JEE Advanced: What makes it one of the Toughest Exams in World

JEE Advanced stands as the epitome of exams having most difficult questions in the world even surpassing China’s GAOKAO. JEE Advanced tests candidates overall understanding of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics with the ability to solve questions under extreme pressure and time bound manner.

JEE Advanced Toughest Exam in World

The Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced) is widely considered as the second toughest exam in the world, second to China’s GAOKAO. Students who wish to study undergraduate engineering or science courses at Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) have to qualify this exam. The success rate of JEE Advanced is less than 10%. Around 2 lakh candidates appear for the JEE Advanced every year of which less than 50,000 qualify. However, with nearly 18,000 seats, less than 10% students are admitted to any of the IITs.

The success rate of 10% alone does not define the difficulty level of this exam. Students spend years to qualify JEE Advanced, with some starting their preparation as early as class 5. Questions asked in this exam are beyond concepts and logics, often requiring excellent analytical and problem solving ability. Students have to master topics beyond class 11 & 12 level to solve questions of JEE Advanced. The JEE Advanced assesses candidates speed, accuracy, endurance, and most importantly, their conceptual understanding of physics, chemistry, and mathematics.

JEE Advanced vs GAOKAO- Which is Toughest?

If we analyze the difficulty level of questions in JEE Advanced, they require applying concepts from multiple topics, requiring deep conceptual knowledge and strong problem-solving strategies. Contrast to this, China’s GAOKAO tests broad knowledge across many subjects, requiring significant memorization and endurance.

Only those candidates who are mentally strong with concepts, capable of handling extreme pressure of solving questions in time-bound manner can succeed in JEE Advanced whereas candidates who can memorize bundles of data will be able to qualify GAOKAO, setting India’s JEE Advanced ahead of GAOKAO.

Understanding JEE Advanced Exam Pattern

JEE Advanced do not follow a fixed exam pattern, making it even more unpredictable for students. In most years, the organizing IIT (which changes every year among the 7 old IITs) brings changes to the total number of questions and/or total marks.

The current pattern has two papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2, both conducted on a single day in two shifts. The paper 1 have total 19 questions of which 4 are Single Correct MCQs, 3 Multiple Correct MCQs, 6 Numerical Type of Questions, and 3 Match the following questions. In Paper 2, there are 4 Single Correct MCQs, 4 Multiple Correct MCQs, and 6 Numerical Type of Questions. Students need to appear and qualify both the papers. Paper 1 is conducted in morning shift from 9 am to 12 pm and Paper 2 from 2 pm to 5 pm.

Challenges Students Face in Passing JEE Advanced

JEE Advanced not only tests the subjective knowledge of candidates, it also assesses the ability of candidates to handle pressure. All candidates who qualify JEE Mains to appear in Advanced are more or less equally talented however, there is a thin line of difference between the candidates who pass JEE advanced vs those who do not. While every candidates prepares well for the exam in his/her best capability, it’s the ability to solve questions in a limited time under extreme pressure which sets the qualifiers apart.

To overcome this subject knowledge and time challenge, focus on fundamental and conceptual understanding of subjects along with the ability to implement multiple concepts in solving questions. Students first need to build a strong fundamental understanding of topics included in the syllabus of IIT JEE. This can be done by regular studies with revision, asking questions with teachers in case of any doubt, referring various books/online resources and solving questions from previous years.

Tips to Crack JEE Advanced

Preparation for JEE Advanced can not be completed in days or months, it often requires years to crack it. Students can get a good score if they start preparing from class 11. Make a plan for your daily studies and stick to it. Clear every doubt you encounter and be 100 % sure about all the concepts of each subject. Solve previous year paper and mock test to evaluate your preparation and prepare accordingly. Challenge your limits and conquer the unconquered.

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