JEE (Main) Session 2: ‘Mock tests & discipline helped us improve scores’

The National Testing Agency declared the JEE Main 2026 Session 2 results on April 20. Around 11.23 lakh students appeared for the April attempt, making it one of the largest competitive exam cycles this year. A total of 2,50,182 candidates have qualified for JEE Advanced. Qualified candidates will now prepare for JEE Advanced, scheduled for May 17, which determines admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology and other top engineering institutes.

Meet three students from Apeejay School, Mahavir Marg: Goransh Bahri (99.84), Ruhaan Anand (97.42), and Aaruni Bansal (97.38), who brought laurels to the school and made their parents proud.

Goransh, improving on his previous score of 99.35, said that he was expecting an improved score. “I had been practising consistently after Session 1. I increased both the number of mock tests and the level of questions I worked on. My focus remained on learning as much as possible during school hours and then strengthening those concepts through practice at home, just as I had done earlier,” he shared.

One of the main challenges he faced was burnout, along with a slight drop in motivation after the first session was over. It became difficult at times to maintain the same level of discipline. “However, I managed to overcome this phase through regular exercise, meditation, and constant support from my parents. That helped me stay balanced and continue working towards a better result,” he added.

Ruhaan, scoring 96.75 previously, shared that the biggest challenge for him was mental fatigue. “There comes a point where you feel drained and it becomes difficult to sit and study again. I also experienced a sense of boredom during revision, which slowed my pace. To deal with this, I shifted my strategy slightly. Instead of focusing heavily on revising the entire syllabus again, I concentrated more on giving mock tests and analysing my performance. This helped me stay engaged and work with better focus,” he said and added that he is now preparing for a few more competitive exams.

Aaruni, who had a score of 97.06 in Session 1, shared, “I was not completely sure whether my score would improve, but I definitely wanted to push myself and try for a higher percentile. Over the past two years, I have stayed consistent with my preparation, and for Session 2. I focused more on giving mock tests and identifying my weak areas. I solved all the January papers as full-length mock tests and carefully analysed my mistakes to avoid repeating them,” she stated.

There are moments during preparation when it feels difficult to continue, but she learnt that staying consistent, regardless of the outcome, always leads to growth in some form. “The support from my family has been a strong factor in helping me stay on track, just as the guidance from my teachers did earlier. That consistency and support made it easier to deal with challenges and keep moving forward,” she said.