— Sandeep Mehta
For most engineering aspirants across India, JEE Main is one of those critical exams, serving as a gateway to all big institutes such as NITs, IIITs, and other centrally funded technical institutes. Many ask if the toughness of questions in JEE Main can differ depending on the IIT that prepares that particular paper.
It is important to note that JEE Main is held by NTA and not the IITs. However, IITs have to prepare a question paper for JEE Advanced, which happens to be the final phase of an examination cycle, through which candidates can gain admission in IITs. Whereas, NTA ensures uniformity in terms of pattern, syllabus, and toughness year after year.
Why JEE Main difficulty is uniform
– Standardisation by NTA: NTA has rules for making a balanced and unbiased question paper. Each paper is well moderated to fit the recommended syllabus and difficulty level. The focus is on testing fundamental understanding of Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
– Question bank system: NTA uses a vast question bank and provides questions to the JEE Main from this. It is assured that the quality of the paper remains uniform since these questions are prepared by experienced professors and subject experts.
– Purpose of the exam: JEE Main is meant to measure the understanding of students towards Class 11 and Class 12 concepts. The paper is not as tough as the JEE Advanced, as the latter is meant to assess more in-depth analytical skills.
Misconception regarding IIT involvement
The reason that it depends on a particular IIT is because of the fact that students who appeared for JEE Advanced had to face different IITs conducting the exam. Therefore, each IIT might have a different approach, which brings some variation in Advanced. But since IITs are not involved in the JEE Main, the same logic does not work.
Factors that influence difficulty perception
– Changing focus areas: The overall difficulty is the same, but some years may focus on specific areas, which may make the paper seem harder or easier for students.
– Preparation of individual students: Difficulty is often a matter of perception and depends on how well a student is prepared for specific topics.
– Comparative analysis: Students may compare papers from different shifts, and the normalization techniques address this issue, but students may perceive the difficulty as uneven.
The difficulty level of JEE Main doesn’t depend upon which IIT prepares the question paper because IITs do not prepare question papers for JEE. Instead, NTA tries to make standardized and fair exams every year. The students must focus on preparation and practice persistently rather than getting worried over things which they cannot help. Aspiring candidates can sit for the exam confidently and without worry over the so-called toughness level if they understand the pattern and make an effort towards strengthening fundamental concepts.
(The writer is the co-founder of Vidyamandir Classes)
(Indianexpress.com published a 5-part series on IIT placements. The first part explained why pre-placement offers (PPO) are gaining popularity, and the second part explained the IIT placement process. Third part talks about the forecast of the 2024-25 placement process. The fourth part is from the students’ perspective on how to prepare for placements, and the last part is about start-ups making their way back to IITs. You can find all IIT Placement related stories here)
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