From JEE Advanced Topper to Quantitative Trader: The Inspiring Journey of Sarvesh Mehtani
Joint Entrance Exam - Advanced 2026 ( JEE Advanced )
Registration - 6 Apr '26 - 2 May '26
Sarvesh Mehtani bagged JEE Advanced AIR 1 in 2017. Check his journey below.
From JEE Advanced Topper to Quantitative Trader: The Inspiring Journey of Sarvesh Mehtani
Sarvesh Mehtani, who topped the JEE Advanced exam in 2017, decided to become an engineer in class seven. Currently, he has a successful career as a Quantitative Trader. The story of Sarves is inspiring for all those candidates who want to branch out of the traditional engineering roles. After JEE Advanced, Sarvesh earned a BTech Computer Science and Engineering degree from IIT Bombay. Sarvesh and his journey are proof of how an engineering degree from IIT can open up doors to many other career opportunities.
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Also Read: JEE Advanced Rank Needed for IIT Bombay CSE Admission
How Did Sarvesh Mehtani Become JEE Advanced Topper?
In a 2017 interview with Shiksha.com, Sarvesh said he started his JEE preparation two to three years before the exam. He joined coaching, and he dedicated five to six hours of study per day. Gradually, he increased this duration to 10 to 12 hours per day which included extensive revision.
In 2017, Sarvesh scored an impressive 325 out of 360 in the JEE Main exam and an All India Rank (AIR) of 55. He also appeared for the BITSAT exam, where he scored 430 out of 486.
Also Read: How to Prepare for JEE Advanced After JEE Mains
How to deal with weak areas?
Sarvesh recommended help from teachers and revision.
Is Coaching Important for JEE Preparations?
Sarvesh believes that for a exam like JEE Advanced, help is a must. However, he also pointed out the fact that there are candidates who do well in the exam without coaching.
How are the JEE mock tests, sample papers & previous years' question papers helpful?
Sarvesh said he solved many JEE previous year question papers & mock tests, which helped him a lot by providing insights into the pattern, topic weightage, etc.
Recommended Books for JEE Preparation
You can prepare for all entrance tests at same time. It is a tough task but not impossible. For this a proper strategy is required. Here are some important tips.
- Compare the syllabus: All engineering entrance exams have almost the same syllabus. There might be some additional topics in some exams. The aspirant must study the syllabus for all exams and find out the topics that are extra, and prepare those separately. Almost 90% of the topics will be common for all entrance exams, and hence, syllabus completion for one exam will lead to completion of the syllabus for all the exams.
- Prepare for JEE Mains and incorporate the preparation for all other exams: Apart from JEE Advanced, all the exams are pretty straightforward for a well-prepared candidate. JEE Advanced require a higher level of preparation as the questions are multi-conceptual. However, the state-level entrance exams, and exams like BITSAT, VITEEE, etc., have direct questions. Most of the questions in JEE Mains are also direct and require the application of basic concepts. Hence, the candidates must prepare for one exam, like JEE Mains, that will cover their preparation for all other exams.
- JEE Advanced needs extra effort: For JEE Advanced candidates must focus on time management and building exam day temperament. Learn how to apply multiple concepts to a question.
The bottom line is to prepare for JEE Mains to cover the preparation for all other CETs and exams like BITSAT and VITEEE. For JEE Advanced, work on sharpening your skills of time management, stress handling, multiple concept application, speed and accuracy.
So far no student has ever scored full marks in JEE Advanced signifies exam's difficulty level. Highest marks one has achieved to date in JEE Advanced are 355 marks out of 360. Ved Lahoti scored these marks in 2024.
According to Sarvesh
- For physical chemistry books by N. Awasthi.
- When it comes to organic chemistry, he pointed out the works of Himanshu Pandey as particularly helpful.
- For inorganic chemistry, he recommended the books authored by K. Kumar.
- Additionally, for mathematics, he thought a series of books by Vinay Kumar would be very useful.
Also Read: Difference Between JEE Main and JEE Advanced Syllabus: Comparison and Analysis
His Tips for JEE Aspirants
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.
Read full interview of Sravesh Mehtani here
What Is Quantitative Trading?
Quantitative trading is a method of buying and selling investments based on careful math and statistics. They use careful and high-level calculations to understand the market movements.
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Do quantitative traders earn a significant amount of money?
Yes they do, as they are highly sought among the high level traders. Wallstreet for example have a good demand for quantitative traders.
How do I become a Quantitative trader?
To become a quantitative trader, an interest in numbers is a must, and you should have strong maths skills. To pursue this career you should get a bachelor's degree in math or computer science and further do a master's in financial engineering or quantitative financial modelling, or even an MBA.
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Read More:
There is no seperate rank list released for JEE Advanced. The rank of the candidates in All India category and in the respective category of the candidate is meantioned on the result itslef.
As per the analysis of the previous year data, the candidates belonging to general category must aim to score around 180 marks out of 360 to qualify the exam. However, note that this marks will not get you a good rank and hence tier 1 IITs (IIT B, IIT M, IIT D) and courses will be out of reach.
| Name of Institute | NIRF Ranking 2025 |
|---|---|
| IIT Madras | 1 |
| IIT Delhi | 2 |
| IIT Bombay | 3 |
| IIT Kanpur | 4 |
| IIT Kharagpur | 5 |
| IIT Roorkee | 6 |
| IIT Hyderabad | 7 |
| IIT Guwahati | 8 |
| IIT BHU | 10 |
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 21 hours ago
No, candidates need not pay any fees to participate in JEE Adv counselling. However, once the seat is allotted, candidates will need to pay approximately INR 35,000 (less for reserved category) as a seat acceptance fee and around INR 20,000 as partial admission fees. Both these payments are adjusted
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 22 hours ago
To participate in JEE Advanced counselling, candidates must keep the following documents ready.
- JoSAA Seat Allotment Letter
- Admit card of JEE Advanced 2026
- Proof of Date of Birth Class 12/HSC/Birth Certificate/Any other certificate as proof of date of birth
- Photo ID card
- Class 12/SSC/Equivalent exam Mark
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
No, candidates have to carry the printout of their JEE Advanced admit card downloaded from the website to appear in the exam. Soft copies will not be accepted.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
Mock test released by organising IITs are very useful in understanding the pattern and difficulty level of exam. However, solving official mock test paper only is not advised. It is recommended to solve additional mock test to score good marks in JEE Advanced.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
Absolutely NO. Exact same questions have never been repeated in JEE Advanced exam. However, questions having same concepts do come.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
Yes, candidates can register for IIT JEE only using the application number of NTA JEE Mains. Also, candidates can apply for JEE Advanced only if they score above the JEE cutoff.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
For the recent AY (academic year), the application fee for JEE Advanced became slightly higher than the previous year, for enrollment in the BTech course at IIT Varanasi. The application fee is mentioned in the cells below:
| Registration fee for Examination Centres in India | |
|---|---|
| Female Candidates (all categories) | Rs. 1600 |
| SC, ST, and PwD Candidates | Rs. 1600 |
| All Other Candidates | Rs. 3200 |
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
Overall, 50-55% seats are reserved in IITs. The break-up of reservation is - 27% for OBC-NCL, 15% for SC, 7.5% for ST, 10% for Gen-EWS and 5% horizontal reservation for PwD candidates.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
Physics is the most difficult of all three subjects asked in the JEE Advanced exam. Many students also finds Maths as the toughest. It largely depends upon the understanding of candidates and how well the students are equipped with basic knowledge of any subject.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
It is mandatory to appear in both papers of JEE Advanced exam. The total marks are calculated by adding the sum of scores in both papers.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Preparation for JEE Advanced begins by knowing exam syllabus. Every student must follow syllabus. Once preparation is done then start solving previous year questions for self-assessment. This will give an overview of your preparation.