The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the global education sector as well, besides bringing other sectors to a halt. All the educational institutes, colleges, schools, etc. are closed due to COVID-19 across the globe since March 2020. This pandemic has affected many entrance tests as well and also the lives of test-takers. Among various entrance exams, JEE Main examination, one of the most popular examinations conducted to grant admission in top engineering institutes in India like IITs and NITs, is also being proposed.
Impact on JEE Main Examination during Lockdown 4.0
NTA announces the tentative dates of the JEE Main examination. It is expected that the entrance test will be conducted on July 18, 20, 21, 22, and 23. The exact dates will be finalized post considering the situation of the coronavirus outbreak. In case, by July as well the conditions will continue becoming bad, the exam might get postponed as well. After the continuous nationwide lockdown, there is no doubt to the fact that it will have many adverse effects and positive effects on various entrance exams, like JEE Mains.
This pandemic time has affected the students’ preparation for the JEE Main examination. The lockdown resulted in making aspirants lazier. But presently, when all the citizens in the country are advised to self-quarantine, students can somewhat take advantage of the existing situation. The delay in the competitive examinations by almost 3 months has received mixed reactions from students. Many students were optimistic about the delay while others felt disheartened with this delay. However, all the test-takers preparing for this exam had a common question regarding the dates on which the exam would be conducted.
Students reaction on JEE Main Examination after Lockdown 4.0
One of the students, Riya, a class 12 student who has been preparing for the JEE Main, said that she is happy with the deal in the exam. She also said that though they were aware that the exams would be delayed no fixed dates have left them feeling more worried. The fear of not knowing the exact date of the test that affected the preparation of many students is reduced now as the tentative test dates have been announced officially.
JEE Main aspirants allowed changing exam centres amid COVID-19
The human resource development ministry recently allowed more than a million aspirants of the engineering entrance JEE Main examination to make changes in their exam centre or city to avoid disruptions resulting due to the COVID- 19 pandemic. This move will assist the test-takers who have shifted base from one city to another during the pandemic due to all the educational institutions, schools; colleges being closed. The national testing agency (NTA) will offer one last chance to the test-takers to make corrections, by making changes in their particulars and choice of centre cities in the online application form for JEE Main 2020. The correction window was made available from 25 May 2020 to 31 May 2020. The exam is expected to be conducted in the country in the last ten days of July, but an evolving health crisis poses uncertainty among aspirants.
How delay in JEE Main examination can prove beneficial to the students:
Amid the global pandemic, it is difficult to tell what will happen tomorrow or even a few hours from now. The COVID-19 has resulted in the delay of many competitive exams throughout the country. The government authorities have ordered to postpone all the entrance/competitive exams so that the spread of dangerous COVID-19 can be controlled.The nationwide lockdown can bring some positive changes in the preparation style. The test takers preparing for JEE Main can utilize the extended time during COVID-19 Lockdown so that they can get scores in the upcoming Exam.
- Make a new time-table- Students must prepare a new and revised time-table in this lockdown period. The exam which was earlier scheduled to be held in April is already delayed by several months, so the test-takers must have completed the entire JEE Main examination syllabus already. The candidates now can start revising the essential topics and should study those topics that need more time and hold more weightage as well. For all this, they need a proper time-table focusing on all the important concepts of each subject and follow it religiously.
- Make Short Notes/Flashcards- The test takers can prepare short notes or flashcards by penning down important concepts or formulas. These short notes or flashcards can help them to memorize all the important formulas and concepts more easily and memorably.
- Revise- Revision is the key to success in JEE Main examination; the candidates can utilize the free self-quarantine time of lockdown for revising the syllabus. The test-takers must ensure that they have revised everything they have studied so that during the exams, they don’t face any kind of difficulties while attempting all the questions. If you think that you need a more focused approach while revising, you can prepare a list of all the important topics that must not be left out.
- Mock tests and Sample Papers- Rather than feeling lazy or unmotivated, the test-takers must practice more JEE Main mock tests during the lockdown. The mock tests are based on the actual pattern of the latest exam and allow the test-takers to get a real feel of the JEE Main examination. Similar to the mock tests, the students can practice more referring to JEE Main sample papers during this time. The sample test and previous years’ papers are based on the actual pattern of the exam and help the students to analyze their performance. Post considering the mock test scores; the candidates can focus on their weaker areas.
- Stay Calm and Healthy- This is another important point that needs to be considered. Presently when the coronavirus is spreading increasing across the country, the students are suggested to stay indoors and take care of themselves to stay healthy and fit. Any effect on the health of the students will directly impact their examination preparations. The students must not lose their calm and motivational level at this crucial point of time.
The JEE Main examination is now scheduled to be conducted in the last week of July, and the candidates need to create a study plan accordingly. So the candidates must start doing chapter-wise revision for the subjects and taking more mock tests each day can help in getting a good score in the test.
The candidates need to create a master plan of JEE Main that will effectively work for them; by creating a master plan, the candidates can get enough time to revise all the important chapters before the exams.There is no second thought to the fact that COVID-19 has impacted the exam preparations, but the test-takers must take it as an opportunity to prepare for the test.
