NORCET 11 Mains 2026 AIR 73 Success Story: How Sabiya Farooq Prepared with PW Nursing Wallah

Preparing for a competitive nursing examination becomes more challenging when candidates must balance their studies with professional responsibilities. For Sabiya Farooq, securing a good rank also meant learning from an earlier NORCET attempt and improving her preparation while working.

Sabiya secured All India Rank (AIR) 73 in NORCET 11 Mains 2026. Her journey reflects the importance of consistency, MCQ practice, revision, and managing exam-related anxiety. Her experience with PW Nursing Wallah also played a part in how she approached her preparation and worked towards her preferred institute, AIIMS Awantipora.

How Sabiya Farooq Started Her NORCET Preparation

Sabiya began focusing on her NORCET preparation after completing her fourth-year examinations in October 2024. She initially tried studying theory from another source but felt it was taking too much time. Since she had already studied some subjects through PW Nursing Wallah, she decided to continue with PW resources.

Explaining why she chose PW, Sabiya said:

“Kyunki Sir PW ka mujhe sabse jo accha cheez laga har ek student matlab afford kar sakta hai”

She began her focused preparation towards the end of 2024 and started attending classes for subjects such as Obstetrics and Gynaecology (OBG), Medical-Surgical Nursing (MSN), and Community Health Nursing (CHN).

Her approach also involved attending live classes regularly because she valued the opportunity to interact with teachers and ask questions.

“Meri classes jo rehti thi wo poora live rehte the. Matlab din bhar main live classes leti thi kyunki live se mujhe lagta tha ki teacher se feedback wagairah wo saara question pooch sakte hain”

By the time NORCET 8 was approaching, she had covered most of the NORCET syllabus. However, she chose not to appear for that examination because she wanted to attempt it when she felt prepared to secure selection rather than simply experience the examination.

How Sabiya Learned from Her Previous NORCET Attempt

Sabiya qualified NORCET 9 Prelims with 98 percentile but did not achieve the rank she wanted in Mains. She later identified exam-centre anxiety and overthinking as possible reasons that affected her performance.

Reflecting on that attempt, she explained:

“Lekin haan ye main maan sakti hoon ki kuch to kami thi. Warna itni rank peeche nahi aati. Wo bhi nahi hai ki accept nahi karungi. Main kuch to raha hoga.”

Instead of stopping her preparation after the disappointing result, Sabiya resumed studying the very next day. She started with Pharmacology, a subject she particularly liked, and continued revising other topics.

She also recognised that excessive thinking during the examination could affect her ability to answer questions confidently.

“Mujhe yaad aa raha tha ki nahi mujhe nahi karna hai itna nahi sochna hai direct answer bhi aa sakta hai iska kyunki main bahut zyada soch ke answer kar rahi thi jo maine shayad NORCET 9 mein galti ki thi”

This experience helped her pay greater attention to how she approached questions. Rather than letting her previous result interrupt her preparation, she continued working towards her next attempt.

How Sabiya Managed NORCET Preparation Alongside Her Job

After joining her job, Sabiya had less time available for studying. She explained that preparing while working was more difficult than studying full-time, but she continued to maintain contact with her study material.

She described her routine during this phase:

“Duty ke saath thoda mushkil laga. Utna bhi mushkil nahi hai. Matlab ki kar hi nahi sakta insaan kyunki bahut saare bachche iske baad bhi single digit double digit rank laate hain.”

For NORCET 11, she requested an evening shift from her supervisor. This allowed her to use the hospital library for studying before starting her duty.

Her schedule required careful time management, as she explained:

“Main sar jaise 10:00 baje library jaati thi. Apne hospital mein hi library hai aur udhar jaake main 2:00 baje poora nikalti thi. Phir 2:00 baje se main duty jaati thi.”

She also continued watching PW's YouTube sessions during her working period, even when she could not devote as many hours to studying as before. Her experience highlights how she adjusted her routine around her professional responsibilities instead of completely pausing her preparation.

How PW Nursing Wallah Supported Sabiya's Preparation

PW Nursing Wallah remained part of Sabiya's preparation as she moved towards NORCET 11. She had already studied through its lectures and maintained her notes, which she continued to use during her preparation.

She also credited the faculty and the guidance she received, particularly regarding revision and study strategy.

Speaking about the guidance, Sabiya said:

“Sari faculty ko aapko to bahut zyada kyunki sar aapne hi mujhe abhi bhi yaad hai aapne strategy batayi thi revise karna”

She particularly valued the live classes and the subject lectures she had followed during her earlier preparation. Her experience with the faculty helped her understand the importance of following a consistent study routine.

She also shared her view of PW's accessibility and learning support:

“PW ko jaise har ek student afford kar sakta hai aur aapko live classes milti hain. Ritu ma'am, Aarti ma'am sab bahut acche hain wahan pe.”

For Sabiya, continuing with familiar learning resources meant that she could revisit her notes and revise important concepts while balancing her job and exam preparation.

Sabiya's NORCET 11 Strategy: MCQ Practice, Revision and Analysis

Along with theory revision, Sabiya focused on practising multiple-choice questions (MCQs). She had followed PW's YouTube question series and found the challenging questions useful for developing critical thinking.

She explained the benefit of this practice:

“Mujhe lagta hai critical thinking develop karna ek insaan ke liye bahut zaroori hai. Jo maine aapki YT series se bahut seekhi hai.”

She also stressed that attempting tests alone was not enough. Understanding why an answer was incorrect and identifying the concept behind the mistake were important parts of her preparation.

Her advice on analysing performance was clear:

“Test dene se zyada mujhe lagta hai analyse karna bahut zaroori hai ki maine kaun sa concept laga ke ye question galat kiya. Mujhe aata nahi tha ya maine galat kyun kiya? Matlab wo jaanna zaroori hai.”

Sabiya also recommended maintaining one source for theory instead of repeatedly changing study material. She continued using her existing notes, revising highlighted points, and practising questions from sources she considered reliable.

Sabiya Farooq's Message to Future NORCET Aspirants

Sabiya's journey from an earlier attempt to AIR 73 in NORCET 11 Mains demonstrates the importance of continuing preparation after setbacks. She managed her studies alongside a job, adjusted her schedule, and focused on improving her approach to questions.

Her experience also highlights the value of staying positive during preparation and not allowing anxiety to dominate the examination experience.

Sharing her broader message about preparation, she said:

“Insaan ko hamesha positivity ke saath hi baithna chahiye; hamesha jo bhi preparation wagairah kar rahe ho hamesha positive raho aap”

She also encouraged aspirants to remain consistent and follow a planned routine:

“Mujhe aise lagta hai ki agar student teacher ka routine follow karke chale na to koi nahi rok sakta aapki selection chahe time bhi lag jaaye”

Sabiya Farooq's NORCET 11 Mains 2026 AIR 73 success story offers a practical lesson for nursing aspirants: preparation does not always follow a straight path. Learning from mistakes, practising questions, revising consistently, and managing time can help candidates continue working towards their goals.