Is JEE paper different in online and paper-based mode? Which one is better?
Technology brings with itself changes that lead to comfort, and sometimes, confusion. It brings comfort to those who are prepared to take the change and go with it and it confuses the ones it catches unawares. The same goes for JEE online and offline mode examinations. While it is a matter of personal choice as to which mode of taking the test one is comfortable with, many a time, students are posed with the confusion of which test they should be taking so as to maximize their score and secure a good rank. The JEE application form is available online, wherein a student has the choice to opt for an offline test,i.e. a pen and paper test or an online test i.e., a computer-based test in which he clicks on the correct answer. Both modes of taking the test would have their own positives and negatives and we shall now delve into the details of both, one by one.
OFFLINE TEST: The offline test, as discussed above, is a pen and paper-based test which is available in both, Hindi as well as English. A bubble sheet, which is an Optical Mark Reader sheet (OMR), is provided to them for the purpose of shading the correct bubble. There are several advantages of taking the offline test, which is as follows:
- Students have been taking the offline test since the beginning so they are well versed in the mode of the test, so they are comfortable.
- It is not affected by any technical glitches like electricity failure or technicalities.
- Students can minimize the chances of noting down incorrect data for the purpose of solving problems.
- The concentration is less affected since the student is expected to be very alert while marking the answer in the OMR sheet.
- Using the pen and keyboard/mouse simultaneously is not needed.
Having discussed the advantages, there are some disadvantages of the Offline test as well and these are as under:
- The option for changing the answer is not possible as the marked bubble would not be fully erased and the computer may still read the previously marked option.
- A lot of students are unaware of the method of correctly shading answers in the OMR sheet
- Leaving a question for review is not possible.
ONLINE TEST: The online test, as discussed above, also has its own merits and demerits, and depending upon which mode a student is more comfortable with, a choice can be made. Discussed below are the pros and cons of taking an online test. The advantages of taking an online test are as follows:
- The primary advantage of taking the JEE test through the online mode is that one can change his answers as many times as one feels like since the answer sheet is filled by just a click and can be changed several times with ease.
- Since the answers are marked by just a click, a student’s time is saved since they do not have to shade the sheet.
- One has the choice to leave out answers for review.
- The chances of filling the incorrect answer to a question are eliminated to a large extent.
- Since a mock test before the final test is available, a student gets to see an official test before the main test day and students come to know what is expected of them.
- Students get an extra six days to prepare for their test.
There are also some disadvantages of taking the test online and these are discussed as under:
- Students lack the confidence of taking an online exam and may develop cold feet on the test day, leading to a bad performance.
- There are chances of technical glitches like power failure or technical errors. While the authorities try to minimize such chances, still it cannot be said confidently that there will not be any technical issues while an online test is going on.
- There is every chance that a student notes down incorrect values while attempting numerical, leading to incorrect answers.
- One has to simultaneously use a pen and paper as well as a mouse since they work on their numerical on a rough sheet.
The above discussion makes it clear that both forms of taking the JEE mains have their own pros and cons. At the end of the day, what matters most is how well the student is prepared for the test. Whichever form of taking the test they are comfortable with, they should go ahead with the same. It is also necessary for them to know that the level of difficulty for both the tests is the same. CBSE also emails the online test question paper and answer sheets to students who take the online test. Basically, whichever form of taking the test suits you, you should opt for it.
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