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Is Preparing for JEE Mains Sufficient for JEE Advanced? Or Does it Need a Different Approach?

By Sagar MankarAugust 14, 2020
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With the higher board results declared,  a lot of students buckles up to qualify in the engineering entrance examinations. Lakhs of students in India dream of studying in an IIT, but cracking the exam can be a tough job. Many will be gearing up for the JEE Mains and JEE Advanced exams. 

Preparation of JEE Mains will not be sufficient to crack JEE Advanced as the latter requires considerably different approach. Every student has a different learning capacity; some may learn the subjects faster while others may need additional training. 

For JEE Advanced, students have to start with JEE Main preparation but eventually one will find certain differences in the syllabus and study approach for the two examinations. In the course of preparation, it is likely for a student to be concerned – “Is preparing for JEE Mains sufficient for JEE Advanced?” These thoughts may keep coming up every now and then.

Let us find out a little more about JEE Advanced and whether preparation of JEE Mains will be sufficient for Advanced or not.


How Challenging is JEE Advanced as Compared to JEE Mains?

Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), a national level entrance examination is categorised into two levels - Mains and Advanced. The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts Mains for admission in NITs, GITs and other engineering colleges, JEE Advanced is solely conducted by the Indian Institute of Technologies.

Owing to the two examinations being held by different bodies, the examinations are bound to be different in scope leading to the preparation also being a little different. It is important to understand the points of difference between the two exams to find the answer of – “Is preparing for JEE Mains sufficient for JEE Advanced?”

  • Exam Pattern

The distinction between JEE Main and Advanced lies in the exam structure and marks distribution. JEE Mains have three papers – a separate paper for B. Planning. In contrast, JEE Advanced examination have two papers. 

Moreover, the syllabus like Thermal Physics, Electro Chemistry, including class 12 texts makes the Advanced exam challenging. It requires the preparation for Advanced exams to be more in-depth and analytical. It indicates that the notion - preparation for JEE Mains sufficient for JEE Advanced, does not hold. 

  • Qualification

Any candidate who has cleared class 12 with 75% exams and is from a recognised board can attempt JEE Mains exams. At the same time, ST/SC candidates require a minimum of 65% to be eligible for the Mains.

In comparison, JEE Advanced requires a candidate to clear the JEE Mains and secure a spot among top 2,50,000 rank holders. 

  • Marking Scheme

To understand the approach of JEE Main vs JEE Advanced preparation, a student must be clear on the division of marks. JEE Mains is of 360 marks which includes multiple choice questions from subjects like Physics, Chemistry and Maths. Each section weighs 30 marks where + 4 marks are awarded for correctness and -1 for the wrong answer.

However, JEE Advanced examination has 306 marks which include three sections for each question. There are multiple choice questions in each section which can have more than one correct answers as well. 

  • Difficulty Level

There are more analytical and logical reasoning questions in JEE Advanced exam. It is in this regard that preparation needs to be in-depth, systematic and theoretical in approach. The competition is stiff due to significantly less number of seats in the Indian Institute of Technologies. 

In comparison, JEE Mains is easier to crack as the exam comprises of basic conceptual and direct questions. This difference is important to determine JEE Main vs JEE Advanced preparation

  • Number of Attempts

What makes JEE Advanced exams difficult lies in the less number of attempts. An IIT aspirant will only have two attempts in JEE Advanced in consecutive years. Hence, the preparation will have to be far more rigorous.

JEE Main exam allows candidates to take six attempts over three consecutive years. So, a student make an assessment accordingly with respect to JEE Main vs JEE Advanced preparation.


Whether Preparation for JEE Main is Ample for JEE Advanced?

The IIT JEE exam is held to be one of the toughest entrance exams in the country. Every year nearly 2,00,000 students attempt to secure a seat in the prestigious institution.  To understand how tough is JEE Advanced compared to JEE Main, one simply needs to match the number of seats with the number of candidates. The total number of seats across all the IITs is around 11,289.

It is true that the JEE Advanced exams are highly challenging, but with excellent preparation the difficulty levels of the exam can be managed. An IIT aspirant needs to plan his/her schedule and prepare accordingly. JEE Mains usually includes questions based on class 11 and 12 syllabus. At the same time, JEE Advanced includes class 12 class syllabus with additional topics like Thermal Physics, Electro Chemistry, etc.

Moreover, the requirement of a conceptual understanding of questions makes JEE Advanced syllabus more complicated. Therefore a student well prepared for JEE Advanced can effortlessly clear the Mains examination.

For students who remain anxious about - Is preparing for JEE Mains sufficient for JEE Advanced?, it is vital to note that a student clearing class 12 board examination only will not be eligible to apply for JEE Advanced. He or she will also have to qualify Mains with the necessary cut-off marks.

It is estimated that in 2020 only 20,000 candidates might qualify for JEE Advanced as compared to around 10,00,000 students applying for Mains. The gap portrays the harsh reality of competition and struggles among candidates to secure a seat.

It is also important to keep in mind the varying learning capacity among students. The preparation of the two examination should be done in accordance to such capacity. The preparation of JEE Main seem incredibly tough for any student, then it may be unwise to spend further time over JEE Advanced.

Nonetheless, it is logical that if you dedicate your time for preparation of JEE Advanced, you may be equipped to clear JEE Mains, which should remove the confusion whether preparation for JEE Mains sufficient for JEE Advanced.


How to Prepare For JEE Advanced?

Before reading this, you might have been curious, is preparing for JEE Mains sufficient for JEE Advanced? By now you might have acquired the idea that preparing for JEE Advanced is sufficient to clear JEE Mains not vice versa.

If you are following this approach, then here are some tips to help you prepare for JEE Advanced exam.

  • If you have already cracked JEE Mains, find out the similar chapters in Advanced syllabus. Then start preparing accordingly by allotting time for difficult chapters. Topics like Semiconductors, optics, gravitation are a part of both Mains and Advanced syllabus.

  • JEE Advanced needs an in-depth understanding of the concepts. Therefore, be comprehensive in your approach.

  • Practice maketh a man, and this quote fits aptly to an IIT aspirant who needs to dedicate his/her time fully to preparation. Merely being familiar with the subjects will never help a student to clear a national level exam. Therefore, a candidate must attempt mock tests to assess the preparation.

These key points will help you to secure a good rank in the JEE examination. Hence equipped with adequate information, the query - Is preparing for JEE Mains sufficient for JEE Advanced, must have been answered. So, go on to study hard and get admission to your dream engineering college.


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