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How to Pass
The

JEE EXAM
On Your Very First Attempt

How to Plan, Prepare For and

Pass JEE Exam from Home
Without Spending a Fortune

Raghavendra Rao

Copyright © 2018 by Raghavendra Rao

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods,
without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of
brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-

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commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write

to the publisher, at [email protected]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface

Chapter 1: A CLEAR GAME PLAN

1.1 Introduction
1.1.1 A Tough Exam But Achievable
1.1.2 The Exam Pattern
1.1.3 Prepare A Crystal-Clear Game Plan
1.1.4 Have Time as Your Ally Not Foe
1.1.5 How Much Time Do I Need
1.1.6 Will a coaching class help
1.1.7 An aside on coaching institutes
1.1.8 Preparation Steps
1.2 Syllabus and Weightages

1.2.1 Syllabus
1.2.2 How Important Is Each Topic? Weightages
1.2.3 How Much Time To Spend On A Topic
1.3 Time-Table

Chapter 2 - Resources
2.1 Text Books
2.2 Study Material from Coaching Institutes 2.3 Past Question Papers
2.4 Internet Material

Chapter 3: REVISION METHOD

3.1 General
3.2 Making the Time Table
3.3 Rules for Revision
3.3.1 Physics

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3.3.2 Maths
3.3.3 Chemistry
3.4 Revision Process
3.4.1 Formulating Questions
3.4.2 Make Mind Maps
3.4.3 Summarise and Teach
3.4.4 Make Notes
3.4.5 How to Make Notes
3.4.6 Sample Problems
3.4.7 Don’t Read Illustrative Problems - Do Them
3.4.8 Re-read from Study Material
3.4.9 Retaining in Memory
3.4.10 Doubt Clarification
3.4.11 More on Problem Solving
3.4.12 Assimilation
3.4.13 Create a Daily Test Schedule

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Chapter 4: TIPS FOR GOOD

STUDYING
4.1 Know Yourself
4.2 Self-Judgement
4.3 Focus and Attention
4.4 Set Yourself Up For Success
4.5 The SQR3 Technique
4.6 Be Relaxed
4.7 Attitude – Determination To Learn
4.8 Meditation
4.9 Yoga
4.10 Mind Control and Emotional Intelligence
4.11 Discipline
4.12 Developing Good Habits

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Chapter 5: Conclusion
5.1 Be Serious It Is Not Kid Stuff
5.2 The Dilemma of Coaching Institutes
5.3 What if There is a Slip
5.4 Join IIIT, NIT or Other Prestigious Colleges
5.5 What About Defence Forces
5.6 Other Careers

LIST OF APPENDICES
1. Appendix A What Coaching Institutes Charge

2. Appendix B Top 10 Coaching Classes for IIT JEE In India

3. Appendix C, Annexure 1 JEE Main 2018 Syllabus

4. Appendix C, Annexure 2 JEE Main Syllabus -2

5. Appendix D, Annexure 1 Weightages Physics

6. Appendix D, Annexure 2 Weightages Chemistry

7. Appendix E Your Other Options

About the Author

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Preface
Graduating from an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is the dream of most students. It assures
them of a bright career.
Seats in the IITs are limited, and the competition is high (14 Lakh students vying for 12000 seats).
The entrance exam, conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and called the
Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) is, therefore, very tough. Most students cannot pass it (pass percentage is
9%). Coaching Institutes have, therefore, sprung up all over the country to coach students who want
to pass this exam.
I am a Post Graduate from IIT- Delhi myself and a Professor of Mechanical Engineering. I have been
teaching in two such coaching institutes. Over the last 6 years, I have taught hundreds of students
who join the institute in the hope of making it to IIT.
During teaching, I realised that, unfortunately, most of the students in the class would not be able to
pass the exam. They were wasting their time. They did not have knowledge of the basic concepts to
understand what was being taught. They were trying to memorise their way through problems.
The questions they asked after class revealed their low level. It showed that they had not understood
most of what was taught in their 10th , 11th and 12th standards at school.
These students did not lack motivation. They were willing to work hard - but they needed guidance.
To me, it became clear that they could pass, if they followed disciplined self-study practices. If,
however, they expected the coaching class to do it for them, they would most certainly fail.
On the flip side, the weaknesses of the coaching classes themselves was evident. The faculty was
good, but they had their limitations. They had to finish the syllabus within a given time. They had to
solve a minimum number of problems from old papers in every session. They could do this only if
they kept up a very fast pace. This suited the bright students who knew the concepts well. The others
could not keep pace.
For the average and weak students, the coaching classes were eating away on their revision time
without producing the desired results. Only the bright students were benefitting. Self-study would be
a better option for these average students.
I also found that 52% of the students admitted each year had passed the JEE Exam without the help
of any coaching institute.
In my classes I insisted that the average students did a systematically planned self-study in addition
to attending the coaching classes. It worked. The success of these students prompted me to share the
technique with others also. Hence this book.
This book is for hardworking students. It does not matter whether they are brilliant or average, smart
or dull; by following the techniques given in this book they will save themselves lots of time and
effort and systematically improve their performance. The methods mentioned are not only well
proven and personally tried out techniques but guaranteed to bring results. Yes, they can do it on their
own.
Chapter 1 deals with the exam and its pattern. It also deals with the syllabus, apportioning importance
to different topics in the syllabus and how to prepare a detailed study plan keeping the length of the
topic and its importance in mind.

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Chapter 2 deals with the resources needed before embarking on the revision. It deals with the
additional books and other vital study material beyond the class text books.
Chapter 3 deals with the actual revision process; how to understand what you are reading and how to
solve difficult problems.
Chapter 4 is a collection of proven study techniques which they do not teach in schools. They are
easily doable practices which increases efficiency and reduces the time required for assimilation.
Chapter 5 recollects the process and deals with other career options in case a student does not make it
to IIT.
The appendices are a wealth of information for students. There is information on what Coaching
Institutes will cost, which are the good coaching institute in the country, the syllabus and weightages
based on past question papers and finally options if you do not make it to IIT.
To obtain maximum benefit from the book, I recommend that, as a student you first read the entire
book to get an overall idea of the techniques and preparation to be done even before starting revision.
During the second detailed reading you should take action as mentioned in each para of Chapters 1, 2
and 3. It is then that your revision can be hugely productive.
Happy reading and all the best for JEE.

Chapter 1: A CLEAR GAME

PLAN
1.1 Introduction
“Blood, Sweat, and Tears”
Ever since I retired from the Army as a Brigadier and later from a Public-
Sector Company as an Executive Director, I have been a professional
engineering teacher. That makes it 20 years and still counting. I specialised
in Mechanical Engineering and my students from Classes Eleven and
Twelve ranged from the brilliant (not too many of them, alas!), to the
mediocre and a few (sadly, and inevitably) uninterested.
However, when the board examinations drew near, the focus and intensity
of the students changed dramatically. They not only wanted to pass, but to
do very well too. This syndrome is pandemic country wide: this sudden
aspiration to pass the boards, get into a good college, obtain a degree, and
then secure a good job placement.

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Easily done? Not quite. There are colleges aplenty, but the crux of the
matter lies in gaining entrance to a reputed or renowned university. And all
these institutions present a formidable entrance examination to be
surmounted before enrolment can be assured.
It is an entrance examination, known as the Joint Entrance Examination
(JEE), that requires, as Prime Minister Winston Churchill promised the
English people before the advent of World War Two, the shedding of much
“Blood, Sweat, and Tears” in preparation.
And that is the key word---preparation! How does one go about it? One
way, of course, is to enrol with a reputed coaching institution, such as
FITJEE, or those in Kota. The downside is their humongous fees. Can you
afford them? Perhaps you cannot. The other way is my way ---DO IT
YOURSELF!
Anyone who wants to crack JEE can do it. You only need time and to know
“HOW”.
And my book shows you HOW!

Read this book, diligently practice the steps mentioned and I assure you of
success. You need not join a coaching institute. Even if you do, the steps
laid down in this book will be needed for your self-study at home – and to
keep a track of your progress. Let us begin.

1.1.1 A tough exam but achievable

The JEE exam is conducted in two parts. The “JEE Mains” on qualifying in
which students can take the second part called “JEE Advanced”. These are
conducted annually, all over India, by the CBSE in two modes - offline and
online modes. The on-line mode is a computer-based test (CBT) in which
the student has to click on one of the answers in the multiple choices
offered. In the off-line mode, which is a pen and paper-based exam, the
student must mark the correct choice by filling the bubble with the pen
provided. More students prefer the offline or pen and paper mode due to its
apparent safety.

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The on-line CBT is usually conducted a week before the Off-line test. Both
exams are for a duration of three-hours in which students are presented 90
questions to answer. The maximum marks obtainable are 360.
CBSE announces a “cut off” mark after the exam. It is usually around 100
to 125 marks. Anyone getting more than the cut off marks is deemed to
have qualified in the exam. (Sounds very achievable no? It is!!)
Students who qualify in the JEE Mains can sit for the JEE Advanced exam
(provided they are in the top 2.24 Lakh students as per merit). In the JEE
Advanced exam there is a “cut off” mark for each of the three subjects viz.
Physics, Chemistry and Maths. A student must clear each subject and the
entire exam to qualify in the JEE Advanced exam.
JEE Main exam is necessarily tough. It has to sift the average students from
the bright ones. The competition is, therefore, high. You need a proper and
systematic study to crack it.
Passing the JEE Mains exam is sufficient to secure admission into any
Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), National Institute of
Technology (NIT) or other prestigious colleges which have made JEE a pre-
requisite for admission. For securing admission to the Indian Institute of
Technologies (IITs) however, you must pass both the JEE Mains and JEE
Advanced exams.
As you would be aware, the Indian Institutes of Technology are the most
sought after technological institutes in the country. It is almost certain that
anyone graduating from an IIT is assured of a well-paying secure job – or
better still, a good chance to secure a seat in one of the Indian Institutes of
Managements (IIMs). It is not only the students but parents as well, who
wish that their sons and daughters join an IIT. This increases the pressure on
the students.
I am an IIT alumnus myself, and I, reluctantly, agree with them.
IITs transform you from a student to an engineer – an engineer who can
contribute. Unfortunately, most other colleges do not do that. They offer a
degree but do not necessarily make you “industrially employable”.

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The IITs are very lucrative and the demand for seats is heavy.
Approximately 14 Lakh students apply for the 12000 IIT seats available
each year.

1.1.2 The exam pattern

The JEE Main paper pattern is given below:

Exam Duration 3 Hours

Paper 1 Section Physics, Chemistry and
(B.E/ B.Tech) Mathematics
Paper 2 Section Physics, Chemistry,
(B. Arch/B. Mathematics & Drawing
Planning) and Aptitude Test
Total no of 90
Questions
Marks for Correct +4
Answer
Negative Marking -1
Maximum Marks 360

1.1.3 Preparation - A crystal clear game plan

The JEE exam, designed to filter out the average students from the good
students-and the good students from excellent students, has a mix of
questions. Some questions are simple and require you to recall from
memory, but most questions are more complex. Such questions can only be
solved by students who have understood the concepts and are adept at
solving inter-disciplinary problems.

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It does not mean that an average student cannot pass JEE exam, or that you
must be born intelligent. Average students can also pass. They need to put
in more effort than the brighter students. It does, however, need
determination, hard work, stamina and a properly organised preparation.
Simple, as it may sound, it is not EASY. One has to diligently follow a
systematic and disciplined approach to the preparation.
If you are determined enough, you can pass JEE.
Moreover, passing JEE is not only about intelligence – it is about a
dedicated way of life – something like joining the Army!
Preparing for an exam like JEE or GATE is like undertaking a major
project. It requires careful planning, collection of resources, identifying
your weaknesses, overcoming them and following a systematic practice
routine. Periodical checks are also required to ensure that you are following
the plan.

1.1.4 Have time as your ally and not a foe

JEE examination covers questions from topics you covered in Class XI and
XII. To revise both Class XI and Class XII syllabi, to practice the problems
and be prepared for the exam you must give yourself sufficient time. Last
moment studies, say one month before the exam, will not even allow you
time to cover 1/10th of the syllabus. You must start planning and preparing
for the exam at least a year (preferably a year and a half) in advance.
Frankly, when you are in class XI, you do not have the vision to look as far
ahead as the JEE exam. In fact, you would not even have been exposed to
the complete Class XI syllabus and definitely not to the Class XII syllabus.
You would blissfully be in the “I don’t know, and I don’t know what I don’t
know ” state.
Maybe that you are one of the lucky few whose parents recognised the need
to start preparation early. However, realising that attending coaching classes
as well as school classes, preparing for the board exams and preparing for
JEE - all simultaneously - would be counter-productive, they may have
wisely put it off for the next year.

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Even in Class XII, you would still be burdened with a hefty syllabus, and
the threat of a board exam. Adding JEE preparation, by attending a
coaching class after school hours would be too demanding and
counterproductive. Moreover, it would deprive you of all other social and
sport activities. Many students who have done this have suffered in both
places. I do not recommend it. Worst comes to worst, wait for a year after
your boards to appear in JEE (yes drop a year).
The choice you do have, however, is to attend to Class XII and
simultaneously prepare for JEE by yourself. But do you have the time for
that? Probably not.
The only answer is to “START EARLY” so that you can give yourself (and
the JEE) a fair chance of success. Yes, be smart and get time on your side as
an ally.

1.1.5 What is early? How much time do I need?

Let us do some simple mathematics. There are three subjects in JEE Exam
Part-1 (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics). Each subject has several
Units. Physics has 20 Units, Chemistry has 28 and Mathematics has 16.
There are, thus a total of 64 Units to be covered.
Let us assume that you plan to study for 6 hrs every day. (If you are not
attending school you can increase this to 8 hours per day). At this rate, and
on an average, each Unit will take 4 to 5 days to revise. This translates to a
total of 64X 4.5 = 288 days.
This means that you need a minimum of 10 months to complete one
revision. This is only a basic mathematical calculation. It can easily
increase by 1 ½ times i.e. to 12 to 15 months to cater for practical
circumstances (remember, nothing goes as planned because plans are
always very optimistic).
“Early”, therefore means at least one year in advance. Remember that while
you will be revising for JEE as well as preparing for your Board Exams.
This will slow down your revision. Starting even earlier than on year (say
18 months in advance) is advisable. The bare minimum, however, is one
year.

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If you start late, you are sure to find yourself short of time.

1.1.6 Will a coaching class help?

As we just saw, if you want to give yourself sufficient time your preparation
has to begin, at least, when you are entering Class XII. (It is better if you
start when you are in or entering Class XI, but most students cannot afford
the extra time or cost burden).
This will mean that you are going to study for your Class XII Board exam
as well as for your JEE Exam simultaneously. Although the JEE and CBSE
syllabi are common to a large extent, you cannot study for the Class and
revise the same topic in the JEE syllabus at the same time. They cannot be
synchronised. You will, necessarily be studying different chapters albeit of
the same syllabus.
Due to this mismatch, some students feel that it may be better to join a
coaching institute.
While I am not totally against joining a coaching institute if it is convenient
and affordable, I do have reservations on the benefit you will be able to
derive from it. The advantage is that you will be forced to follow their pace
for revision and will finish the revision well in time. You will also be
mentally clear to separate the two different topics you have to study at
school and at the institute.
My experience is that the advantages offered by joining a coaching institute
do not warrant the expenditure of both the time and money involved
specially if you are an average student. You can yourself do it at home. Yet,
the choice is, squarely - yours. What are you more comfortable with? You
could probably try it out for some time and dis-continue later? These are
questions which you need to consider and answer yourself. There are no
right or wrong answers.
If, however, you do join a coaching institute, here are a few points you must
adhere to- to make it worthwhile:
Join early to gain time (if you join late, the Institute will still
finish with the earlier batch, but you will get less practice).
Be regular and do not miss any class as topics are inter-related.

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Do all the mock tests the Institute offers even if you feel that
you are not prepared for it. It gives you a simulated exam
environment which you need to get used to. (in fact, I
recommend mock tests even if you do not join an institute –
mock tests can be purchased independently for a small fee).
Keep noting and clearing your doubts. Do not keep them
pending.
Make notes to aid your next revision.

1.1.7 An aside on Coaching Institutes

Coaching Institutes have, of late, become notoriously expensive. Each
claim to get outstanding results. Each tries to out-do the other by claiming
more hours, more tests, more problems and so on, justifying their higher
costs.
They try to enrol intelligent and bright students. This ensures that their
students get a high All India Rank (AIR) in the JEE exam (which they
would have probably got on their own as well). In turn, the Institute gets a
higher reputation justifying a higher tuition fee in the next year!
They do this by granting a “scholarship” based on the marks obtained in the
Board Exams. “High Marks” students get a hefty “scholarship” and pay
much less than an average student. This ensures that they attract the bright
students who can pass the exam on their own.
Bright students join an institute to help get a better rank and later their first
choice in both institution and branch of study.
The average student however, pays more but joins to ensure that he or she
gets through the exam. Whichever category you belong to, you have to start
studying for the JEE early and put in a lot of home work as self-study.
To give you an idea of the amount these institutes charge, I have compiled
some data which is given in Appendix A. Have a look at it to know what
you have to pay if you choose to join one.
The Appendix gives you only a small sample. You will have to visit the web
site of each Coaching Institute to find out their latest fee structure and what
type of programs they offer i.e. off-line class room coaching, off - line
classroom coaching for both board exam and IIT JEE, on-line only,

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correspondence course (includes tests, video lectures etc.) or study material

only. Some institutes also offer mock tests either as part of a larger package,
or in stand-alone mode.
There are many coaching institutes in each city and their reputations vary.
Visit their web sites, visit their premises, attend some of their demo classes
and consider factors like distance, timings and so on before deciding on
which one to join.
If you do decide to attend one of the good coaching classes in Kota (the
home of coaching institutes in India), you will have to consider shifting to
that city for a year or two. It is a financial and a social decision which only
you and your parents can take.
If you do decide to join a coaching institute, do it early and then pursue it
vigorously. To aid you with this process, I have attached as Appendix B to
this e-book, an article on the top 10 coaching institutes in the country . A
small write up of each institute is also given. This article was written for
toppr.com by Aditi Jhalani in November 2017.
Interestingly, whether you join a coaching institute or not, you will still
have to study and practice at home by yourself. This is because you will
have to:

Confirm an in depth understanding of the topic (by additional

reading, watching videos etc.)
Clarify doubts (online or in the classroom)
Practice on your own (as per a time table)
Keep revising so that you remember easily (Constant / cyclic
revision)

Revision at home (or self-study) is necessary whether or not you join a

coaching institute. How do you plan this self-study? That is what is
explained in this book.

1.1.8 Preparation Steps

Now let us get back to self-study at home.

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To get yourself fully prepared for the JEE Exam in April, you will need to
follow three basic steps.

Prepare a time table for systematic and complete revision of

the syllabus
Obtain the study material
Learn how to revise
We will go through these steps in detail.
1.2 Syllabus and Weightages

1.2.1 Syllabus
You must get hold of the syllabus from an authentic source. For the JEE
exam, visit their website ( https://jeemain.nic.in ) and download the syllabus for
the exam you wish to apply for (either JEE Part 1 or Part 2 or both). I have
done this for the syllabus of the 2018 JEE Mains Examination; (see
Appendix C, Annexures 1 and 2 for the Broad and Detailed Syllabus).
Do not rely on any coaching institute’s web sites or other similar secondary
sources – they sometimes miss out minor changes which the conducting
body may have introduced recently.
Study the syllabus to identify the range of your studies. The syllabus
provides a convenient format in which to base your time table for the
revision. You can set goals for your studies based on the Units (chapters)
and sub topics in the syllabus, with dates. It becomes a great motivating
factor when you can see what you can achieve soon. You can also space out
your studies so that the full syllabus is covered well before the exam.
List the “Units” as given in the syllabus on a separate sheet of paper. Break
down the Units (topics) into “sub-topics”. This has already been done in the
detailed syllabus (see Annexure 2 to Appendix C) . This is also present in
your text book (which you have been using in your school – most probably
it will be the NCERT Text book). Compare the “Chapters” in the Book with
the “Units” in the Detailed Syllabus to see that all the topics are covered,
and no portion of the syllabus is left out.

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Note down the sub topics under their respective Units in sequence. You
should now have the syllabus divided into Units and sub topics, written in
the form of a content which you would find in any text book.
Although I have done this exercise for you in Appendix C, you must
compare this with the syllabus for the exam when it is published, to observe
changes if any.
We will now convert this into a Time Table for revision.

1.2.2 How important is each topic – are weightages the same?

Against each Unit, on a scale of 1 to 10, give a weightage based on the
number of questions asked from that chapter in the previous years. To do
this, you will have to collect data from all the previous papers and distribute
the questions into their respective chapters.
This is a tedious and time-consuming task. However, there are many books
which have already done this. Here are a few with their links. You can buy
any one.
40Yrs Chapterwise - Topicwise Solved papers 2018 -1979
https://www.amazon.in/Chapterwise-Topicwise-Solved-2018-
1979-Mathematics/dp/9313163314/ref=sr_1_1?
s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1530795816&sr=1-
1&keywords=solved+papers+iit+jee

Target JEE Mains 2019 (This book has 18 years solved papers
+ 10 Mock Tests)
https://www.amazon.in/dp/9387421996/ref=sspa_dk_detail_3?
psc=1

39 Years’ Chapterwise Topicwise Solved Papers

https://www.amazon.in/Chapterwise-Topicwise-Solved-2017-
1979-Physics/dp/9311128740/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?
_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=9311128740&pd_rd_r=8a49cb06-
8054-11e8-b331-
8d7d3740326b&pd_rd_w=sasEl&pd_rd_wg=I5vtI&pf_rd_i=deskt

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op-dp-
sims&pf_rd_m=A1VBAL9TL5WCBF&pf_rd_p=1571559551194
667389&pf_rd_r=JFE79PHGN48P202AN343&pf_rd_s=desktop-
dp-
sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=JFE79PHGN48P202AN34
3
From the last book above, I have extracted the information for the years
2017 to 1979. This was further sieved down to the last five years questions
and based on the number of questions asked, each chapter was given a
weightage (in terms of a percentage). You can see it in Appendix D,
Annexure 1 for Physics and at Appendix D, Annexure 2 for Chemistry, at
the end of this e-book.
The weightage gives an idea of the depth you need to go into in each
chapter. Higher the weightage, the more number/ types/ degree of difficulty
of the practice problems you should solve. Obviously, you will have to
spend more time on the “high weightage” topics than the others.
Notice that no chapter has zero weightage. This implies that you cannot
leave out any Unit or topic from your revision. The number of problems
and their difficulty level would however increase with weightage.
In Physics, for example, no question has come (in the last five years) from
Unit 1 i.e. “Units and Measurements”. Obviously, you will only practice a
few basic problems from this Unit as it is unlikely to appear in the question
paper. Accordingly, you may allot only 3 sessions to complete this Unit
whereas to others you may allot four or even six sessions.

1.2.3 How much time should I allot for a topic?

At the outset, compare the syllabus and contents of the text book with your
list to see if any minor topics have been left out. This is important, and the
process can be done a few times to identify even small sub headings which
have been missed.
JEE questions usually come from such small sub-chapter or topics – or even
from the small foot-notes given in text books.

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You should have, at this stage, the entire syllabus divided into Units and sub
topics which need to be revised before the exam. Each sub topic must be
considered as a potential topic or source for JEE questions.
Having prepared a list of the topics you need to revise before the exams,
you need to allocate study time for each of these topics. This brings to life
the process of revision and gives it a dimension. When you start revision,
you can keep track and observe your progress against a “finish line”.
As already mentioned, the time you allot to each topic depends on the
degree of difficulty (weightage) of the topic, the range of coverage for that
topic i.e. how large the topic is, and the time available.
We will use the text book as a guide for this activity. The time allotted for
each topic will be proportional to the number of pages allotted to that
chapter in your text book and its weightage . As a thumb rule, for revising
topics with low length and low weightage, allot one session of study. (A
study-session means a three-hour time block). For larger topics or for those
with medium weightage, allot two study-sessions. For very large topics or
those with high weightage, allot three study-sessions. Adjust the sessions
such that the revision of one Unit is completed in 6 to 8 study-sessions (5 to
6 days; because in one day you will probably revise two subjects – one in
the morning and one in the evening – otherwise it can become boring).
The number of sessions allotted to the topic should be proportionate to its
length + weightage. There is no strict yard stick for this allotment. Use your
judgement and make an approximate assessment. This will suffice for the
present. You can revise it later when you have more information or study
material.
Write down the number of sessions allotted to each topic against it in your
list. Count the total number of study sessions required to revise the entire
syllabus.
Get hold of a calendar planner. It is like a normal calendar with empty
spaces below each date. You can fill in details for each day in such
planners.
On the calendar mark the days when personal study sessions are not
possible or have to be reduced due to outside activities. These may be for

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family outings, college activities, special events or holidays.

Your calendar should be practical. Be liberal with holidays, movies and
other such fun outings. If not, it will upset your planning later. Plan for
breaks and distractions in advance. If the IPL Finals happens to fall on a
Sunday, keep the evening free. This way you will remain stress free - for
easy study later.
Divide the empty space under each day in your planner into three boxes.
Each box represents one study-session of three hours. (If you are attending
school then divide one day into two study-sessions only). Do not make any
box under days you have marked as reserved for holidays, other activities
like College Day etc. Hence, on some days there may be no boxes, on some
days there may be two boxes, and, on most days, there should be three
boxes – remember that each box represents a study-session of three hours.
For the sake of continuity, do not allow more than two days without a
study session – be very strict here.
Count the number of boxes available on your calendar for the period from
when you intend to start revision, till the end of February of the next year.
This is your total time available for revision in terms of three-hour sessions.
Compare it with the total number of sessions required for your revision
(from your list).
If the number of study sessions available is more than the total number of
sessions required, you are OK. If not, you will have to re-work your list and
cut down the number of sessions allotted to some of the topics so that your
total requirement comes within the sessions available.
Let us do the mathematics again. The total number of Units you must cover
is 64 (Maths 16 + Physics 20 + Chemistry 28). If, on an average, you allot
one session for one sub-topic, you should finish one Unit in three days or
so. This will take you 64 x 3 days = 192 days or about 7 months to cover the
entire syllabus. If you start your revision by July, you can easily do it. If you
are allotting only two sessions of revision slots per day, you will take 192 x
3/2 = 288 days to finish. This is about 10 months. Add 1 month for extra
time and you need 11 months. You must start your revision by March of the
preceding year. It is as simple as that.

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At the end of this exercise, you will have a list of the Units, Main-topics,
sub-topics, their weightages and the time (study-sessions) allotted. You will
also have a calendar with the study-sessions available for each day.

1.3 Time Table

Transfer your list to the calendar. To do this, in each box in your calendar,
write down the topic you will study in that session. Since you know how
many study-sessions a topic requires, you can write the name of the same
topic in all those boxes. Start from the top of your list and keep filling the
boxes in the same sequence.
On completion of the exercise, you can see, at a glance, the work ahead of
you, and the time in which to achieve it. If you have started the process
early enough, (I mean one year before the exam), you will have time for a
second revision; say by February or March. If not, your time table will be
crowded.
The time table also gives you a feeling of control and confidence. Along
with it, you also have a feeling of “duty”. You just must get down to work
because the time is so limited – even if you started a year in advance of the
examination. That is exactly the point – you must work with concentration
and utilise the little time you have – very effectively. (We will deal with
concentration later).
Condensing the 11 th and 12 th class syllabus into one year or less is not easy
and the time table will naturally look crowded. Accept it and don’t fret over
it. Just start revising in earnest and you will be OK. If not, forget JEE, look
elsewhere.
Once you have the time table in place, you can start your revision (or
preparation) after you have collected the material resources (books,
question papers etc.).
It is important to keep track of your progress (by regular reviews every
week). You will not end up leaving out large chunks of the syllabus, which
you could have easily covered had you “seen” the delay, a little earlier.

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Chapter 2: RESOURCES
The next step is to collect the resources (books, study materials etc.) which
you will need for your revision. These can be broadly divided as under:
Text Books
Study Material from Coaching Institutes
Old Question Papers
Internet Material
2.1 Text Books

The syllabus for JEE largely follows the CBSE Class XI and Class XII
syllabus. The text books used in almost all schools is the recommended
NCERT Text book.
These books are well prepared and contain both theory as well as practice
problems. They are adequate for the initial revision. Check if there are any
gaps between the JEE syllabus and the text book. If there are gaps, you may
have to buy one or two extra books specifically covering the missing
chapters.
In addition to the above, the class text books are good only for initial
revision and for your board exams. For JEE you need additional reading
material and books.
The recommended books for JEE are given in the table below.

Subjects Books
Concepts of Physics by HC Verma,
Concepts of Physics by BA Pandey
Problems in General Physics- I.E. Irodov
Physics Concept of Competition Physics-
Agarwal
Principles of Physics – David
Halliday, Resnik and others

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Chemistry Organic Chemistry by Paul Bruice

Physical Chemistry by O.P. Tandon
Organic Chemistry by Morrison Boyd

Objective Mathematics by RD Sharma

Mathematics IIT Mathematics by ML Khanna
Higher Algebra by Hall and Knight

The above-mentioned books are for additional reading but are a must.
Procure them unless you are getting them from the coaching institute (if
you are joining one). You must, however, first be conversant with the
NCERT Text Book and its problems.
2.2 Study Material from Coaching Institutes

I strongly believe that you need to procure additional study material from
any one of the good coaching institutes. I have compiled a list of 10 good
coaching institutes in the country. These are given in Appendix B to this e-
book. Their study material is extensive and relevant. You do however need
to spend some money to procure them. Those institutes which sell their
study material independently of their correspondence course works out
cheaper.

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Here are a few details:

Vidyamandir : a one year correspondence course with materials is priced at
Rs 15,000/-http://www.vidyamandir.com/corr_prog_details.html
askIITians: They have several options starting from Rs 4950/- onwards.
https://www.askiitians.com/iit-jee/online-coaching/correspondence-
course.html
Bansal Classes: Their packages can be split (separate for Physics,
Chemistry and Maths) or comprehensive. Each individual package costs Rs
6000/- and a comprehensive package costs Rs 14,500/-.
http://bansaliitjee.com/courseSelector.aspx
ALLEN Study material: Their study material costs Rs 11,700/-
https://dlp.allen.ac.in/study-material/study-material-jee-main-advanced.asp
FITJEEE: Their study material costs from Rs 2400/- for an on line test
series, to Rs 9500/- for a one year “Rankers study
material”.http://cms.fiitjee.co/Resources/Programs/ProgramDetails_Pdf_10
0.pdf
These are only samples from the best institutes. Lower priced material
would also be available, for which you must do a detailed search on the net.
As mentioned earlier, I am a professor in a coaching institute and believe
that the study materials produced by such institutes are of rich value.
Whereas the text books you read in school are oriented to developing a
sound fundamental knowledge base, the study materials from the coaching
institutes, are JEE Exam oriented. They are based on past exam papers;
hence their range of coverage and the type of questions are accurate and
relevant. They also give a brief review of the theory so that you can revise
quickly and start with the solution of problems.
The study material provided by the institutes is prepared by lecturers and
professors who are experts. They have been teaching students how to solve
JEE type problems for several years. They include the correct type of
problems. If you try to do it yourself, you will spend too much time and
may not even be able to achieve your aim.

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Your school teachers are also experts as they too would have been teaching
for a long period of time. However, they teach several subjects and are not
totally exam oriented – they lay a higher stress on the understanding of
concepts (there is a difference).
Coaching Institute material contains solutions to most questions.
Sometimes only the answers are given and not the solutions because they
are similar to other problems or are easy to solve (easy from the lecturer’s
point of view). However, the solutions are generally too brief. The
advantage is that the method for solving the problem is indicated. Be
careful as there are several mistakes in these materials (especially if it is
from one of the lesser known institutes). You should not spend too much
time if you do not get the correct answer. Keep it aside for the class where
you can ask the teacher.
Some institutes offer a correspondence course as well as study material
separately. I have found that taking any one is sufficient. The material in the
course and study material are mostly identical.
2.3 Past Question Papers

You must obtain a set of past question papers with their solutions. These
will provide you with adequate practice both in the range and depth of the
type of questions asked.
There are several books with past question papers and their solutions. I have
already mentioned their details in Chapter 1 in connection with calculating
the weightage of each topic. You can procure any one as it will be necessary
for your practice.
Try to obtain a book in which the past questions have been segregated topic
wise, otherwise you will have to do it yourself, which is a laborious and a
time-consuming process. This is necessary so that you can attempt the
questions pertaining to a chapter immediately after you have revised it.
(This has been done in all the books I have referred to in Chapter 1).
You can also download past question papers with their solutions from many
sites on the Internet. Here are a few
AGLASEM is a relevant site:
https://admission.aglasem.com/jee-main-previous-year-

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question-papers/
FIITJEE have a very efficient site, but the range is limited.

http://cms.fiitjee.co/Resources/DownloadCentre/Document_Pdf_
277.pdf
2.4 Internet Material

The Internet is another source of relevant material. However, I prefer to

keep this only for doubts clarification or for additional information. The
reason is that it can easily become destructive – both in terms of time and
actual information gained. One tends to drift off into other “interesting”
fields and not tackle the problem at hand. I suggest that you keep internet
and revision as far apart as possible. However, if you do feel the urge to
take a break, visit these sites for inspiration and tips:
Askiitians.com: https://www.askiitians.com/iit-jee/how-
to-prepare-for-iit-jee.html

Jeemainonline.in: https://jeemainonline.in/how-to-
prepare-for-jee-main-advanced/

Owlcation.com:https://owlcation.com/academia/IITJEE
-2013-Follow-these-10-tips-to-get-selected-with-a-good-
rank

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Chapter 3: REVISION METHOD

3.1 General

At this stage you should have a plan (Time Table), a copy of the syllabus
and the study material. You are almost ready to begin your study / revision
according to the plan. Remember that the time table is a guide which
indicates when you should start and finish a certain topic so that you are
ready in good time. If, during your revision you find that there are major
deviations warranting a change to the time table itself, it must be done
thoroughly and not piece meal. However, we will come to that later.

3.2 Making the Time Table super specific

The time table, at this point will probably indicate the chapter you will be
tackling during the present study-session. Let us say you have decided to
study the first chapter in Physics, i.e. Units and Measurements for 2 study-
sessions. This will take you today and tomorrow - morning sessions. (Let us
assume that you have only 2 sessions a day with the morning session for
Physics and the evening session for Mathematics ).
You may now fill in the sub topics you will cover in the two sessions.
“Units and Measurements” has a lot of sub topics.

Sub - Topics Session

a. The international system of units
b. Measurement of length Day1 or 17
c. Measurement of mass Mar
d. Measurement of time (Morning
e. Accuracy, precision of instruments Session) “a
and errors in measurement to i”
f. Significant figures
g. Dimensions of physical quantities

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h. Dimensional formulae and

dimensional equations
i. Dimensional analysis and its
applications

To do this you will have to keep the list of sub topics in each chapter, in
front of you and allot sessions to them depending on their length.
Do not allot a new topic till the older one is completed. Topics should not
overlap.
Two subjects like Physics and Mathematics can run concurrently, but in one
topic, do not overlap i.e. topics and sub topics should be covered in the
sequence given in the book. This is because the understanding of the next
topic usually depends on the correct understanding of the previous one.
If you complete a topic before the allotted time, start with the next topic
(which will get more time).
If, however, you are not able to finish a topic in the allotted time, you
cannot delay the start of the next topic . Just make a note where you
ended the revision, and after you have finished all topics, if there is time,
you can come back and finish the balance. This way you will not jeopardize
the whole plan.
If you follow this rule, you cannot lose time, but you can accumulate it and
use it later. Moreover, do not worry if there are minor variations as the time
table is a guide which tells you how far behind or ahead you are. It keeps a
track of your progress.
Display the time table in a prominent place in your study. You should be
able to see it all the time. All your other activities should be tailored around
the time table (not the other way around). There is no meaning in making a
time table just to see if it can’t be followed! The time table is there to be
followed – period. Keep it that way and you will have no problems. If you
start adding conditions of “if”, “but” and other such conjunctions, the time
table will become a “wish table” and so will your exam results.

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3.3 Rules for Revision

Revision of a science subject differs from merely reading through the text
like a history lesson again. It involves clearing your mind of earlier ideas
(keeping an open mind), willingness to look at everything afresh (from
different perspectives) and accepting that some areas will remain grey.
Once the mind is so prepared, start reading slowly. To help you in your
second revision, make notes as you go along. Stop to think and visualise
after every few sentences.
You will need two aids for this.
One is a rough paper for you to keep scribbling / working out whatever you
are reading to aid your understanding. It is not meant to be retained after
you have finished the topic.
Second, a notebook to make notes, write summaries and note down any
doubts which need clarification. If you get a doubt while reading and you
cannot resolve it by re-reading, note it in your doubts book and carry on.
This will ensure that you do not interrupt your reading whenever you get a
doubt. Once you have finished reading a sub topic, resolve the doubt by
referring to other material, or get it clarified in class.
Here are some guidelines for the three topics viz. Physics, Maths and
Chemistry.
3.3.1 Physics
Look for the concept in each topic. You can do this by figuring out what the
author is trying to say. Can you summarise the paragraph in one sentence?
If so, that is the main idea or concept in the paragraph. Sometimes the
opening sentence of a paragraph gives a clue as to what the paragraph is
about. The concluding sentence in a paragraph will also indicate the main
idea.
Let us take an example.
Given below are two paragraphs on diffraction. Let us identify the concept
in the paragraph.

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“Diffraction is the spreading out of waves as they pass through an aperture

or around objects. It occurs significantly when the size of the aperture or
obstacle is of similar linear dimensions to the wavelength of the incident
wave. It happens when a part of the travelling wave front is obscured. For
very small aperture sizes, the vast majority of the wave is blocked. For
large apertures the wave passes by or through the obstacle without any
significant diffraction, and that largely at the edges.
In an aperture with width smaller than the wavelength, the wave
transmitted through the aperture spreads all the way round and behaves
like a point source of waves.”

Let us first summarise the points:

The topic is about diffraction.

Diffraction means the spreading out of a beam when it passes
through an aperture.
Diffraction is more if the aperture is small
Full diffraction occurs if the aperture is smaller than the
wavelength of the beam.
The concept can now be stated as “Waves diffract when they
pass through small apertures”.
It is as simple as that. Notice that you may have had to re-read the
paragraph a few times. However, this will only be necessary for a few
paragraphs in each chapter - not all.
Do not worry too much if you are still a little “grey”. Move on. Concepts
also get clarified later when you start solving problems.
Make a note of all formulae as you go along. You may even memorize the
formulas but do spend time to understand the logic also. Later, if you forget
the formula, you can easily derive it.
Solve the problems in your class text book before moving on to the more
difficult ones in the Institute’s material or in the old question papers.

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Try to solve problems on your own without referring to the solutions.

Check with the solution after you have solved it on your own. If you run
out of time, move ahead to the next topic as per your time table.
During the second revision, you can tackle the higher-level problems.
3.3.2 Maths
Mathematics is an art which becomes easy with practice. Nobody gets it
right the first time. The questions in your book and in the study materials of
the Institutes are of good quality and will force you to work hard to solve
them. Practice subjective type problems too. It helps in clearing concepts
which are later used in objective type questions.
With practice, the concepts and formulae will be at your fingertips. You
will automatically learn them and will not have to memorise them
separately. Moreover, you will discover time saving short cuts to solve
problems. You do not have to deliberately look for them.
3.3.3 Chemistry
For Organic Chemistry, study all reaction mechanisms and remember all
named reactions. Make notes while you study each chapter. For Physical
Chemistry, read from NCERT text books to clarify your concepts. Clarify
doubts at the class or in your coaching institute.
After you have finished reading, write down all equations from the chapter
in a notebook for quick reference while solving problems.
Read the NCERT books thoroughly and you’ll get your basic footing in
Chemistry. Make precise notes for each chapter.
3.4 Revision Process

Revising technical topics involves reading the text book. This can become
dull, especially when it is a repetition. You need to create some interest
which is participative and meaningful. Here are a few ways of doing this.
3.4.1 Formulating Questions

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One method which I have found very effective is to keep formulating

questions on the topic you have just revised. In fact, if you can do it
BEFORE reading the chapter, it will be better because you will be on the
lookout for the answer hence more attentive (focused). You can do this by
referring to the questions given at the end of the chapter and look for the
answers to those questions.
While formulating questions, see that the answer requires you to recall facts
(memory test) as well as concepts (understanding the why of the topic).
Let me illustrate this with an example.
Let us assume that you are revising the topic of
“ACCURACY, PRECISION OF INSTRUMENTS AND ERRORS IN
MEASUREMENT”.
The first two paragraphs from the NCERT text book are reproduced below:
“Measurement is the foundation of all experimental science and technology.
The result of every measurement by any measuring instrument contains
some uncertainty. This uncertainty is called error . Every calculated
quantity which is based on measured values also has an error. We shall
distinguish between two terms: accuracy and precision. The accuracy of a
measurement is a measure of how close the measured value is to the true
value of the quantity. Precision tells us to what resolution or limit the
quantity is measured.
The accuracy in measurement may depend on several factors, including the
limit or the resolution of the measuring instrument. For example, suppose
the true value of a certain length is near 3.678 cm. In one experiment, using
a measuring instrument of resolution 0.1 cm, the measured value is found to
be 3.5 cm, while in another experiment using a measuring device of greater
resolution, say 0.01 cm, and the length is determined to be 3.38 cm. The
first measurement has more accuracy (because it is closer to the true value)
but less precision (its resolution is only 0.1 cm), while the second

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measurement is less accurate but more precise. Thus, every measurement is

approximate due to errors in measurement.
While revising this portion you could formulate the following questions
which you should be able to answer when you revise this topic again. If
there is a doubt, you must note it separately:
a) What does an “error” in measurement mean? (Incorrect measurement,
Uncertainty in the measurement, Wrong measurement)
b) Do calculated values (based on measurements) also have “errors”?
Why?
c) What is the difference between “Accuracy” and “Precision”? Give
examples of measurements which are

i. “Accurate but not precise” and

ii. “Precise but not accurate”

Let us also assume that you are still not clear about the difference between
the two. You will then note in the “Doubts” book:
“DOUBT: Concept of accuracy and precision is not clear – needs to be
clarified properly”.

3.4.2 Make mind Maps

Mind maps are diagrams used to visually organise information. Normally a
mind map is created around a single concept drawn as an image in the
centre of a blank page. Associated representations of ideas are then drawn
around and linked to the main image. Major ideas thus branch out from the
central concept and other ideas from the major ideas. They are also like
roots or branches coming from the main trunk.
Even though the concept of a mind map has been in existence for a long
time, the idea was formally introduced in the learning process by Tony
Buzan in his seminal book “Use your head”.

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According to Khurshed Batliwala and Dinesh Godke in their book “Ready

Steady Go: Smart Ways to Learn ”, six “C”s are involved in mind maps.
Central Idea, Conciseness, Craziness, Curves, Colours and Cartoons.
Let us say that the central idea is “Forms of Energy”. One could branch out
from the central idea to cover Kinetic Energy, Stored Energy, Electrical
Energy, Thermal Energy, Light Energy, Nuclear Energy and Sound Energy.
Each of these could be branches from a central node. They could be further
branched to objects, particles, chemical, potential and so on.
Here are two examples of mind maps.

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Our brains like visual images. The left half of the brain thinks linearly,
following direct linkages to related ideas. The right half of the brain, on the
other hand, likes to see the whole picture, preferably with colours and flow.
A mind map bridges the gap between the two halves and is an excellent
way of storing and memorising information.
Tony Buzan suggests that we should use curves for the branches because
our brain likes curves. He also suggests that we should be playfully crazy in
drawing such mind maps, because slightly crazy elements make the map
easier to recall. Colours help categorise the information and make it easier
to remember. He also suggests making crazy doodles on the paper to make
it more distinctive. See the difference between the two mind maps given
earlier; which one appeals to you more?
Do pick up a book on “Mind Maps” and read it. Here are a few links to
good ones:

Use Both Sides of Your Brain by Tony Buzan:

https://www.amazon.in/Use-Both-Sides-Your-
Brain/dp/0452266033/ref=sr_1_10?

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ie=UTF8&qid=1530863979&sr=8-
10&keywords=mind+maps+tony+buzan
Mind Map for Dummies (Kindle Version) by Florian
Rustler https://www.amazon.in/Mind-Mapping-
Dummies-Florian-Rustler-
ebook/dp/B007CAXHOW/ref=sr_1_16?
ie=UTF8&qid=1530863979&sr=8-
16&keywords=mind+maps+tony+buzan

Personally, I love making mind maps because they are very handy for
revision, especially when you have very little time – like on the day of the
exam.

3.4.3 Summarise and teach

After reading through a topic, maybe formulating a few questions and

drawing a Mind Map, just close the book and write a one-page summary.
This activity will reveal what you cannot remember, and what you do not
know.

You can quickly look up the text book again to see which areas you missed
out and fill the gaps (try to do this in a different colour pen so that during
later revision you will know that you are likely to miss this point again).

By turning your revision into an activity which you must participate in, you
can make it interesting and easy to recall.

After writing the summary, imagine that you are teaching the topic to
someone and do so using a rough page to draw diagrams and figures. It is
widely quoted that “The best test of knowledge is if you can teach it to

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someone. If you can’t explain it simply- you don't know it well enough."
(Albert Einstein).
Since I teach, I usually take a video of myself teaching the topic. When I
replay and watch it, I can make out so many flaws – like where I am not
fluent, where I pause too long etc. Moreover, it forces me to revise the
topic. Later, in the class, it becomes easy to deliver. Most students are
impressed with my knowledge of the topic (it is fluency which they are
mistaking for domain knowledge).
3.4.4 Make Notes (different from Taking Notes)
We should make notes while revising. They are a record of facts which aids
memory. They can be referred to during the second revision and will save
time.
Most students have no idea of how to make notes while reading or how to
take notes while listening to a lecture in class. “Note Making” and “Note
Taking” are different and have different methods and uses. Note “Taking” is
what we do in a lecture so that we know what was covered. We can turn the
notes into a set of condensed keywords.
Note “Making” is noting down the salient points while reading so that we
can make a summary of the chapter or topic for future revision.
We are concerned here with note “making”. As already mentioned, this
process will yield a condensed version of a topic, a small summary, which
we can read through quickly during future revisions. These notes also help
us recall most of the information read months ago. It is especially helpful
when you are preparing for many subjects at the same time. Moreover, just
before the examinations, it is not possible to go through voluminous books.
At such times, notes are handy.
There is a proper thought out method for making notes while studying
which is detailed below. It helps in two ways.
Firstly, you will be forced to spend some time on the topic while you are
reading it, even though you may feel that it is easy. (All topics look easy
while they are in front of you, but if you were to close the book and try to
recall or give a gap of a day or two and try to recall – you may not be able
to recall even 50%).

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Secondly, it will help in revision; you do not have to read the whole text
again. Just a glance at the notes will remind you of the details and you can
straight away move to problem solving.
3.4.5 How to make notes
Read the passage slowly with “thinking” gaps. Visualise at every stage.
While reading the passage, underline the key-sentences. It will help you in
forming the title and sub-titles. You may underline keywords also which
will trigger the concept.
Make a rough note of the main points and give them a logical sequence.
You can highlight them in the text book also.
Write down Headings (Titles) and the sub titles from the text using proper
indenting.
Here is an example.
Title: Units and Measurements
Sub-title: Accuracy, precision of instruments and errors
in measurement
(a) Accuracy and Precision
Accuracy : How close to the actual
value?
Precision : What is the difference
between several readings (consistent)?
(b) Errors
(i) Systematic: -----------------, ------
-------.
(ii) Random: ------------, ------------.
After reading and understanding the text (sub topic), close the book and
summarise what you have just read. You can use the rough notes you have
made to assist you, but do not open the book yet. In the summary:

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Make use of words and phrases only.

Avoid full length Sentences.
Use abbreviations
Use bullet points
Make diagrams wherever possible. This will make
things available at a glance and easy to remember.

Now refer back to the text to see what you have missed out or written
wrongly. Fill the gaps in your notes, (try to use a different colour for this
task as it will indicate what you normally forget or omit).

You must grade your notes. Mark (maybe by a star) whatever topic you feel
is a little difficult to remember or grasp. You will have to repeat the revision
for this point many more times before the exam. You may grade the degree
of difficulty of the concepts by awarding 2 stars, three stars etc. When you
revise again, you need not read the whole chapter – only the starred
portions!
3.4.6 Sample problems (Illustrative Examples)
In technical subjects, there are two distinct features – viz. Theory (or
concept) and Problem Solving.
It can also be termed as Concept and Application.
The problem-solving part will not only help you to score marks in the exam
but also helps in the complete understanding of the concept. It also brings
out different perspectives which cannot be explained easily by theory.
The correct use of “units” is also brought out in these problems. Most text
books include such problems as “Illustrative Problems”. You must pay
special attention to them because they clarify concepts.

3.4.7 Don’t read the Illustrative Problems – Do them

Problems (specially the “Illustrative Problems”) must be solved after
reading. However, after you have finished one reading of the text and made
notes and questions on the topic, you can glance through the Illustrative
Problems given at the end of each topic. After you have understood how the

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problem has been solved, close the book and solve them without referring
to the book. (Note: Solving the Illustrative Problems forms part of the
understanding of the topic. Do not move to other problems yet).
After solving the Illustrated Problems, you can refer to your text book to
see if you have the right answer, the right accuracy and the right units. If
not, identify where you went wrong, and star mark it. Later you will re-
solve this problem after seeing the starred note.

3.4.8 Re-read from the study material

On completion of the reading, note making and “Illustrative Problem”
solving of one chapter, read the same chapter in the study material you have
obtained. You will, very often, get a different perspective. This improves
the understanding of the subject.
While reading from the study material, make notes as before. Note
additional points, milestones and grey areas. Note only those in addition to
what you have noted earlier while reading your text book. It would be
preferable if you have all the notes in one place. To facilitate this, you may
have to make the initial notes in double spacing and insert additional points
in between. This will make the second revision faster and more meaningful.

3.4.9 Retaining in Memory

As already mentioned, one of the methods I have found very useful is to use
the “Close the book “or what is popularly known as the “Active Recall”
method. Say you are reading a sub-topic. First decide what question you
would like to answer after reading that topic. (You can even look at the
questions given at the end of each chapter in text books). For example, in
Mechanics, on the topic of “Resultant Force”, your question is “How do
you find the resultant of a system of forces acting at a point, using the
method of resolutions?”
After having read through the text and understood it, close the book and
write a one-page answer of how to find the resultant. This ensures you have
read and understood the text and also have committed a fair amount to
memory (for the moment it will be committed to short term memory).

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As mentioned earlier, you can follow this method even with problems
where the solution is given.
In fact, one of the well-known memory techniques to retain in long term
memory is to recall immediately after reading, recall again after 20 to 30
min, again after one day, again after 3 weeks and again after 2 to 3 months.
Each recall gets progressively shorter, making it practical. This process
etches the matter in your long-term memory.
I have tried it many times – it never fails. Since I am a professor, who takes
classes for students, I have etched to memory several lessons and the
illustrative problems. I do not have to refer to any notes while teaching –
and the students wonder how I have developed a photographic memory.
Actually, it is a sequence of repetitions, which not only memorises the
matter, but also instils self-confidence.
For more information on this method and its variants refer to
http://www.howtostudy.org/blog/?p=461 or
https://www.brainscape.com/blog/2017/11/using-active-recall-ace-exams/
To practice this technique, you must get into the habit of noting, scheduling
and repeating.

3.4.10 Doubt clarification

Re-read and re-formulate the doubts as you have noted during the reading
process. Re-formulate them in the form of questions.
e.g. (a) What is the exact difference between mass and weight?
(b) In problems, which one do we use?
Now Google this question or look it up in “WIKIHOW”. It is the fastest
way.
If you do not have access to the internet, either do it later when you do have
access, or look it up in the index section of another text book.
The question formulation technique makes it easier for you to pin point the
answer and really clarify the doubt.

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(Incidentally mass is the amount of matter in a substance, whereas the

weight is the gravitational force which acts on the mass due to the earth’s
gravitational pull. Mass has units of Kg in the SI system of units, whereas
Force has units of “Newton”. To convert mass into weight, multiply the
mass “m” by “g” – the gravitational acceleration (9.81 m/s2 ) Remember
Newton’s second law which gives us F=M x a. Hence gravitational force is
equal to mass x acceleration due to gravity).
Be sure to set yourself a time limit for the internet search (say 15 min) and
stick to it. Do not be distracted in your search by “Facebook”, e-mail etc.
Make notes of the answer in your notebook as earlier. If you still have a
doubt, copy the entire text for later querying your Lecturer or Faculty.

3.4.11 More of Problem Solving

By now you should have a basic idea of Units as you have solved the
Illustrative Problems. You are also familiar with the basic process of
solving problems. Now you can upgrade to solving more JEE Type
Problems.
There are some rules to be followed here.
Always use a proper notebook for solving problems – not the rough paper
you kept earlier. Write the problem number and the source from which it
has been obtained (old question papers, Coaching Institute problems etc.) so
that you can find them again later.
Most Coaching Institute materials come with questions and their solutions.
Avoid the temptation to see the solution or the answer before you have
attempted them. You will, otherwise, get a false feeling of confidence and
will surely get stuck when you solve problems without a solution in front of
you.
In fact, when guided, anyone can solve the problem. It is during
independent reasoning that you will face yourself with multiple options and
with practice, build a true capability of logic based on facts.
When you solve problems yourself, you will begin to observe things you
did not notice before. Even if your teacher had given you the process, when

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you attempt to solve it by yourself there will be confusion. The mind will
trick you. You must recognise where your mind tricks you. You can do this
by repeated practice and keen observation.
The problems you are not able to solve by yourself should be marked with a
star – you need to do them again during the next revision. Once you have so
marked it, proceed to the next question.
Often you will find that you can solve a problem by a different method than
what is given in the book. This is OK. Just be sure to check later with your
faculty that it is a legitimate method and you did not get the answer by
chance or by fluke.
After finishing the problems given in your text book and study material and
tallied the solutions or answers, you must see where you tend to make
mistakes. Highlight them.
If you cannot solve a problem, or keep getting the wrong answer, simply
star mark the problem and go ahead. Do not persist as you may waste a lot
of time. This will be the same approach you should adopt in the exam also.
Get used to “erasing” unsolved problems from your memory and go on to
the next one. The erasing applies to the emotion attached to the
unsuccessful attempt also. Accept that you may not be able to solve all
types of problems.
After you have finished with the questions in the text book and the study
material, you can pick out questions on this topic from the old question
papers and do them. If you have obtained any one of the books I have
mentioned earlier in Chapters 1 and 2, they contain solutions also. Do the
problems by yourself first before referring to the solutions.

3.4.12 Assimilation of the topic

Assimilation of what you have studied is as important as the actual study
itself. On completion of the study of a topic, make use of your notes and
some rough paper to “explain” the topic to an imaginary friend. Use the
notes as a guide and do not read from them directly. It is your memory also
which is being tested, apart from the assimilation. Do one or two more
solved examples also (without referring to the book).

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No doubt you will get stuck at various places where you can consult the
book and proceed. Do it again a second time. It may seem boring, but you
will see the improvement in retention immediately. You will have no
difficulty in recalling it for a few days. After that you can use the “Active
Recall” method to etch it in your long-term memory.

3.4.13 Create a daily test schedule:

You must solve problems every day. By doing this, you will not only
become familiar with problem solving, but you will solve many more
problems than you would otherwise have even thought possible.
To do this smartly, you must create a question bank chapter wise for each
day . As you progress, the number of questions can increase. Do not repeat
questions.
This ends the First Phase of revision of the first topic on the syllabus. Now
continue with the others in a similar manner, following your time table to
the end.
Periodically pause to see if your revision is meaningful. If necessary, make
changes to your time table to give more time to some topics and less to
others. However, keep a proper track.

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Chapter 4: TIPS FOR GOOD

STUDYING
4.1 Know Yourself

To make the most of your preparation time, there are some personal traits
you need to develop. They are useful, not only for your studies, but for life
in general. These are, sadly not taught in schools and colleges.
The first of these is to “know yourself”.
If I were to ask you what colour you like best or what notes in music soothe
you most, you may have to think a little unless someone has asked you this
question before and you have thought about it. There is no one right answer
for this question. Any answer is OK.
The colour or music note which appeals to you today may not do so
tomorrow. It is the same with careers, colleges, places, tastes and feelings.
What you like or feel today, you may not tomorrow.
Personally, I went around for years trying to find answers to questions like
“what are your goals, what are your strongest likes, your passions in life,
your desires, and your wishes”?
Frankly, I had no clear answers. Most of the time, I did what most of my
friends were doing. I just decided that whatever it was I was doing I had to
do it right – blissfully unaware of whether it was the right thing to do or not.
I did not know what I liked or did not like - what I was good at and what
was clearly not my cup of tea. I made the same mistakes repeatedly, and
expected that somehow, by sheer repetition, I would finally get it right. In
the end, I did not even know if I was happy with my situation or not.
There is a necessity to begin to know yourself if you want to improve. If
you repeatedly waste time hanging out with friends, going on long endless
motorbike rides or to every new movie in town, you need to recognise this
tendency. It is only then that you can start taking corrective action.

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You must know what triggers your wants. Do you seek instant gratification?
Can you wait patiently for results? Do you have the self-discipline to
persevere?
You need to answer these questions for yourself and begin to work on them.
The results will not come instantly – it will be a slow process. However,
when you begin improving, it will spill over to studies also. Your
concentration will improve – you will be able to put in longer and more
productive hours of work, you will know when you require a physical or
mental break and so on. However, for that to happen, you must know your
colours – so to speak.
There is something called a self-fulfilling prophecy. What you imagine
yourself to be, generally manifests itself. If you decide that you are
hardworking, it will soon begin to happen (the opposite unfortunately, is
truer). Imagine you are what you want to be, and soon you will be headed in
the right direction (fake it till you make it).

4.2 Self-Judgement

We all judge ourselves. We are good or bad, tall or short, beautiful or not so
beautiful etc. The same goes with studies. We continuously tell ourselves
that we are not so good in some subjects - that someone else is better – or
that maths is tough for us.
Our mind is always making judgements about our capabilities, our
intelligence and our ability to perform tasks. These are called judgements
which we make on ourselves. It is a natural process and we do it
unknowingly, all the time.
Most of the times, the judgements are negative; they are limiting beliefs –
especially when it concerns us. If we are thinking about someone else (in
comparison) we usually count them high and ourselves several notches
lower.
Do these thoughts occur to you often?
“I cannot do these types of problems”,
“These are problems beyond my reach”,
” I cannot remember formulae”,
” My memory is not as good as his” –

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“He has a photographic memory (I did not get my quota of

memory when God was dishing them out)”.
Especially if there have been a series of similar occurrences, the mind very
quickly surmises and passes a negative judgement on yourself.
There are two effects of such failure judgemental thinking.
The first is the fear of failure. We don’t want to fail so we don’t even want
to try. After all, as Nicholas Taleb in his famous seminal book “The Black
Swan” said, “Missing a train is only painful if you run after it and don’t
catch it”.
The second effect is the acceptance of defeat. “I have always been a loser
and will remain one”. We consider ourselves as those who can never
achieve the aim. We do not see our capabilities in the present tense; we see
it as though it will be the same in future also - in the future tense.
What if you told yourself that you are poor in maths today, but it will
definitely not be the same tomorrow? Or, “I am in the process of building
my stamina – although it is not up to the mark today”. See the difference?
Acceptance of defeat is, however, not the same as Acceptance. Acceptance
is an acknowledgement of our present status – and an assurance to
ourselves that we need to do something about it. Like, “ I do not know how
to sing – but I will join a singing class and learn to sing in one year”.
In a coaching class inferiority complex and a self-limiting belief can come
easily. There are always a couple of bright guys (we call the Keen Kumars)
who have a compelling need to answer all questions first in the class –
sometimes even before the lecturer has completed stating the question.
When this happens successfully a few times, others start feeling
insufficient. The judge in your mind can start labelling you as un-
intelligent, incompetent, slow or even stupid.
Unfortunately, the lecturer does not curb this behaviour as he does not want
to affect the enthusiasm of the student and he can get on with the next
question faster. Lecturers are also not curt with students who have paid a lot
of money and their feedback assists in getting them more assignments.

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Incidentally, the ability to solve problems quickly does not necessarily

indicate a high intelligence level. Problem solving is a skill anyone can
develop. It just takes practice. The amount of practice depends on the
starting level. I have personally seen several students improving their
problem-solving speed provided they put in sustained effort – yes- sustained
effort.
On the same note, intelligence is a person’s mental capability to reason,
plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn
quickly and learn from experience. It is NOT about book learning ability
nor is it the capability to pass tests and exams. All successful JEE students
do not necessarily have a high IQ.
Intelligence is, obviously not what you are born with. You acquire it as you
live life. It is a process and not an end. If you tell yourself “I am not
intelligent” it does not mean that you will remain the same throughout your
life. It is only a statement of the present state as seen by your mind. It need
not be projected to the future as well.
You may often find yourself struggling to understand what the author is
trying to say despite repeated reading. You are then tempted to give up on
yourself. Your mind will tell you that you are not capable of understanding
this. You will then try to memorise the procedure or formulae and continue.
When you do this, there will always be a doubt lurking at the back of your
mind which will disturb you when solving problems. You will not be able to
visualise the logic of what you are doing and cannot confirm the result as
well.
Here again, your mind has passed a judgement. If you cannot understand
what is written (a concept or anything for that matter), it means that it is not
well written. It does not have anything to do with your capability. On the
contrary it reveals the in-capability of the writer – not yours. There are lots
of authors who are technically very proficient, but not good writers. When
you come across such a situation, do not keep re-reading. Instead re-read
the same topic from some other source. You will begin to get a clearer idea
of the concept.
Learn to identify when your mind is becoming judgemental and reject the
proposal. It will help you in your studies. If you do not do this, you will

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stop accepting any further information on that topic. It blocks your learning.
See where you become judgemental – become aware of it so that you can
yourself curb it. Over time, you will become open minded and start
learning.
4.3 Focus and Attention

If you can focus your attention for about 15 minutes at a time and ward off
any distractions, you can easily crack JEE. Yes. It is that simple.
Improving your focus and attention helps you in getting more done in less
time and in a more effective manner. It applies to study and revision in a big
way. If your mind is wandering most of the time, it takes more than double
the time to read and understand a topic. The ability to be sharp and focused
for a good period is a skill which anyone can learn and develop. You must
become aware of your capability and work to improve it.

4.3.1 What is your focus or attention span?

Attention spans of people differ. Generally, it is in the region of 15 to 20
minutes while reading and about 15 to 25 seconds while listening.
Thereafter, some distraction (either external or internal) causes the mind to
wander and before you can realise and bring it back, some information or
time would have been lost. Becoming aware of this and actively engaging
in avoiding distractions helps in keeping focus. There are several methods
to train your mind to focus for extended periods. Some of them are given in
the succeeding paragraphs.

4.4 Set yourself up for success

If you want to succeed in anything, you must set yourself up for success.
The same is true for focus. If you want to study effectively without
distractions and disturbances, first create that environment. It takes only a
few minutes, but it saves you so much time during study. Let us see how to
do that.
The study place must be neat and clean. You must keep all necessary
material to aid your study on the table (like calculator, paper, pencil,
sharpener or leads if it is a screw pencil and so on). You should not have to

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get up and go elsewhere during the half hour or forty-five minutes you have
allotted for that sitting. Keep a notebook for noting down your doubts,
internet references and other such points. You will attend to these later after
you have finished reading and understanding the actual topic. You do not
have to digress from the main reading activity for anything.
4.5 The SQR3 Technique

This is a simple learning technique devised by Francis P Robinson in 1946

and published in his book “Effective Study”. It is called the SQR3
technique and consists of the following five steps:
“S” stands for survey. You initially skim the chapter headings of the topic
you are intending to study, so that you get a broad picture of the scope of
your study during that sitting. It sets the “range” and “depth” of your study.
“Q” stands for questions. You need to turn your chapter titles into questions.
The answers to these questions need to be identified while you are reading.
This automatically keeps your mind curious and anxious; hence it will not
wander.
You can also refer to the questions given at the end of the chapter to help
formulate the questions for each topic. It is not difficult to formulate
questions and after the initial exercise it will become fun. You will be
surprised as to how effective it is.
As an exercise, if I tell you to look around in your room and spot any object
or outline which has a circular shape, you will find many in a jiffy –
because the mind is focused. The same thing happens when you are trying
to spot your bag on a conveyer belt in the airport. You spot your bag as soon
as it appears because your mind is focused. The same principle is utilised
for studying also.
“R3” stands for three “R”s. They are for Read, Recite and Review.
“Read” is to find answers for your questions. The reading is with a purpose.
It speeds up the process of reading as well as searching.
“Recite” is to orally recite the question and its answer in your own words. It
may be awkward for the first few times, but when you get the hang of it, it
becomes simple and – focused. The mind is busy framing the questions and

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the answers, so it has no chance to wander. Soon it will become trained to

“read to recall”.
Thee “Review” is to check if the answers were correct. It is a quick
revision. Not only does this process provide for developing focus and
attention but it also systematically revises the topic.
Source : Robinson, F. P. (1970). SQ3R: Effective study (4th Ed.). New York: Harper & Row. (First
introduced in 1946)

4.6 Be Relaxed

The mind cannot focus easily if it is anxious or tense. If you are relaxed and
have no immediate worries, it is easy to concentrate and understand a topic.
For this you need to have a well-planned study time table. You need to start
your preparation well in advance. This automatically relaxes the mind and
attracts focus and attention.
If you are studying or reading against a deadline, you are likely to be more
concerned about the deadline than the topic. You will be focusing on the
time and not the topic. Give yourself quality time, accept that you will
enjoy the process and see your mind “lean into the topic”. If you are racing
against time, you may think that you are committing facts to your memory,
but it will soon be forgotten.

4.7 Attitude – determination to learn

As with everything else, your mind determines your quality of focus. If you
are determined to get to the bottom of the topic, and really work at it, you
will. Sheer perseverance, hard – work and relentless pursuit of the answer
will keep you in the fight. Your attitude matters.
In my own case, when I feel that I really need to learn something which I
have been putting off, I decide that I have fooled around enough and now I
will simply learn the topic.
At that very moment, all my faculties get totally focused, everything else
falls to the background, and I get the energy to sit down and resolve the
issue. I simply tell myself to “start” and I am focused like a brain surgeon
doing brain surgery. It is that simple.

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There is, however, a trap which the mind can easily get into – it is the “I
actually cannot do it” syndrome. If you try something once or twice and
find that you are nowhere near achieving the intended result (more so if
others in your vicinity also experience the same feeling), you will simply
tell yourself that it is not within your capability and stop trying.
I come from a military background and we go through rigorous physical
training and conditioning in the Academy before being commissioned as
officers. In the first few days of training, the instructor takes you to what is
called the obstacle course.
There are all sorts of obstacles there. One of them is a 9 feet ditch. You are
expected to jump across it. The other is the Great Wall of China. It is a plain
15 feet high wall. You are expected to climb it and slide down the other
side.
He just lines you up and says GO. We all look at each other, dumbfounded.
It is impossible. I cannot jump more than 4 feet across any ditch. Nine feet,
and I will surely fall into it. The instructor is adamant and insists on our
jumping. One by one we make a feeble attempt and end up on each other
inside the ditch. The results are the same with the wall. It is 15 feet high and
there is no way anyone can jump so high to catch the top and go over it. We
end up hitting the wall and falling – all of us.
The instructor then looks across the field and sees another batch of cadets
(senior to us) also doing some training. He calls two cadets from that batch
to our area and asks them to GO. They simply run and jump easily across
the nine-foot ditch. Similarly, they run hard against the wall, stick one foot
on it and with a mighty push easily catch the top, slide over and jump down
the other side. We are all dumbfounded.
I remember him telling us, that it is in our attitude. If we want to, we can do
it. Of course, it is wiser to set yourself up for success by studying the
problem, deciding on a course of action, training yourself for it and then
attempting it. Surely the senior cadets who jumped the ditch and climbed
over the wall were not, all experts at the first go. They learnt – and he
assured us that we could too – provided we are ready. He also informed us
that in every course, there were one or two who could never do it – they just
could not tell themselves that they were capable. They failed and were sent

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back home. They never got into the army. You must have belief in yourself
and learn the process – and practice it. You will never get it right the first
time. The trick is to keep trying.
There is also the story of the five monkeys which were locked up in a cage
with a banana bunch hung on to one wall. It was easy for the monkeys to
climb the wire mesh wall and reach the banana bunch. One monkey at a
time was allowed to climb up and get a banana. However, as soon as the
monkey began eating the banana, cold water was thrown on the other
monkeys by the keeper.
After a couple of such attempts, every time a monkey climbed to get a
banana the other monkeys would scream, shout and pull at the tail of the
climbing monkey.
The monkey climbing for the banana would get afraid and stop climbing.
As a result, the other monkeys avoided cold water being thrown on them.
At this stage, the keeper would replace one of the monkeys in the cage with
a new monkey. It was so arranged that at any time there would always be
one or two monkeys who never had water thrown on them. Surprisingly,
they also joined the other older monkeys in screaming and shouting if any
monkey attempted to climb for the bananas.
Gradually, all monkeys in the cage were replaced and there was no monkey
which had the experience of cold water being thrown on them. Surprisingly,
no monkey went for the bananas because of “social conditioning”.
The same can happen to your attempt to crack JEE. There will always be
students with the feeling that this exam is too tough for them and only
meant for the “Kota” Institute toppers. Ordinary students would simply
waste time in attempting the exam. If you agree with them, it will surely be
true – but if you tell yourself that you can and will do it – someday – you
will. Be careful of the company you keep.
There is a very interesting saying in MBA classes – “nobody – ever-
whatever his skill or competence, gets it right the first time”.
It means that you cannot get it perfect in the beginning. You must keep
practicing and try several times before you succeed.

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4.8 Meditation

Meditation exercises the mind and trains it to keep still. It is a method by

which you can quickly focus your mind and keep it focused for long periods
of time. It is simple to learn but takes some practice, perseverance and
discipline to master (not so easy). Once it is mastered, its effect spills over
to other mental activities like concentration, logical thinking, decision
making and of course, to studying.
Although advisable to learn under a guide or teacher, meditation can also be
learned on your own through tapes, CDs, audio books, you tube and similar
online devices. Many internet sites exist where you can learn it for free.
If you are totally new to it, I recommend that you find a centre nearby
which teaches meditation for fee. That way, a commitment is made and you
will learn it correctly and faster. The benefits far outweigh the investments
and it is a must for every student.
Meditation also helps re-energising a tired mind when a break is required.
In any structured revision programme, periods of intense work must be
interspersed with physical and mental breaks. Meditation is a very good
method of providing a mental break. I do not intend to provide detailed
methods of meditation in this e-book as it is a subject in itself, but I do
strongly suggest that if you have not yet got into meditation, learn it fast
and practice it daily – not once but morning and evening – daily.
4.9 Yoga

Yoga is another skill which tones up the body and mind to amazing levels.
It is a must for everybody – especially for students preparing for exams.
Yoga consists of various breathing and physical positions (poses) which
energise the body and the mind.
The exercises have been developed, over the years, by experts who have
specialised knowledge on the subject. Yoga postures and procedures are
scientifically thought out and proven. It is not advisable for students of yoga
to devise their own variations and exercises as many can actually harm the
body.

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It is a good idea to join some yoga classes where a trained instructor teaches
a few postures (called asana) which have special benefits. Famous
procedures and postures like “Pranayama”, “Sarvang-asana” have
immediate observable benefits and increase a student’s stamina for reading
and learning.
Learning proper breathing techniques is vital to everyone for healthy living.
For students too, it is a very important skill to increase their capacity to
learn and absorb. A simple breathing technique or exercise, if performed for
15 to 20 minutes every day can literally double the capacity of students to
sit and concentrate for long periods. It can be done with ease and
relaxation. Surprisingly most people do not know about it or are too casual
to learn and practice it. Life’s natural breathing is, after all, sufficient to
live!!!

4.10 Mind Control and Emotional Intelligence

Controlling the mind to bring into a relaxed state is vital for students. This
is because a relaxed mind learns easily. A tense mind cannot learn. Imagine
trying to learn Physics when you are driving in the middle of horrifying
traffic or when you have just received a wrong bill of Rs. 25,000/- for your
mobile phone which you have to pay! How can you relax your mind – at
least temporarily for the duration of your study? There are many methods; I
will give you the example of one which I have personally used.
It is called the “Silva Method of Mind Control” . You can learn it by
obtaining the book, with the same name, from a book stall or from
Amazon.com. It is not practical to explain the technique here, but I can
generally give the idea. It teaches you several methods of “slowing down”
your mind patterns to what is known as the alpha level. This is a state we
get into when we are in deep sleep. The only difference here is that you are
not sleeping, but the brain is as relaxed as when you are. The brain, in such
a state is very receptive and is just what a student needs while studying. You
can learn the basics in just one reading – even though it is a complex
subject.
The technique has been widely acclaimed for its versatility. It can be used to
calm an excited person, lower high B.P., or bring the mind into razor sharp
focus. It also helps to clear the mind of worries and concerns, thoughts, so

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called urgent or important things and allows you to focus on your subject. It
is good.
4.11 Discipline

If there is one thing that will make you crack JEE, it is learning self-
discipline. Self-discipline is at the bottom of your being regular with your
revision, finishing topics on time, noting down your doubts systematically
in a “doubt note-book”, making summaries for re-revision and so on. It
comes with awareness, practice and perseverance.
You must notice where your discipline needs improvement. Maybe you get
up early one day, late on another day or just skip revision because you do
not “feel like it”. When you start noticing it, you can control it by simply
being aware and not giving in to it. Initially it will be difficult, as with
anything you start, but slowly it becomes easier till it can be done without
any conscious effort.
You need to practice anything till it becomes second nature. This goes for
self – discipline also. Initially you may find yourself lazing over a topic and
not finishing it on time. Soon you realise that in this manner you will never
finish any topic. You then decide to put on a timer of 20 minutes before you
start reading a topic. Slowly your concentration will increase, provided you
practice it every time.
Perseverance is the stamina to continue doing what you had planned to do
even if the results are not so encouraging. Remember the saying “nobody
got it right the first time”? You can extend that to say, “Nobody gets it right
for several times – it takes a lot of repetition to get things right”. Only if
you persevere can you expect results over a period of time.
This is also related to “Instant Gratification”. If you want results
immediately, you will lose out in the long run. Since most habits take time
to form, you must not expect to be rewarded instantly. Everything takes
time to mature and start yielding results. You must trust yourself and plod
along. Finally, you will reach the destination. Don’t give up the journey just
because you cannot see your finish point straightaway.
4.12 Developing Good Habits

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We have all developed habits over time. Some are helpful, and some are
not. We need to identify the habits which affect our work, eliminate the bad
ones and retain the good ones while developing better new ones.
Developing good habits takes longer than developing bad ones. If you begin
a “go easy” programme like getting up in the morning you can see for
yourself as to how easy it is to get up late every morning. You can develop
that habit within a week – but the converse – getting up at 5 a.m. every day,
takes a month (maybe several months) to develop. Identify your good habits
and do not let them slip. They have taken you time to develop.
A simple (may not be easy) way to develop a good habit is to simply decide
to do it every day at the same time – come what may – and do not worry
about quality . A good time is the morning when your will power is still
strong. Such habits are likely to be sustained. If you keep a late hour to do a
certain thing, your will power, not being very strong in the late hours of the
day, can interfere with the formation of the habit.
Show up every day. You need to repeat the activity every day to make it a
habit. Again, do not worry about the quality, but show up – and
automatically your standard and quality will improve.
Do one at a time. Do not mix up too many habits at once. Mixing up too
many habits in your plan is a sure way of failure. The mind and body give
up too fast. Take it one at a time and you will develop a good habit – but
one at a time.
Try to establish a place for the habit – for example, if you want to create a
good daily study habit – create a proper study table first. It should be
spacious to spread out books and note books – it should be neat – it should
have sufficient light – it should have some motivating posters or photos, it
should be free from distractions, it should have all your study material
nearby etc. This makes it easy for you to sustain your activity.
If you can concentrate, your study habit will be formed quickly. The
motivation comes from the instant result of concentrating. If you are
focused or concentrated on your goal (to study), you will find yourself
automatically wanting to study and the habit will develop naturally.

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No matter what you want to study, it needs to be done with concentration;

otherwise you will not develop it as a habit. To develop concentration, I will
suggest a simple exercise which involves looking at a black dot on white
background at the eye level. You may sit cross-legged on a mat or on a
chair that you normally used for studying. Just mark a black dot at eye level
on a wall which is about two feet away from you. Look at the dot with full
concentration for about 2 minutes initially – and gradually increase the
duration to 10 minutes. This is like what is taught in yoga as Trataka.
There are several other concentration exercises which you can find in books
on Focus and Attention. I would advise you to buy one such book and
practice the exercises. They really help. Try a few and see which one suits
you – all exercises do not work for everyone.

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Chapter 5: Conclusion
5.1 Be serious – it is not kid stuff

IITs are the best educational institutions in our country. Students graduating
from any of the IITs are in great demand by most of the top-notch firms
both in India and abroad. IITs transform school kids to creative engineers
who can immediately contribute to the firms they join.
Obtaining admission to the IITs involves passing and doing well in two
exams: JEE Main and JEE Advanced.
Competition is severe and brutal. More than 12 Lakh students apply for the
barely 12000 seats that the IITs offer (there are 23 IITs in the country). The
exam is, therefore, tough.
Those who pass the Mains exam have two options. The first option is to sit
for the Advanced version of the exam which is exclusively for entrance to
the IITs. The second is to neglect IITs and choose from the IIITs, NITs and
other prestigious colleges where admission requires qualification in the JEE
Mains exam.
As the competition is very high, the JEE exams are tough. The standard is
much higher than school exams. Students must prepare specially for this
exam even if they are toppers in the board exam.

5.2 The dilemma of coaching institutes

Many students opt to join coaching institutes which specifically train

students to pass JEE. They feel that simply joining these institutes will see
them through the exam. Unfortunately, this is not true. I know as I have
been teaching JEE students for over 7 years with TIME and Thinkcell
coaching Institutes in Hyderabad.
Coaching institutes by themselves do not meet all the requirements for
adequate preparation. They are exam oriented – and do not spend much
time on clarifying concepts. They believe in extensive problem solving.
This is sufficient if you are a bright student who has a good grasp of the

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concepts and does not need too much revision. If not, you will lag and will
have to put in a lot of self-study at home. If not, you will not pass – period.

Average students find the pace of a coaching institute too fast. From the
faculty’s point of view, the more problems he can solve, the better his
rating. He therefore covers the theory briefly and piles problem upon
problem on the students. Most average students end up just copying the
problems and their solutions without understanding most of them. They
don’t know what else to do. Since there are anywhere between 60 to 200
students in a class, they cannot even ask a question easily during the lecture.
Individual attention is not practical or possible in coaching institutes. If a
student finds it difficult to understand a topic, lecturers will not slow down
to teach him. They are contracted to cover a lot of ground in the limited
time, hence they quickly rush through the syllabus. In my teaching for
TIME and THINKCELL, I often had 250 students in a class. I could clearly
make out that many students were actually “not with me”. I could not,
however, slow down as it was not practical. I had to just ignore them and
move on. They were free to ask or clear doubts after the class, but that was
a very limited option.
In brief, if you are an average student, do not expect a coaching institute to
improve your knowledge. The institute will provide you time for practice,
but nothing more. You will have to do a lot of self-study at home.
After teaching several hundred students and watching their performance, I
came to the unfortunate conclusion that joining a coaching institute is not
necessary. You can do it by yourself from home with better efficacy. You
just need to follow a few rules for preparation and revision.
This involves starting early (at least a year in advance), collecting all the
relevant study material, preparing a detailed plan of study (time-table) and
carrying out your revision in well-established and proven ways. You can do
all these by following the steps outlined in this book.
Interestingly, in 2017, more than 50% of students who were admitted to IITs
did so by studying for JEE on their own and not through any coaching
institute (see https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/52-
who-passed-IIT-JEE-relied-on-self-study-75-from-

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cities/articleshow/53818944.cms). Yes, it is a fact – a study conducted by

IIT Guwahati on this is quoted in the article above.

5.3 What if – still there is a slip?

As you would have realised, most students who write the JEE exam, do not
– unfortunately - end up in an IIT. Only 7% to 8% do. They may have spent
a fortune in a coaching institute in Kota and even started preparations while
they were still in Class 9. The dynamics of the system does not allow it.
There are only so many seats and everyone cannot be accommodated.
What- if you happen to fall into the bracket of the 92% who do not make it?
Look at it this way. It is not the end of the road. It is just one more
experience or event added to your life. You need to move on. Later – much
later, when you look back, it will seem an insignificantly small thing to
bother too much about.
There are so many other options.

5.4 Join IIIT, NIT or other Prestigious Colleges

You can join an IIIT, NIT or other prestigious colleges which only demand
a qualification in JEE Main and NOT JEE Advanced. They have very good
placement records and offer a good study environment. Entry to these
colleges is regulated by the All India Ranking allotted by CBSE based on
your performance in JEE Mains exam.
There are also many colleges which have excellent placement and academic
performance records, which do not insist on JEE Exam at all. They either
conduct their own entry tests or rely on the Board Exam marks of CBSE. I
have given a list of a few such colleges in Appendix “E”.

5.5 What about joining the defence forces?

You could also think of opting for professions other than engineering.
Defence is a very attractive option (though they do insist on science stream
students). You could become a permanent commissioned officer in the
Army, Navy or Air-Force by joining the National Defence Academy
(NDA) . To be eligible for the NDA entrance exam, you must have cleared

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the 12 th Class board exam. You have to apply for and pass a UPSC Exam
followed by an SSB Interview and a Medical Exam.
On selection, you will be put through four years of training (three years at
the NDA and another year of specialised training at Dundigal for Air-Force
cadets, Dehra Dun for Army cadets or Lonavla for Naval Midshipmen). On
successful completion of the training, you will be commissioned as a Flying
Officer in the Air-Force or a Lieutenant in the Army or as a Sub Lieutenant
in the Navy. Your approximate starting salary will be in the region of
65,000/- p.m. It is a career worth considering.

Entry to the Army is also possible through a special scheme called the
10+2, Technical Entry Scheme (TES) . This does not require passing of a
UPSC Exam. Your board marks are sufficient for becoming eligible. If you
have secured more that 80% in your board exams, you can apply for this
entry. The Indian Army will then set a cut off percentage (based on the
applicants). If you clear this cut off percentage, you will be called for an
SSB Interview. On clearing this and going through a medical exam, you
will be empanelled and a merit list prepared. The first 90 candidates in this
list are called to join for training as Cadets at Secunderabad, Mhow or Pune.
This is done twice a year.
There is a 5-year training period for TES Cadets. It starts with a one-year
Pre-commission training at OTA Gaya, followed by a three-year Pre-
commission training at CME Pune / MCTE Mhow/MCEME Secundrabad.
This is followed by commissioning and you become a Lieutenant. You must
do one more year of training as a Lieutenant after which you are awarded a
B. Tech Degree in Mechanical or Electronics engineering.
5.6 Other careers
You could also consider other types of careers. There is Law, Hospitality,
Event Management, Banking and Finance, MBA, Travel and Tourism and
so on. All these careers are as lucrative as engineering and provide ample
opportunities for growth and job satisfaction. IIT is just one option. Do
consider them as well – who know what you are destined for.
Best of luck.

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Thank you for reading till the end. I sincerely wish that you implement
some if not all the suggestions and ace the exam.
Finally, if you gained something useful and practical from this book, I’d
like to ask you for a favour. Please be kind enough to leave a review for this
book on Amazon. I will greatly appreciate that.
Click HERE to leave a review for this book on Amazon!
Thank you once again and good luck!

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APPENDICES

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Appendix A
W hat Coaching Institutes Charge For IIT JEE Coaching

General
There are different types of coaching provided by the Institutes.
One year / two year classroom programme
Distance learning programme
e-learning
On-line courses
Test series

The fees are different for different types of coaching and for each coaching
institute.
On an average, the course fee for most one year classroom programmes is
around 1.5 to 3 lakhs (which includes tuition fees, cost of books and for
taking their online and other tests).
If you are shifting to Kota for the preparation and joining a one year or two-
year classroom programme, then another 1 lakh per year will have to be
spent on boarding and lodging.
If you have a good rank in JEE advanced or have a good boards score (90+
presumably), then some institutes offer you 10 to 50 % discount based on
your marks.

Fees in Akash Institute (Delhi Based) for a 2-year course for

IIT JEE
General
The 2-years integrated course for IIT caters to students who wish to pursue
a two -year intensive coaching for JEE from Class XI onwards.

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In this course, Students are prepared for School/Board Exam as well as

Engineering Entrance Exams.
Duration : 2 years.
Frequency of Classes : 3-4 Days/Week for those students who are taking
Weekdays classes. OR 2 Days/Week for students opting Weekends
(Saturday & Sunday) classes
Teaching Hours/ Day : 3-4 Hrs. for Weekdays classes and 6 Hrs. for
Weekends classes.
Eligibility : Students studying in class 11 and are moving in class 12.
Admission Mode : There are two options for admission under this course.

Direct Admission
Admission cum Scholarship Test (ACST)

Fee Structure : Rs 2,78,300

Registration (10,000) + Admission (20,000) + 1st Instalment (25,300) Fee
Rs. 55,300 + Service Tax is to be paid at the time of Admission.
There are total 5 more instalments (40200/ 40500/ 36000/ 35000/ 35000) +
service tax which is in PDCs to be submitted at the time of admission.

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Fees for Online coaching by Ask IITians (Kota Based)

For years, coaching classes in Kota has been the mecca of IIT JEE
coaching. There are several coaching centres for IIT coaching in Kota
flooding the nooks and corners of the city. For an aspirant, the city of Kota
is the dream hub to seek IIT Coaching. These days students and parents
start aspiring for an IIT dream as early as when the student is in the class
eighth. The early start shows the tremendous drive for lakhs of students to
seek admission in coaching classes in Kota.
Towards IIT coaching in Kota, AskIITians offers various JEE Mains and
Advanced Preparation Courses, through the Online Mode :
Remote Instructional Program for One Year (RIP – I) meant for Class
12 students
The course offers a total of 675 hours of coaching: 301 live classroom
hours, 90 books (30 each for Physics, Chemistry,

and Mathematics), recorded lectures, daily practice papers, and All India
Test Series (107 tests).
The course is priced at Rs. 1, 52,900/- ($ 2090)
Remote Instructional Program for Two Years (RIP – II) meant for
Class 11 students
With over 831 hours of coaching: 412 live classroom hours, 90 books (30
each for Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, recorded lectures, daily
practice papers including 10000+ problems, and All India Test Series (144
tests).
The course is priced at Rs. 2,88,200/- ($ 3938)

Correspondence Course for JEE Main and Advanced

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The course includes: 30 books (10 each for Physics, Chemistry, and
,Mathematics), 255 daily practice papers, 18 tests (8 part syllabus tests and
10 full syllabus tests)
The course is priced at Rs. 15,000/-
The coaching institute (AskIITians) feels that their fee structure is pretty
nominal (compared to the highly priced regular coaching programmes) as
all programs come with comprehensive study material, mock tests, recorded
lectures,
and test series. These help students prepare for both the IIT JEE Main and
Advanced, and Class 12th Board Exams.

The features of the On Line Coaching programs are:

Live Online Classes : All online coaching programs are delivered
through live online sessions and each session is conducted by an
expert ex-IITian. These classes can be conveniently attended from
the students’ home.
Flexible Delivery Schedules : Unlike those enrolled in the regular
coaching classes in Kota, AskIITians students in Kota need not
rush from their school to the coaching centres. They can attend
these sessions at a scheduled convenient time, after school hours.
One-on-One doubt Removal : In spite of having most affordable
IIT Coaching in Kota fee structure, AskIITians’ live online classes
provides an opportunity to stay connected with the coach. And,
seek one-on-one query resolution, or participate in dedicated query
resolution sessions.
Regular PTMs : Just like the regular sessions, online coaching
courses provided by AskIITians include regular Parent-Teacher
Connect to discuss the students’ progress. In this manner, parents
and teachers can discuss the students’ progress and work to
improve the same.

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Appendix B
Top 10 Coaching Classes for IIT JEE In India
Introduction
Cracking JEE is a highly cherished dream, sought-after by many and achieved by a very exclusive
group of people who redefine hard work and perseverance.
The first thing he/she needs to decide is which JEE coaching classes they should enrol into.
Let us take a look at some of the most popular coaching institutes in the country.

FIITJEE
Forum for Indian Institute of Technology and Joint Entrance Examination or FIITJEE is a coaching
institute started in 1992. Today it is considered to be the best in the country.

It is popular because it produces staggering results every year.

In JEE Advanced 2016, FIITJEE produced 17 students in the top 50 AIR and 36 in top 100 AIR.
FIITJEE’s is the biggest of the institutes with well-established centres all over India (including South
India)
It has consistently been one of the top JEE coaching classes in the country for the past many years!
Allen
Allen started off as a pre-medical coaching institute in 1988. Fast forward 18 years, and it has
become one of the most reputed names in JEE coaching.
From just one branch in Kota, Rajasthan, it has expanded to cities like Chandigarh, Jaipur, Indore,
Surat, Ranchi, Ahmedabad and a few other places.
In JEE Advanced 2016, Allen produced 25 in the top 100 and also 4 in the top 10.

Vibrant Academy
Vibrant Academy, Kota is known for it’s JEE Advanced coaching.
The faculties in the top 3-5 batches are one of the best in India.
It is primarily for JEE Advanced coaching and does not give much time to other entrances and board
exams.
If you are also focused on a good JEE Advanced rank, go for Vibrant Kota.
There are no separate classes for Hindi medium students.

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Aakash Institute (New Delhi)

Based in Delhi, Aakash coaching is a competitor to Fiitjee and Vidyamandir Classes.
The Institute has centres all over the country.
The faculty team in Aakash is excellent

Sri Chaitanya IIT Academy and Narayana JEE Coaching

classes
Sri Chaitanya IIT Academy and Narayana Coaching are two premier coaching institutes in AP and
Telangana for Medical and Engineering entrance exams.
Initially, they were rivals but now they have collaborated.
They established new coaching centres called CHAINA which is referred as Sri Chaithanya
Narayana IIT Academy.
They have several centres in A.P., Telangana and Hyderabad, but their Madhapur campus is suitable
for students wanting to stay in a hostel.
Classes begin at 6 am in the morning and continue until 1 pm. Thereafter it is study period from 2 pm
to 8 pm.
The study pressure atmosphere is high. Sometimes, it leads to frustration, but if you wish to take
coaching here, you will have to adjust to it.

Super 30 (PATNA)
Super 30 is a highly ambitious and innovative educational program running under the banner of
“Ramanujan School of Mathematics”.
It hunts for 30 meritorious talents from among the economically backward sections of the society and
shapes them for India’s most prestigious institution – the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
In the last seven years, it has produced hundreds of IITians from the extremely poor background.
During this program, students are provided free coaching, lodging and food.
Super 30 has had 100% success in JEE Main and Advanced.

Resonance
After its foundation in the year 2001, Resonance has grown tremendously in terms of infrastructure
and quality.

They have over 300 faculty members amongst which 25 % are IITians.

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Although Resonance has only 12 centres which provide classroom teaching, their yearly results have
been very good.
Resonance had a strong showing in JEE Advanced this year (2016) with 24 ranks in the top 150.

Bansal
Bansal classes are a pioneer in the coaching industry and have been a springboard for JEE
aspirants for quite a long time.
Apart from classroom programs, Bansal is also famous for its online test series for both JEE Mains
and JEE Advanced.

Vidyamandir
Vidyamandir classes or VMC is run by a group of ex-IITians. They have guided thousands of IIT
aspirants in securing admission into the top-ranked IITs.
VMC claimed 48 ranks in the top 1000, in JEE Advanced 2016.

IITians Pace
IITians Pace has a stronghold in Maharashtra, and its results have been unmatched by any other
institute in the state. They have consistently produced top rankers in JEE, and their quality of
coaching is excellent.
IITians Pace produced 16 of the top 100 AIRs in JEE Advanced 2016.

Brilliant Tutorials
Brilliant Tutorials has been around for nearly 4 decades and has steadily built up a reputation as a
pioneer in the Coaching industry.
In 2016, Brilliant produced 6 of the top 10 rankers in IITJEE.
Their long-distance education programmes and e-tutoring courses are a godsend to JEE
aspirants abroad.
Over the past 29 years, Brilliant’s students have secured AIR 1 for a whopping 21 times. On an
average, 7 out of the Top 10 and 55 out of the Top 100 are students from
Brilliant.

Motion IIT JEE

Motion Kota has brilliant faculties. They take good care of all the students, who are allowed to attend
classes conducted by any teacher they like. It also has individual classes i.e. you can take individual
classes for every subject. It has got a few good

ranks in the recent years. The average faculty standard is high and it is great for average students .

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 Telegram @unacademyplusdiscounts

Toppr
Toppr is an Online Coaching options which has done well in the past few years.

Toppr has helped thousands of students crack JEE.

Toppr is an eLearning app

This app contains 1500+ hours’ recorded video lectures from expert faculty.
The app is compatible with mobiles, tablets, and PCs. It can also be used offline.
From video lectures to IIT JEE & NEET exam preparation to query resolution, this application offers
the same experience as the brick and mortar classrooms.

To make the learning experience even more engaging, certain options like, Ask a Question are
integrated, which makes it easier for you to clarify doubts.

From IIT/JEE preparation to NEET preparation, most competitive exams can be cracked by using the
Toppr app.

Author: Aditi Jhalani, Contact her at [email protected] . Source: toppr.com/bytes/jee-

coaching-classes

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Un Topics
it
1. Sets, Relations & Functions
Complex Numbers & Quadratic
2. Equation

3. Matrices & Determinants

4. Permutation & Combination

5. Mathematical Induction

6. Binomial Theorem

7. Sequencers & Series

8. Limit, Continuity & Differentiability

9. Integral Calculus

10. Differential Equations

11. Coordinate Geometry

12. Three Dimensional Geometry

13. Vector Algebra

14. Statistics & Probability

15. Trigonometry

16. Mathematical Reasoning

U Topics
nit
1. Physics & Measurement

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2. Kinematics

3. Laws of Motion

4. Work, Energy & Power

5. Rotational Motion

6. Gravitation

7. Properties 0f Solids and Liquids

8. Thermodynamics

9. Kinetic Theory of Gases

10 Oscillations & Waves

.
11 Electrostatics
.
12 Current Electricity
.
13 Magnetic Effects of Current & Magnetism
.
14 Electromagnetic Induction and Alternating
. Currents

15 Electromagnetic Waves
.
16 Optics
.
17 Dual Nature of Matter and Radiation
.
18 Atoms and Nuclei
.
19 Electronic Devices

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.
20 Communication System
.
APPENDIX C, ANNEXURE 1
JEE Main 2018 Syllabus
Mathematics

Physics

For this subject, there are two sections (Sections A and Section B).

Section-A

Section-B : Section-B is for “experimental skills”. See Annexure 2 for

details of experiments.

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Un Topics
it
1. Basic Concepts of Chemistry

2. States of Matter

3. Atomic Structure

Chemical Bonding & Molecular

4. Structure

5. Chemical Thermodynamics

6. Solution

7. Equilibrium

8. Redox Reactions and Electrochemistry

9. Chemical Kinetics

10. Surface Chemistry

Chemistry Syllabus

For this subject, there are three sections

Section-A :

Section- B :

Units Topics

11. Classifications of Elements and Periodicity in Properties

12. General Principles and Processes of Isolation of Metals

13. Hydrogen

14. Block Elements

15. Block Elements (Other Groups)

16. D- and -f Block Elements

17. Coordination Compounds

18. Environmental Chemistry

Section-C :

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Unit Topics

19. Purification and Characterisation of Organic Compounds

20. Some Basic Principles of Organic Chemistry

21. Hydrocarbons

22. Organic Compounds Containing Halogens

23. Organic Compounds Containing Oxygen

24. Organic Compounds Containing Nitrogen

25. Polymers

26. Biomolecules

27. Chemistry in Everyday Life

28. Principles Related to Practical Chemistry

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Appendix C, Annexure 2

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JEE Main Syllabus-Detailed

Contains the sub topics in each Unit. Mathematics has 16 Units,

Physics has 20 Units and Chemistry has 28 Units

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Appendix “D”
Annexure 1
WEIGHTAGES OF PHYSICS PORTION FOR
JEE EXAM
JEE Main Syllabus consists of three subjects Physics, Chemistry & Maths.
Physics is generally considered to be the “toughest” portion in JEE. The data from the last five years
question papers were collected to yield “weightages” for each chapter. These are given below:
All the chapters of Physics have been divided into 5 Units. The units and weightages of each are
given below:

1. Mechanics 35.67
2. Heat & Thermodynamics 9.67
3. Electrostatics & Magnetism 17.00
4. Current Electricity & EMI 20.67
5. Optics & Modern Physics 17.00
Mechanics has the highest weightage. This includes Statics and Dynamics (laws of motion or
kinematics). It requires to be carefully revised.

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CHAPTER-WISE WEIGHTAGE IN EACH OF THE UNITS.

Mechanics
Mechanics consist of the first 9 chapters of class XI syllabus (Units & dimensions to Oscillations &
waves)

Chapters weightage

1. Units & Dimensions 5.33

2. Kinematics 1.67
3. Laws of Motion 2.67
4. Work, Energy & Power 3.67
5. Rotational Motion 6.33
6. Gravity 3.33
7. Mechanics of Solids & Fluids 2.67
8. Oscillations 3.67
9. Waves 5.00

The most important topics here are:

Dimensional and error analysis

Equations of motion
Relative motion
Projectile & circular motion
Mechanics of common forces
Conservation of momentum & energy, and collisions
Potential energy of a spring
Moment of inertia and dynamics of rotational motion
Kepler's laws
Acceleration due to gravity
Satellites
Simple Harmonic Motion
Transverse & Longitudinal waves: superposition and reflection
Standing waves & Beats, Doppler effect
Pascal's law, Bernoulli's principle, viscosity & Reynolds' number

Heat & Thermodynamics

Chapters weightage

1. Thermal Properties 0.67

2. Thermodynamics 6.33
3. Kinetic Theory of Gases 2.67

The most important topics in this unit are:

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Temperature and Thermal Expansion

Specific Heat Capacity and Calorimetry
Heat Transfer
Newton's Law of Cooling
First Law of Thermodynamics and Heat Capacity
Thermodynamic State Variables, Equation of State and Thermodynamic Processes
Heat engines, refrigerators and Heat Pumps
Second Law of Thermodynamics
Reversible and Irreversible Processes and Carnot Engine
Law of Equipartition of Energy, Specific Heat Capacity and Mean Free Path

Electrostatics & Magnetism

This topic is covered in Class XII.
It consists of 9 chapters, which we have divided into 2 Units (Electrostatics & Magnetism and
Current, Electricity and EMI)

CHAPTERS WEIGHTAGE

1. Electric Charges & Fields 3.67

2. Electric Potential & Capacitance 3.33
3. Moving Charges & Magnetism 6.33
4. Magnetism & Matter 1.00
5. Electromagnetic Waves & Communication Systems 3.33

The most important topics are:

Electric Charge and Coulomb's Law

Electric Field, Field Lines and Flux
Continuous Charge Distribution and Gauss's Law
Electrostatic Potential and Work done
Potential Energy in an External Field
Electrostatics of Conductors and Dielectrics
Capacitance and Capacitors
Motion in Electric and Magnetic Fields and Cyclotrons
Biot-Savart Law
Ampere's Circuital Law
Force Between Two Parallel Currents
Torque on Current Loop and Magnetic Dipole
Bar magnet and Magnetic Field lines
The Earth's Magnetism
Electromagnetic Waves and Spectrum
Bandwidth & modulation of Signals in communication systems

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Current Electricity & EMI

CHAPTERS WEIGHTAGE

1. Current Electricity 4.67

2. Electromagnetic Induction 3.00
3. Alternating Current 1.67
4. Semiconductors 10.67

The most important topics are:

Electric Current and Ohm's law

Drift of Electrons and resistivity
Electrical Energy and Power
Cells, Emf, Internal Resistance
Combination of resistors and cells and Kirchhoff's Laws
Wheatstone Bridge, Meter Bridge and Potentiometer
Magnetic Flux and Faraday's Law of Induction
Motional EMF and Eddy currents
Inductance and AC generator
AC voltage applied to LR, CR and LCR circuit
Power in AC circuit
Types of Semiconductors and Semiconductor devices: Junction Diodes and
transistors
Circuit Configurations and transistor Characteristics
Applications of transistors: Switches, Amplifiers and Oscillators
Logic gates and IC

Optics & Modern Physics

This chapter is important and has a high weightage.
Most of the questions asked are completely formula based.

CHAPTERS WEIGHTAGE

1. Ray Optics 5.67

2. Wave Optics 4.67
3. Dual Nature of Radiation 4.33
4. Atoms & Nuclei 2.33

The most important topics are:

Concept of refraction & total internal reflection

Refraction at spherical surfaces and by lenses
Power of a lens

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Refraction by Prism & dispersion

Optical Devices
Young's double slit experiment & Interference
Diffraction & resolving power of Optical instruments
Mass-Energy relationship and Nuclear Binding Energy
Radioactivity
Photoelectric Effect
De-Broglie relationship

Here is a comparison of the weightages as calculated above (based on last 5 years) and how the 2017
JEE Paper was framed:
JEE 2017 / Our weightage
Mechanics 36.67 / 35.67
Heat & Thermodynamics 10.00 / 9.67
Electrostatics and Magnetism 16.67 / 17.00
Current Electricity & EMI 20.00 / 20.67
Optics & Modern Physics 16.67 / 17.00

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Appendix D
Annexure 2
JEE MAIN CHEMISTRY SYLLABUS
WEIGHTAGES
CLASS 11 Units WEIGHTAGE CLASS 12 Units WEIGHTAGE

Basic Concepts 2.3 Solid State 2.0

Atomic Structure 3.3 Solutions 2.3
Classification 3.0 Electrochemistry 2.3
Chemical Bonding 7.3 Chemical Kinetics 3.3
States of Matter 3.0 Surface Chemistry 5.7
Thermodynamics 3.7 Extraction of Elements 0.7
Equilibrium 3.3 P Block Elements 5.7
Redox reactions 0.3 D and F Elements 4.3
Hydrogen & S Block Elements 4.3 Coordination Compounds 5.0
Basic Principles
of Organic Chemistry 6.3 Halogen Containing
Organ Compounds 3.0
Hydrocarbons and
Its Substituents 3.3 Oxygen Containing
Organic Compounds 8.3
Environmental Chemistry 1.0 Nitrogen Containing
Organic Compounds 3.0
Practical Chemistry 2.3 Biomolecules & Polymers 5.7
Chemistry in Everyday
Life 0.7

Recommended Books:

P. Bahadur’s “Numerical Chemistry”,

Paula Bruice Yurkanis’s “Organic Chemistry”
J.D. Lee’s “Inorganic Chemistry”.

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Appendix E
NOT MAKING IT IN JEE – YOUR OTHER OPTIONS

Not done too well in JEE Mains

It is unfortunate but true that most students who appear for JEE do not
make it to the IIT (only 2.4 Lakhs out of 14 Lakh students even go to the
JEE Advanced test).
If, unfortunately, you find that you are not making it to IIT, your aspirations
of becoming an engineer have NOT come to an end. You are still eligible
for NITs or the IIITs.
However, there too there is competition.
Here are the details:
Admission to NITs and IIITs is not related to JEE
Advanced score, but to JEE Mains score.
(It is only if you intend to join any IIT, that
you need a good JEE Advanced score).

Admission to NITs and IIITs is based solely on your

JEE Mains score - and, a minimum percentage of
75% in 12th boards.

Based on your score in the JEE Mains exam, you will

be allotted an All India Rank ( 12th Board Exam marks
were also being taken into account before 2017 – not
any more).
Based on this rank the CSAB (Central Seat Allocation
Board) will, in your turn, offer you seats in the
available NIT/ IIITs or to some of the other Colleges
which are participating in the Common Entrance

Programme.

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Obviously, simply clearing JEE Mains is not enough.

You need to get a good score to enter IIIT or NIT.
For admission into IIIT or NIT, generally, the scores
required:

I. A score of 260+ in JEE Mains is required to

get admission into an IIIT.

a) For NITs , if you want a high profile

branch like CS then a 200+ score is a
must.
b) On the other hand, if you
are ready to take any branch that
is offered to you, i.e., if you are
only concerned with the name of
the college then a score of 150 in JEE
Mains is enough.
Apart from this, there are several other engineering colleges which admit students based on their own
exams. While some of them are private and some of them are government funded, they all
turn out industry suitable engineers.
Given below is a sample list of 20 colleges which admit students based on
either JEE or on their own exams. Of course there are several more.
So don’t lose hope if your JEE exam went bad. Move on and try the other
colleges.
Who knows which college you are destined for!

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About the Author

Brigadier Raghavendra Rao knows how to prepare for an exam. He is a Gold medallist in his B.Tech
course and a topper at IIT Delhi, M.Tech.course. During military service too, he topped all courses he
attended. Meticulous, systematic and disciplined preparation is what he attributes his success to.
A Mechanical Engineering professor, Brig Rao now teaches JEE and GATE students at TIME,
Thinkcell and at GATE FORUM Hyderabad. To date, over 10,000 students have been coached by
him.
As a keen student of Human Behaviour, he understands the aspirations, potential and limitations of
students and can effectively mould them for success.
Brig Rao can be reached at [email protected] or at his websites “jobskillsuneed.com”, and
“gatecracking.com”.

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