7 Tips to Deal With Exam Stress From JEE Toppers!

If you’re prepping for JEE, you’re probably used to a lot of stress already. It piles up. Daily. Sometimes it’s the syllabus. Sometimes it’s mock test scores. Or maybe it’s just the constant pressure to “crack it.”

Get it.

I’ve spoken to a few JEE toppers (and yes, real ones—not just those in rank posters from the coaching center walls) from the best IIT JEE coaching classes in Nagpur, and they shared some real talk about how they handled exam stress. Nothing too fancy. Just stuff that worked.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, read this slowly. Maybe even twice. These 7 tips to deal with exam stress could help more than you think.

7 Tips to Deal With Exam Stress From JEE Toppers

1. Don’t Study 24/7. Seriously, Don’t.

One topper from the best IIT JEE coaching classes in Nagpur told me this straight: “I never studied for more than 8 hours a day. That was my upper limit.”

Sounds low? It’s not.

1. Your brain needs rest to remember things.
2. Studying without breaks makes you slower, not smarter.
3. Sitting at your desk for 14 hours pretending to study isn’t helping.

Instead:

1. Use a simple 50-10 rule. Study for 50 minutes, break for 10.
2. After 4 hours, take a longer break. Maybe a nap. Maybe a walk.
3. Track real study hours. Be honest with yourself.

Ask yourself: “Am I actually learning, or just stressing myself out more?”

2. Make a Daily Plan (But Keep It Flexible)

Planning helps. But overplanning? It just adds pressure.

Here’s what worked for most toppers:

1. Write your goals for the day the night before.
2. Keep it realistic—no, you won’t finish all of Organic Chemistry today.
3. Prioritise topics you keep forgetting.

One student told me, “I always started with my weakest topic. I hated it, but it lowered my anxiety.”

Try this format:

1. Morning: Revise yesterday’s topics
2. Afternoon: Tackle a tough subject
3. Evening: Practice questions
4. Night: Chill + quick recap

Keep space in your plan for when things don’t go as planned. Because they won’t. And that’s fine.

3. Stop Comparing Your Progress

Let’s be real—everyone stalks that one guy who finishes the syllabus early.

Bad idea.

Toppers who ranked under 500 in JEE told me this over and over: “I stopped caring what others were doing.”

Why?

1. Everyone has different speeds.
2. You don’t know their struggles behind the scenes.
3. Constant comparison creates stress, not motivation.

If you must compare, do it with your past self.

1. Were you better today than yesterday?
2. Did you solve more questions this week?
3. Did your mock test score improve even a little?

That’s progress.

4. Mock Tests Aren’t Just About Scores

A lot of coaching classes in Nagpur will tell you mock tests are everything. That’s true—but not for the reason you think.

Topper insight: “Mock tests taught me how to stay calm when things went wrong.”

Things to focus on:

1. Time management
2. Accuracy over speed
3. Figuring out your weak areas

After each test:

1. Don’t cry about the score
2. Spend time analyzing your mistakes
3. Look for patterns: Do you always mess up in Maths Section B? Fix that

Also, don’t skip mock tests just because you’re scared of a bad score. That’s the exact reason you should take them.

5. Talk to People (Not Just About Studies)

This one surprised me, honestly.

A lot of toppers said they stayed in touch with friends and family—even during peak prep time.

One guy said, “Every night, I called my cousin just to talk nonsense. It kept me sane.”

You don’t have to isolate yourself to do well.

1. Chat with a friend after dinner
2. Go for a walk with your sibling
3. Watch a show on weekends (without guilt)

It keeps your brain fresh. And when your brain’s doing okay, your prep gets better too.

6. Move Your Body, Even If Just a Little

Sitting all day makes your brain foggy.

You don’t need to run 10k or join a gym. Just move.

Ideas from real toppers:

1. Stretch every morning
2. Do 20 jumping jacks between subjects
3. Take short walks (even inside the house)
4. Try breathing exercises before mock tests

One topper said, “Whenever I felt like my head would explode, I just lay on the floor and stared at the ceiling for 10 minutes. Weird, but it helped.”

Physical movement isn’t a waste of time. It’s part of your prep.

7. Sleep Like Your Rank Depends on It (Because It Does)

You probably hear this all the time. But you might not believe it.

Here’s what a JEE Advanced top 100 ranker told me: “I never studied after 11 pm. I chose sleep over revision. Every single time.”

Your brain literally can’t store new info without sleep.

So if you’re cutting sleep to cram more?

You’re probably wasting effort.

Try this:

1. Set a strict bedtime (no late-night YouTube spirals)
2. Don’t revise right before sleeping—just relax
3. Use alarms only if you need them
4. No screens 30 minutes before bed (this helps more than you’d think)

Rested brains solve tricky Physics problems. Tired brains just panic.

What Works

Here’s the no-fluff version of what toppers recommend:

1. Study smart, not long
2. Have a simple, flexible plan
3. Focus on your growth, not others’
4. Take mock tests seriously, but not emotionally
5. Stay connected with real people
6. Move around to stay mentally fresh
7. Sleep like you mean it

These tips to deal with exam stress aren’t magic. But they’re honest, doable, and proven by people who’ve been through it.

You don’t have to be perfect every day. Nobody is. Not even the toppers.

Some days will feel great. Others won’t.

That’s part of it.

But if you keep showing up, keep adjusting, and keep caring for your mental state—

You’re doing just fine.

You’ve got this. Really.