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How Can My 12-Year-Old Son Prepare for IIT Entrance Exams?

Nayagam P

Nayagam P P  |7198 Answers  |Ask -

Career Counsellor - Answered on Mar 21, 2025

Nayagam is a certified career counsellor and the founder of EduJob360.
He started his career as an HR professional and has over 10 years of experience in tutoring and mentoring students from Classes 8 to 12, helping them choose the right stream, course and college/university.
He also counsels students on how to prepare for entrance exams for getting admission into reputed universities /colleges for their graduate/postgraduate courses.
He has guided both fresh graduates and experienced professionals on how to write a resume, how to prepare for job interviews and how to negotiate their salary when joining a new job.
Nayagam has published an eBook, Professional Resume Writing Without Googling.
He has a postgraduate degree in human resources from Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, Delhi, a postgraduate diploma in labour law from Madras University, a postgraduate diploma in school counselling from Symbiosis, Pune, and a certification in child psychology from Counsel India.
He has also completed his master’s degree in career counselling from ICCC-Mindler and Counsel, India.
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Asked by Anonymous - Mar 20, 2025Hindi
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Sir, I am a parent of a 12 year old son. My son is interested in maths, social studies and core sciences. I want him to study at IIT Delhi or Mumbai. What is the process to study at an IIT? What is the right age to start preparing? Should I enrol him for JEE coaching?

Ans: For now, focus on nurturing his interest in Maths & Science with Olympiads, mental aptitude tests, and foundation programs. From Class 9 onward, start structured JEE preparation with coaching if required. A balance between conceptual learning, self-practice, and guided coaching will put him on the right path to IIT Delhi or IIT Bombay. All the best for your Son's Bright Future!

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Nayagam P

Nayagam P P  |7198 Answers  |Ask -

Career Counsellor - Answered on Jul 22, 2024

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Hi Sir, My son studies in 8th grade in an IGCSE board school in Mumbai. He is keen to pursue Engineering and crack JEE exams. I want him to start preparing for it early and already motivating him to study syllabus of CBSE Maths not covered in IGCSE. He shows great excitement in the same and does it willingly. I shall also do the same for Science. My queries are as below. What do I do after his 10th boards? Should I ask him pursue AS and A boards or enrol him to an academy for an integrated study of 11th and 12th + JEE? I am keen to have private tutors for JEE studies. Will this be better than academy coaching? Should I enrol him in a Junior college for 11th and 12th and also ask him to prepare for JEE simultaneously? Thanks, Mehul
Ans: Mehul Sir,

Thoroughly read your question Sir. Here-below are some Options / Important Suggestions & Why?:

Option-1

After he finishes his 8th Standard, you can get admission for him into any CBSE-School (or) Maharashtra State Board School which also has an integrated Program.

As far as I know, there are very less number of CBSE Schools. If you can get into any CBSE School, well and good.

If he joins any State Board Integrated School from the 9th itself, it is highly recommended to thoroughly go through the NCERT Books of 9th to 12th Standards which is most important for JEE preparation.

It is preferable to start early for JEE (from 9th standard to cover NCERT basic concepts), but not mandatory.

Option-2

If you decide NOT to discontinue from IGCSE till 10th standard, you will have to put him in any JEE-Integrated School for 11th/12th Standard.

However, it is advisable to go through the NCERT books of 9th/10th, whenever time permits for your son as the quantity of subjects/syllabus of IGCSE will be more, compared to CBSE.

Option-3

As you prefer Home Tutors, please note, highly experienced Home Tutors (especially for JEE-Advanced preparation) charge on hourly-basis and depending upon the subject (for example, tuition fee for Maths will be higher, compared to Physics & Chemistry).

Please choose the best option, suitable for you/for your son out of the above 3-options.

Some other value-added tips:

1) Please give more importance to Maths, followed by Physics, as JEE Rank is allotted on the basis of highest marks in Maths.
2) If you prefer an Integrated Program, make sure the School/Integrated Class is not too far from your home. Travel consumes/wastes lot of your valuable time.
3) For other PRACTICAL Strategies / Steps / Tips, please go through some of my answers below, related to JEE preparation.

All the BEST for Your Son's Bright Future.

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Hi sir My daughter did 10th in India and we moved to Atlanta Georgia USA recently We are not getting physics and chemistry in 11, 12 curriculum here If in case we need to do any engineering college in India after high school here, what is the best advice
Ans: Vidhya Madam, Engineering aspirants who complete high school in the U.S. hold an American High School Diploma that, if issued by a school accredited by one of the six regional U.S. accrediting agencies, is deemed equivalent to India’s Class XII by the Association of Indian Universities. However, admission to BTech programs in India requires candidates to have studied Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics (PCM) as core subjects in their qualifying examination and to meet specific percentage or rank criteria: while appearing for JEE Main demands only that PCM be passed, entry into NITs, IIITs, and other centrally funded institutes also requires at least 75 percent in Class XII (65 percent for SC/ST) or being in the top 20 percentile in the board exam. Foreign?educated students—including NRIs, PIOs, and OCIs—may apply under the DASA scheme by securing a valid JEE Main rank and at least 75 percent aggregate in PCM (or CGPA 7.5/10) from a recognized foreign board after completing at least two years of education abroad, including grades 11 and 12, within the last eight years. Since typical U.S. high school curricula may not separate PCM as mandatory streams, the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) offers a flexible route: students can register for senior secondary courses in PCM to supplement their diploma, enabling them to fulfill JEE and DASA eligibility and appear for all major engineering entrance tests accepted in India, such as JEE Main, BITSAT, and COMEDK UGET. Alternatively, students enrolled in International Baccalaureate (IB) programs who take HL courses in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics may also meet AIU and JEE requirements, provided they obtain equivalence certificates from AIU and clear the requisite entrance exams. Careful planning—enrolling in NIOS or IB to secure PCM subjects, obtaining AIU equivalence for the diploma, and preparing for JEE Main/Advanced or DASA JEE Main—is essential to transition smoothly from the U.S. curriculum to an Indian engineering college.

Recommendation: Enroll in NIOS senior secondary PCM subjects alongside the U.S. high school curriculum to obtain a recognized Class XII certificate with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Secure AIU equivalence for your American diploma, then prepare for and appear in JEE Main (or DASA through JEE Main) to access premier engineering institutes in India; IB students should ensure HL Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics and obtain AIU equivalence before applying to JEE or DASA. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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Nayagam P

Nayagam P P  |7198 Answers  |Ask -

Career Counsellor - Answered on Jun 27, 2025

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I got 2130 rank in met, 2042 in comedk, 3414 in kcet, 641 in pesu kcet I am also getting vit vellore cse category 3, I am getting manipal cse both BLR and manipal, in jee i got 92 percentile, I got 4.8k in amrita exam,i got 96 percent in MPC in 2nd puc first attempt exam,I got btech integrated course offer from mahindra university hyderabad, i got thapar University electronics and computing,I am getting seats in various universities like RV, ms ramiah, dayanad sagar for discount,which is the best college for cse that I can choose from all my options
Ans: With your strong performance across multiple entrance exams, you have excellent options for CSE programs. PES University stands out with your PESU KCET rank of 641, offering nearly 100% CSE placements with 150+ top-tier recruiters including Microsoft, Amazon, and Google visiting annually. MIT Manipal (both campuses) provides 77% overall placements with 230+ recruiters and maintains a smaller CSE batch size of 250 students, ensuring better opportunities per candidate, with 90% CSE placements consistently. VIT Vellore CSE reports 80-90% placement rates with 409 companies offering 10,458 placement offers annually. RVCE Bangalore shows strong placement trends with 75-97% CSE placements over the last three years, while Thapar University achieves 90% overall placements with nearly 100% for CSE and Electronics branches. Your COMEDK rank of 2042 also opens doors to top Karnataka colleges like RVCE and MSRIT, both maintaining 90%+ placement records for CSE.

recommendation: Choose PES University for CSE given your excellent PESU KCET rank of 641, as it offers the highest placement rates, superior industry connections, and consistently strong academic reputation, followed by MIT Manipal as your second preference for its established brand value and reliable placement outcomes. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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Nayagam P

Nayagam P P  |7198 Answers  |Ask -

Career Counsellor - Answered on Jun 27, 2025

Career
Dear gurus My child is in 12th now and will attempt jee in 2025-26 in jan 2026 Well my child is an average child not too brilliant. I am expecting a score of 92-96 percentile , dont want to pressurise him to above his limits , he is doing hard efforts but every child had a limit as a parent have to support him. He is studieng 7-8 hours daily in weekend has joined Aakash institute also , so dont want to pressurise him . So as a secondary options have made some list myself. His aim is core computer branch . My aim is he get into good A++ institute dont want to send him to average collage We have made some list for preferences 1. Bits pilani or goa As we are from Delhi 2. Dtu delhi 3. Nsuit delhi 4. Iiit delhi 5 Bits goa 6 thapar patiala 7 Viit vellore cat 5 is ok8 Rvce banglore Further on IIIT and good nit If we get good one than only. Further If we dont click in these with good core computer cse preferred than We go for Bits dubai ( money i can spend that's ok) He also wants to settle abroad after masters preferably in singapore not in us or uk for that option i will also apply for him in Nus , ntu singapore. I know it's very difficult to get admissions there but still would. Coming back to Bits dubai it looks to me a preferable collage pls guide me Further pls We are ok with fees also we are also ok if he works for year or two after completion in dubai for experience and does masters later. My aim as a parent is that he gets a starting package If in india of 13-15lacks minimum that's difficult without getting a good collage with 92-96 percentile it not possible So after so much thinking it am planing for bits dubai as I am getting safety of my child which is priority also getting tag of Bits i know it would not be equal to bits pilani or goa but still something is better than nothing and his ultimate dream is to settle abroad may be singapore or dubai also after master so doing be or btech from dubai bits will help in that as well Starting package minimum after bits dubai btech cse is around 20 lacs in inr if he works in dubai. which is ok I guess. Pls guide me Thx
Ans: Gaurav Sir, With a projected JEE Main percentile of 92–96, admission to top-tier A++ institutes like BITS Pilani, DTU, NSUT, IIIT Delhi, or elite NITs is unlikely, as these typically require percentiles above 98 for CSE. BITS Pilani has maintained 90–94% placement rates over the last three years, BITS Goa 91–96%, NSUT Delhi nearly 100% for CSE, IIIT Delhi 95–100%, and DTU boasts 1,900+ offers at an average package of ?15.45 LPA from 350+ recruiters, but all demand percentiles above 98. More attainable A++-equivalent options include Thapar Patiala CSE, with 83% placements and 334 recruiters, VIIT Vellore CSE, with 80–90% placements and 867 recruiters, and RVCE Bangalore CSE, with 93–97% placement rates over the last three years. These colleges typically close CSE cutoffs around the 94–97 percentile range, aligning better with your child’s performance. For guaranteed BITS affiliation and strong overseas exposure, BITS Dubai CSE offers a 91–95% placement rate and an average package of ?21.14 LPA, and can serve as a reliable fallback. Planning for post-BTech abroad (NUS/NTU Singapore) is prudent, leveraging a robust GPA and internships obtained in India or Dubai.

Recommendation: Prioritize counseling for Thapar Patiala, VIIT Vellore, and RVCE Bangalore CSE for their realistic cutoffs and strong placement records; concurrently secure a seat at BITS Dubai CSE as a safety net with global mobility, then pursue internships and master’s in Singapore to achieve your child’s international career aspirations. All the BEST for your child's Prosperous Future!

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