The JEE Mains 2021 Experience: Overcoming a Viral Fever
This article recounts the personal experience of a candidate who attempted the JEE Mains exam in August 2021. It offers insights into managing a viral fever, the challenges faced during the exam, and the importance of thorough preparation.
A Health Alert During Exam Preparation
My JEE Mains exam was scheduled for 31st August, Shift 2. On 27th August, I caught a fever. Notably, several classmates from my class also fell ill with similar symptoms. Fearing the worst, it was suspected that the fever could have been due to Covid-19. I was immediately isolated in a separate room to undergo further testing.
H1: Early Detection and Rapid Action
The next day, I underwent a rapid test. Thankfully, it was negative. This early detection proved crucial in preventing the spread of any potential infection, and, with the doctor’s advice, I started managing my symptoms with Dolo 650. Further medical tests confirmed that the fever was viral in nature and not related to Covid-19 on the 30th of August.
Upon receiving a visit from a doctor on the 30th, I was prescribed Azithromycin. The use of this medication helped manage my fever effectively, paving the way for my exam day.
The Exam Experience: A Day to Remember
On the 31st of August, I reached the exam center at 2:15 PM. However, the iris scanner did not detect my eyes properly, which caused a delay. After several attempts, my biometrics finally matched.
H1: Navigating Exam Challenges
The exam began with Chemistry, a subject in which I am quite strong. Despite having a few doubts, I was able to complete the section within 20-23 minutes. I felt that Chemistry questions from NCERT were particularly harsh for students who had not thoroughly memorized the textbook.
After Chemistry, I shifted gears to Mathematics. While some questions were lengthy and required detailed steps, there were several questions where the answer could be found midway through the solution. I managed to complete this section in 40-45 minutes.
The Physics section posed a significant challenge as it typically takes me a considerable amount of time to complete. Unfortunately, the section included numerous Assertion-Reasoning style questions which required a deep understanding of the problem. It took me around 85-90 minutes to complete this section, and I had doubts about a few of the answers due to the subjective nature of these questions.
With just 30 minutes left, I reviewed the paper and finalized my answers. The last 19 minutes were dedicated to a meticulous review of my responses, ensuring accuracy and consistency.
The result was a memorable moment. I achieved a score of 286 M-100 P-96 C-90. However, due to an objection, my score was deducted to 284 M-100 P-96 C-88. Two questions were lost due to my own negligence—one related to conformers, and another where I mistakenly used Delta;U nRDelta;T instead of Cv.
The result was enlightening. I secured a 99.998 percentile, and in my shift, only one candidate crossed me, placing me at rank 41. Though I initially thought this rank was highly unlikely, it was achieved thanks to the change in the tie-breaking criteria, which resulted in 18 candidates sharing the rank of AIR 1.
Lessons Learned and Exam Preparation Tips
This experience taught me the importance of thorough preparation, early detection of health issues, and the significance of a calm and systematic approach during the exam. It reinforces the advice to thoroughly review and understand NCERT books, as well as to manage time effectively within each section.
By following these tips, you can also improve your chances of success in the JEE Mains and other competitive exams.