It was in Class 10 when JEE Main 2025 topper Ahmad Shayan’s mother told him to decide between NEET-UG and JEE Main. Shayan’s father, a cancer specialist working abroad, supported his son’s decision to prepare for the Joint Entrance Examination. Shayan cracked JEE Main on his first attempt with a 99.9649 percentile.

“It was a dream come true moment for us,” said Ahmad Shayan who will appear for the JEE Main April Session only to get a run before JEE Advanced. Hailing from Lucknow and a student of Allen Online, the 17-year-old will appear for the CBSE Class 12 exams this month.

When asked about his dream course/ IIT, Ahmad said, “I don’t have any preferred institute as of now, but I am sure about pursuing electrical engineering.” He told indianexpress.com that he was passionate about computers during childhood but gradually it faded. “I believe I have learned more than the basic skills,” he added.

Shayan is a day scholar who did not opt for dummy schools and claims that his school teachers were helpful in this JEE Main journey. “My decision to not choose dummy schools was good. It helped me with time management and was able to manage both school homework and coaching studies. It was after school that I had my online coaching,” said the boy who scored 95.6 per cent in CBSE Class 10.

For better time management, he credited his school teachers who cooperated and supported him by reducing his homework and not restricting him with a tight deadline for assignments. The JEE Main topper made a flexible schedule with time to rest, enjoy and be active on social media platforms, particularly Instagram.