‘I want to be in IIT Bombay or Delhi’, says JEE Main top scorer 

After cracking the JEE Mains exam with a score of 99.848 percentile, Delhi-based Ankur Khetan is gearing up to crack JEE Advance and grab a seat at either IIT Bombay or Delhi. In an exclusive interview, the prodigy from Apeejay School, Pitampura mentions that the habit of giving competitive examinations since the last four years has put him on the right track. Edited excerpts:  

Ankur, you must share the secret behind getting such an incredible percentile?

My main goal has always been JEE Advanced exams. I have been preparing for that exam for the past two years. As the level of the JEE Advance is way higher than the Mains exam therefore, most of the syllabus of the Mains exam gets automatically covered while preparing for the Advance exam. There are slight differences between the two syllabi but I covered that in the last one month before the exam.

Are you enrolled in any coaching institute?

Yes, I have been enrolled in a coaching centre since class 9. It helped me prepare for the NTSE (National Talent Search Examination), NCS (National Career Service), JSTSE (Junior Science Talent Search Examination) and other Olympiads back then. It was in the last two years that I started preparing for the JEE examinations. But yes, I was in the habit of preparing and appearing for different competitive exams and so that did help me.  

How did you know that it was engineering which you wanted to pursue in life?

In classes 9 and 10, we used to study all the subjects. I loved Math and Physics a lot, way more than the other subjects. So, I realised back then that these two subjects are my area of interest and I would like to go ahead in this field. 

What is the one advice you would like to give to class 10 non-medical aspirants?

Just study well and understand the concepts clearly. Don’t just cram anything. When it comes to problem solving questions, an approach that helps me most of the time is to identify the hurdle in the problem and then exploit it.   

Are you prepared well for the JEE Advance exam?

The JEE Advance exam will be held on August 28. I have covered most of the syllabus. I am practicing some mock tests and revising some concepts which I think I have less grip on.

How did your school help you to get such an incredible percentile?

The school cooperated very well and the teachers have been extremely helpful. They have always been there to help me whenever I needed any assistance from them. I would like to thank all the teachers, they are all extremely good.

What dream do you aspire to in the near future?

I am not rigid about any branch in engineering in particular, but I aspire to be in either IIT Bombay or IIT Delhi. These are two of the best IIT’s in the country. I want to be in one of them.