Bhavya Jha starts NEET prep in Class 11, cracks AIR 8 with self-study; Rajasthan toppers share prep strategies

Rajasthan has once again stood out in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduate (NEET UG) 2025, with students from towns such as Sikar, Dausa and Dod bagging top all-India ranks. Speaking to Careers360, many of them credited their success to regular mock test practice, a disciplined revision strategy and thorough reading of NCERT textbooks.

Among the national toppers is Bhavya Chirag Jha from Ahmedabad, who secured AIR 8. In a conversation with Careers360, she shared her preparation journey, sources of motivation and advice for future aspirants. Inspired by her elder brother, a medical intern, Bhavya began NEET prep in Class 11.

“Coaching gave me direction, but self-study helped me retain concepts,” she said, adding that she studied three to four hours daily outside school. She called Chemistry her strongest subject and followed a calm strategy on exam day: “I started with Biology, then moved to Chemistry and Physics. Physics was the toughest.” The National Testing Agency (NTA) declared the NEET UG result 2025 today, June 14, for around 20.8 lakh MBBS aspirants.

Shifted from chapter-wise to subject-wise prep: Abhijeet, AIR 25

Abhijeet, who secured AIR 25, said he expected to score well based on answer key calculations and his teachers' assessment. “I was expecting this. The teachers at the coaching centre had told me I was scoring between 660 and 670, and I ended up with 665,” he said.

Abhijeet began his preparation with a chapter-wise approach but later shifted to subject-wise study as the exam date approached. “Initially, I focused on my weaker chapters and subjects. That helped me plan better,” he added. “Even if the paper was tough, it was still based on NCERT. Maybe slightly beyond in parts, but mostly from it,” he further said.

Abhijeet, who didn’t appear for NEET last year due to age ineligibility, said that even then, he had been preparing seriously. “I was a dropper but didn’t take NEET last year. My parents never pressured me for boards; I focused solely on NEET.” For those who couldn’t score well, he advised: “Give your best with whatever you know. Don’t panic or stress over what you don’t.”

“Mock tests were the game changer”: Manavendra, AIR 102

Manavendra Singh, a student from Palwas Road in Sikar, secured an All India Rank (AIR) of 102. He said the key to his preparation was not a rigid routine, but persistence with mock tests and understanding concepts thoroughly. “We had three tests a day, each lasting three hours. I attempted each of them sincerely, which helped strengthen weak areas,” he said.

Manavendra estimates that he took over 100 mock tests during the last three to four months before the exam. He also credited NCERT textbooks for playing a vital role—not just in biology, but in chemistry too. “This year, a direct question on Avogadro came from the NCERT line,” he recalled. Physics was his strongest subject, thanks to early exposure to HC Verma’s concepts in Class 10.

Another set of achievers Anish Bhidiya with AIR 194, Ashish Badiya with AIR 244, and Pankaj Singh with AIR 189. Anish and Ashish, who are brothers, both cleared NEET in their first attempt alongside Class 12. “There are no doctors in our family, but our families always wanted this,” they said.

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Top scorers from Rajasthan share strategies

Two other top performers from Rajasthan, Piyush Bilwal with AIR 314 from Dausa and Abhilasha with AIR 261, also shared similar strategies. Piyush followed a well-planned routine that began at 6 am and continued till 11 pm, with dedicated blocks for coaching, self-study and revision.

He tackled the paper in the order of biology, chemistry and physics, and stressed on reading every line of the NCERT biology. “Even the chapter descriptions are important,” he said. While he scored 161 in chemistry and 340 in biology, physics proved to be a stumbling block.

Abhilasha, who also aims for AIIMS Jodhpur like Piyush, said she too began her paper with biology. She made short revision notes from her coaching material, which helped during last-minute prep. “There’s no doctor in my family. It was all self-study and self-motivation,” she said.

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Another group of NEET qualifiers—Pankaj with AIR 1508, Nikhil Kumar with AIR 492 and Lavish with AIR 860—also spoke of the importance of note-making and the role of coaching classes in keeping them on track. All three were from Sikar and followed a routine anchored by hostel schedules. “We were woken up at 5 am and started studying by 6. The emphasis was on quality study, not just hours,” said Pankaj.

Lavish, who relied on NCERT for biology and faced difficulty memorising, said, “This year’s paper was mostly from NCERT, which helped.” Despite a weaker grip on biology, he managed to perform well across subjects by focusing on accuracy in questions he attempted.