JEE (Main) Session 1: Hard work leads students to 99+ percentiles

The National Testing Agency declared the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 results on February 16, bringing relief to more than 13.04 lakh engineering aspirants who had been awaiting their scores. Recognised as one of the most prestigious and competitive entrance exams in India, JEE Main serves as a critical gateway for students aiming to pursue engineering at the country’s premier institutions.

Students of Apeejay Education also delivered an impressive performance, standing close to the top achievers. Meet Gavyum Garg (99.82), Naman Sachdeva (99.82), Rishit Mittal (99.8), Saanvi Kalra (99.72), and Sambhav Jain (99.71) from Apeejay School, Pitampura, who brought accolades to the school and made their parents proud.

In a candid interview, they share their JEE journey.

Gavyum was truly happy with his result because he achieved the target he had set, yet he feels there is room to grow before JEE (Advanced). “The Advanced exam demands depth, precision, and quality thinking rather than sheer volume of questions. My preparation rests on conceptual clarity and daily consistency. I make notes in my language and question every step with why and how. I was never hesitant to clear even the smallest doubt. I believe consistency matters more than intensity. If concepts are strong, separate Board preparation becomes unnecessary because understanding naturally bridges both exams,” he opined.

Naman, too, was thrilled with his JEE (Main) result because it reflected months of disciplined effort. “Until November, from the moment I woke up until I slept, I focused on completing my entire syllabus with complete dedication. After that phase, I shifted fully to mock tests, analysing each paper carefully to identify gaps and steadily improve performance. I treated every test as learning feedback. My teachers were consistently supportive, checking my files even on odd days and guiding me patiently in practicals so academics and preparation progressed together. I aspire to pursue Computer Science, especially Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning,” he said.

Speaking about his result, Rishit shared that he considers it just one milestone in a much longer academic journey. “My immediate focus is on JEE Advanced, where I aim to refine concepts further and strengthen advanced-level problem-solving, speed, and accuracy. For JEE Main, I concentrated on building deep conceptual command, minimising distractions. Time management played a decisive role in my success. I believe in pursuing depth rather than choosing generic engineering branches. I aspire to study Mathematics and Computing or Engineering Physics at a premier IIT and later pursue a master’s degree,” he stated.

For Sambhav, the 99.71 percentile was the outcome of 21 months of focused preparation. “The result met my expectations, and after thoughtful consideration, I have chosen not to appear for JEE Advanced, deciding instead to secure the best opportunities through JEE Main. My strategy was simple and consistent. I revised regularly, solved questions after every class, and studied difficult topics in the morning when my concentration was strongest. Managing Boards and JEE were not challenging because the core concepts are the same; only their application differs. Strong conceptual clarity helped me handle both effectively,” he shared.