‘Stay flexible, yet disciplined’: Smart & effective study plan to crack JEE Main 2026

But it is not too late. If you can set a realistic goal, study purposefully, and prepare smart, you can still make a good leap ahead.

1. Look for mentors, not teachers

Behind every student who achieved a top JEE rank; there was a student who was mentored outside of books. Find help from knowledgeable teachers, who have had such experience; even better if their location is convenient to the student. The provider of the mentorship (either the teacher or coaching institute) will provide more personal attention to the student, promptly address questions, and during the last 3 months provide necessary motivation and accountability, all in a location that was conducive for a study schedule. They will guide your priorities in painstakingly focusing on the most important flagged topics in the JEE and increase your confidence (depending on their own analytics of previous student success).

2. Study smart, not long

At this juncture, no doubt you will be prioritizing selective study over trying to restudy the entire syllabus content. You want to focus primarily on the higher weightage variables and select concepts that commonly appear in past question papers. This is staring at you now, and do not spend excessive time (more than 20-30 minutes) now on these concepts or chapters that you infrequently view or ask – expending time now and studying ambitious material takes way too long. Rather, study using the past two years question papers (and recent trend analysis) that you have already trained to do so far for studying higher priority concepts that can be prioritised, along with whatever lower priority concepts (unintended).

3. Test. Analyze. Improve. Repeat

It is not enough to just take practice tests. The learning from practice tests is what matters. Long-term learning from the litmus test. After each test, allow time to return and analyse your mistakes/missed points: Why did you lose marks? Return and view those concepts again and assess your feedback loop as it was or as you will, and should help enhance and improve, along with accuracy and speed performance with a timed exam and performance, e.g., JEE.

4. Follow a rigid study schedule

Waste more attempts through poor time management than through difficult problems. Create an uncompromising daily study plan for your study hours that includes time for revision, practice problems, and test practice. Be certain to time your subject studies so that nothing is done at the last minute. Utilize short breaks to help with burnout. Even the greatest use of consistent study time will be frustrating if you have to mitigate distractions. Consistent study time is key- for example, four consistent hours of study time is always better than ten hours filled with distractions.

5. Use good study resources

At this time, it is not time to be bouncing around books too much. Choose one good source of notes that you stick with, your NCERTs, and a few good question banks. You may remember and recall much faster than your notes through some quick revision sheets as well as using chapter assignments. Quality means more than quantity now.

6. Stay flexible, yet disciplined

Make your study method whatever fits best for you – self-study, recorded lectures, or perhaps worked in a group. Right now, what matters is that you are not ‘spending’ time, but using time effectively. Avoid distractions and protect your study time.

Proper preparation and a sensible plan can make everything change in three months, if you have will and discipline. Remember it is not about how much you study for the JEE, but how effectively you have studied, having consistency, and building confidence through practice.

(The author is the founder and CEO of Shiksha Nation)