JEE Advanced 2017 Topper Interview: Sarvesh Mehtani AIR 1

6 mins readUpdated on Jun 12, 2017 13:40 IST
In an interview with Shiksha, Sarvesh Mehtani, JEE Advanced 2017 Topper with an AIR 1 talks about his success mantras and the importance of coaching institutes in a student’s life. He also shares tips and tricks for future JEE aspirants.

JEE Advanced 2017 Topper Sarvesh Mehtani

Sarvesh Mehtani from Chandigarh bagged an All India Rank (AIR) 1 in JEE Advanced 2017 results, which got declared on June 11. More than him, the results left Sarvesh's parents surprised for they never expected their kid to top one of the most competitive engineering exams in the country for admissions to the premier IITs(Indian institutes of Technology).

A student of Bhavan Vidyalaya School, this topper secured 339 marks in JEE Advanced 2017 and bagged an AIR 55 in JEE Main 2017. According to him, Aamir Khan's 3 idiots and the dream to study engineering from one of the top engineering institutes of India motivated him to pursue engineering.

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In an interview with Shiksha, Sarvesh Mehtani, JEE Advanced 2017 Topper with an AIR 1 talks about his success mantras and the importance of coaching institutes in a student’s life. He also shares tips and tricks for future JEE aspirants.
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Q. Congrats on your achievement. So, how do you feel being the JEE Advanced 2017 topper with an AIR 1? Did you expect it?

A.

I was very happy but my parents were pretty speechless. After the exams, when JEE Advanced 2017 answer keys got released, I was quite sure that I would end up in the Top 5 list of JEE Advanced toppers. But, when the results got declared, my happiness knew no boundaries. 

Q. Which board have you studied under and which school are you from? What was XII board marks?

A.

I am from CBSE board and have completed my schooling from Bhawan Vidyalaya, Panchluka. 

Q. What is your subject wise and overall score in Class XII Boards and JEE Advanced 2017?

A.

Class XII Boards Marks: Physics – 95; Maths – 95; Chemistry – 97; English – 92; Physical Education – 98. My percentage was 95.4%.

JEE Advanced 2017 subject wise score: Maths: 120/122; Physics – 104/122; Chemistry: 115/122.

Q. How long have you been preparing? And what was your study plan like for JEE Advanced 2017? What is the minimum time frame needed to prepare for JEE Main?

A.

I had been preparing for the exam for almost two to three years. For one year, I went to school and then went ahead and joined Lakshya Coaching Institute. Once, I joined the institute, I studied for 5 to 6 hours a day with appropriate breaks till the completion of the syllabus.  

Once the revision started, we had to begin studying at nights too – from 8 pm to 11 pm. This included long breaks and sleep too. So, this amounted to 10 - 12 hours of study a day effectively including revisions.

I don’t think there is a minimum time frame to prepare for JEE. But, I guess two years are enough. Three years is better if you want to score the best.   

Q. What according to you is the difference between the preparation of JEE Advanced and JEE Main?

A.

The preparation for both exams is different in 2 - 3 ways:

1. The paper pattern of both the exams is different.

2.  The level of difficulty is higher in JEE Advanced as compared to JEE Main.

3. There are some questions which are not given importance in JEE Main but are given weightage in JEE Advanced and vice-versa.

Q. Did you take JEE Main 2017 examination in online or offline mode? What was your rank and score?

A.

I took the exam in offline mode and got a rank of 55. My marks was 325 out of 360.

Q. What did you do to improve your weak areas?

A.

For my weak areas, I used to go to my teachers for study materials to be solved. I used to revise the topic again for my notes. Revision is a very important part of revision.

Q. Have you taken any other exam besides JEE Main and Advanced?

A.

I appeared for BITSAT and got a score of 430 out of 486.

Q. Do you think coaching is required to crack JEE?

A.

Well, the level of JEE is higher than NCERT books. So, I think coaching is definitely required especially for JEE Advanced. But, there are students who crack the exam without coaching and succeed too.

Q. Did you take up mock tests and sample papers? Do you think to practicing from previous year question papers help and how?

A.

I did take up mock tests and sample papers extensively. Actually, your coaching institute would give an extensive amount of sample papers as tests to you.  This helps you in practicing enough. Mock tests and sample papers are important as they give you an idea about the different kind of test patterns.

Yes, I did solve a lot of previous year question papers and they helped me a lot.  These papers help you determine what kinds of questions are asked and what ideas are more important.

Generally, what happens is that when we are preparing, we are unaware what IITs want. We prepare till a basic level. But IITs want us to think to a tough level rather than learn to a tough level.  

 

Q. Any important books you would like to suggest for future aspirants?

A.

I will suggest what I followed. For Physical Chemistry they should go through books by N Awasthi, for Organic Chemistry – books by Himanshu Pandey and for Inorganic Chemistry - books by K Kumar.

For Mathematics, they should refer to a series of books by Vinay Kumar.

Q. Which IIT are you aiming at and which stream do you wish to pursue?

A.

I want to get into IIT Bombay for Computer Science Engineering(CSE).

Q. Any tips for aspirants who would be taking the exam next year?

A.

Work hard and do what you like. Don’t do anything that you don’t feel like doing. Follow your teachers blindly as they are your real guides. They will help you in achieving your success. Be organized in whatever you do.

Q. Why do you want to study engineering? When did you decide to study engineering?

A.

I was in Class 7th when I decided that engineering is what I want to do. Though the reason was pretty lame is what I feel. Aamir Khan’s movie – 3 idiots inspired me to pursue engineering.

Q. Tell us about your family.

A.

My father works in the Income Tax Department and my mother works in an Industrial Training Institute(ITI). My sister is doing her BTech in CSE from Chitkara Institute of Engineering and Technology. Currently, she is in her third year. 

Q. Tell us about yourself and your hobbies.

A.
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Answered 2 weeks ago

Various companies were a part of Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology Placements 2025, some of them are:

Chitkara University, Institute of Engineering and Technology Placements: Top Recruiters

AmazonPhilips
DeloitteAdobe
AccentureAirtel
KPMGCisco
TCSCapgemini

 

d

diksha soni

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 weeks ago

The number of students placed during Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology placements has not been released yet. The placement highlights recorded during the 2025 placement season are given in the table below:

Particulars

Placement Statistics (2025)

the highest Package

INR 1.11 Crore per Annum

Offers above INR 10 LPA

870+

Companies Visited

2000

NOTE: The year in which these placement statistics were recorded has

...Read more

d

diksha soni

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 weeks ago

The number of offers given to students during Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology Placements has not been released yet. Once out it will be updated here. However, as per the official website over 870 students received offers which were above INR 10 LPA. 

d

diksha soni

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 weeks ago

The placement rate recorded at Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology Placements is not known yet. Students can have a look at the table below to know more about the placement statistics recorded in 2025:

Particulars

Placement Statistics (2025)

the highest Package

INR 1.11 Crore per Annum

Offers above INR 10 LPA

870+

Companies Visited

2000

NOTE: The year in which these placement statistics were recorded has not be

...Read more

d

diksha soni

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 weeks ago

The key highlights recorded during Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology placements is provided in the table below:

Particulars

Placement Statistics (2025)

the highest Package

INR 1.11 Crore per Annum

Offers above INR 10 LPA

870+

Companies Visited

2000

NOTE: The year in which these placement statistics were recorded has not been mentioned. Hence assumed to be of 2025. 

 
 
 
 
 

d

diksha soni

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 weeks ago

Yes, Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology provides great placements to its students. Have a look at the table below to know more:

ParticularsPlacement Statistics (2025)
the highest PackageINR 1.11 Crore per Annum
Offers above INR 10 LPA870+
Companies Visited2000

 NOTE: The year in which these placement statistics were recorded has not been mentioned. Hence assumed to be of 2025. 

d

diksha soni

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 weeks ago

The highest package recorded during Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology Placements 2025 was INR 1.11 Crore per annum. the table below states the same:

Particulars

Placement Statistics (2025)

the highest Package

INR 1.11 Crore per Annum

NOTE: The year in which these placement statistics were recorded has not been mentioned. Hence assumed to be of 2025. 

d

diksha soni

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 weeks ago

Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology average package has not been released yet. Once out it will be updated here. Meanwhile, have a look at the table below which states the highest package recorded in 2025:

ParticularsPlacement Statistics (2025)
the highest PackageINR 1.11 Crore per Annum

NOTE: The year in which the placement highlights were recorded has not

...Read more

d

diksha soni

Contributor-Level 10