IITs may reduce JEE syllabus and change exam format for JEE Advanced 2020

Considering the havoc created by Covid-19 on the academic calendar and education in general, the IITs are thinking of reducing the JEE syllabus and changing the exam format for JEE Advanced 2020 which is scheduled to be held on September 27, 2020.

This decision will be discussed and finalized at the Joint Admission’s Board (JAB) review meeting to be held next week.

IIT Delhi is conducting JEE Advanced 2020 and Director V Ramagopal Rao told Indian Express that a proposal to change the JEE Advanced 2020 exam format and reduce the syllabus would be discussed at the JAB review meeting.

IITs could remove board exam marks criteria for JEE

Since so many board exams were cancelled in favour of alternative assessments including CBSE and ICSE exams, the IITs are also thinking of removing the board exam marks criteria for the IIT entrance exams or JEE.

The rules state that candidates appearing for JEE need to have scored at least 75 per cent in their board exams or should be in the top 20 percentile of the class 12 exams.

JEE syllabus based on CBSE syllabus: A point of concern

Since CBSE reduced its syllabus by 30% for classes 9 to 12 for the academic year 2020-21, a point of concern arose regarding NEET and JEE since both the entrance exams base their syllabus on the CBSE syllabus of classes 11 and 12.

However, students generally have to study material beyond their CBSE syllabus to go well in JEE and NEET in usual circumstances.

As per what a few coaching centres told Indian Express, the syllabus reduction would be helpful only if the JEE exam pattern changed as well.

If the JEE Advanced 2020 syllabus is reduced, then the JEE Main exam syllabus would likely be reduced as well. JEE Main 2020 is scheduled to be held between September 1 and 6, 2020.

Also, the National Testing Agency is yet to give any official notification about the first JEE exam for 2021 the January JEE Main 2021. This exam might be postponed if the schools do not reopen after August as planned.