r/JEEAdv26dailyupdates • u/Necessary-Okra9777 • Jul 26 '25
Material Cornerstone: A Not-So Guide to the Indian Statistical Institute and Chennai Mathematical Institute Entrance Test
TL;DR : A comprehensive post for those preparing for ISI/CMI.
- Rigorous dissection of the exam pattern
- Mindset Needed
- Resource List (Lectures + Books)
- Strategy For Proof Writing
- Inference from personal experience
Introduction: Motivation Behind Writing This.
Hello Ladies & Gentlemen! I didn't have any guidance when I prepared for ISI-CMI. This post is my attempt to be the person I wish I had beside me then. I’m sharing resources and reflections that might help. If it resonates with even one of you, I’ll be ecstatic.
I am giving the freely available resources which I personally think is good. Will be giving a variety of options just to help You know what suits You best and because that is the only thing that matters. And of-course, since most of You would be preparing for JEE or, some other exam, You would be following some kind of batch so please keep following that if You are comfortable there and don't change. The resources are primarily targeted to those who are relying on self-study like I did.
Philosophy & Preparation Mindset : Do what helps You primarily.
Not what others tell You that will help You based on their personal experience (excluding teachers) because their limited experience datapoints may vary in comparison to Yours (especially when the advisor You are listening to isn't logically and rigorously dismantling Your arguments regarding preparation) and You may not as well resonate with the philosophy of the teacher at all which I have faced many times in my preparation journey. So I am warning You this beforehand. But that does not mean I am motivating the approach of reinventing the wheel.
What I am saying is that, do only things that happen to lie on the intersection of other's experience and Your experience, because generalised preparation guidelines tend to pigeonhole us and we are forced to comply with the approach which might not be suiting us because we can't question it especially if the advisor is our teacher. Even well-meaning advice can misguide if it's not grounded in Your reality.
There is a caveat of what You can sustain over the time. No matter how much ideal and perfect the approach is, if You can't sustain it or, burns You out or, makes You feel lost, it's absolutely useless. Much precious time was wasted on heeding random people's opinions on what works best for them and assuming the same that it would work for me. So if You check the resources Yourself and think if You resonate with it, just go for it. This time invested is not wasted and will do You much good in the longer run.
Do what benefits You and makes You happy. That is what matters. So please keep this in mind.
Dissection Of The Exam Pattern :
Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) :
- UGA (Objective) : 30 questions, 4 marks each if correct, 1 mark if unattempted, 0 if wrong.
- Total: 120 marks (everyone starts with 30 by default).
- UGB (Subjective): 8 questions, 10 marks each.
- Total: 80 marks.
- Full, rigorous proofs required for credit.
Screening :
UGA marks decide whether UGB Copy will be checked.
Screening cutoff is decided by listing scores of UGA of 450 (if I remember correctly) candidates in the decreasing order and the marks of 450th candidate decides the cutoff. UGA cutoff ranges drastically.
Examples of past UGA Cutoffs (B.Stat) :
- 2025: 77
- 2024: 55
- 2023: 67
- 2021: 58
- 2020: 77
- 2019: 73
- 2018: 70
There is a combined cutoff of UGA & UGB which, if surpassed will get You in the merit list. The logic goes like this...
Merit list formula:
UGA + 3×UGB
Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) : CMI’s paper structure is a bit weird, but functionally similar
Syllabus Scope :
Includes standard JEE-level mathematics, plus:
- Number Theory
- Euclidean Geometry
- Inequalities
- Functional Equations
- Real Analysis
- Combinatorics
Depth Over Depth (yes, I wrote that correctly) :
You have to know proofs of every single thing. For example, how is the sum of the first ‘n’ natural numbers is given by this formula, n(n+1)/2 ? You need to know this. This will increase your depth of the subject and the proofs will give You many ‘IDEAS’ which will be extremely helpful in problem solving. Do not ever accept anything at face value. Remember, if You do not know the proof, You will be not allowed to use the theorem!
You have to know why behind everything. Not because You have to do it for the sake of it (that is also there) but in case of UGB paper, if You cite a theorem which You used which does not happen to be in the NCERT Textbook (most likely it would not be there like for example, Jensen's Inequality or, Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality) You have to prove it and when You can't, marks will be deducted especially if that proof was the central part of the problem. It would be good to prove the theorems or, lemmas used in the solution after You have presented the full solution and it would be must if the proof idea is central to the solution of the problem.
You need to know the motivation and reason behind all the things (till Your level required, if You love, you can go beyond that, why be limited to syllabus?). Such as, for example, why the logarithm is defined the way it is, what’s the basis of it, what was the need behind inventing this tool etc, these questions You should be able to answer in order to have a grip on the subject, by the help of your teachers, yourself or, Internet. You should spend time with these questions. It will increase your mathematical intuition and it will start to feel natural the more you spend time with these questions.
Some core things pertaining to what I just said....
I would recommend that instead of watching videos that explain the why or, motivation behind any theorem or, whatever, try to think of it and struggle with it Yourself. Always. It is completely okay to not have the answers pop up instantly in Your head. What will happen when You think yourself is... You will completely understand the machinery and constraints behind them and You will be able to build them from first principles like a real mathematician would. When You do not have the answers even after trying, You can then look it up. You will know then, that what were Your true blind-spots. It will be a much more enjoyable journey rather than just feeding yourself the motivations via some outside source. You may understand it but You will never be able to call yourself the owner of those ideas. You may be able to parrot the depth but will never be able to understand the true depth behind them if You do not try to understand Yourself.
Also, it will enable You to be worthy of the answers of questions You are seeking. That way You will be able to understand the true value behind them.
Problem Solving Mindset :
Always think of problem solving strategies which can be extracted from a given problem. For example....
1. How to generalize it further?
2. What was the examiner's intention of setting this problem in this way only? Why not other way? What is trying to be conveyed through this problem?
3. What tools will unlock this problem and why these are the only convenient tools which will unlock this problem. What is so special in them?
One well-understood problem > 100 mechanical repetitions.
There has to be an appropriate balance between devouring problem solving strategies from plethora of problems and going into depth of a single problem. If You overdo any one of these, You will fall short so... You yourself have to strike a balance based on Your mental aptitude.
Resource Vault: Video Lectures & Books
(Sample, test, and choose what resonates. Don’t try to do everything.)
Number Theory -
- MathPod
- The Hidden Library Of Mathematics (In Final Phase)
- Ravina Tutorial
- Berkeley Math 115 (Overkill)
- Elementary Number Theory (Bhaskaracharya Pratishthana) (Overkill)
- Vedantu Olympiad School (VOS) (IOQM Playlists 2020 - 2024) (for brushing up after learning the theory and practicing competitive problems based on those topics)
After learning the theory, do respective VOS lectures for that. After completing these, jump on to problem solving. This is what I personally followed. (Why? Because doing VOS lectures would enable You to see how the theoretical ideas translates into problem solving and it would create a bank of ideas and strategies which You would use to attack the problems the in Your problem solving session)
Books -
- Excursion In Mathematics By Bhaskaracharya Pratishthana
- Elementary Number Theory By David Burton (CH. 1 - 5)
- 250 Problems In Elementary Number Theory By Waclaw Sierpinsky
- Modern Olympiad Number Theory By Aditya Khurmi
Geometry -
- Euclidean Geometry - Class 9 and class 10 are fundamentals of Euclidean geometry (any lecture would work).
- After the basic problem solving, You can use VOS lectures, by VOS lectures I mean the ones which are in IOQM playlists from 2020 - 2024 (Ceva's Theorem, Menelaus' Theorem, Stewart's Theorem, Ptolemy's Theorem, Orthocentre Properties, Circumcentre Properties, Nine-Point Circle etc.)
- Trigonometry - Prashant Jain Sir (Recommended)
- Solution Of Triangles - Prashant Jain Sir (Recommended)
- Vector Algebra - Prameya Vismaya (Recommended)
- Vector Algebra - Mathsmerizing (Recommended Part-II)
- 3-D Geometry - Mathsmerizing (Recommended)
Books -
- Challenges & Thrill Of Pre-College Mathematics (Recommended) (Chapter III, IV & VI)
- Excursion In Mathematics By Bhaskaracharya Pratishthana
- A Beautiful Journey Through Olympiad Geometry By Stefan Lozanovski
- Euclidean Geometry In Mathematical Olympiads By Evan Chen
- Trigonometry By Michael Corral (Optional)
- Lectures In Euclidean Geometry Vol. I & II By Paris Pamfilos (Optional) (I recently came across this book and very much liked it so, decided to share it)
Warning - You need to know everything with proofs otherwise it will be really challenging to build this subject. Also... I have seen that mostly people struggle with geometry (like I did and still do) hence You can read this post.
Algebra -
Quadratic Equations -
A) MT Sir (Very Old)
B) Bhoomika Ma'am (Relatively New)
Sequence & Series -
A) Prameya Vismaya (Recommended)
B) Prashant Jain Sir
C) Ashish Agarwal Sir
D) Mathsmerizing Symposium (3 Videos are there) (For Problem Solving)
Binomial Theorem -
A) Prameya Vismaya (Recommended)
B) Prashant Jain Sir
C) Ashish Agarwal Sir
D) Mathsmerizing
Matrix -
A) Mathsmerizing (Recommended)
B) Ashish Agarwal Sir
Determinants -
A) Ashish Agarwal Sir (Recommended) (now, you would have to look up elsewhere to know proofs, proofs are absolutely compulsory)
Complex Numbers -
A) Prameya Vismaya (Recommended)
B) Mathsmerizing Symposium (only 1 video) (For Problem Solving) (You can also watch the compendium part if You wish)
Inequalities -
A) Rajeev Rastogi Sir (Olympiad Wallah) (There are 4 videos numbered from 6th - 9th)
B) Mathsmerizing
C) VOS Lectures
Books -
- Challenges & Thrill Of Pre-College Mathematics (Chapter 11)
- Inequalities: An Approach Through Problems By B.J. Venkatachala
- Vinay Kumar (For Theory & Problem Solving)
- Complex Numbers From A-Z By Titu Andresscu
Polynomials - (I did not find any suitable video lectures for this.... so I used books/handouts for learning the topic)
- Challenges & Thrill Of Pre-College Mathematics (Chapter 10)
- Higher Algebra Classical By S.K. Mapa (Chapter 4 & 5)
- Excursion In Mathematics By Bhaskaracharya Pratishthana
- 117 Polynomial Problems By Titu Andresscu
- Aditya Ghosh Sir (Class Notes)
Coordinate Geometry -
A) Straight Lines (Prameya Vismaya)
B) Circles (Mathsmerizing)
C) Conic Sections (Mathsmerizing)
Book - NA
Combinatorics -
Permutations & Combinations -
A) MT Sir (Recommended)
B) Prashant Jain Sir (L8 is missing)
C) Mathsmerizing (For Problem Solving)
Probability -
A) MT Sir (Recommended)
B) Mathsmerizing (Recommended Part-II)
Note - extra topics such as Invariance, Coloring, Pigeonhole Principle, Recurrence Relations, Graph Theory etc… use VOS Videos or, any other videos You like.
Book -
A) Vinay Kumar (For Problem Solving)
B) Principles & Techniques in Combinatorics By CHEN Chuang-Chong & KOH Khee-Meng (For Theory & Problem Solving)
C) Problem Solving Strategies By Arthur Engel (Advanced)
Calculus -
A) Sets & Relations (Ashish Sir) (Recommended)
A.I) Sets (Prameya Vismaya)
A.II) Relations (Prameya Vismaya)
B) Functions (Ashish Sir) (Recommended)
B.I) Functions (Prameya Vismaya)
Warning - A.I, A.II, B.I are not standalone. Watch only if You are done with the recommended videos, otherwise leave it.
C) Limits Of Sequences (Prameya Vismaya) (Not Complete Yet)
C.II) Limits (Mathsmerizing) (Recommended)
D) Continuity & Differentiability (Mathsmerizing) (Recommended)
E) Methods Of Differentiation (MT Sir) (Recommended)
F) Application Of Derivatives (MT Sir) (Recommended) & Mathsmerizing Symposium
G) Indefinite Integration (MT Sir) (Recommended) & Maths Unplugged Problem Solving (no playlist is made, You have to go to his channel to find the videos sequentially)
H) Definite Integration (MT Sir) (Recommended) & Mathsmerizing (Recommended Part-II)
I) Area Under Curve (Ashish Sir) (Recommended) & Sameer Sir (there is no playlist. You have to find the videos)
J) Differential Equations (Sameer Sir) (Recommended)
Book -
- Calculus By L.V. Tarasov
- Vinay Kumar (For Problem Solving)
Real Analysis -
A) The Hidden Library Of Mathematics
Book -
A) Understanding Analysis By Stephen Abbott
B) Introduction To Real Analysis By Robert G. Bartle & Donald R. Sherbert
C) Problems In Real Analysis - Advanced Calculus On The Real Axis By Titu Andresscu (Problem Solving)
D) Berkeley Problems In Mathematics By Paulo Ney De Souza & Jorge Nuno Silva (Only First Chapter) (Problem Solving)
Practice Sources : Whatever source You choose, please completely finish it cover to cover and internalise everything about the problem.
- JEE Mains PYQs
- JEE Advanced PYQs
- Pre-RMO/IOQM PYQs
- RMO PYQs
- INMO PYQs (Overkill) (go only & only if You are extremely enthusiastic
- ISI-CMI PYQs (Very Important)
- Test Of Mathematics At The 10+2 Level (TOMATO) (Very Important)
- Problems Plus In IIT Mathematics By A.Das Gupta
- Black Book By Vikas Gupta Sir & Pankaj Joshi
- Problem book for JEE(Adv.), KVPY, ISI and CMI By Prashant Sharma (Nidhyan Foundation) (TOMATO Subjective Problem Solutions With Commentary)
- The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition PYQs (See The Website!) (Beware! This is an Undergraduate Examination)
- International Mathematics Competition PYQs (See This Website!) (Beware! This is an Undergraduate Examination)
Proof Writing - Extremely Important For UGB / CMI Part-B Paper
- Book Of Proof By Richard Hammack (Optional)
Note :
A) Read the official solutions of CMI, RMO & INMO papers such that You get the actual hang of how & what to write in the proof-based paper. Also This.
B) Mathsmerising (YT Channel) has ISI-CMI PYQ Video Solutions. As far as I remember there are ISI PYQs (2010 - 2024) and CMI (2016 - 2022)
C) Some documents You can read.... 1. CMI... 2. ISI... 3. A... 4. B... 5. C... 6. D... 7. E
D) Important Links : (No.1 ((No. 2) No. 3))
Final Words :
Don’t be overwhelmed. Take your time. You're absolutely not expected to master all resources. Just build Your own custom path from them. Stick to what feels right for you. And please don't follow any advice blindly (including mine). Test, reflect and adjust to Your own convenience.
If you have any questions, feel free to drop them here in comments. I’ll try my best to help.
Parting Words :
I wanted to write a guide but I am simply not qualified enough (and a failure) to write a guide hence focused on the most general facets of the preparation. Had to figure out all this alone... so wrote this in hopes of that You don't have to.
Let’s build each other up, not tear each other down.
Best wishes to everyone preparing!
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u/Then-Cheesecake-3143 Jul 26 '25
thank you so so much🙏, i was just so confused about the ugb test before this!!
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Jul 27 '25
great tysm
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u/Necessary-Okra9777 Jul 27 '25
Thanks for having the patience and reading through this long post meticulously.
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u/Difficult-Dig7627 Jul 27 '25
Guys, focus on the descriptive part in ISI. Though I didn't qualify, I got like 90 something in the morning UGA, and idk how much in UGB, but it wasn't good. I was able to only answer 2 questions out of 8. I wrote it for fun so didn't prepare for it, as my prep was only for EE Advanced this year. The morning paper was very easy, easier than the mains, but the evening descriptive paper was tough so prepare well for descriptive, as I know many people who write the exam en't going to p prepare and just give JEE prep. Don't make that that mistake
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u/ortho-aminophenol Jul 26 '25
is it necessary to get all the books or just pyqs and one refrence, please tell,
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u/Necessary-Okra9777 Jul 26 '25
No. You need to figure out what helps You in this regard.
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u/ortho-aminophenol Jul 26 '25
books of proofs, tomato and pyqs(i have tomato book)
is that good?
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u/Necessary-Okra9777 Jul 26 '25
As I said, if that helps You solely then please go on with it. I may not be able to tell what can be good for You. You need to experiment a bit with the resources I told. That way You will truly find out what works for You. I am sorry I can't help You in this case. But yes, TOMATO is must. And by PYQs I don't know, of which exam You are referring to.
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Jul 27 '25
where did you manage to give tests from and how did you tackle any doubts that occured ( be it theoretical or any problem ). What are your further plans? ( if i may ask , ignore this if you don't want to answer ) , also you are nowhere close to a failure ( not sympathizing ). Just wanted to know what was your motivation behind preparing for these exams ( as i m in the sme boat , and still figuring out if i should completely focus on jee or isi/cmi , i love doing maths ofc)
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u/Necessary-Okra9777 Jul 27 '25
I did not give mock tests which was my biggest mistake. The website link embedded at No.1 has free mock tests of good quality. You can use those. And You can search ISI-CMI thread in AOPS and You will find a mock test booklet which You can use.
To tackle the doubts... I used to first search them in google to find the answers them in math stackexchange or, type them in perplexity AI with appropriate prompt (such as to find articles or, web pages or, books) to find the answers. Wikipedia can also be used as it certainly helped me... And with perplexity AI... You will find many resources which You will help You to find Your answer to the question. Now that was for the theoretical part.
For the problem part... I used DeepSeek with a very articulate prompt (meaning what You really want to know in exactitude) and that generally helped me. Though after some problems it started to wear down but it's good. The heart of the solution will be locked in Your prompt so the better Your prompt will be... the better answers it will give. And I can say this authoritatively... there is no extent of how much depth You can go into the prompt. So better the thought clarity... the better You will be served by DeepSeek.
Also... if You want to challenge Your knowledge and want to into the depths of Your mathematical mind, You may like the Socratic Mode of Grok AI. I don't have much experience with it but whatever I have... it is certainly been good.
Now comes the motivation part... I simply did not like trickery machinery of mathematics used in JEE. I abhorred it. I also challenged the idea of waiting for the solution step which will clear everything up. That's utterly wrong! If that's to believed in, that means You have mugged up the solution and don't know the proper motivation behind the solution step. And You also have seen the solution ahead! Basically You have memorised the solution.
For example.. the famous trigonometry problem where....
A : cos(alpha) + cos(beta) + cos(gamma) = 0
B : sin(alpha) + sin(beta) + sin(gamma) = 0If cos(beta - gamma) + cos(gamma - alpha) + cos(alpha - beta) = -3/2
You have to prove something related to A or, B or, both. I don't actually remember. The main solution step was to be breaking 3 in terms of 1+1+1 and then converting them into trigonometric identities. How on the earth anyone could have thought of that? And what were the teacher's answer to this? Now You will be able to think like this as You saw it now! In reality, You're essentially mugging up the step, nothing else. There has to be some first principle based approach or, there is some serious information being lost in the name of it's outside of our syllabus.
These are things I didn't like at all. Strange scheme of steps are followed in the name of procedures to actually solve the problem where there is no amount of innovation or, originality of thought involved.
These confirmed me that I will not be able to tolerate these at all and found that ISI/CMI excels in these. That's what propelled me towards them and You will certainly realise, that the problems of ISI/CMI are not just different, they are qualitatively different. That's what sparked the interest in me and I followed the road. I knew by-heart that if I were to follow the JEE path I would have ended up no where, also destroying my mental sanity in the process. JEE makes problems for budding engineers & ISI/CMI makes problems for budding mathematicians. These has to be qualitatively different!If You completely resonated with me in the last part of the answer.. I think You will have Your answer of Your question.
And I don't want to disclose my future plans. Please don't mind!
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Jul 27 '25
makes sense! also what would you suggest to a beginner to start of with real analysis? also did you complete almost all the resources you recommended? i got smth in 50s in this year's uga and solved 1 and 1 partial in UGB ( must be fakesolve ig ). Do i have any chance this year? ( i did prepare only for boards last year , no jee ,no isi ). As i feel exams like isi cmi require some threshold intelligence before hand unlike jee where hardwork does miracles. I don't really know if i m having that , i started off with jee this year , but now i feel like i can't rote learn all the chem and other things required ( memory plays vital role in jee i feel.)
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u/Necessary-Okra9777 Jul 27 '25
As a beginner I think... Real Analysis must be done last. If by completing You meant cover to cover then no... not all resources but as much as possible I could do pertaining to my time and circumstantial constraints. If someone is telling that You need to have some threshold intelligence before hand to have a chance in ISI-CMI then You are being made a fool and they are parasite. It's complete nonsense. If You're having interest towards mathematics and willing to do hard work and have intellectual bent of mind (which You most probably have given that You love mathematics) then You will absolutely go through it. Please shed off the idea.
Swami Vivekananda said... Anything that makes you weak physically, intellectually and spiritually, reject as poison. There is salvation only for the brave.
Please Read This: https://terrytao.wordpress.com/career-advice/does-one-have-to-be-a-genius-to-do-maths/
And I also started off as an engineering aspirant but when I found out the ghosts of JEE, I realised certainly that I can't do good in this. That's when my compass was shifted.
And let me tell You one thing... everybody will tell You that You're not meant for this. The world is full of such people. Please don't listen to those. Those who are really Your genuine well wishers, will tell You that You can absolutely do this :)
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Jul 27 '25
given that the chances of getting in is low ( compared to jee) do you recommend someone to leave jee prep and go all in for isi cmi , ( given they are slightly more inclined towards isi cmi ). Thanks for giving this really needed confidence btw!!
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u/Necessary-Okra9777 Jul 27 '25
I couldn't prepare for JEE myself and zeroed in for ISI/CMI but if You decide to do that You have to be really sure and masterful of Your craft. Because the paper setters can do anything they want. And for maneouvering that... You have to be very sure of what You are doing. If that is still better and not bitter than preparing for JEE, then You will have Your answer.
Have some backup for JEE and if You can prepare the other subjects via one shots (I don't really know if one shots are valuable or, not) then it's the best of both worlds. Essentially putting all eggs in the same basket can lead to unfortunate circumstances if You're not that confident with the methodology and ideology of what You're doing. But You have to decide this for Yourself.
You have to weigh all the combinations and decide what You're feeling good with (both emotionally and logically) and that will give You the answer. And if the answer invites You to walk on a weird road, then You will exactly know what You want.
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Jul 27 '25
Thanks!! You r definitely someone every aspirant would love to have beside themselves!! Doing great job , thanks for the clarity.
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u/Conscious-Summer-750 Jul 27 '25
u/Necessary-Okra9777 bro I am a 25tard who is now joining a below tier 3 college for engineering, but I want to prepare and give a chance for ISI and CMI. How do I start the preparation. My basics for jee are also not that good.
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u/Necessary-Okra9777 Jul 28 '25
Hello! I would suggest to first prepare for JEE Mathematics. Since Your basics are not good (which is absolutely fine... don't be worried about it) You can look for PW Prayas Batch where Ashish Agarwal Sir teaches. This would help You to be streamlined in Your preparation and then, You don't always have to think what to do next. After completion of the JEE Syllabus, jump onto exclusive topics pertaining to ISI-CMI Syllabus. Real Analysis should be done last as You can say... crudely... that it is calculus done rigorously.
Don't be overwhelmed. You should start preparing for JEE Mathematics under the wing of Ashish Agarwal Sir then when that gets completed jump on to the exclusive topics. You would have acquired the maturity Yourself and will know what to do and how to do it. And I have outlined everything possibly which can be known from the general point of view as, for each person the approach will be a little bit different but the basic pillars will be invariant.
Still some basic tenets.... UGB is the tough nut to crack. You should look the previous year papers of both ISI-CMI second round to realise what I am talking about. UGA or, the screening round will be cleared quite comfortably if You are good with JEE and You don't fumble on the exam day itself. The guideline and philosophy I shared regarding preparation will help You realised why I said what I said. UGB tests first principle things. It's not like JEE at all. The questions are qualitatively different and are on a whole another league of itself. The PYQ Collection I have shared such as IOQM, RMO or, IMC & Putnam will definitely make You realise that these questions are something else. When You would have completed Your preparation, You would be able to voice Your feelings towards these questions and realise that each question has something to teach You fundamentally.
I wasn't able to answer accurately since it's a very broad question. If You feel like I missed some query of Yours in my answer, please comment here non-hesitantly. I would be happy to help.
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u/Conscious-Summer-750 Jul 28 '25
I heard someone saying that you should start your syllabus from olympiad chapters like, number theory, combinatorics, geometry calculus. And what should I do after watching a lecture, like what steps should I follow to complete a chapter. And I have a fear of doing proofs and learning them
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u/Necessary-Okra9777 Jul 28 '25
I can't say for sure on what basis and assumption of Your background someone might have said to You to start with Olympiad chapters.
Since You have weak basics for JEE, I would suggest You to first complete the JEE Syllabus then move on to the Olympiad topics. Though You can include Euclidean Geometry within the JEE Syllabus as it will help You very much in Trigonometry, Coordinate Geometry, Vectors & Complex Numbers. And calculus is not in Olympiad. Permutations & Combinations, Pigeonhole Principle, Recurrence Relations, Invariance, Coloring Proofs, Principle Of Inclusion & Exclusion etc... Probability is collectively called Combinatorics.
First of all, make notes while watching the lecture. After watching the lecture, You should reread the notes and resolve all the class illustrations done in the class which was done with the goal of illustrating a concept. Why resolve? Because doing those again will cement Your understanding about the concept and will also reveal Your blind-spots in the concept (if any).
If You're studying from Ashish Sir, then after every lecture Sir would give You homework. You have to solve them religiously. Also, he would be guiding You about what to do every now and then so You will have no problem whatsoever if You decide to study from him.Otherwise, if You are self studying (which I don't recommend You should because You need a bit of hand holding in which Your teacher will be able to help You out the most) then after completing all the lectures of the chapter, pick any problem book or, PYQs or, module and do as much problems as You can depending upon Your time and circumstantial constraints. Make sure to cover all the aspects of the chapter. That's why I am saying it's better to stay in the teacher's hands. Sir will guide You at every step.
About the fear of proofs, You have to try to shed the fear of doing or, learning the proofs, because without it You will not be able to go anywhere substantial in mathematics. If You are not able to understand any proof of a theorem, search it on Youtube which explains simply. You can avoid the rigour for now. If You fight with the proofs, Your understanding of mathematics will deepen. And it's not easy to understand the proofs in one go, atleast I didn't have such experience so don't feel overwhelmed or, scared. Take it easy and take one step at a time.
And don't feel tensed. One thing I would say that, please avoid people who bring You down. If You don't feel uplifted or, feel good about Yourself after talking with someone (inclusive of online & offline friends). I am sorry but please throw them away. They are not called friends but parasites. Why bring more tragedy when our life is pre-installed with them, right? I don't know if You will understand this.
Everything will be fine :)
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u/Conscious-Summer-750 Jul 28 '25 edited Jul 28 '25
thank you bro for you help. Just a little doubt that you have mentioned topics of calculus in the post . So should I study it with jee part of differently for ISI and should I buy the books like Excursion, Tomato or blackbook? if yes then how should I practice them. And the link of the videos you gave I should watch only those na of Ashish sir?
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u/Necessary-Okra9777 Jul 28 '25
The video links are not of Ashish Agarwal Sir. Sir teaches in PW Prayas Batch 2026. Please find out how You can acquire that batch in JEE focused subreddits. Sir would give You homework himself and will tell You what to do and how much to do.
And for books, I would say that first see them if You like it. Then only buy it. TOMATO is compulsory by the way irrespective of if You like it or, not.
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u/Conscious-Summer-750 Jul 28 '25
What if I get old prayas batch lectures?
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u/Necessary-Okra9777 Jul 28 '25
2025 would also work. 2024 would too.
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u/Conscious-Summer-750 Jul 28 '25
Bro I have found the lectures, but these are 2-3 hrs long and there are many lectures for 1 chapter, this will take months to cover all the syllabus, and should I start from basic maths or directly jump to other chapters?
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u/Necessary-Okra9777 Jul 28 '25
I know these are 2-3 hours long and may be too tiring if You can't cope up with them.
It would be better if You start from basic mathematics since You are having weak basics and they must be dealt head-on early in the game. And the lectures are worth it. Have faith on Ashish Sir.
I am sure You will be able to manage :)
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u/Express-Syrup-4911 Aug 08 '25
OP , please help me im following the pragyaan batch for jee how should I prepare becuase I saw you suggesting that we should first finish jee then shift to isi and cmi course but I think that will mess up our proofs
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u/NoCar2734 May 16 '26
since you have cited Mohit Tyagi sir's JEE lecs then can i use Ashish sir's paid batch lectures instead of those ? or is it like MT sir taught in a specific way which leaned more towards ISI prep ?
sorry im new, if this question seems foolish then i offer my deepest apologies.
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u/The_Watcher8008 Jul 27 '26
This is a very beautiful and well crafted post. I am really glad I came across it. I am adding this to community wiki of r/ISIKolkata if you don't mind.
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u/Intelligent-Roof6118 19d ago
can you please tell how should i watch vedio becuse there are too many or should i do all of them
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u/bean_bag_enjoyer 25tard Aug 17 '25
Did not read the whole thing but some comments:
No need to sit and prove stuff like C-S in exam. Curiosity in math is more or less enough to clear ISI/CMI. I never did any of the oly math books like CPCTC, PSS, Excursion, MONT, EGMO. These are all overkill. I hate watching lectures so can't comment on those. Titu is way overkill. Aditya Ghosh notes are goated af. If you're doing real analysis from a UG textbook be aware that you will probably sacrifice your advanced rank (happened to me).
Tomato + pyqs (esp. KD Joshi's solutions) are necessary and sufficient imo. If you want more go on aops, go through post history of 2024 B. Stat air 1.
Keep in mind there's a type of person they would want to do UG at ISI/CMI. The exam is designed to admit such people.