IIT-JEE Exam Experience

Just google “toughest exams in the world” and you will find JEE-advanced (Joint entrance exam) at #2 on most of the search results. Every year over 1 million engineering aspirants in India appear for the engineering entrance exam and only a fraction make it to the merit list of JEE Advance. And yes, I was one of them who made it and yet I was devastated.

The gravity of the exam

Clearing the JEE-advanced is your ticket to getting into the most prestigious engineering institution in India: the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Getting into IITs in India (there are multiple of them) is not just getting into an IVY league college, it’s an emotion, it’s the undeniable sense of reputation for students, their parents, their uncles, their aunties, their neighbors, their friends and much more.

Obviously, not getting into IIT is not the end of the world and many people, I believe, will do better in their lives than going down that path. However, “IITians” are undeniably one of the smartest minds in the world and you will find them excelling in any field they venture into and not just engineering.

For example, most of the Indian-origin CEOs of Fortune 500 Companies have studied at IIT once during their lifetime. Of India’s 108 unicorns (startups with a $1bn valuation), 68 were founded by at least one IIT graduate.

So, is it that studying at IIT equips them with some unique qualities that help them excel in any field they go? Yes indeed! Imagine being surrounded by super smart people with great work ethics in an environment that further stretches your capabilities for 4 years; you are bound to do something impactful. However, I believe, a lot of the foundational skills and capabilities are built while preparing for the exam.

The grind for the exam

Right after the 10th grade, around the age of 15, aspirants go through rigorous exam preparation for 2 years (and 3 years if you take a drop year). It is an accepted fact amongst the aspirant community that if you want to clear this exam, these 2 or 3 years will have to be completely dedicated to the exam. Now there are arguments for and against this obsession of getting into IIT, but I will keep it away for the purpose of this post.

the

My Story

It has been more than 15 years now. Like many other aspirants, obsessed with getting into IIT, I also chose JEE. I loved physics and a bit of math so; it was a natural choice for me.

I was in love with the exam, and for 2 years I went through the ups and downs. I worked really hard, studied some all-nighters, obsessed over physics, played with math, repelled from chemistry, and wasted some precious time with distractions.

Result day and alas, no surprise, I did not make it to the merit list

I was broken, but still appeared for other entrance exams and got decent ranks which would help me go to other respectable engineering colleges however, I knew I had made mistakes, and I couldn’t settle for this.

I decided to take another year to prepare for the exam. Once again for 1 year, I worked really hard, studied many all-nighters, slept with physics, danced with math, forcefully married chemistry, and went through some burnout phases, but this time wasted lesser precious time with distractions.

Exam Day

I came back from the exam with mixed feelings. I went back home and matched my answers with the online answer key. Q1, Right, yes! Q2, Right, yes!! Q3 Oh my god right, yes!! Q4, wrong Q5, wrong, Q6 wrong Q7 wrong and so on.

Soon the question paper turned moist and my mind numb as I sat in my room with a nightmarish realization that may be the dream of getting into IIT was broken.

But wait..

Result Day

In my evaluation, I was not clearing the cut-off (minimum marks needed to make it to the merit list), but I was not sure if I was able to recollect all the answers I had ticked. So, there was an element of doubt. On the result day, I sat on the computer and entered my details. Disgustingly slow internet and then the moment flashed:

“Congratulations, you have qualified in the Joint Entrance Exam” .