JEE Main 2026 session 1: Toppers share preparation mantras

The National Testing Agency (NTA) recently announced the results of JEE Main 2026 Session 1, with several candidates securing above the 99 percentile, underscoring the intense competition for admission to premier engineering institutions across the country. Among the high achievers, Shreyas Pai secured 99.23 percentile, Bharath Madhusudhan Gudi scored 99.87 percentile, and Sughosh Joshi achieved 99.776 percentile. The results mark a significant milestone for thousands of aspirants who appeared for the first session of one of India’s most competitive entrance examinations.

Structured preparation key to success

For Shreyas Pai (99.23 percentile), disciplined daily study routines played a decisive role. Balancing college hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., he dedicated four to five hours each day to focused preparation. His strategy revolved around practising module questions and extensively solving Previous Year Questions (PYQs).

“I followed a question-wise analysis after every mock test,” Shreyas said. He maintained an “error book” where he documented mistakes and revised incorrect answers to avoid repeating them. Addressing his biggest weakness — exam nervousness — he relied on repeated practice to build confidence. On exam day, his mantra was simple: remain calm and focus solely on attempting questions without worrying about the outcome.

To prevent burnout, Shreyas divided his workload into manageable daily targets, ensuring he did not leave large portions for the last moment. He focused on rigorous practice during the initial months, reserving the final phase for revision and repetition. Leisure time, including playing cricket with friends, helped him maintain balance.

Learning from mistakes

Bharath Madhusudhan Gudi (99.87 percentile) attributed his success to consistency and discipline in his daily study plan. “I ensured that no backlog spilled over to the next day,” he said. Conceptual clarity came from attentive classroom learning and thorough revision of notes, but he emphasised that practice was indispensable. Weekly tests served as checkpoints to track progress.

Bharath described his error book as a powerful self-reflection tool. “Realising your mistakes gives the greatest confidence,” he said, adding that poor performances in some tests did not deter him emotionally but instead became learning opportunities.

He identified agitation, overthinking, and exam-day anxiety as personal weaknesses. With conscious effort, guidance from parents and teachers, and cultivating contentment with his preparation, he overcame these challenges.

On the day of the exam, Bharath ensured sufficient sleep and mental relaxation. He followed a structured CPM order — allocating 45 minutes to Chemistry, one hour to Physics, and the remaining time to Mathematics. Prioritising accuracy over speed, he maintained composure even when faced with difficult questions.

To manage stress, he maintained a balanced routine combining reading and problem-solving. Time spent with friends and supportive teachers further eased the pressure.

Discipline and patience pay off

Sughosh Joshi (99.776 percentile) followed a rigorous schedule stretching from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. In the initial phase, classroom sessions focused on building conceptual foundations, followed by self-study to bridge gaps and gradually increase the level of problem difficulty. In the final month, intensive mock tests boosted his confidence.

Sughosh analysed every mock test on the same day, using an error log to identify weak areas. This systematic revision helped him avoid repeating mistakes in the final examination.

He acknowledged speed and patience as early weaknesses. Timed practice improved his speed, while tackling challenging, multi-directional questions strengthened his persistence and conceptual depth.

With his exam scheduled in the afternoon session, Sughosh consciously avoided last-minute revision on the day of the test. Treating the examination like any other mock test helped reduce anxiety. “Being in the present and focusing on the current question was crucial,” he noted.

Stress management, he emphasised, was a continuous process supported by parents, teachers, healthy peer competition, sufficient sleep, and daily relaxation time.

Gateway to premier institutes

JEE Main serves as the qualifying examination for admission to National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and other centrally funded technical institutions, besides acting as a gateway to JEE Advanced.

With Session 1 results now declared, aspirants are gearing up for Session 2, determined to improve their scores and secure seats in leading engineering institutions. The journeys of these 99-percentilers underscore that structured preparation, self-analysis, and emotional resilience remain the cornerstones of success in one of India’s toughest academic challenges.