Toppers of the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) 2024 are now gearing up for the advanced test for admission to premier tech institutes of India. With aspirations of bagging top jobs or having their own startup one day, this year too, computer science engineering is the most preferred among these aces.

So, how did they crack one of the toughest entrance tests in India; what do they aim for next; and what advice do they have for fellow test-takers? News18 spoke to some students, who scored a perfect 100 percentile.

The National Testing Agency (NTA), which announced the results of the JEE (Main) exam on Tuesday, said 23 students from across the country have scored a 100 percentile. This score is a qualifying criteria for the next step – JEE (Advanced) scheduled for May 26, 2024 – based on which admissions to the IITs are done.

Aaditya Kumar

Among the top 10 in the JEE (Main) exam, Aaditya is now focused on preparing for his Class XII boards as well as the JEE (Advanced). A bright student, he said his aim as of now is to get into IIT-Bombay to pursue computer science engineering; though, the final goal is to become an astrophysicist.

“I want to get into research. I have always been curious about the universe and want to study astrophysics, which is my ultimate aim,” said Aaditya, who is based in Bengaluru.

He moved with his mother to Kota, the coaching hub in Rajasthan in 2022 when he was in Class XI soon after he made it to the top 35 in the Junior Science Olympiad. He stressed on self-study, saying he will prepare for six to eight hours a day on his own, solving papers and revising lessons from coaching classes with an hour or a half’s break in between.

To fellow test-takers, given the tough competition scenario in Kota where anxiety runs high, Aaditya said there were times when he would not score well in the mock papers. But, he said he never got upset about it and worked harder to fix the problem.

“Every student has their ups and downs with mock papers. The key is not to let it bottle up and rather work on correcting where you lagged. Also, everyone feels low at some point and, when you do, it’s crucial to open up to someone. Plus, you can always select interactions and avoid those in the negative,” he said.

On his 100 percentile score, Aaditya’s mother Meenu Prabha Bej, who owns an agritech startup with her husband, said: “I knew he would crack the exam, but not that he would get the perfect score; but, Aaditya was confident that he would do it. He is cool-headed and calm even during the day of the exam.”

Dwija D Patel

Not a single girl candidate has scored 100 percentile this year. Dwija, who scored a near-perfect 99.99 percentile, also said she aspires to go to IIT-Bombay and study computer science and, if it all works out, set up her own startup.

With few girls choosing to study mathematics or engineering, what developed her interest in the sector? “Math is my favourite subject. We studied coding in Class IX and X and had a good teacher, which is when I decided to take up engineering. Most women are interested in biology and, hence, there are more female candidates for the medical exam; so, medical colleges have more women while engineering colleges tend to have more male students. It’s a choice, ultimately,” said Dwija, who is based in Gujarat’s Rajkot.

She said her parents have been inclined towards science, yet she will be the first engineer in the family. She added that while returning from coaching classes, she would take a sufficient break to refresh before sitting back down to study.

“I believe solving question papers from previous years is the most important aspect of self-study. Even if your concepts are clear, it’s important to solve papers on a daily basis,” she said.

Meet V Parekh

Among the top 10 scorers, Meet, too, is based in Rajkot and his dream is to bag a seat at IIT-B to pursue computer science. He is preparing for JEE (Advanced) by putting in extra hours of study.

“A good all-India rank, essentially between 1 and 50, makes you eligible to get computer science at IIT-Bombay, which is the top course on offer. All JEE aspirants dream of it. I want to become the CEO of a top tech company, which is my final goal,” he said.

With a mindset of ‘I can do it’, Meet said he worked hard. He would study on his own for five to six hours on an average, taking small breaks in between. “I would be in the self-study room at my coaching institute and would go home for meals and sleep. The top 10 to 15 students of a class have their own batch, who then could prepare in the self-study room, which has 5 to 6 students at a time. It gives you an environment of studying and you learn a lot from your batchmates this way,” he said.

He also has other talents, for instance, he plays the tabla and has a diploma in classical music. “I turn to these activities for recreation, which is the best downtime one can get before going back to studies again,” he said.