Taking the Final Lap: Gear Up for JEE Advanced

Boards are over, and now you have around 60 days left for JEE Advanced.
By now, your revision of the Class 12 syllabus should be complete, but many of you might be unsure about what to do next. I was in the same position back in 2018. Back then, we had only one JEE Mains attempt, which was held after our board exams in April.

For me, Mains didn’t go as expected and checking my scores left me devastated.
I couldn't focus on studies, and overwhelmed by stress, with just 50 days left for Advanced. I felt like everything was falling apart.
Soon I realised I was wasting time oscillating between trying to study and mourning my results.
So, I made a decision—I gave myself three days to fully process my emotions, without forcing myself to study. I knew this break would help me come back stronger.

On the fourth day, I picked up the very paper that had shaken my confidence and attempted it again within three hours. Trust me, this process restored my belief in myself—I could do it. One bad day doesn’t define my potential, and Advanced was still within my reach.


I categorised my topics into three sections—Strong, Mediocre, and Weak—and developed different strategies for each:

• Strong Topics (e.g Mechanics, Electromagnetism, Organic Chemistry, Coordinate Geometry, Calculus, etc.): I only revised formulas regularly and practiced these topics through test papers.

• Mediocre Topics (e.g Thermodynamics, Optics, Vector 3D, some parts of Algebra): I focused on solving JEE Advanced previous year subjective questions, converting them into objective-style problems. I thoroughly solved the FIITJEE Archive, emphasizing weaker subtopics.

• Weak Topics (e.g Permutation & Combination, Fluid Mechanics, etc.): I referred to class notes, solved examples, and previous year FIITJEE Archive questions to strengthen my understanding.

Before JEE Mains, I had made the mistake of focusing more on studying than test-taking. But Advanced isn’t just about theory—it demands real-time application and problem-solving skills. I decided to take as many tests as possible to sharpen my approach.

My Daily Routine for the Next 50 Days

• 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM → Wake up, freshen up, breakfast, and reach coaching.

• 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM → 3-hour PCM test.

• 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM → Discuss the test with friends, have lunch, return home, and do daily chores

• 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM → Another 3-hour test or paper analysis.

• 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM → Practice questions from weak chapters.

• 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM → Focus on topics where I made mistakes in tests and ensure I don’t repeat them.

• 10:00 PM – 12:00 AM → Revise formulas of strong topics and revisit test mistakes.

With 15 minutes break between each slot, I ensured I covered every subject daily, or at least two subjects per day.

A top rank demands equal focus on all subjects.

In the last few weeks, I took nearly 40 tests, alternating between 3-hour and 6-hour tests every other day. In the final stretch, I stopped taking FIITJEE AITS and focused solely on previous year JEE Advanced papers, analysing my performance by comparing scores with past year rankings. This gave me confidence that I could crack the exam.

As exam day approached, I increased my study hours to around 14 hours a day, but it never felt exhausting.
The excitement of being so close to my goal kept me going. I wasn’t counting the hours—I was chasing what I have dreamt of for the last 4 years. I was this close!

I mentally prepared for every possible challenge that was in my control:

• During one of my mock tests, the fan above me wasn’t working, and I struggled in the heat. So, I started taking all the tests at home without a fan to get used to this discomfort.

• If I got a seat near a window on exam day and struggled with the heat (which actually happened), I would be prepared. I started taking tests beside a window at home.

• Since I needed water frequently, I trained myself to complete tests without drinking water to simulate exam conditions.

• There might be noises outside the exam hall, so I practiced solving questions despite distractions.

• If my computer froze, I knew I had to finish the paper in 2.5 hours instead of 3, so I started practicing with a reduced time limit.

I considered every possible scenario where things could go wrong. On the exam day, I wouldn’t have the luxury to blame circumstances, my dreams can't be that shallow—I had to be prepared!

Above all, JEE is more than just an exam—it’s a journey that tests your resilience.
While these challenges may sound tough, they shaped me into who I am today. Now, I believe anything is possible if I prepare well and take control of my situation.

Start preparing yourselves mentally, because JEE isn’t just about knowledge—it’s about overcoming every obstacle that comes your way.

All the best!


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