IIT JAM 2026 AIR 22 Biotechnology Topper Chetanya Sharma’s Strategy & Journey with PW

Chetanya Sharma secured AIR 22 in IIT JAM 2026 Biotechnology with 76.33 marks after approximately four months of preparation. What makes her journey notable is that she prepared alongside her university studies without treating long study hours as the only measure of progress.

In her interaction with the PW IIT JAM & CSIR NET YouTube Channel, Chetanya shared how she managed her limited preparation time, approached Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Life Sciences, used PYQs and revision, and relied on conceptual learning to strengthen her preparation. 

Her experience highlights how focused study, smart topic selection, regular practice, and consistency can help aspirants prepare effectively within a limited timeframe.

Chetanya Sharma's Four-Month IIT JAM 2026 Preparation Strategy

Unlike many aspirants who prepare for IIT JAM for an entire year, Chetanya's preparation journey was comparatively short. She clearly shared:

"Ma'am, I prepared for approximately, I guess, four months. Mine was not like a long one-year preparation journey. I wasn't sure whether I should give the exam."

Initially, she was uncertain about appearing for IIT JAM. However, a lecture session at her university changed her perspective.

"But I think there was, like, this one lecture session in our university. So they motivated me that you should go into research and everything. So I think that really helped."

Chetanya also explained that she never studied by taking excessive pressure or treating preparation as a burden.

"I can't take the burden. I mean, I didn't study by taking a burden. I used to enjoy. I used to study. Even if I used to study, like, for one hour, I used to enjoy that."

For her, studying was not simply about clearing an examination.

"It was not that, yes, you are studying because you have to clear the exam. Anyway, the knowledge is going to help you in the future."

Interestingly, Chetanya found the result waiting period more stressful than the actual preparation phase.

"My exam journey wasn't stressful, but the result period, the one-month waiting period, I think that was really stressful because you are watching Telegram groups and they are like, the rank will go very high, the cut-off will increase and everything. That was more stressful for me rather than the preparation time."

Chetanya Sharma’s IIT JAM 2026 Study Routine: Quality Over Quantity 

When asked how she managed university classes and IIT JAM preparation together, Chetanya shared one of the most important lessons from her journey:

"Ma'am, I think quality matters over quantity."

She explained that students do not necessarily need to study for eight hours after returning from college.

Her routine was simple and sustainable. She started her preparation in September and followed a schedule according to her comfort.

"I used to come from university. I used to have my nap and I used to give myself time, and then I guess from 11 to 1, I used to watch one lecture. So it used to be like that."

Weekends were mainly reserved for revision and practice.

"And on Saturdays and Sundays, I used to revise it. I used to do PYQs regarding the same."

Since Life Sciences is a broad subject, she also used books whenever she found certain concepts confusing.

"Because I think Life Science is a very broad topic, so sometimes some things feel confusing to you. For that, I used to follow some books."

Her strategy highlights that focused study, proper revision, and conceptual understanding can be more effective than simply counting study hours.

Chetanya Sharma’s Subject-Wise IIT JAM 2026 Preparation Strategy 

Chetanya followed a different strategy for every subject based on her strengths, weaknesses, and the time available.

Physics

Physics was one of her stronger subjects.

"Ma'am, I was interested in Physics, so my Physics was—I had a good hold on that."

Having a strong foundation helped her focus efficiently on the subject.

Chemistry

Chemistry was comparatively challenging because it was not part of her bachelor's studies.

"Chemistry was the problem because it comes somewhat at the bachelor's level, and I didn't have Chemistry in my bachelor's. So that's something I struggled with."

This was one of the areas where she had to put in additional effort.

Mathematics

Chetanya had limited time for Mathematics and prepared it mainly during the last one or two months.

"For Maths, I think I did some selective topics because I didn't have time. I prepared Maths only in the last one or two months."

Her selective preparation strategy worked effectively because many questions came from the topics she had covered.

"So I did some selected topics, and I think most of the questions came from there."

How Chetanya Prepared for Mathematics 

One of the most interesting parts of Chetanya's preparation journey was how she studied Mathematics with her younger sister, who was in Class 11.

"Actually, my sister is in 11th, so she had Maths. So we used to prepare together. Like, she used to teach me Maths. So it was like that."

For certain Class 12 topics, including determinants, she used PW's YouTube content.

"And for 12th topics, some, like, determinants and all, I think I followed PW's 11th and 12th YouTube channels."

She also explained how she explored lectures from different teachers based on her learning requirements.

"Like, if one thing is not making sense again, there are many teachers on YouTube on PW, 11th and 12th, who are teaching at the boards level and JEE level, so I completed that from there."

How PW YouTube Lectures Supported Chetanya’s Preparation 

PW played an important role in supporting Chetanya's learning, especially when she needed to strengthen concepts and cover specific Mathematics topics.

She followed PW's Classes 11 and 12 YouTube lectures for topics such as determinants and other concepts that she needed for her preparation.

She also remembered a particular question from the examination where a concept from class helped her identify the answer.

"That assimilation question was there, the one with the 54 sigma factor, and ma'am, I remember when I was getting an idea about the question, I remembered your class and I was like, yes, this is definitely going to be the answer."

At the end of the interview, Chetanya expressed her gratitude to the faculty members who guided her.

"A sincere thanks to you, Aashish Sir, Vishali Ma'am, and Devashish Sir for all the guidance."

Her experience shows how the right guidance and concept-based learning can help students connect classroom knowledge with examination questions.

Chetanya Sharma’s AIR 22 in IIT JAM 2026 Biotechnology demonstrates that effective preparation does not always depend on studying for long hours over an extended period. Her approach focused on making the most of limited time, strengthening weaker subjects, practising PYQs, and understanding concepts.

Her experience offers a practical lesson for future IIT JAM aspirants: focus on the quality of your preparation, choose topics strategically, revise regularly, and make consistent progress alongside your other academic commitments.