'Had to Work Hard to Score Decent Marks,' Recalls JEE Advanced 2023 AIR 8 Malay Kedia

The path to success is rarely smooth, and this holds true for Malay Kedia, who secured the 8th All India Rank in the JEE Advanced 2023. Malay's journey of JEE preparation began in 11th grade and culminated in an impressive score of 324 out of 360 in one of the toughest examinations in the country. Reflecting on his two-year preparation period, Malay emphasized the importance of consistent hard work, avoiding lengthy breaks, and maintaining a focus on the quality of his study. As the JEE Main and Advanced approached, he gradually increased his study hours, eventually reaching up to 12 hours a day.
Malay, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, shared his observations on the IIT exam patterns, highlighting that the JEE Advanced does not repeat questions. However, he emphasized the value of solving past questions, as they help students understand the nature of the examination and identify question patterns. Malay also achieved an impressive AIR 4 in JEE Main 2023, scoring 300 marks. For chemistry, he emphasized the importance of reading the NCERT textbook, as it covers both organic and inorganic parts relevant to the JEE Advanced. In mathematics, he stressed the significance of having a clear understanding of concepts and learning helpful tricks, given the abundance of available books in the market for this subject.
Malay expressed his interest in physics, mentioning that he read various books such as HC Verma, IE Irodov, SS Krotov, and Pathfinder. For chemistry, he focused on Narendra Avasthi's materials, and for mathematics, he utilized sets of books by Sameer Bansal and Vikas Tiwari's Blackbooks. Malay also received coaching from the Allen Institute. He believed that following a strict timetable for exam preparation was not feasible due to the varying nature of each day, which involved different assignments, classes, homework, and targets. Nevertheless, he ensured he never differentiated between JEE Main and Advanced preparations, tackling both simultaneously from the beginning. Malay diligently made and revised notes, attended lectures, and completed assignments as part of his study routine.
During the JEE Advanced examination, Malay adopted a strategic approach. He scanned the questions and prioritized the easier ones first. By solving the simpler questions initially, he built confidence, relaxed his mind, and created more time for the challenging ones. Malay offered advice to JEE Advanced 2024 aspirants, emphasizing that rote learning is not a solution. Instead, he stressed the importance of focusing on understanding and conceptual clarity, as well as gaining a comprehensive understanding of the examination format.
Looking ahead, Malay aspires to pursue Computer Science Engineering at IIT Bombay. He credits his parents for their unwavering support and acknowledges the sacrifices they made for his success. Clearing the IIT entrance exam was the best gift he could give to his father on Father's Day. Malay's father works in the private sector, while his mother is a tuition teacher.