Engineering aspirants took the Joint Entrance Examination - Main (JEE Main 2024), which included a wide range of challenges on January 29. The BE, BTech paper 1 was given out by the National Testing Agency (NTA) from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The impression among students that JEE Main 2024 Paper 1 was relatively simple was consoling, particularly when contrasted with the paper from January 27 and the exam from the previous year.
The exam structure distributed multiple-choice and numerical problems evenly among physics, chemistry, and mathematics. In order to get a possible three hundred marks, students had three hours to negotiate the academic terrain consisting of ninety questions.
Difficulty Level Breakdown: Expert Insights
Experts delving into the JEE Main 2024 January 29 exam provided valuable insights into the difficulty levels of various sections.
Vinay Kumar, MD and CEO of Rao IIT, analysed the paper, stating, "Overall, the paper was on the difficult side. Mathematics presented a lengthy and challenging section, creating a time crunch for students. Chemistry predominantly featured organic and inorganic questions at a moderate level. Physics, on the other hand, was deemed a reasonable section. Overall, the marks are anticipated to decrease in comparison to last year."
Harshita Singh, Founder of Exam Hyphen, provided insights into specific subjects, stating, "Physics and Chemistry were on the very easy side. Physics had a significant portion, with 15-17 questions based on direct formulas, while the remaining questions tested calculations and analytical thinking. In chemistry, 13-15 questions were direct, focusing on concepts and memory. The remaining questions involved lengthy calculations, mechanisms, and thinking, with an emphasis on more questions in chemistry than in organics. Inorganic questions were comparatively easy and straightforward."
Sankalp Jauhari, founder of JEESankalp, discussed the mathematics section, noting, "Mathematics was at a moderate level, harder than previous shifts. Notably, two questions were asked from the reduced syllabus, specifically from the topics of metallurgy and oscillations in AC. Overall, the shift presented a moderate-level examination."
These varied opinions from experts underscore the diverse experiences of students in facing the challenges of the JEE Main 2024 Shift 1 exam. The unfolding results will provide an interesting comparison of these insights with the actual performance of the candidates.
Student Perspectives
Kartik Ashok, a student from Rao Junior College of Science, Juhu, shared his perspective, describing the exam as ranging from easy to moderate difficulty. He noted, "Physics was primarily formula-based, falling into the easy to moderate category. Chemistry, surprisingly, was easier than thought, with the same questions directly from textbooks and notes. The organic and inorganic sections were more prominent, with physical chemistry having fewer questions, though they were not overly complex. Mathematics maintained its usual lengthy nature, combining chapters into single questions. Calculus questions proved to be particularly lengthy, while algebra questions were moderately easy but time-consuming. For me personally, math was not so good today."
Another student from Mumbai attempting the JEE exam for the first time found the paper to be of moderate overall difficulty. Chemistry seemed easier, resembling NCERT content, while mathematics posed a greater challenge, consuming a significant portion of the time. Physics fell in between, neither easy nor hard but moderate in difficulty.
Pratik Nawale from Nashik, sharing his first attempt experience, emphasised the role of online resources in his preparation. He noted, "Physics numericals and some questions of math hampered me the most. The paper was on the moderate side. Physics had easy - moderate level questions,but there was a lot of scope for silly mistakes in them. The physics numericals were actually tough. Chemistry was very easy, and the questions were straight from my notes, with nothing special about any question. Half of the math questions were doable, and the other half were very tricky and lengthy. Overall,the paper was moderate."
Sharing the same sentiments, Kaushik Mohanta, a class 12 student from ISC School, Odisha, found chemistry and physics notable easy. Whereas, mathematics was a tough challenge, with some questions resembling previous years' patterns and varying in difficulty and length. “The overall paper I would consider moderate due to the balanced difficulty levels in physics, chemistry, and the more time-consuming math section."
