IIT JAM 2018 Chemistry Topper Interview: AIR 10 Karan Doda wants to join a PSU
Indian Institute of Technology Joint Admission Test for MSc 2027 ( IIT JAM )
IIT JAM 2027 Application Process
5 Sep '26 - 12 Oct '26
IIT JAM Chemistry Topper
A pass-out from Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, Delhi University, Karan Doda cracked IIT JAM 2018 by securing AIR 10. A BSc (Honours) Chemistry graduate, Karan scored a total of 84.33 marks out of 100 in the exam. His section-wise scores in the exam include – 44.33/50 in Section-A (MCQ), 14/20 in Section-B (MSQ), and 26/30 in Section-C (NAT).
Playing badminton, listening to songs, and reading books are Karan’s hobbies. However, the JAM topper’s main passion lies in studying and exploring Chemistry as a subject.
In a candid interview with Shiksha, Karan reveals the prep strategy he adopted for the exam, his future plans, and a lot more. Read the complete interview with IIT JAM 2018 Chemistry topper, Karan Doda below:
Q. Congratulations on being an IIT JAM topper! Did you expect to be the topper of IIT JAM 2018?
No, I did not expect to be the topper. However, I was confident to be in top 10 rank holders of IIT JAM 2018.
Q. Could you tell us your preparation strategy that helped you crack IIT JAM exam?
Q. Could you explain the entire process that you went through after clearing the written exam?
After the exam was over, the online counselling process started in which I filled the preferred IIT in which I want to take admission.
Q. What study plan did you follow for this exam?
I distributed my time equally to study Physical, Inorganic, and Organic Chemistry. I solved a lot of questions to prepare Numerical Answer Type (NAT) section of the paper. For Multiple Select Questions (MSQs) I read more theory and solved NET, GATE, and IIT JAM previous years’ papers. By solving past papers I gained a lot of confidence in the exam.
Q. Which books did you read to prepare for the exam?
I read the following books for IIT JAM 2018 Chemistry paper preparation:
Organic Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry by Jonathan Clayden, Nick Greeves, and Stuart Warren
• Organic Chemistry by Paula Y Bruice
Physical Chemistry
• A Textbook of Physical Chemistry by KL Kapoor (All volumes)
• Physical Chemistry by Peter Atkins and Julio de Paula
Inorganic Chemistry
• Shriver & Atkins Inorganic Chemistry by Peter Atkins, Tina Overton, Jonathan Rourke, Mark Weller, and Fraser Armstrong
• Inorganic Chemistry: Principles of Structure and Reactivity by James E Huheey
• Concise Inorganic Chemistry by JD Lee
Q. How did you deal with your strengths and weaknesses while preparing for the exam?
I solved a lot of questions on the topic that I faced difficulty in understanding. Also, I did not waste time in understanding just one topic. I prepared all the topics well, which I feel is the key to crack JAM examination. I also used to give a lot of mock tests to check my JAM preparation.
Q. What as per you are the mistakes one should avoid while preparing for the exam?
First of all, you should clear your Chemistry basics of Class XI and XII. Secondly, rather than focusing on just few topics you should give equal importance to all the topics during JAM preparation.
Q. Any advice to manage time while giving the exam?
Do not get stuck to one question if you are not able to solve it, skip to another question. Always use pen and paper for rough work. Do not hurry to mark your responses as you might make lots of silly mistakes. Spend more time on MSQ section and do not forget to review your NAT responses.
Q. There is negative marking in the exam so what strategy should students adopt to score high?
You must prepare all topics well and should not mark your response if you are unsure of the answer else you might end up getting negative marking in the exam.
Q. Which as per you is the most difficult part of the IIT JAM exam?
I found Section B (MSQ) to be most difficult as it requires the student to mark all correct options in the question.
Q. How was your experience of giving a computer-based test?
My CBT (Computer Based Test) experience was very good. A slight advantage in the exam was that that we could change our response even after marking it in the system. Also, marking responses on a computer saved a lot of time.
Q. Any things that students should keep in mind to perform well on the day of the exam?
Do not study much on the day of the exam, only revise through short notes. Also, sleep well a day before the exam.
Q. What other Science entrance exams did you take?
In 2017, I was selected for admission at IISER Mohali in PhD programme.
Q. Was MSc always your first preference?
Getting admission in an IIT has been a dream for me and clearing IIT JAM 2018 is the only path through which I can fulfill my dream.
Q. Any tips for students who are planning to take the exam next year?
Be thorough with the basic concepts of Chemistry. Study all topics prescribed in JAM syllabus well. Also, try using the calculator that is provided during the exam a day before on your computer. Join an online test series as it will help you gain confidence.
Q. What are your future plans?
I want to join a PSU (Public Sector Unit) after clearing MSc. Simultaneously, I also want to teach students, as teaching is my passion.
News & Updates
Explore Other Exams
1 Aug '26 | TIFR GS 2026 Session Starts |
Feb '26 | TIFR GS 2026 Final Result |
1 Oct '23 | JUET 2023 results |
20 Sep '23 | JUET 2023 answer key objection... |
23 Jun '26 | CUET UG 2026 Result |
21 Jun '26 | CUET UG 2026 Final Answer Key |
1 Aug '26 | CEBS Counselling: Fifth Round ... |
1 Aug '26 - 4 Aug '26 | CEBS Counselling: Payment afte... |
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 22 hours ago
IIT Bombay JAM cutoff 2026 has been released for admission to the MSc and MSc+ PhD courses. The cutoff was announced for different categories under the All India quota.
For the General AI category, the overall cutoff ranged from 15 (MSc in Biotechnology) to 839 (MSc+ PhD in Environmental Science a
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
SC category students under the All India quota need a rank of at least 2336 to be considered eligible for a seat. Candidates can check the table below to know the Round 1 and Last Round closing ranks for the SC AI category.
| Course | Round 1 Cutoff 2026 | Last Round Cutoff 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| M.Sc. + Ph.D. in Chemistry | 2330 | 2336 |
| M.Sc. + Ph.D. in Mathematics | 1485 | 1485 |
| M.Sc. + Ph.D. in Physics | 2098 | 2229 |
| M.Sc. + Ph.D. in Geology | 444 | 463 |
| M.Sc. + Ph.D. in Atmosphere and Ocean Sciences | 1921 | 1921 |
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
IIT Hyderabad JAM cutoff 2026 ranged from 260 in the first round to 429 in the last round for the General AI category. As per this range, MSc in Mathematics turned out to be the most competitive. This course had the overall cutoff ranging between 260 and 284.
Students can see the table below to know
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
IIT Indore cutoff 2026 for the OBC AI category ranged from 211 to 1353 in the last round. As per this range, MSc in Biotechnology and MSc in Astronomy were the most and least competitive MSc branches for admission. Students can check the table below to know the round 1 and last round cutoff for vari
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
Missing the qualifying cutoff rank by even a small margin can make admission at IIT Dhanbad for its MSc and MSc Tech courses unlikely. Students who want admission to this institute need to attain course- and category-specific ranks. The admission process is strict because the seat counts are low and
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
The OBC category students need a rank of at least 1493 to be considered eligible for a seat at this instution. For this category, MSc Tech in Applied Geology turned out to be the most preffered course for admission, with the Round 1 closing cutoff of 166, which later moved up to 177 in the last roun
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
A rank of 200 could get you admission at IIT Dhanbad if you belong to the General AI category. For this category, the last round cutoff ranged from 73 to 886. So, getting admission with the attained rank might be possible to all courses, expect M.Sc. Tech in Applied Geology, which had the last round
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
A rank of at least 175 is required in the General AI category in the last round to gain admission to the MSc in Physics course. Check the list below to know the highest acceptable rank for other categories for the aforementioned programme.
- General: 175
- OBC: 485
- SC: 859
- ST: 1846
- EWS: 441
- PWD: 2649
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 6 days ago
To get admission to the MSc Physics course (MSc + PhD in Physics) at IIT Kharagpur, a rank of at least 409 is required to be eligible for admission in the General AI category. Students who belong to other categories can see below to know the highest rank acceptable.
| Category | IIT Kharagpur MSc cutoff 2026 |
|---|---|
| General | 409 |
| OBC | 868 |
| SC | 1990 |
| ST | 3644 |
| EWS | 747 |
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 6 days ago
Yes, you can get admission to IIT Kharagpur with a rank of 200 in the IIT JAM exam if you belong to the General AI category. For this category, the last round cutoff ranged from 100 to 894. Students can take a look below to know which courses can be availed in the last round with the attained rank.
N
Contributor-Level 10
What is the JAM cutoff for IIT Bombay?