Srjan BS celebrates his success with his parents
There are exams that end when the paper is submitted. Then there are tests that quietly spill over into everyday life in weekly tests, timed practice papers, and the steady rhythm of preparation that never stops.For Srajan BS, who has now ranked second in the country in KCET 2026, the result of which was announced on Saturday, the pressure was not something that suddenly arrived on the exam day. He says that since sixth or seventh grade he has been interested in electronics and understanding how things work. This early curiosity helped shape his decision to later study engineering.“Since about sixth or seventh grade, I have been very interested in electronics and understanding the inner workings of things like cell phones and other gadgets.
I was always trying to find out what was in them or do something with them. That’s why I felt engineering was the right choice for me.”“My parents weren’t confident enough to give me working tools,” he added, laughing. “They usually gave me broken tools, so I would open them and try to understand how they were made.”This early habit of observation slowly turned into structured preparation years later, with KCET becoming one of the milestones in his academic path.
For Srajan, running KCET along with preparing the board for Class 12 was not a separate challenge, but a combined challenge. Both are equally important, he says, because KCET ranking takes into account 50 per cent board marks and 50 per cent CET marks. At Deeksha Vedantu, where he studied, preparation followed a fixed weekly rhythm. “My college used to conduct weekly tests, for board exams on Fridays, and for competitive exams on Mondays,” he says.
“This helped me stay on track. Based on the results, I was able to identify my weaknesses and improve them.” Instead of long hours of study, focus on consistency. “I was studying about 3 to 4 hours a day, every day,” says Srajjan. “I followed this from Grade 11 to Grade 10. I made sure there was no backlog.” Besides this routine, he kept a diary of what he studied every day. The review was split across days and weeks. “I would review after three days, or a week, or two weeks,” he says.
“Revision is very important because KCET requires quick solution, about one minute per question.” Before the exam, his expectations were modest compared to the final result. “I was expecting a rank below 500 or 1,000,” he says. “After the test, I felt like I could make the top 10, but I didn’t specifically expect to get second in the state.” Regarding exam pressure, Srajjan describes it as part of the process and not something separate from it. “Pressure is part of the process,” he says.
“It is important to understand stress and use it positively instead of feeling stressed.” “Mindset is very important,” says Srajhan as he advises future aspirants. “Don’t just focus on the rank. You should have a bigger goal in life. Hard work and consistency are the two most important things. If you follow them properly, you can do well in any exam.”In a year in which over 3.3 lakh students registered for the Karnataka Common Entrance Test, Srajhan scored 177 out of 180, putting him at the top of a very competitive list, behind Tanisha Karthik, who secured the first rank in the engineering stream, and ahead of Ninad Vashisht at third rank. Looking to the future, Srajjan is considering mechanical engineering, while also exploring electrical and electronics engineering options.
