Students Petition Ministry of Education for Extra Attempt in JEE Advanced; Here is What They Say

Many JEE Advanced aspirants and engineers have filed a petition for increasing the number of attempts in Joint Entrance Examination Advanced, JEE Advanced. Currently, only two attempts are allowed to qualify the exam in two consecutive years. But, the students are demanding three attempts or a 3 year window to clear the exam. 

As of now, the petition has received over 12000 signatures in support of the demand submitted to the Joint Admission Board (JAB), Ministry of Education and IIT Council. The petition asks for a fair chance for late bloomers, students who do not have adequate resources, and candidates recovering from health or personal problems. This has given way to an elaborate debate on administrative and academic reforms. Read the article below to know more on what students and petitioners are saying. 

Countering Official Arguments

After Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur Director, Prof. Manindra Agrawal said that one year after Class 12 is enough to prepare for JEE Advanced, engineering aspirants issued a rebuttal and opposed the claim. Prof. Agrawal also said that an extra attempt would lead to low qualification yield and waste time and money. 

Psychology Behind Third-Year Performance Drops

Responding to the performance drop claim in the third attempt by the IIT Director, the aspirants said that if the third attempt leads to poor performance, why is a third attempt allowed in JEE Main. The fact that 3rd attempt is allowed for JEE Main, the system considers a third year valid. 

Also, students in many other national entrance exams such as NEET and UPSC have the option of 3-4 attempts and it has been observed that they have succeeded in the later attempts. Deprived of their primary objective, candidate motivation collapses. Restoring JEE Advanced eligibility would keep preparation intensity high and let candidates perform at their true potential. 

Waste of Money vs Personal Choice

Students appearing for JEE Advanced are majorly between the age groups of 18 and 20 years and that they are fully capable of deciding whether to invest another year of effort and resources and this is completely a personal choice. So the students have rejected the claim of "protecting candidates from wasting time and family savings”. 

According to the report, “...an exam board’s concern over an adult student's personal choice cannot be used as an excuse to lock the door and deny a fair chance to thousands of deserving candidates.”

Resource Advantage in Urban Areas vs Rural Areas

When the IIT Director said that one year after Class 12 is enough for JEE Advanced preparations comes the assumption that every student appearing for the exam have equal access to resources and coaching centres which can help them prepare for the exam. Students in tier 1 cities begin preparation from Class 9, 10 or 11 and often have access to high speed internet, good books and other study materials. But, according to a survey by MoSPI and NSSO, only 18% of candidates have access to a laptop or desktop in rural areas. For millions of students studying in government schools, rural areas, smaller towns, and regional state boards, there is almost zero early awareness about what JEE Advanced actually demands. 

A rigid two-attempt cap penalizes late-blooming talent while rewarding early financial privilege.

Authorities Skeptical About JEE Advanced 3rd Attempt

Authorities are skeptical of allowing a 3rd attempt for JEE Advanced due to various reasons. One of the major reasons being the past data which suggests that only a small percentage of students succeed on their third attempt. Prof. Agrawal said that an additional attempt would force students into prolonged preparations and a good amount of money and time will be wasted without guaranteeing success. Simply put, more attempts would mean increased financial pressure.