KEAM 2017 Topper Interview: Abhilash Kar (Rank 3) “Hard work must be backed by smart strategy”
When we caught up with Abhilash Kar, who clinched the third rank in KEAM 2017, he was bubbling with positivity and enthusiasm, anxious to start a new journey in the company of budding engineers. And why not? After all he had already scored AIR 110 in JEE Advanved, and now the KEAM result has proved to be the icing on the cake. While speaking about his success, Abhilash stressed that more than hard work, one should strive for smart work, stay calm and composed. His other mantras of success include the three Fs: fearlessness, focus, and fruitfulness. Overcome fear, keep focus, and reap the fruits. Deviating from the trend, he also quipped that one need not rely on coaching to get a good rank in JEE Advanced or for that matter KEAM. Abhilash also surprised us with his explanations on combating stress. His unconvention ways of busting stress include staring at the blue sky with arms outstretched while uttering “everything is going to be fine”, at other times assuring himself with “All is well, all is well”. He coupled these with more conventional methods of busting stress like playing table tennis and reading history. Abhilash is now planning to study Computer Science in IIT Delhi and have our best wishes.
Readers can in the meantime read the lively interview we had with him!
Careers360: Congratulations on your outstanding performance in KEAM 2017. What was reaction on finding out your score?
Abhilask Kar: Actually the website was down and I was unable to check my result. It was a news channel that told me that I have secured the third position in KEAM 2017. But if boards were taken in account, I thought I would have been ranked two. That being said I am not disappointed and am happy with the result.
I was happy, but not surprised as I was expecting it.
Careers360: Tell us something about yourself. Which school have you studied in?
Abhilask Kar: I studied at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Kottayam, Kerala. It is affiliated to CBSE. My dad is a farmer and my mom is a teacher.
Careers360: What is your score in KEAM 2017? What is your state-wise and category rank?
Abhilask Kar: I have scored 579.6 in the entrance exam.
Careers360: Why do you want to study engineering and when did you decide to study engineering? Which branch would you be interested in?
Abhilask Kar: Studying engineering has been my dream since childhood. As a child I was drawn to its practical aspects, and was fascinated by how it can be used for the welfare of the community. I was in class IX when I decided that it the profession that want to be in.
I am interested in studying in Computer Science, most probably from IIT Delhi.
Careers360: When did you start your preparation for KEAM? Tell us something about your preparation strategy and daily routine.
Abhilask Kar: Honestly, I didn’t spend even a day preparing for KEAM 2017. It was because, JEE Advanced preparation more or less covered the entire syllabus of KEAM. The basic concepts for both the exams were the same. If there was any difference between the two it was in style and approach, which I figured out before attempting the two exams. Also, succeeding in JEE Advanced was my explicit goal, so I didn’t want it to be affected in any way. The strategy worked because I ended up securing AIR 110 in JEE Advanced 2017.
Careers360: Was there are difference in preparation strategy in the last months of KEAM owing to boards exam? How did you manage your preparation for both?
Abhilask Kar: No there was no difference in preparation strategy as I simply concentrated on JEE Advanced. Also, whether it is JEE Advanced or KEAM or board, one basic success mantra is to stay calm and cool during the exam. One needs to follow the syllabus thoroughly and do enough practice. And there is no need not to slog for long hours to crack these exams. Instead, I think it is smart work that counts. For example, I rarely studied for more than four-five hours a day.
One aspect of my preparation was keeping a clear head and staying focussed. Then next was the thee Fs that I call them: fearlessness, focus, fruitfulness. Fruitfulness in this case is the result, which is the final destination.
Careers360: Did you take coaching for KEAM and if yes from where? What are the benefits of coaching?
Abhilask Kar: I didn’t take any separate coaching for KEAM. But yes, I did take coaching for JEE Advanced at TIME. In fact I managed to avail free coaching at the institute as I was sponsored by Dakshana Foundation.
I don’t think coaching plays a big role in the success of a candidate. On a scale of 100, I would say coaching can make a contribution of about 5%. Some few benefits of coaching are that it gives impetus to a student’s preparation and give him exposure.
Careers360: How extensively did you practise mock tests and sample papers? Did you practice previous years question papers?
Abhilask Kar: Yes, I did a lot of sample papers and mock tests. In fact without them it would be impossible to crack these exams. For KEAM I did only a couple of mock tests, but for JEE Advance I took more than 30.
I didn’t have much time to go through previous year’s questions papers of KEAM, but I feel it could help the one get an idea about the type of questions asked and difficulty level.
Careers360: Are there any special books that you feel helped you in your preparation? Are the school text book adequate for preparing for KEAM?
Abhilask Kar: The kind and type of books a candidate needs to follow may vary from student to student. Still I would recommend Physics books by HC Verma.
NCERT books in particular are very good for building basic concepts, especially NCERT Chemistry books and also to some extent Physics books. Once the candidate has learned the basics, he can move on to more advanced books.
Careers360: Did you face any problem during KEAM examination? Which subject was the easiest and which was the toughest? What according to you is the most difficult thing about the exam?
Abhilask Kar: Some issues happened on exam day when the photo on my I-card didn’t match with those with the invigilator and I was not allowed initially. I was finally, though, allowed to take the exam.
Careers360: Which subject was the easiest and which was the toughest in KEAM? What do you think is a tough thing to manage during KEAM exam?
Abhilask Kar: Mathematics was on the tougher side, while Chemistry was the easiest. Staying focus is the key to succeeding in KEAM.
Careers360: What do you think are the key factors behind your success?
Abhilask Kar: I had a natural skill to easily and quickly understand things that were being taught, even difficult concepts, so that helped. Also, I focused on improving efficiency rather than on increasing the reading time.
Careers360: How did you de-stress during your studies? And what are your hobbies?
Abhilask Kar: Stress has a direct correlation to fear; the more you fear about a certain thing, the more stress you would be under. So, I worked on a plan to mitigate fear. I would keep uttering “All is well” now and then to cool myself down, or take a moment and meditate. I even found staring at the big blue sky in all its glory, while uttering to myself “everything is going to be fine, everything is going to be OK”, very relaxing.
I am addicted to newpapers, and spend on average one to two hours daily going over the latest news of the nation and the world. I also like playing table tennis, and reading history.
Careers360: Who is the biggest inspiration in your life?
Abhilask Kar: Apart from my family, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam has been a big inspiration in my life.
Careers360: You are now an inspiration for many young students across the country. What is your message for future KEAM aspirants?
Abhilask Kar: Study with Love! I also wish to share these beautiful lines by Kahlil Gibran:
“Life is indeed darkness save when there is urge, and all urge is blind save when there is knowledge, and all knowledge is vain save when there is work, and all work is empty save when there is love.”
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KEAM 2017 Topper Interview - Arundathi Chandrasekh (Rank 43)
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Questions related to KEAM
For diploma student can apply keam entrance exam
Hello student!
https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/keam-eligibility-criteria
Please refer to the article for all the information regarding the eligibility criteria for the keam examination.
Hope it will guide you through the best.
Regards!
did keam admit card is necessary for writing neet.
Hi Dear,
No, There is no requirement of KEAM admit card to appear in NEET exam. The National Testing Agency (NTA) will releases NEET admit card which is required to appear in the NEET exam. NEET admit card can be downloaded from the official website once released.
For more details visit the link below:
https://medicine.careers360.com/articles/neet-admit-card
good luck
I want to get refundable amount rupees one lakh from cee kerala .Bcuz i rejected my bds seat taken.so are the stepsin 2020
Hello candidate!
At the time of registration students have to pay two kinds of fee .
For Deemed Universities
Non Refundable Registration fee :- Rs. 5000/-(same for all candidates)
Refundable Security amount:- Rs. 2,00,000/-
E.g Any candidate opting for Deemed University will have to pay Rs 5000/- Non Refundable fee +
Rs 2,00,000/- Refundable security amount at the time of at the time of Registration.
For (15% All India Quota)/ Central Universities (DU, AMU, BHU and Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi)/AFMS & ESI
Non Refundable Registration fee:- Rs. 1000/- for UR candidates & Rs. 500/- For SC/ ST/ OBC/ PH candidates.
Refundable security amount:- Rs.10,000/- for UR candidates & Rs. 5,000/- for SC/ST/OBC/PH
E.g. any UR candidate opting for Central Universities/ AFMS/ ESI will pay Rs. 1000/-+ Rs. 10,000=
Rs. 11,000 at the time of registration.
Any SC/ST/OBC/PH candidate will pay Rs. 500 + Rs.5,000 = Rs. 5,500 at the time of registration.
Security Amount:
This fee will be refunded to the institution where the candidate has taken admission and will be adjusted against the first year annual fee. In case, candidate is not allotted any seat in all rounds of counselling including stray vacancy round, the fee will be refunded in the account provided by the candidate at the time of registration. Security fee will be refunded only after the completion of counseling.
Hope this helps you!
Regards!
Which Rank Range I should obtain in Keam 2021 to get admission in B.TECH computer science in top govt engg collages in Kerala?
Dear Aspirant,
The rack range that you can aim for BTech CSE in KEAM exam varies from private colleges to government colleges. Still I'll try to give you an estimate of the rank range you should be aiming for better chances of admission in CSE.
Kindly note that this is based on last year's state cut-off rank & is subject to changes.
College of Engg, Trivandrum - 479
TKM Clg of Engg, Kollam - 113
Government Model Engg College, Thrikkakra - 1305
Government College of Engg, Kannur - 4100
& MANY MORE COLLEGES..
I'd say somewhere in the range of 500-2500 will give you good colleges for CSE.
Thanks. Hope it helps.
when is the keam exam 9f 2021 is scheduled?
hello aspirant,
As of now keam exam details are not released .however few tentative dates are relased.they are as belows:
Release of KEAM 2021 application form |
First week of February 2021 |
Last date to submit applications |
Last week of February 2021 |
Last date to submit supporting documents |
Last week of February 2021 |
Availability of KEAM admit card |
Second week of April 2021 |
KEAM 2021 |
Paper 1 (Physics and Chemistry) - Third week of April 2021 Paper 2 (Mathematics) - Third week of April 2021 |
KEAM Result |
Last week of May 2021 |
however once announced it will be updated on our website you can check: https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/keam
hope this helps,
thankyou.