Coaching for JEE Entrance Exam: Is It Necessary?

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The JEE Entrance exam is one of the toughest exams in India, which is used as the basis for the top engineering colleges in the country.

There are 2 versions of JEE – the JEE Mains and the JEE Advanced.

JEE Mains: This is the first level entrance exam, which is the criterion for admission to the following colleges:

In addition to the above, there are many private universities, which also accept the JEE Mains score, even if they have their own entrance exam. Amrita University is one such university which admits students based on JEE score.

Over 10 Lakh (1 million students) appear for the JEE Mains exam every year.

JEE Advanced: This is the next level entrance exam, which is the criterion for admission to the prestigious 23 IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology). There are about 15,000 seats in all the IITs and Only the top 2 Lakh (200,000) students qualifying in the JEE Mains exam are eligible to appear for the JEE Advanced exam.

The Rise of Coaching Classes

The 1990s gave rise to the engineering craze among students. The growth of the IT industry opened up a huge number of high paying job opportunities for engineering graduates and in particular the Computer Science engineers.

The demand for engineering degrees grew and new IITs and NITs were established. But the supply couldn’t keep pace with the demand and the competition for these engineering seats became intense.

The JEE Mains and Advanced became more and more tough, as the number of seats were limited and there had to be a filtering criteria.

This led to the rise of the coaching class industry – private institutions conducting classes in parallel to the regular school, but focusing on entrance exams.

The premise was simple – schools do not provide the necessary skills to solve the problems given in the entrance exams, therefore additional coaching is required to crack the entrance exams.

The entrance exam industry is set to grow by 9 billion USD by 2026. Some of them charge around ₹ 5 Lakh for a 2 year integrated program, which includes 11th and 12th grade regular classes as well. This is actually more than the fee charged by some of the NITs for the engineering program!

Once the entrance exam results are announced, the toppers’ names and photographs are advertised in leading newspapers with more than one coaching class claiming credit for the same student’s success, in some cases. While this is a grey area, best left for a discussion another day, let’s try to answer the question – do you/does your child need coaching for entrance exams?

Are Coaching Classes necessary to qualify in JEE?

To be honest, there’s no perfect answer. Let me explain…

No two students are alike. There are many categories of students.

#1. The brilliant, hardworking students with an interest in engineering

These students show their aptitude for mathematics, physics and chemistry right from 8th and 9th standard. They don’t require to be pushed to study. They find the subjects interesting and study without any pressure from parents. They are very clear about what they want to do in college. Such students are pretty rare and honestly, they will manage the entrance exams on their own, even if they don’t attend coaching classes.

Some of them may just need a bit of practice, for which it is possible to subscribe to any test series available in the market. These students have their goal clear, so it’s best for parents to give them what they ask for and nothing more.

#2. The bright, not-so-hardworking students, interested in engineering

These students are intelligent and are interested in engineering, but lack the dedication needed to prepare for the exams. They are prone to distractions, which shows in their inconsistent academic performance in school.

Give them a physics project in school and they are the first to complete it. Ask them to write a 30 marks exam on electromagnetism, and they are bored. In fact, these students can go on to become the best engineers in the country, but the rigor of entrance exams puts them off and some of them choose alternate careers, just to avoid it.

These are the students who may need a bit of push, and competition to be motivated to prepare for the entrance exams. They are the ones who may benefit from coaching classes. I would still say ‘may’ because again, each student is different and some of them may not enjoy the ultra-competitive corporate coaching classes.

The student may choose a coaching class/ private tutor/online learning platforms based on their comfort level. It is very important for parents to not push their children into a routine that drains them out.

#3. The bright students who are not interested in engineering

There is a misconception among Indian parents that anyone who is bright and tops the class has to become an engineer or a doctor. This can’t be farther from the truth.

Many students excel in school, but they simply don’t want to become an engineer. There are many other career paths that they may want to take – CA, Law, Business, anything under the sun.

These students should never be pushed to do engineering, forget about coaching classes. Most students are pretty clear about what subjects they want to study after their 10th grade, so it’s best to let them choose.

#4. Students who are not interested in academics

We have another category of students, who are not academically oriented. They are unfairly labelled as ‘dull’ in school. I believe that every student has a hidden talent which may lie outside the traditional educational system in India. It could be painting, sport or music. Even these students shouldn’t be pushed to do engineering, just because it is considered a highly paying career.

Final Words

Coaching classes can help gain the extra edge in entrance exams. However, they are not for everyone. Some students don’t mind the extended hours of study, but some resent it.

While the system of holding ultra-competitive entrance exams can be debated, we must accept the present system for the time being. Whether we like it or not, the present generation of students have to go through the grind.

Whether the student wants to attend coaching classes or not – they must be allowed to make the choice. They shouldn’t be forced into a 16 hour study routine with no time to unwind and have some ‘me’ time. Choose a coaching class with the right balance.