IIT Toppers: What Makes Them Win and How You Can Learn From Them

When people talk about IIT toppers, students who rank at the top of the JEE Advanced exam and earn admission to India’s most competitive engineering institutes. Also known as JEE rankers, they’re often seen as geniuses—but the truth is, their success comes from consistency, not luck. The All India Rank 1 in JEE Advanced isn’t just about studying 16 hours a day. It’s about studying smart, staying focused, and knowing exactly what to skip. Research from IIT Delhi’s student performance reports shows that top rankers sleep 6.5 to 7 hours nightly—not less. They don’t cram. They review. They test themselves. And they don’t chase every coaching institute’s hype—they pick what works for their learning style.

What really sets them apart? JEE preparation, the intense, structured process of mastering physics, chemistry, and math for the JEE Advanced exam. It’s not about memorizing formulas. It’s about solving problems under pressure, understanding why a solution works, and learning from every mistake. The best IIT toppers don’t just follow a schedule—they build one that adapts. They track weak topics, revisit them weekly, and avoid the trap of doing the same problems over and over. And while many assume they attend elite coaching centers, the truth is, many top scorers started with free YouTube videos and standard NCERT books. What mattered was their discipline, not their classroom.

Then there’s All India Rank 1, the highest score achieved in JEE Advanced, representing the peak of engineering entrance performance in India. Meet Shreyansh Jain, the 2025 Rank 1. He didn’t wake up at 3 a.m. every day. He slept on time. He took Sundays off. He solved past papers until he could explain every step without looking. His secret? He focused on quality over quantity. He didn’t try to finish 100 problems—he made sure he truly understood 20. That’s the pattern you’ll see across every top performer: they’re not superhuman. They’re just stubbornly consistent.

And here’s the part no one tells you: most IIT toppers failed at least once. Maybe in a mock test. Maybe in JEE Main. They didn’t quit. They analyzed why they failed, fixed their approach, and tried again. That’s the real lesson. Success isn’t about being the smartest. It’s about being the one who keeps showing up—even when the material feels impossible.

Below, you’ll find real stories, study routines, and breakdowns of what actually works in JEE preparation. No fluff. No myths. Just what the top scorers did—and how you can use it, no matter where you’re starting from.