COVID-19 Impact: Challenges after JEE Main 2021, BITSAT and other exams postponement

MHRD has postponed all the national entrance exams including India's biggest engineering exam JEE Main due to the current Coronavirus outbreak. Now, how the postponement will impact further, read on to find out.

March, April, May and June are the most crucial months for students as they prepare for several entrance tests such as JEE Main, BITSAT, JEE Advanced, SRMJEEE, VITEEE, etc. and also for their Class 12th board exams. But this year, COVID-19 or Coronavirus has dramatically affected the way global higher education is delivered. If we talk about the current situation in our country, there are very few chances of schools and colleges to get reopened.

In view of the current situation, the National Testing Agency (NTA) postponed the JEE Main 2021 April and May exam due to the COVID-19 epidemic across the country. However, the March and February session of JEE Main was conducted successfully. There are also chances that the JEE Advanced may also get postponed along with the other entrance tests due to the current COVID-19 situation in the country. The exam is currently scheduled to be conducted on July 3, 2021.

Among the cancellation or postponement of these exams, many questions are bothering students – What will be the next step for a student, if exam conducting authorities decides to cancel the JEE Main and JEE Advanced? What will be the consequences or challenges students might have to face? Will students with top ranks in earlier JEE Main sessions will get the advantage? Read the article below to find out.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Education sector - Major Concerns

COVID-19 has shifted the focus of all aspirants from preparing for national-level entrance examinations to sanitization and being safe. They are more worried about the virus and their health than the exams. Due to the very perilous situation of COVID-19 in the entire country, all the entrance examinations and boards exams are postponed now for student's safety.

To curb the spread of Coronavirus, the Indian government has taken all the major preventive measures and decisions to fight against this deadly virus. One of the major steps was to postpone entrance tests including national level examination, JEE Main 2021 April and May session. In this article below, we will discuss the challenges all aspiring students might face after the postponement or cancellation of these exams. Have a look:

Major Impact of lockdown on Indian Educational Institutions

Schools, colleges, and educational institutions are closed as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 pandemic. Several educational institutes in India are shifting their operations to online learning. Top educational institutions of India like Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-D), Delhi University (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), Netaji Subhas University of Technology (NSIT), and more are providing online learning to the students.

JEE Main and JEE Advanced Exam Postponed – What’s next?

Now that the exam has been postponed then what's next on the candidate's plate? The answer is obvious, students should keep preparing for the exam. We also advise aspirants to stay safe and do not panic about the current ongoing situation in the country as this will make them nervous and stressed at the same time.

Everything going on in the country will turn out normal in a few days as the government is trying its best to control the situation. Candidates can start taking online classes, as some of the coaching institutes have started giving lectures to students online. So, do not miss any live sessions by the experts and get all your queries answered. Try to prepare a questionnaire in advance and clear the doubts between the sessions.

JEE Main Exam Postponed – Candidates must focus on preparation

Now that JEE Main exam and 12^th boards have been postponed, the aspirants who still want to give it a try might face some challenges. Have a look at some of them:

• It is likely that there will be less gap between class 12^th boards and JEE Main, the aspirants might need a different and better strategy for preparation
• Candidates are required to make changes in their study schedule
• They must make changes in their previous time-table as there is a time difference in the examination
• Now prepare a topic-wise revision schedule and add extra ten preparation days to it

Why JEE Main April & May session holds importance

JEE Main is conducted for those applicants who wish to get into BE or BTech courses in the National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), other Centrally Funded Technical Institutes (CFTIs).

When the NTA announced that JEE Main will be conducted in fours sessions this year, it was welcomed with warm responses from students all over. It helped all students get more chances to qualify for the national level examination and to better their scores. If a candidate has appeared for the earlier sessions and not satisfied with the result, the April & May session of JEE Main 2021 will work as an advantage or a lifeline and the candidate can use it as a star opportunity.

There is no end to why students give preference to the JEE Main 2021 April & May sessions, as this attempt will be advantageous to the students because there no more pressure left of the Class 12 board exams and they can focus fully on the JEE Main 2021 exam. The JEE Main 2021 April & May sessions are also important for those students who did not appear for the March and February attempt and also for those who did not qualify for the first attempt of JEE Main.

Challenges of not conducting JEE Main April Session

As of now, the exam conducting authority has postponed JEE Main 2021 Sessions exam due to the Covid-19 virus outbreak. NTA has not provided any information regarding the cancellation of the examination. In case, if authorities decide to do so, then the students will have only one option left other than trying to attempt state level entrance examinations such as BITSAT, and more.

If we also talk about the current situation, state exams might also get cancelled then the candidate will need to either opt for private universities or they can wait for the next year JEE Main. In such a case, we request all the students to stop worrying about these things and focus on online coaching the Institutes for attending the class. Consider your health in the first place and avoid going out and follow the self-isolation for few days till the situation gets normal.

Why JEE Advanced should be conducted

A candidate must know that JEE Main Rank and JEE Advanced rank varies in the counselling process. The rank which is obtained by a candidate in JEE Mains is valid only to get into NIT. And the rank obtained in the JEE Advanced entrance exam is only valid for IITs. A student will not get the desired seat in NIT even if he/she gets a good score in JEE Advanced. Because it is permissible only to IIT's.

Through JEE Advanced, the candidates will be able to open their ways to take admission in 23 IITs all over the country offer admissions to the undergraduate courses leading to a Bachelor's, Integrated Master's or Bachelor's-Master's Dual Degree in Engineering, Science, or Architecture.

Challenges of not conducting JEE Advanced

If exam authorities decide to cancel the JEE Advanced in the light of the pandemic then this will make some students stressed as they have been preparing for the exam to be conducted which will enable their chance to take admissions to the IITs and other institutions.

Will JEE Main January session toppers have the advantage?

However, a high rank in the JEE Main January session became the criterion to get admission in top BTech colleges in India then the students who were top scorers will surely get the advantage. But, under the current scenario, a student needs to score well in the JEE Main and the JEE Advanced to secure a seat in an IIT.

JEE Main Preparation tips & strategies by toppers

At last, we would like you to have a look at some of the on JEE Main preparation strategy shared by JEE Main 2019 toppers and JEE Main 2021 January session topper. These articles will have all the details regarding their study plan, time table, and approach to the question paper and exam day tips.

All the best!

Stay Home and Stay Safe!

Read More:

• JEE Main Previous Years' Cutoff
• JEE Main College Predictor
• JEE Main Exam Analysis