Experts’ Speak:- Worried about low score in JEE Mains? Check out what to do next

By: Dr Rahul M Das

Keep all the options open while preparing for any entrance exam. Scoring low is not the end of the world; rather it gives an opportunity to explore all the options with the aim to excel in life. Move-on with time and learn new things.

We all know that every year there are approximately 15 lakh students who appear for JEE Mains to secure admission in premier engineering institutes across the country. Based on my own experience, I believe scoring good marks in any of the competitive examinations is a blend of both good preparation and luck. JEE Mains is no way different when it comes to scoring low marks, something that most of us would not expect in any given case.

In case, you are one of those students who have secured low marks or marks below your expectations in JEE Main, then don’t lose heart. If the student’s All India Rank is within 2.5 lakhs, then they are eligible for appearing in JEE Advanced. There have been instances where students with a low score in Mains happened to fall in the rank range and appeared for Advanced by just clearing the examination. But this might not be the case with every student, so in a worst-case scenario the other options that a student could explore are given below:

Whether to drop a year 

In my experience, moving on with time is the most important thing that any aspiring student should do while preparing for the competitive examination, i.e., when a student appeared for the examination in January and is not expecting a great result, then probably they should be smart enough to start their preparations immediately for a re-attempt in the month of May. This time preparation should be focus-oriented and diligent as the time in hand would be less. On the other hand, if a student is determined to take admission in IITs only, then they could consider dropping a year.

Best colleges one can get with low scores

If you are of the opinion that good engineering students are a product of IITs only, then you need to think again.. Completing engineering from a premier institution definitely brings along perks of being tagged with the brand name, but this does not guarantee a successful career. The attitude towards the turning points in the life is what that makes a difference. Engineering entrance exams are no different, in the sense that, if you score low marks then you should explore other best colleges that will help you secure the degree. Following are some of the other good and reputed engineering institutes for pursuing the engineering studies with a low JEE Mains score

Wait for the Subsequent Counselling Sessions

In case, a student is expecting low scores, at the same time they are also confident of securing border line marks or a decent rank to appear for JEE Advanced, then they must consider waiting for a subsequent counselling session. This does not mean that the student should just wait and watch until the subsequent counselling session. Instead, keep all the options open, this means that while waiting for the counselling session, start preparing for the next attempt and other state level entrance examinations. Leave no stone unturned till the time you hit upon something fruitful.

Should one opt to attempt JEE Mains again in May

As mentioned earlier in the article, in case you feel that you have done your examination well and still have a sense of fear that you just might not make the cut and secure a low score or a rank beyond 2.5 lakh, then you should immediately jump on to start your preparation for the month of May without a second thought, provided you are determined to do your engineering only from an IIT.

About the Author:

Dr Rahul M Das has a Doctorate in Organizational Behavior from University of Madras with two Master’s degree. He is an academician-turned-consultant-professional with eight years of teaching experience. He has been working for the past two years as a Senior Consultant with Bengaluru-based Abanel Management Consulting Pvt Ltd. Dr Das has expertise in training and development, counselling & mentoring, developing leadership and managerial skills through experiential learning.