JEE Advanced 2023 Topper Interview: Balaaji Reddy (AIR 9) - “Revision is the key to one’s success”

JEE Advanced 2023 Topper Interview: Balaaji Reddy (AIR 9) - “Revision is the key to one’s success”

Updated on Jun 21, 2023 02:42 PM IST | #JEE Advanced

Balaaji Reddy, a resident of Hyderabad secured All India Rank 9 in one of the toughest exams of India, JEE Advanced 2023. After achieving this huge feat in his career, Balaaji now wishes to pursue his dream of graduating from one of the most prestigious institutes of India, IIT Bombay in Computer Science Engineering. Balaaji revealed his success mantra in an interview, and through this article Careers360 helps you to understand and analyse the strategy that he followed to excel in the examination.

JEE Advanced 2023 Topper Interview: Balaaji Reddy (AIR 9) - “Revision is the key to one’s success”
JEE Advanced 2023 Topper Interview: Balaaji Reddy (AIR 9) - “Revision is the key to one’s success”

Careers360: What strategy did you follow for the JEE advanced 2023?

Balaaji: I made a full proof strategy during my school days itself. You will be surprised to know this, but I started my preparation in grade 7th itself. I never skipped any tests, and I attended every class so as to ensure that I do not miss any important topic that might be asked in the examination. I paid attention to all the lectures and worked on the mistakes as told by my teachers.

Careers360: What was your time schedule while preparing for the exam?

Balaaji: I gave my full attention to clear this exam successfully, I used to study for at least 10 to 12 hours a day and spent like 3 hours a day regularly to understand the topics I lacked understanding of.

Careers360: What were the challenges that you faced as an aspirant?

Balaaji: An aspirant faces various challenges while preparing for the examination and these challenges vary from aspirant to aspirant. For me, the toughest part was chemistry, but I overcame it with rigorous revision and hard work. Along with this I worked really hard on my time management so that I do not miss any topic in my preparation.

Careers360: Why did you choose JEE Advanced exam over other examinations?

Balaaji: To have a safe career option in the field of engineering, JEE Advanced is the best option. As this exam helps candidates to get admission in the renowned IIT institutions. I always had this dream of becoming an engineer and, in the future, maybe I can be an industrial researcher.

Careers360: What's your suggestion to other aspirants preparing for JEE?

Balaaji: Most important suggestion to future aspirants is repeated revision of topics from trusted sources like JEE Advanced question papers. Practice as many JEE Advanced 2023 mock tests as possible along with working on N learn app.

Careers360: How did Narayana’s system help you to score such a good rank?

Balaaji: Undoubtedly Narayana group has been an excellent and most important source of my exam preparation. The faculty over here guided me throughout my journey by clearing my doubts, explained the concepts very well.

Careers360: How much did you score in 10th & 12th?

Balaaji: In my 10th standard I secured 10 CGPA, while in 12th standard I secured 97.5% marks.

Careers360: Which IIT and program do you plan to pursue?

Balaaji: Since my childhood I wanted to pursue Computer Science Engineering from IIT Bombay. So I wish to get admission in IIT Bombay.

Careers360: What's your larger purpose in pursuing engineering?

Balaaji: I wish to work on technology end as an engineer.

Careers360: Tell us a little about your background?

Balaaji: I hail from Hyderabad; my father is a lecturer in the Electronics and Communication Engineering department. I started my preparation in class 7th itself as I firmly believe that starting early helps a lot. My parents and teachers explained to me the importance of science and computers which made me really interested to pursue these subjects further. So I decided to become an engineer.

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Questions related to JEE Advanced

Have a question related to JEE Advanced ?

HEY THERE!!!

  1. If you encounter an "incorrect data" error while checking your JEE Advanced 2025 result, first verify that all your entered details—such as your roll number and date of birth—are accurate.
  2. If the issue persists, consider accessing the site through a different browser, as technical glitches can sometimes be browser-specific.
  3. Should the problem continue, it is advisable to contact the official JEE Advanced helpdesk for further assistance.

With a JEE Advanced rank of 20,340, your son can likely get admission in newer IITs like IIT Bhubaneswar, Gandhinagar, Ropar, Mandi, Indore, Patna, or Jodhpur, mostly in less competitive branches.

Top IITs and popular branches like CS or ECE are unlikely.


HEY THERE!!!

  1. With a Preparatory ST rank of 228 in JEE Advanced 2025, realistically, your prospects for securing admission to core branches such as Mechanical, Civil, or Electrical Engineering at established IITs are quite slim .
  2. Historically, ST category seats for these core disciplines are filled by candidates with much lower ranks, often under 100.
  3. Preparatory ranks are only considered if there are vacancies after all eligible ST candidates have been allotted seats, which is uncommon—especially for high-demand branches.
  4. Typically, these opportunities arise in newer or less sought-after IITs and in branches that aren’t as competitive.


  • In summary, while admission to Mechanical, Civil, or Electrical at the older IITs is highly unlikely with your current preparatory rank, you may find options in non-core branches or at recently established IITs .
  • It’s important to keep expectations realistic and consider alternative branches or institutions.

Hello,

With a JEE Advanced rank of 3878 in the female category, your chances of getting Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) at an IIT depend on the specific IIT and its previous year cutoffs.

Usually, for general female category (also called female-open or female-general), ECE cutoffs in older IITs like Bombay, Delhi, Kanpur, and Madras are quite high, often within the top 2000-3000 ranks.

For your rank around 3878, you might have a chance at newer or mid-tier IITs like IIT Bhubaneswar, IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Patna, IIT Ropar, or IIT Indore, where the ECE cutoff for female candidates has sometimes gone beyond 3500 or 4000 in recent years.

So, based on past trends, Electronics in top older IITs may be tough, but in newer IITs, you have a reasonable chance.

Hope it helps !

Hello,

Yes, If you work hard and study regularly, you can definitely crack JEE Main and JEE Advanced.

IIT Madras is tough, but many students from state boards have made it with good preparation. Focus on understanding concepts well, practice lots of questions, and solve previous years’ papers.

Also, try to join a good coaching or online classes if possible. Believe in yourself and stay consistent. You have a good chance!

Hope it helps !

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