Krishang Joshi secures AIR 3 in NEET in first attempt

Hindustan Times

13 hours ago

Krishang Joshi from Pune has secured an All India Rank (AIR) 3 in NEET-UG 2025 — and that too in his first attempt — placing him among the top scorers in one of India's most competitive entrance exams. The result was declared by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Friday.
Over 22.09 lakh students appeared for the NEET-UG exam this year, with 12.36 lakh qualifying. Joshi scored 681 out of 720, standing third in the country, behind Rajasthan's Mahesh Kumar (AIR 1) and Utkarsh Awadhiya (AIR 2). Delhi's Avika Aggarwal topped among girls, securing AIR 5.
'I never imagined I'd get Rank 3. After the paper, I felt I might land somewhere under 50. But this? It took a few seconds to sink in,' Krishang said.
The 17-year-old prepared at an institute's topper batch after cracking their exam in Class 10. 'My poor performance in Class 9 pushed me to work harder. That failure became my turning point,' he said.
He believes that strong conceptual clarity, rather than rote learning, was key to his success. 'I never relied on memorising formulas. I derived them from the basics, which made tricky questions easier to handle,' he said.
Krishang followed a demanding yet balanced schedule: attending coaching from 9am to 5.30pm and studying independently from 6.30 pm until 1am, often putting in five to six hours of self-study daily. 'Coaching gives you direction, but actual growth happens during self-study,' he said.
He prioritised physics in his preparation. 'It's time-consuming. If you start with biochemistry and get stuck, physics often gets ignored,' he said. On exam day too, he began with physics and completed the paper in 2 hours and 10 minutes, using the rest of the time to cross-check and fill the OMR sheet.
While the paper wasn't too difficult, Krishang said it was 'unexpectedly lengthy', requiring him to adjust his speed mid-exam — a shift he managed thanks to regular practice tests.
He credits his teachers and parents for keeping him motivated during lows. 'There were times I felt demotivated despite studying hard. My family reminded me that effort matters more than outcome,' he said.
For future aspirants, his advice is simple: 'Develop genuine interest in all three subjects. Focus on understanding and revision, especially in biology and inorganic chemistry. And never skip mock tests.'
Krishang now aims to join AIIMS Delhi, with a keen interest in surgery. 'It's the journey and the discipline that count the most,' he said.