JEE Main 2025 Session 2 Topper Interview: Arka Banerjee Shares His Success Story

Arka Banerjee, a 99.9 percentiler in the JEE Mains session 2 2025 exam, shared his tips and strategy in a conversation with Careers360. Arka was drawn towards engineering in 8th class. He then started preparing for the JEE Mains from class 10th onwards. Arka says, his parents are his inspiration, which led him to succeed in the JEE Mains 2025 exam. While he credits his mother for always keeping his spirits high on days he felt low. He is now focusing on the JEE Advanced exam.

Arka is highly interested in pursuing Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence to implement AI for the greater good of society. While sharing the JEE Mains toppers' tips, Arka suggests practising multiple JEE Main sample papers and mock tests. Apart from studying, Arka enjoyed reading novels, watching sports and listening to music, which also helped him de-stress during the JEE Mains 2025 exam. Read the article to know how Arka’s day went while preparing for the national-level JEE Mains exam.

Careers360: Congratulations on your performance in the JEE Main 2025 April exam! What was your reaction upon knowing your score?

Arka Banerjee: I'm very happy with my result. My parents and family members are also satisfied. But till JEE Advanced is not over, I'm maintaining my composure.

Careers360: Tell us something about yourself. Which board have you studied under? Which school have you studied in?

Arka Banerjee: I studied in Burdwan Municipal High School, which is under the West Bengal state Board. My class X board rank was 4th in West Bengal with 98.43 %.

Careers360: Why do you want to study engineering? When did you decide to study engineering? Which branch would you be interested in? Any reason?

Arka Banerjee: I decided to pursue engineering as a career when I was in class 8th. Because I believe engineering is the field which provides innovative solutions to our daily life problems, and I would love to take on that challenge. Specifically, I'm interested in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence and would like to implement AI for well well-being of our society

Careers360: When did you start your JEE Main preparation? Tell us something about your preparation strategy and daily routine for JEE Main?

Arka Banerjee: I started preparing for JEE in 9th class, but the hardcore JEE preparation started from XIth onwards. I focused equally on all three subjects, PCM and dedicated more time to the topics in which I felt weak. I gave regular mock tests and, most importantly, analysed my mistakes and took the learnings from them

Careers360: Did you face any difficulties with the computer-based mode?

Arka Banerjee: Not really, as I gave lots of CBT-based JEE Main mock tests earlier.

Careers360: Was there a difference in the preparation strategy in the last months of JEE Main, considering that the board exams are also coming up? How did you manage preparation for both?

Arka Banerjee: I think if one sincerely prepares for JEE, the boards will be automatically covered. So I didn't take any extra burden. I mainly focused on JEE prep. But towards the last week I gave a little more attention to the other two subjects (except PCM) for the Boards.

Careers360: Did you take coaching for JEE Main, and from where? What are the benefits of coaching, according to you?

Arka Banerjee: I did my JEE prep from the Allen online program. It helped me immensely as I got invaluable advice from expert faculty, and a structured course always helps to be motivated and disciplined for the year-long.

Careers360: Mock tests and sample papers – how extensively did you practise with the help of these? Do you think practising from the previous year’s papers helps, and how?

Arka Banerjee: Mock tests have always helped me to understand the areas in which I should focus more. Previous years' papers also help to get an idea of the pattern of questions usually asked in the exam. So one should refer to those.

Careers360: Are there any special books that you feel have helped with your JEE Main preparation? Are the school textbooks adequate for preparing for JEE Main and Class XII?

Arka Banerjee: I mostly followed the Allen modules and class notes. NCERT is also an indispensable resource for JEE. Other than these, I referred to a few other books also like HCV, Irodov, Sameer Bansal etc but one must consult with his/her teachers before going for extra books

Careers360: Did you face any problems during the JEE Main examination? Which subject was the easiest and which was the toughest in JEE Main? What do you think is a tough thing to manage during the JEE Main exam?

Arka Banerjee: For me physics has always been my strength. So my paper attempting sequence was P->C->M. In mains maths is a bit lengthy and calculative. So I would suggest attempting maths last, and doing physics and chemistry first as per one's strength.

Careers360: How did you de-stress yourself during the preparation? What are your hobbies? How often could you pursue them?

Arka Banerjee: My hobbies include reading novels, watching sports( cricket and football) and listening to music. So these are the major ways in which I used to de-stress myself. Also, whenever I used to feel a bit low, my mother was always there to uplift my spirit.

Careers360: Who is your ideal or biggest inspiration in life and why?

Arka Banerjee: My parents played a huge role in motivating me in this JEE journey. Most importantly the my interest in technology also motivated me.

Careers360: You know you are an inspiration to thousands of students across the country. Do you have any message for future aspirants on tackling the JEE Main exam?

Arka Banerjee: Be motivated and keep working hard towards your goal without thinking about the result. Be consistent, success will be yours definitely