Why the popular JEE exam in India makes no sense

and why people who didn’t do well in it shouldn’t be disheartened

In a middle-class Indian household, there are only a few career paths you are ‘allowed’ to choose. I remember a week ago, my sister who is thirteen was talking about how she still has no idea about what to do- which sounds pretty normal right? Not in India. My mom and dad bashed her with a 30-minute long speech on how she should be sure of a career by now so that she can join coaching classes for the same by next year. My mom went on to say that they both are pretty liberal and it’s completely her choice- to choose between medicine, engineering, law, management, and accountancy!

This is a typical Indian parent’s expectation. Owing to the large population and not enough educational resources, we have an extremely competitive and toxic culture everywhere.

Coming to the infamous JEE exam, which stands for the Joint Engineering Entrance exam, and is conducted once or twice a year, is a mere reflection of India’s poor academic system. Before you bash me out on how it’s so very difficult to crack, hear me out!

A typical JEE aspirant studies what would otherwise be college-level physics, chemistry, and maths for 8–10 hours a day. Only to want to be rewarded with Computer Science as a major of study. If you ask 10 aspirants about their dream major, 8 would answer with computer science or computer engineering. Make it make sense?! Why should someone who aspires to become a computer science engineer study physics and chemistry for 2 years( even more in some cases)?

Furthermore, the way the college and major you get are solely dependent on a 3 hours exam is just absurd. The least Indian universities can do is conduct an interview round to get to know if the applicant will be a good fit or not. But no, only if you scored more than 10,000 applicants out of the 15,00,000 ones, are you eligible to get your desired major in your desired college.

The dramatic numbers lead to two things- overhyping of the seemingly weird exam, and a feeling of worthlessness among those who failed to crack it. Because let’s be real there is a less than one percent chance of cracking it, if you do it, well and good! If not, don’t be disheartened. Every year, when it’s the time for results, all you can see in the news is 16–19-year-olds giving up on life just because they failed to be a part of that one percent.

Are there any solutions to this?

On a massive level, yes! The Institutes could adopt a wholesome application review instead of just looking at test scores. Interview rounds, resumes, and letters of recommendation could be introduced in the application process. Given the population of India, this seems like a fantasy, but under the right guidance, this can be successfully implemented.

On a personal level, honestly don’t give the exam unless you are truly passionate about the 3 subjects. This is not meant to discourage any aspirant, but just a reminder that your mental well-being is far more important than any entrance exam. There are a lot of alternatives to JEE. Several liberal arts colleges in India adopt the holistic reviewing strategy and if it’s possible to apply there, even more colleges in USA, UK, and Canada do offer the same- with better resources and opportunities.

India has to go a long way before we stop pushing young kids into mainstream career choices and just let them be. Until then, one can only hope!