics that take less time to cover than others. Hence, distribute your time effectively.
Make a practical study plan. Having a rigorous study plan will make you lose concentration and will result in affecting your memory. Hence, your study plan must be practical and easy to follow.
Last but not the least, make a target score.
JEE Main 2020:Self-study is the foundation of your preparation
Apart from what you study in school, it is important to make sure that you extract enough time for self-study. Have a study plan as per the subject.
Study each concept, make notes, and solve as many questions required to strengthen your grip over the subject.
In the case of chemistry, have a clear understanding of chemical equations, chemical compounds, phenomenon, and its properties. Learning about chemical compounds and their properties will help you relate different concepts in chemistry.
For mathematics, start studying general topics that are applied in other chapters. Some of the general topics include trigonometry, coordinate geometry, differentiation and integration.
Make chapter-wise formulae and important-point sheets that can work as a revision sheet during the exam. For physics, try to understand diagrams and read chapters carefully. Additionally, create a chapter-wise formula sheet that comprises all formulas and laws discussed in the chapter.
JEE Main 2020: Practise is important
Solve as many questions possible from every topic that you study. This will help you understand the type of questions asked from each topic and you will know how far you stand from your target score.
Maintain an error-log and keep resolving your doubts instantly. This will help you know your weak points.
Everyone has a strong subject and a weak subject. Try to solve more questions from your weak subjects. This will help you overcome your weak points and convert them into strong ones.
When solving questions, make a habit of timing your efforts. For instance, solve 25 questions in 50 minutes. This will help you improve your speed and manage time during the actual JEE Main exam.
In case of board exams, try to solve full-length papers within 2.5 hours. This will help you prepare for worst-case scenarios such as lengthy solutions, or difficult questions.
JEE Main 2020: Make revision your habit from day one
The study is only effective when you keep up with revision. Making short notes will help you revise efficiently. Moreover, it's not possible to study each and every topic from the prescribed syllabus during the last days. Hence, have some space for revision in your time table.
Solving questions is an important part of revision. Through revision, you will be able to identify the points you missed while learning.
Solving previous year question papers is also a good practice as it allows you to know the type of questions asked in the exam. Take as many tests as possible. It is not necessary for the test to be full-length. You can take chapter-wise tests within a limited amount of time.
Time your practice tests so that you develop the exam day strategy well. Make revision a habit from the start of your JEE Main and class 12th boards preparation.
Revision is an ongoing process so make sure that it is included in your time table beforehand.
Some general preparation tips for JEE 2020
In order to stay efficient and concentrated, it is important to know your distractions and strictly ignore them. Distractions are your biggest enemy and a barrier to your preparation.
Self-evaluation is the key to overcome weakness. Making an error log will help you to figure out your strengths and weaknesses. If you know your weaknesses, you will be able to put extra efforts on them.
Keep yourself motivated. Preparing for an exam is a long-term process and requires you to be both dedicated and persistent.
Also, stay healthy in terms of physical as well as mental aspects.
Some important books to help you catalyse JEE Main 2020 and academics preparation:
Physics | Chemistry | Maths |
1. Problems in General Physics by I.E. Irodov 2. Fundamentals of Physics by Halliday, Resnick & Walker 3. Concepts of Physics Vol I and II by H.C. Verma | 1. Organic Chemistry by Paula Bruice Yurkanis 2. Organic Chemistry by Morrison & Boyd 3. Inorganic Chemistry by J.D. Lee 4. Numerical Chemistry by P. Bahadur | 1. Trigonometry by S. L. Loney 2. Higher Algebra by Hall & Knight 3. Maths XI & XII by NCERT 4. Co-ordinate Geometry by S. L. Loney 5. Problems in Calculus of One Variable by I.A. Maron |
