Should I Start Preparing for IIT JEE in Grade 6?

This is a persistent myth, especially among Indian, ambitious and over-enthusiastic (read protective) parents, that “the sooner the better” (शुभस्य शीघ्रम).

Certainly, this is absolutely true for some fields where the sooner is indeed the better. For example, in some competitive sports involving muscle memory, like cricket, football, etc., sooner is indeed better.

“Catch them young” is cent-percent true for certain sports and strategic games like chess, involving specific skills like pattern recognition and photographic memory.

From my observation and experience of teaching students from Grade 6th to Grade 9th for IIT JEE, there is no perceived advantage from a very early start.

My reasons are as follows (based on my experience).

1. A Grade 6th or even Grade 9th student is not very mature to understand IIT JEE concepts. He/she is just in a playful stage of the teen years, with raging hormones, lack of focus and discipline. He/she is not mature enough to understand the importance of a career and IIT JEE, nor is he/she inclined to learn all the mumbo jumbo involved in IIT JEE preparation.

2. Their physical bodies are not developed enough to study for long hours, like the five hours per day required to study for IIT JEE. JEE preparation requires long hours of practice (typically six hours per day apart from coaching and school). The reason is not that it is very tough, but that the course is too wide. They cannot/will not/should not work this hard at this playful and tender age. Their fingers are weak, so is their backbone. Hence, they can never finish the required homework for JEE classes per day.

3. Children in their early teens require multiple intelligences to be developed. At this impressionable age, they must try most available options to find any other exceptional latent skills they might have. After 11th, they may never get a chance to find their hidden talents, if any. Hence, parents must encourage their kids to find their passion in sports, music, arts, board games, etc., and develop a concrete hobby for life.

4. Two years of preparation is sufficient for IIT JEE. I recommend students enroll for coaching/tuition, etc., just after the 10th board exams. During the summer vacation, they will finish the required bridge course to fill the gap in basics between IIT JEE preparation and the board syllabus. Afterward, two years is more than enough time to clear IIT JEE with good ranks.

5. Early starters tend to forget the course learned in Grade 9th since they do a dual course. They often need revision in 11th grade. Hence, the early bird does not catch any worm in the case of test preparation. Early prep is just a marketing and business gimmick for the fat-earning coaching industry.

6. If parents are really inclined to give their kids an early start, they can give their kids some algebra books by Hall and Knight and a trigonometry book by S. L. Loney and let them find their edge. Some foundation material is also good for kids, as well as some online test series.

Hence, do not fret, parents.

Let your kids live their cherished childhood and develop themselves into an all-round personality. IIT JEE preparation will take its course in due time.

• The ideal time is just after the 10th board exams if you are planning for no regular coaching.

• Otherwise, after the Grade 11th exams if going to some regular coaching.

• Private tuition with some offline test series (weekly) is the best-of-both-worlds scenario.

  
  

Happy parenting.