The aspiration of belonging to IIT (Indian Institutes of Technology) is an integral part of lakhs engineering dreams of lakhs of students in India. JEE Advanced is quite possibly the most competitive exam in the country, making students often ask the question: “Can i crack IIT with physics and mathematics?” This question comes about as students find chemistry unpleasant to learn or boring, and so rather than doing chemistry, they would rather exploit their strengths.
Let’but alsoreak this down methodically and answer not only if it is possible but whether it is likely and if yes, the how-to approach.
Understanding the Structure of JEE Advanced
In order to know if you can clear JEE Advanced, with two subjects only, you first need to understand the exam pattern:
- JEE Advanced requires Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
- There are two papers each being 3 hours long.
- Both papers have all three compulsory subjects.
- JEE Advanced marking can differ a little bit from year to year, even so the three subjects contribute equally to the overall score.
In short, if you decided you would score full marks in Physics and Maths but did poorly or did not do Chemistry many mark will reflect that decision in your total.
Why Students Consider Skipping Chemistry
Before we go any further with the pro/con of skipping Chemistry, let’s examine what brought about the thought in the first place:
1. Stronger Interest in PCM without C
Some students are passionately into Physics and Maths but are unable to connect with Chemistry – especially Organic Chemistry.
2. Perception That Chemistry Is Memory-Based
Chemistry has a reputation as being more about memorization instead of basic concepts (mainly Inorganic Chemistry). This is in opposition to students love for Physics and Maths due to its logical and concept-based focus.
3. Limited Time for Preparation
There are students who end up arriving very late to prepare for JEE, and are overweighted with school, leading them to make the decision to focus on the two subjects they feel most confident about preparing for.
These are reasonable beliefs. Let’s now look to asses if this logic will hold up in actuality in the JEE exam.
The Short Answer : No, You Can’t Skip Chemistry Entirely
There is no way you can ignore Chemistry if your goal is to clear JEE Advance and obtain admission into an IIT. Why?
1. Chemistry Holds Equal Weightage
Each subject provides around 120 marks, out of an accumulated total of 360 (depending on the pattern for that year). That’s it – about 33% of your paper. Ignoring Chemistry altogether is doing a three-legged race where one leg is tied.
2. Cutoffs Include Chemistry
To even qualify to enter the rank list, you are going to have to meet minimum subject-wise cutoffs – if you score zero marks in Chemistry, you will be disqualified even if your marks in Physics and Maths were excellent.
3. Chemistry Can Be a Rank Booster
Ironically to this, for many of the toppers, Chemistry is what saves time and gets marks. It can get to a point that it becomes the fastest scoring subject with the right planning, because of the facts and predictability of questions.
What If You’re Weak in Chemistry But Strong in Physics & Maths?
This is a much more realistic context and is also one I can help you with, so let’s address this in parts:
1. You Don’t Need to Master All of Chemistry
You don’t need to have a love of Chemistry, just need to be strategic about Chemistry.
Focus on High-Yield Topics:
- Inorganic Chemistry: NCERT-based questions; P-block, coordination compounds;
- Physical Chemistry: Basic concepts mole, stoichiometry, thermodynamics, equilibrium;
- Organic Chemistry: reaction mechanisms, named reactions, General Organic Chemistry (GOC).
A basic understanding of these can get you 50-60 marks. This could mean the difference between selection and rejection.
2. Practice Smart Time Management
Since you are strong in Physics and Maths, aim for maximum scores in them and then minimum cutoffs in Chemistry.
The weighting of your marks can look as follow:
- Physics: 80+
- Mathematics: 80+
- Chemistry: 40+ (just enough to clear cutoff and help total marks)
3. Use Chemistry as a Time Buffer
Chemistry often has direct questions based on formula facts, or from NCERT lines. Especially in Inorganic, and Organic when you read the NCERT. These questions are likely to take you the least time to answer and provide you with a buffer so you have enough time to attempt the longer Physics or Maths questions.
If you utilize your Chemistry in this way you will more likely complete your papers, and lessen your on-the-day test anxiety.
4. Choose Resources Wisely
You will not need to do all the work, just the correct work.
For Quick Chemistry Prep:
- Inorganic: NCERT + N Awasthi (for problems)
- Organic: Himanshu Pandey + NCERT
- Physical: N Awasthi + past year JEE questions
- Mock Tests: Look only at the previous years Chemistry sections – to get and feel the trend.
5. Don’t Ignore Chemistry in Mock Tests
There are a lot of students who attempt Physics and Math in mock tests, but overlook Chemistry. This gives you a false sense of preparation. You must attempt full mocks to condition your brain and your stamina, even if you are going to score less in Chemistry.
Why Chemistry Might Actually Be Your Secret Weapon
Still undecided about Chemistry?
Here’s a twist: in practical terms, Chemistry is usually the easiest paper to score well in, if you know how to prepare for it. Physics has lengthy numericals and requires deeper reasoning, similarly Mathematics has lengthy numericals that require serious thinking, while Chemistry is directly a matter of asking yourself good factual questions that often sound repetitive.
Mastering Chemistry can help:
- Dramatically increase your overall rank.
- Build up confidence in the exam (quick questions = quick wins).
- Add a bit of weight if Physics or Maths slips out from underneath you.
Let’s Talk Realistically—What Do Toppers Say?
Most former IIT-JEE toppers confessed that Chemistry helped them save time and get higher scores.
- Most former IIT-JEE toppers confessed that Chemistry helped them save time and get higher scores.
- Many toppers said that they didn’t always enjoy Chemistry, but respected it as a subject.
- Chemistry is not a luxury you can afford to give-up in JEE Advanced.
A Better Approach: Strategic Balance
Here is a better strategy than “ignore Chemistry”:
- Master the physics and mathematics for rank improvement.
- Coverage of chemistry with strategic purpose, for qualification and rank stability.
This is like not betting everything on two legs of a three-legged stool.
About Origin Educare
At Origin Educare, we believe each student has their own set of strengths—and perhaps Chemistry isn’t one of them. This is exactly why we provide tailored mentorship and customized study plans for students to hone their innate abilities.
Our team of IITians and experienced mentors guide you to:
- Identify underdeveloped areas (primarily in Chemistry).
- Create subject-specific methods to improve scores.
- Remain focused and confident through highly structured revision plans and practice tests.
Whether you are in Class 11, 12, or are taking a drop year, Origin Educare is an extra co-pilot on your IIT journey to help you make prudent decisions.
Conclusion
We understand the desire to crack IIT by managing only Physics and Math by avoiding Chemistry altogether—especially when Chemistry appears to be a uphill battle! Unfortunately, you will need all three subjects to achieve success in JEE Advanced.
The answer is not to avoid Chemistry entirely but to manage Chemistry strategically. It is possible to achieve an impressive result with average Chemistry preparation if your approach is meaningful and focused.
We repeat: Cracking IIT is not simply brilliance in one or two subjects, and it takes balance in strategy and smart decisions to get there.
With the right mentorship—like Origin Educare—you will be on your way to leveraging your strengths and maximize your potential.
No, you have to have minimum subject-wise cutoffs in all three subjects in order to be eligible for the JEE Advanced ranking.
Yes, it is of equal weightage and can actually become a scoring subject if you study smartly.
Focus on NCERT for Inorganic, important mechanisms for Organic, and formulas for Physical Chemistry. Then, focus on PYQs and mock tests only.
Yes, but if your Physics and Math are extraordinarily good; you will need to cover the Chemistry cutoff.
You should target at least 40–50 marks so that it clears cutoff and makes a decent contribution to your total score.
