Short, plain-language summaries of how toppers prepared, with a link to each original source. Pick your path below.
School boards (CBSE)
How CBSE board toppers studied for Class 10 and 12.
NCERT ten to fifteen times, consistency over intensity
Shloka Upadhyaya · DPS Rajnagar Extension · Humanities
A CBSE Class 12 topper who read her textbooks many times, wrote her own notes and solved past papers.
Four to five serious hours and NCERT only
Navya Shukla · Amity International, Mayur Vihar · Science (PCB)
A science-stream topper with 99 in Biology who kept to NCERT, steady tests and a strong support circle.
Sleep, short sessions and no all-day studying
Three CBSE toppers from the UAE · Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Class 10 and Class 12 toppers share simple routines: early sessions, regular breaks, 7+ hours of sleep and timed practice.
The 4 to 5 hour topper day
CBSE Class 12 toppers (summary) · Includes the 499/500 scorer Savi Jain
A practical day plan, the number of sample papers to solve and the one-reference-book rule.
Science and Commerce: subject-by-subject tips
SuperTutor guide (no single topper) · Science and Commerce tips
How high scorers handle Biology diagrams, Maths calculus, Accountancy practice and Economics numericals.
JEE · NEET · NDA · CUET
How toppers cracked JEE, NEET, NDA and CUET.
Clear every doubt before you move on
Rajit Gupta · Allen Career Institute · IIT Delhi zone
The JEE Advanced 2025 topper skipped rigid timetables and built his preparation on one habit: no new topic until the current one is clear.
Analyse every mock test, not just attempt it
Sakshyam Jindal · Hisar, Haryana · studied in Kota
Two JEE Advanced 2025 toppers agree on one thing: the learning is in the review of each mock paper.
Concepts first, then ten years of papers
Pranav Goyal · Chandigarh · Sri Chaitanya
A topper who scaled his hours with the class, picked classic books and solved at least a decade of past papers.
The 500+ plan: Maths, English and GK together
The Cavalier (defence coaching academy) · Guide on toppers' tips · not a single topper
A defence-coaching guide on how high scorers split their effort across Mathematics and General Ability, and why mock tests matter.
Biology through NCERT, then mock tests
Tanmay Gupta · Biology-first preparation
The NEET 2021 topper built biology on NCERT, mixed boards with entrance preparation and spent the last month on full-syllabus mocks.
NCERT, self-study and consistency
Dishank Gandhi · Delhi · History, Political Science, Psychology
A CUET 2022 topper who skipped coaching and relied on NCERT books he had already studied in Class 12.
Start six to eight months early
Katyayini Madeti · West Bokaro, Jharkhand
A CUET 2023 topper who mixed coaching, NCERT and extra practice for English vocabulary.
UPSC Maths Optional
Strategies of UPSC Mathematics optional toppers.
Textbooks, past papers and zero noise
Anubhav Singh · IIT Roorkee · 2nd attempt
A rural-Allahabad, Hindi-medium student reached AIR 8 using a surprisingly small toolkit: standard textbooks and the previous 15 years of papers.
Practice alone can help you here
Utsav Kaushal · IIT Delhi · Electrical Engg
Utsav Kaushal's advice is blunt and useful: do not run to the solution, and do not skip the topics everyone fears.
Summary sheets, tests and early answer-writing
Prateek Jain · BITS Pilani · IFoS AIR 3 (2016)
With an IFoS rank 3 earlier and AIR 86 in CSE, Prateek Jain shows what a balanced routine of notes, tests and practice looks like.
Revise every test three times
GSS Praveenchand · IIT Patna · 3rd attempt
A half-and-half routine of General Studies and Mathematics, powered by test series and repeated revision of the solutions.
High risk, high reward: the 350+ plan
Kanishak Kataria · Computer Science graduate
The All India Topper explains why he treated Mathematics as his X-factor and how he counted marks backwards from a target rank.
Maths marks are binary: choose with open eyes
Nitish K · Maths topper of CSE 2014
A candid look at scaling, competition and booklists from a Maths topper who did not come from an IIT.
The 25-50-25 rule for Maths optional
Author not named · Strategy for UPSC Mathematics
A mentor-style PDF that splits preparation into learning, practice and exam-mode testing, and insists on your own handwritten notes.
Taught by a Sainik School alumnus with an M.Sc. from NIT Warangal and 4 years of teaching. Meet your mentor
Practise all 854 previous-year questions
Topic-wise PYQs (2013–2026), marks analysis, flashcards, quizzes and toppers' notes are free inside the Pi Craft app.
Sign up free Log in