CHENNAI: Think of IITs and images that flash in your mind are probably that of nerds in line with the characters of The Big Bang Theory. And then, we hear about the demand for an IIT graduate among the industry, who are ready to shower them with the fattest pay packages. However, the first step towards this dream for any IIT aspirant is clearing the Joint Entrance Examination.With a propensity to surprise the candidates every other year, the IIT-JEE is considered to be one of the toughest qualifying examinations in the country.Apart from the demanding nature of the test, those who take the examination face stiff competition from across the country, with over 5 lakh students are expected to appear for the test on April 8, 2012 competing for nearly 10,000 seats.Experts believe that with just over a month remaining for the big day, the focus in preparations must now shift to giving a revision of the basics. According to them, unlike previous years where the difficulty levels of examination was steadily declining, both students and tutors were expecting a tougher paper."Given the criticism that the IITs have been receiving over the last year, there is a sense that they may come up with something new this time," says S Vijayaraghavan, a visiting faculty at an IIT and a part-time JEE tutor.Last year, the test consisted of two question papers with objective type questions, both of three hours' duration. The subjects tested are physics, chemistry and mathematics with emphasis on conceptual understanding.Experts say that while coaching institutes encourage students to concentrate on their subjects of strength and aim for a minimum in those they are weak in, such a strategy would usually lead to failure."It encourages rote learning.Rather, the students must ensure that they are strong enough in the basics of all three subjects so that they could clear the subject- wise cut-offs," says Vijayaraghavan, adding that this would also help the aspirants in the long run once they get into the IITs.In fact, the current format is such that the candidates must score at least 10 per cent in each subject and 35 per cent overall to be considered for the merit list.One of the crucial issues in taking the test is management of time. Experts say while it is impossible to attempt all questions in the paper, the students must be in a position to identify the easiest of the lot."Usually, the easiest questions are those which have options that could be eliminated at first glance. Once the answer is narrowed down, the problem could be worked out in a suitable way to get the result quickly," says R Vaidhehi, a chemistry tutor and an IIT alumni.These tutors say that certain sections of the test, especially the paragraph questions, would require additional time to solve and therefore, the students must allot time to other questions carefully."We suggest that the students work out as many model papers as possible in these last few days.Each time, the focus should be on solving the problems quicker," says Vaidhehi, adding that attempting anything adventurous in the last minute would ruin the mindset.Also, the experts warn that failure in getting to IITs was not the end of the world. "The statistics show that only two out of every 100 qualifying students get an IIT berth.So failure should not be see as the end," they say.
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