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‘My JEE Main exam attempt strategy’: IIT-Delhi’s student shares tips

Her brother, who is also studying Computer Science at the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, has remained her motivation to become an engineer. "I wanted to follow the footsteps of my brother," said Ananya, who achieved a percentile of 99.49 in JEE Main.

4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jan 28, 2026 04:29 PM IST

'Time management, conceptual clarity,': JEE Main girl's ranker Ananya Tripathi shares her Advanced preparation

Her mool mantras to crack JEE Advanced were time management and conceptual clarity of the topics.

Hailing from Varanasi — a city celebrated for its rich culture, and iconic centres of learning such as Banaras Hindu University — Ananya Tripathi chose to step beyond the conventional academic paths available in her hometown to pursue engineering from IIT Delhi. Reflecting on her journey, she says, “Technology has always attracted me. I have always enjoyed untangling complex problems and creating innovative solutions where others see challenges.”

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Besides love for technology, her elder brother’s success in JEE inspired her to pursue engineering. “I wanted to follow his footsteps and therefore, opted for BTech in Computer Science Engineering (CSE) at the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi,” said Ananya, who achieved a percentile of 99.49 in JEE Main. In JEE Advanced, her total score was 192 out of 360 with CRL rank 1518. Under the GEN-EWS category, her rank was 133.

Time management & conceptual clarity

“Mathematics was my strongest section in the JEE Main,” says Uttar Pradesh’s only girl ranker, adding that her key mantras for cracking the exam were effective time management and strong conceptual clarity. “My strategy was to focus on deeper problem-solving and understanding concepts thoroughly. Clarity, consistency, and smart practice matter far more than simply putting in long study hours,” she says.

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She emphasised the importance of thoroughly mastering NCERT textbooks — especially for chemistry — building strong fundamentals in core topics, and practising a wide range of objective questions to improve speed, accuracy, and exam temperament. Using mock tests effectively by analysing mistakes and identifying weak areas helps aspirants refine their strategy over time, she added.

Tripathi regularly solved advanced-level questions and revisited key concepts. She also noted that for a challenging exam like JEE, effective time management is another crucial area aspirants must focus on.

Weekdays for notes, weekends for mock tests

Ananya was enrolled at Sri Chaitanya Academy by Infinity Learn for preparation for both JEE Main and Advanced. She devoted 9-10 hours daily, spent her weekdays reviewing notes and assignments while reserving weekends for mock tests and addressing challenging areas.

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She further added that her approach to the exam was clear: understand the concepts rather than just memorising. “Simultaneously, I worked through a variety of problems to build my confidence. My focus on conceptual learning helped me excel consistently. Inorganic Chemistry and some Physics topics were tough for me initially, as they required more effort to crack; however, practising and solving more questions helped me to perform better,” she added.

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Unlike most teenagers, the 20-year-old consciously limited her use of social media and stayed focused on her preparation. “I didn’t avoid it completely. Occasionally, I turned to social media to relax or connect with friends for a quick break from the routine,” said the student, who scored 96.8 per cent in Class 10.

How to approach JEE questions?

For her JEE preparation, she approached the questions in a phased manner and skipped the tricky ones initially, and returned to them later for a better outcome. Deploying this method and attempting mock papers helped her stay efficient and composed during the actual exam.

She reserved the last week to revise core concepts and formulae and took a few mock tests to stay sharp and avoid exploring new topics. She used to practice as many questions as she could, as she believed that practice makes perfect.

“Consistency and sincerity are paramount when attempting competitive exams like JEE. Also, aspirants need to prioritise understanding over memorisation. I firmly believe that hard work, paired with a calm mind, paves the path to success,” she said.