IITs mulling cut in exam syllabus, change of JEE Advanced format

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are considering reduction of the exam syllabus for the JEE Advanced and changing the entrance exam format for the upcoming test.

This is one of the many proposals that might be discussed at the review meeting of the Joint Admission’s Board (JAB). The meeting is slated to be held next week and the final decision on the exam syllabus will be taken after the meeting.

IIT-Delhi is planning to conduct the JEE Advanced this year. V Ramagopal Rao said to The Indian Express, “The proposal on the format of exam, syllabus, social distancing norms are up for discussion in the review meeting next week. The decisions will be taken after JAB’s nod and would be for the JEE Advanced 2020.”

IITs are also planning to do away with the board exam requirement for the entrance exam this year, since several boards including the CBSE and CISCE have decided not to go ahead with pending board exams and have prepared their own assessment methods.

According to the usual norms for entrance to the IITs, it is mandatory for a candidate to have at least 75 per cent marks in board exams or be in the top 20 percentile of the Class 12 exams.

After the CBSE decided to cut their syllabus by 30 per cent, it is being speculated that this might have a ripple effect on NEET and JEE — entrance exams for medical and engineering, respectively. The entrance exams base their syllabus on CBSE Class 11 and 12 formats.

However, several coaching institutes told The Indian Express that even in normal circumstances, students have to refer to extra study material beyond the prescribed CBSE syllabus for JEE Main and NEET, and the syllabus reduction might not be effective unless the exam pattern is also changed.

If JEE Advanced lessens its syllabus, it is expected that JEE Main too may do the same. It is also possible that the January 2021 attempt for JEE Mains may get postponed if schools do not re-open on time.

An official confirmation on this is awaited from the National Testing Agency (NTA) – the exam conducting body.