Of the 14 lakh engineering aspirants who will take up the JEE Main this year, only 2 lakh will qualify for JEE Advanced. If you will be one of the students who are shortlisted to take up JEE Advanced in June, you are left with a good three weeks to prepare for the exam. It is indeed a matter of great pride to be one of the top 2,00,000 engineering aspirants in the country, but if you have your eyes set on the prestigious IITs, you must be among the top 5000. Here are some tips on how to get there.

Prepare to take up a six-hour paper: JEE Advanced will consist of two papers of three-hour duration each on the same day. You must prepare yourself for the six-hour format. Set your biological clock to match the timings of the exams. If you have got into the habit of a small nap in the afternoons, now is the time to break it.

Develop the skill to grade the question: JEE Advanced will comprise questions from different difficulty levels. It is important to pick the right questions when you are racing against time. Before attempting a practice paper, read the questions and note how long it would take for you to solve each question. Solve it, and see if it took you the same time to arrive at the answer. This practice is important because it will help you pick questions you can solve faster and leave the question that will take time for later.

Practice, Practice, Practice: Pick up question papers from different sources and solve them as you would in the entrance exam. Time yourself, and evaluate your progress. Remember, these questions are only to test your understanding of the subject. The questions are not likely to be repeated.

Everything is important: Do not ignore any topic under the belief that it is not important. Every topic leads to another and questions may be asked from any part of the syllabus. Revise everything again.

Make peace: Remember to take adequate breaks. Studying in stressed conditions amounts to more panic. Relaxing often rejuvenates you and keeps your mind active.

So plan what you need to study, and study what you have planned. Remember, the effort you will put in now can transform your life. Do not lose focus and do not get stressed out. All the best!