CSIR NET June 2026 Life Sciences Topper Talk: Kamal Rawat AIR 20 Success Story With PW

Kamal Rawat secured All India Rank 20 in CSIR NET June 2026 Life Sciences while pursuing his MSc Biotechnology from Gujarat Biotechnology University. His result came after improving his performance from Rank 107 in the December CSIR NET attempt.

For Kamal, the aim was initially to qualify the exam. After clearing his first attempt, he realised that he could improve his score further. He continued working on his preparation with regular revision, PYQs, mock tests and PW lectures.

His journey shows how consistent preparation and regular question practice can help students improve their performance over multiple attempts.

Kamal Rawat's Journey Before Securing AIR 20

Kamal is currently in the third semester of his MSc Biotechnology. He appeared for CSIR NET for the first time during his second semester and qualified the exam with Rank 107.

That result gave him confidence that he could push himself further.

"Ek baar qualify karke aisa laga ki I can push hard and do better."

When he appeared for the June 2026 exam, he felt that the question paper was challenging and was unsure about his final score. However, regular revision and practice helped him improve his performance.

"Question paper thoda is level ka tha ki mujhe laga cut-off bahut high jayega aur mere marks shayad sufficient nahi rahenge. Lekin proper practice karke aur revise karke I was able to further improve my score."

The final scorecard surprised him because his estimated rank was around 50, while the final result placed him at AIR 20.

How PW Lectures Helped Kamal in His Preparation

Kamal had already started building his subject knowledge through his MSc studies and reference books. He also used PW lectures to follow a proper study schedule.

According to him, PW lectures helped him cover topics in a planned way.

"Agar aap PW pe hain toh uske lectures le sakte ho. Usmein kya hoga ki aapko ek tareeke se schedule ke hisaab se padhai hone lagegi."

He also followed PW's practice material and question-based sessions during his preparation.

Kamal believes that students should use lectures along with self-study instead of depending on only one source.

Kamal Rawat's Study Strategy Alongside MSc

Since Kamal was pursuing his MSc Biotechnology, he had to manage his college studies along with CSIR NET preparation.

During weekdays, he generally studied for around one to two additional hours apart from his MSc coursework. He used weekends for longer study sessions.

"Saturday-Sunday ek long session rakhta tha apna padhne ka. Weekdays mein main mainly one and two hours leta tha additionally apne MSc ke course ke alawa."

He also recommended starting preparation early instead of waiting until the final semester.

Kamal suggested that students pursuing higher studies should read standard books alongside their regular classes so that their concepts become stronger over time.

Why PYQs Were Important in Kamal's Preparation

Kamal gave significant importance to Previous Year Questions (PYQs). He believes that solving PYQs helps students understand the level and pattern of questions asked in CSIR NET.

"PYQ karte rehna chahiye, kyunki woh confidence bhi deta hai aur saath mein batata hai ki question kis level pe pooche ja rahe hain."

PYQs also helped him understand which topics required more attention and how deeply he needed to prepare a particular concept.

For students preparing for the next CSIR NET attempt, he recommends keeping question practice alongside theory and revision.

How Kamal Used Mock Tests to Improve His Score

Mock tests were not always encouraging for Kamal. During his preparation, he sometimes scored around 110–120 marks in mocks, which made him feel demotivated.

However, he continued practising instead of stopping.

"Jab main mock test laga raha tha preparation ke through toh mere marks around 120 aa rahe the, 110 aa rahe the. Main thoda demotivated feel kar raha tha."

Rather than treating low mock scores as a final indication of his performance, he used them to identify mistakes and continued practising.

He also revised questions that he got wrong and tried to understand the reason behind each mistake.

"Consistency maintain karni chahiye. Baar-baar question lagate jao aur jo galat kar rahe ho woh ek baar read through kar lo."

Kamal also used PW practice material and question sessions to strengthen his preparation.

Kamal's Approach to Question Practice

For Kamal, reading theory repeatedly was not enough. He believes students need to solve questions regularly to understand whether they can actually apply the concepts.

He used different types of questions to test his understanding and also practised analytical questions.

"Questions practice equally important hai. Aap baar-baar questions karte jao, jo galat ho rahe hain unko analyse karo."

His preparation included PYQs, mock tests and practice questions. This combination helped him move beyond simply reading and revising concepts.

How Kamal Managed the 3-Hour CSIR NET Exam

Time management became an important part of Kamal's strategy after his first CSIR NET attempt.

During his earlier attempt, he spent around one and a half hours on Section C. He realised that this left less time for the other sections.

For his next attempt, he worked on reducing the time spent on Section C.

"Pehle attempt mein Section C ke 75 questions read karte-karte around one and a half hour lag raha tha. Agle attempt mein socha ki isko aur kam time kar sakun."

In the June attempt, he completed Section C in around one hour and then divided the remaining time between Sections B and A.

His strategy was based on his strengths and the difficulty level of the paper.

Kamal Rawat's Strategy for Question Selection

Kamal believes that question selection plays an important role in CSIR NET because attempting every question is not always the best approach.

He had prepared all 13 units at some level but focused more strongly on around nine units.

During the exam, he first looked for questions from areas he was comfortable with.

"Main dekh raha tha ki ye familiar hai ki nahi. Sabse pehle jo mera strong tha, main woh dekh raha tha."

He also looked for MCQs, diagram-based questions and statement-based questions that he could attempt confidently.

Questions that required more time were marked for review and attempted later.

"Jo questions aapko ban paayenge, unko pehle mark kar lo. Phir aap further proceed karte jao."

This approach helped him avoid spending too much time on a single question.

Which CSIR NET Life Sciences Units Did Kamal Prioritise?

Kamal attended lectures for all the units. However, towards the end of his preparation, he focused more on topics that he considered important and frequently asked.

He particularly focused on areas such as Biochemistry and Cell Biology and solved more questions from these topics.

"Biochemistry se bahut saare questions aate hain. Cell Biology se bahut saare. Inpe maine zyada focus kiya aur inke further questions bhi bahut saare lagaye."

He also used his MSc Biotechnology background to his advantage because several concepts and techniques were already part of his academic studies.

How Kamal Prepared in the Last Month

The final month was focused more on practice and revision. Kamal continued solving questions with his friends and also followed relevant PW sessions.

He said that anxiety before the exam is normal but students should use it as motivation rather than allowing it to affect their preparation.

"Anxious feel karenge, lekin is anxiety ko motivation bana lo ki agar aap mehnat karoge toh aapko rank milegi."

He also received support from his friends and teachers during the final phase of preparation.

Some of his friends would solve questions with him late into the night, which helped him maintain his practice routine.

Kamal Rawat's Advice on Consistency

For Kamal, consistency was the most important part of his preparation.

He recommends setting a realistic daily target rather than trying to complete a large portion of the syllabus in one day.

"Consistency is the key. Aap clear karke rakho ki main itna topic aaj khatam karunga. Phir usko kar lo and then further increase your topic."

His advice is to complete daily targets and gradually increase the amount of work instead of postponing today's preparation.

Kamal Rawat's Message for CSIR NET Aspirants

Kamal's journey from Rank 107 to AIR 20 shows how performance can improve when students continue working on their preparation.

His message to students preparing for the next CSIR NET attempt is simple:

"Consistency will always be the key."

He also recommends planning the day according to your capacity instead of trying to finish everything at once.

Regular revision, PYQs, mock tests and analysing mistakes can help students understand where they stand and what they need to improve.

What Aspirants Can Learn From Kamal Rawat's CSIR NET Journey

Kamal's preparation offers several practical lessons for CSIR NET Life Sciences aspirants:

• Start building your concepts early.

• Use standard books along with lectures.

• Solve PYQs regularly.

• Do not stop taking mock tests because of low scores.

• Analyse questions you get wrong.

• Focus more on important and high-weightage topics.

• Practise question selection and time management.

• Use your strong subjects to maximise your score.

• Set realistic daily study targets.

• Stay consistent throughout the preparation.

Kamal Rawat's CSIR NET June 2026 journey shows how he worked on his preparation after qualifying the examination with Rank 107 in his first attempt. While pursuing his MSc Biotechnology, he continued with revision, PYQs, mock tests and question practice, while also improving his approach to time management and question selection. His second attempt resulted in AIR 20 in Life Sciences.

Also, Read:

• CSIR NET June 2026 Life Sciences Topper Ranjit Kumar Singh AIR 10 Success Story