According to my thinking,the decision to appear for JEE must be taken and preparation started right from the day, the X class examinations are over. The attitude must be to remember the materials learned in the X class. A revision of the X material after the examination will lay the firm foundation for JEE preparation.
May 2008 to December 2008 must be used to complete the entire syllabus of 11th class. Read the lessons in your XI class text and simultaneously read the material in JEE level texts that you buy. Approximately 3 lessons of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (one each) must be completed every 10 days. That way you can read 9 lessons a month. In eight months you can complete 72 lessons. As the books are written you may not have 24 chapters in every subject. But the chapters are very big and you can practically treat them as two chapters.
That will give you time to revise you XI material during January-April 2008. Will give you good amount of time to concentrate on Board examianations and other subjects in the course.
I have seen the coaching institutes giving an IIT examination every alternate Sunday. They are giving it for six hours right in the first year itself. I recommend a three hour examination every two weeks with cumulative syllabus in the first year. Every alternate week, a one and half examination could be there in one lesson each of Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. Prepare and write the examination conducted by your coaching institute enthusiastically. Your positive attitude right from the day one will help you immensely. Cooperate with your teachers. They know about the material and examination pattern a lot.
Even people who are taking postal coaching should follow this pattern. They should request their parents to organize the test for them every week. By requesting parents, one will put a monitor to himself to adhere to a time table.
How many one has to study: A general prescription is 10 hours a day. One can make an individual judgement with the overall constraint that you have to reach a level of having the ability to write an examination in the material that you have studied. You have to study 9 lessons every month. You divide the time in the ratio of 2:1 for CMP and other subjects.
Preparing a revision notes as you study is important because that will reduce the time spent by you in earlier lessons.
What are the recommended books?
I liked H C Verma for Physics
Dr. Jauhar, NCERT for Chemistry
For Mathematics, R D Sharma is good.
