CSIR NET June 2026 Mathematical Sciences Topper Vaibhav Agrawal’s Success Story: How He Secured AIR 20 With PW

Qualifying CSIR NET JRF is not always about completing every topic in the syllabus. For Vaibhav Agrawal, the key was understanding his strengths, building strong concepts and practising questions regularly.

Vaibhav completed his BSc from Maharaja College, Jaipur, and later completed his MSc from IIT Gandhinagar in 2026. He had appeared for CSIR NET once before, where he qualified for PhD but could not qualify JRF.

In his second attempt, Vaibhav changed his approach and secured AIR 20 in CSIR NET June 2026 Mathematical Sciences, along with JRF qualification.

During his interview with PW, he spoke about his preparation, the mistakes he made in his first attempt, his approach to Pure Mathematics, the role of PYQs and how he managed the exam.

Vaibhav Qualified CSIR NET JRF in His Second Attempt

Vaibhav's June 2026 result came in his second attempt.

His first attempt was in June 2025. At that time, he was adjusting to the academic routine at IIT Gandhinagar and also made some mistakes during the exam. He could qualify for PhD but missed the JRF cutoff.

For his second attempt, he changed his strategy and prepared more deliberately.

When asked about his attempts, he said:

“Sir, ye mera second attempt tha.”

The experience of his first attempt helped him understand where he was losing time and what he needed to change.

His First Attempt Taught Him an Important Lesson

Vaibhav's first attempt gave him a clear idea of how important exam strategy can be.

He started with Part B and spent too much time there. As a result, he could not give enough time to Part C, where several questions were based on concepts he was comfortable with.

He did not repeat this mistake in his second attempt.

He explained:

“25 wale exam mein bhi... Part B ko poora attempt karne mein lag gaya, main Part C tak pahunch hi nahi paya.”

For his next attempt, he decided to give more attention to the Pure Mathematics portion and make better use of the paper's structure.

Vaibhav Focused Mainly on Pure Mathematics

Vaibhav's MSc background helped him build a strong base in Pure Mathematics. Instead of trying to cover every part of the CSIR NET syllabus equally, he focused on topics where he could build strong conceptual command.

His major areas of preparation included:

• Modern Algebra

• Real Analysis

• Linear Algebra

• Partial Differential Equations

• Complex Analysis

He explained that he focused on topics with good weightage and strong conceptual scope.

“Maine mainly preparation kiya tha Modern Algebra, Real Analysis, Linear Algebra aur PDE... aur Complex...”

His strategy was not to study everything superficially. He focused on fewer areas and tried to understand them properly.

He Did Not Try to Cover the Entire Syllabus

One of the most interesting parts of Vaibhav's preparation was that he did not attempt to complete 100% of the syllabus.

Instead, he identified the areas that could help him score well and worked deeply on those topics.

He said:

“Shayad maine iska 50% part bhi nahi padha hai. Lekin jo padha hai, woh achhe se padha tha.”

For him, knowing a smaller portion well was more useful than covering the entire syllabus without enough practice.

This approach also helped him remain confident when he encountered conceptual questions from his prepared topics.

PW Classes and Notes Helped Him Build His Concepts

Vaibhav was a student of PW's Shodh Batch and used the classes as an important part of his preparation.

His approach after each lecture was quite systematic. First, he prepared notes from the class. Then, he solved the DPPs and PYQs related to the topic.

Instead of keeping PYQs separate, he added the concepts behind those questions to his lecture notes.

He explained:

“Pehle maine uska notes banaya. Us notes ke baad jo DPPs the, us lecture se related PYQs the, main unke concepts usi lecture ke notes mein add karta jaata tha.”

This helped him connect a concept with the way it had actually been tested in previous exams.

For example, when revising a topic later, he could remember not only the theory but also the type of question that had been asked from it.

PYQs Were a Major Part of His Preparation

For Vaibhav, solving PYQs was not just about practising questions. He used them to understand how concepts were applied in the actual examination.

He tried to solve questions soon after completing a topic and added the relevant concepts to his notes.

This helped him recognise familiar concepts during the exam.

He said:

“Maine usi time PYQ bhi kiye the un topics se related.”

This approach gave him a clearer understanding of what he had actually learned and where he still needed more practice.

He Used PYQs Almost Like Mock Tests

Interestingly, Vaibhav did not regularly take separate mock tests.

Instead, he treated PYQs as practice tests and checked how many questions he could solve on his own.

He explained:

“Main PYQ ko hi test ke roop mein dekhta tha.”

This allowed him to practise questions in an exam-like manner while also learning from the concepts behind them.

Rather than simply checking the answer, he focused on whether he could reach the solution himself.

His CSIR NET Exam Strategy Changed During the Paper

Vaibhav entered the exam with a strategy, but he had to adjust it after seeing the actual questions.

He initially started with Part B. However, the questions appeared more difficult than he expected, and he realised that continuing there would consume too much time.

He then moved to Part C.

This turned out to work better for him because several Part C questions were based on Pure Mathematics concepts that he had prepared well.

He said:

“Part C mein mujhe pata hai negative marking nahi hai. Main attempt kar sakta hoon.”

After getting confidence from Part C, he attempted Part A and later returned to the remaining questions.

Vaibhav Got 17 Questions Correct in Part C

Part C became one of the strongest sections of his paper.

Out of the questions he attempted in Part C, he estimated that 17 were correct.

He also found that several questions were connected to concepts covered in his PW classes.

He said:

“Shodh Batch mein humne padha, almost saare questions kuch na kuch concept wahi se click ho raha tha.”

This gave him confidence during the examination and encouraged him to spend more time on Part C.

He Was Careful About Negative Marking

Vaibhav was particularly cautious while attempting Part B.

He knew that the Applied Mathematics portion was not his strongest area, so he did not randomly attempt questions just to increase the number of attempts.

He attempted questions only when he was reasonably confident.

As a result, he scored around 11 marks in Part B, while most of his marks came from Parts A and C.

His approach was simple:

“Jo mujhe confirm hai, woh main kar raha hoon.”

This helped him avoid losing marks on questions where he was unsure.

Doubt Solving Was an Important Part of His Preparation

Whenever Vaibhav got stuck on a concept, he did not leave the doubt unresolved.

He used different sources to understand difficult topics. He discussed questions with his professors, friends and teachers.

Since his MSc at IIT Gandhinagar also had a strong Pure Mathematics component, his professors were able to help him with several conceptual doubts.

He also used the support available through PW.

The message he gave to other students was straightforward: if you do not understand something, ask.

“Apne doubts clear karo.”

He also suggested discussing questions with friends if a student was unable to resolve a problem alone.

His Friends and Professors Helped Him Stay Motivated

Preparation was not only about books and questions for Vaibhav.

He regularly spoke to his friends, especially in the evening. These conversations helped him deal with the pressure and low phases that can come during competitive exam preparation.

He said:

“Mera success mein role hai mere doston ka.”

He also regularly spoke to his professors, who motivated him whenever he felt low or struggled with preparation.

For him, having people around who could discuss academics as well as provide motivation made the preparation period easier.

Vaibhav Focused on High-Weightage Topics

When asked what advice he would give to students preparing for JRF, Vaibhav again highlighted the size of the CSIR NET syllabus.

Instead of trying to memorise everything close to the exam, he recommended starting early and giving more attention to important conceptual topics.

He particularly focused on:

• PDE

• Complex Analysis

• Linear Algebra

• Modern Algebra

• Real Analysis

He solved PYQs from these areas and tried different questions to strengthen his understanding.

His approach was:

“Main topics jinka weightage zyada tha... unpe kaafi zyada focus kiya.”

His Preparation Followed a Simple Cycle

Vaibhav's preparation can be understood through a simple cycle:

PW Class → Notes → DPPs → PYQs → Doubt Solving → Revision

He did not stop after watching a lecture. He converted the concepts into notes, solved related questions and discussed doubts whenever necessary.

This helped him move from simply understanding a topic to actually applying it.

He Believes Question Practice Is Essential

Vaibhav also stressed that simply studying concepts is not enough for CSIR NET.

A student may understand a formula or theorem but still struggle to use it in a question.

For him, question practice was the bridge between learning and exam performance.

“Jab tak question mein apply karna nahi seekhoge... practice sabse must hai.”

This is why PYQs remained a regular part of his preparation.

Vaibhav's CSIR NET June 2026 Result

Vaibhav secured a strong result in his second attempt.

Vaibhav Plans to Pursue PhD

After completing his MSc in 2026 and qualifying CSIR NET JRF, Vaibhav plans to pursue a PhD.

He also wants to prepare for a career as an Assistant Professor.

When asked about his future plans, he said:

“Kisi achhi jagah PhD mein admission lekar Assistant Professor ki tayari karni hai.”

His next step will therefore be to continue in academics and research.

Vaibhav's Advice to CSIR NET Mathematical Sciences Aspirants

Vaibhav's preparation was based on focused study rather than trying to complete everything at once.

His key advice for students is:

• Start preparing well before the exam instead of leaving the syllabus for the last few months.

• Identify important topics and build strong concepts in them.

• Focus on Pure Mathematics and do not ignore its conceptual questions.

• Solve PYQs after completing each topic.

Vaibhav Agrawal's CSIR NET June 2026 journey changed significantly between his first and second attempts. After qualifying for PhD but missing JRF in his first attempt, he focused his second preparation on selected areas of Pure Mathematics and worked more deliberately on question practice and examination strategy.

His use of PW classes, notes, DPPs and PYQs formed part of this preparation, while discussions with teachers, professors and friends helped him work through doubts. The second attempt ultimately resulted in AIR 20 and JRF qualification, followed by his plan to pursue a PhD and continue towards an academic career.