IIT JAM 2026 Biotechnology AIR 1 Sakshi Nijwala’s Success Story: Strategy, Preparation & Journey with PW

Preparing for IIT JAM alongside a regular college degree can be challenging, especially when students have to balance classes, revision, and exam preparation. Sakshi Nijwala was preparing for IIT JAM Biotechnology while pursuing her final year of a Bachelor's in Agriculture.

Sakshi is from Garhwal, Uttarakhand. She secured All India Rank 1 in IIT JAM Biotechnology with 85.67 marks. In this IIT JAM 2026 AIR 1 Biotechnology Topper Interview, Sakshi talks about how she managed her college studies along with IIT JAM preparation. She also shares her approach to PCM topics, use of previous-year questions, and strategy for attempting the exam. 

How Sakshi Nijwala Balanced College and IIT JAM Preparation

Sakshi was in her final year of a Bachelor's in Agriculture when she prepared for IIT JAM. Instead of waiting to finish college, she continued her preparation with her graduation.

She used the time available before and after college, particularly mornings, evenings, and nights.

"Yes ma'am main final year mein hoon. Bachelors in Agriculture kar rahi hoon. Final year student hoon. To maine apni jo preparation thi wo saath-saath mein hi kari hai."

Sakshi also mentioned that she had a habit of waking up early, which helped her cover a significant portion of her preparation in the morning. She also used the PDFs provided in her classes for quick revision by taking screenshots of useful tables and revisiting them later.

Sakshi's Strategy for PCM and Understanding the Paper

For PCM, Sakshi already had some familiarity from her NEET preparation. She also looked at previous-year question papers to understand the level and areas from which questions were being asked.

"Maine previous year question paper dekhe to mujhe paper ka level samajh mein aa gaya tha ki kitne level mein poocha ja raha hai."

She completed her module and watched the complete PCM videos available to her. For revision, she maintained a small notebook containing formulas and a few questions.

"Maine patli si copy manga bana rakhi thi. Formulas rakhe hue the aur usmein maine do teen question lagaye hue the. To mera utni se ho gaya tha."

This approach helped her keep important formulas and practice questions accessible for revision rather than relying only on lengthy study material.

How PW Supported Sakshi's Preparation

Sakshi was connected with the Saakaar 4.0 batch, and completing the course was her first major target. Her preparation involved structured course completion, revision, tests, and PYQs.

Her advice for students was straightforward:

"Mera first ye hai ki aap pehle apna course complete kariye. Second, aap revision kijiye. Third, aap jo aapko test series available hai use kariye aur PYQ to must hai."

The study resources also helped her with quick revision. She referred to tables and other information provided in PDFs, while the PCM videos helped her cover the required topics. Her strategy shows how she used available learning resources selectively according to her preparation needs.

How Sakshi Used PYQs and Practice to Understand the Exam

For Sakshi, PYQs were not limited to practice after completing the syllabus. She recommended looking at them before starting preparation because they can help students understand the depth and areas of questions.

"Aap preparation start karne se pehle aap PYQ hi dekhiye kyunki aapko PYQ se idea lag jayega ki kitne depth mein question poocha ja raha hai. Kis area se question poocha ja raha hai aur kitna ghuma ke poocha ja raha hai."

She further suggested going through PYQs multiple times. This helped her understand the paper pattern and identify the concepts that needed greater attention, particularly in PCM.

Sakshi's Exam-Day Time Management Strategy

Sakshi approached the paper by first assessing it rather than immediately attempting questions. She spent the first two to three minutes scrolling through the paper to understand its length, question formats, and the amount of PCM content.

"Mera pehle aisa tha ki maine starting ke do-teen minute poora paper scroll kar diya tha ki mujhe pata chal jaaye ki paper kitna lamba hai."

After assessing the paper, she attempted the MCQs first, beginning with questions she knew. She then moved to MSQ questions and gave herself time to carefully work through them.

"To jo mujhe aate the pehle maine wo attempt kare. Phir maine MSQ last mein kara."

Her strategy was based on understanding the paper first and then prioritising questions according to familiarity and time requirements.

What Students Can Learn from Sakshi Nijwala's IIT JAM Journey

Sakshi's preparation offers a practical approach for students who are preparing while pursuing graduation. Her journey highlights the importance of completing the course, revising regularly, practising through tests and PYQs, and understanding the actual question pattern.

She also demonstrated that preparation does not only require giving up college responsibilities. Instead, she made use of available morning, evening, and night hours and incorporated revision into her routine.

Her IIT JAM 2026 AIR 1 result, achieved with 85.67 marks, reflects the outcome of this organised preparation and exam strategy.