![\"'Consistency,](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-131551548,imgsize-81698,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/1280720-2026-06-06t173519892.jpg\" "\\"Srajan")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThere are exams that end when the paper is submitted. And then there are exams that quietly extend into everyday life in weekly tests, timed practice sheets, and the steady rhythm of preparation that never really pauses.For Srajan BS, who has now secured State Rank 2 in KCET 2026, the result of which was announced on Saturday, pressure was never something that arrived suddenly on exam day. Since Class 6 or 7, he says, he was interested in electronics and understanding how things work. That early curiosity shaped his decision to take up engineering later.\u201cSince around 6th or 7th standard, I was highly interested in electronics and understanding the inner workings of things like mobile phones and other gadgets. I would always try to figure out what was inside them or do something with them. That’s why I felt engineering was right for me.\u201d\u201cMy parents were not confident enough to give me working gadgets. They would usually give me broken ones, so I would open them and try to understand how they were built,\u201d he adds with a chuckle.That early habit of observation slowly turned into structured preparation years later, as KCET became one of the key milestones in his academic path. For Srajan, managing KCET alongside Class 12 board preparation was not a separate challenge, but a combined one. Both mattered equally, he says, because KCET ranking considers 50 per cent board marks and 50 per cent CET marks. At Deeksha Vedantu, where he studied, preparation followed a fixed weekly rhythm. \u201cMy college conducted weekly tests, for board exams on Fridays and for competitive exams on Mondays,\u201d he says. \u201cThis helped me stay on track. Based on results, I could identify my weak areas and improve.\u201d Rather than long study hours, he focused on consistency. \u201cI studied around 3\u20134 hours daily, every day,\u201d Srajan says. \u201cI followed this from Class 11 and even Class 10. I made sure there were no backlogs.\u201d Along with this routine, he maintained a diary of what he studied each day. Revision was spaced out across days and weeks. \u201cI used to revise after three days, one week, or two weeks,\u201d he says. \u201cRevision is very important because KCET requires quick solving, about a minute per question.\u201d Before the exam, his expectations were modest compared to the final result. \u201cI expected a rank under 500 or 1,000,\u201d he says. \u201cAfter the exam, I felt I could get under top 10, but I didn\u2019t expect State Rank 2 specifically.\u201d On exam pressure, Srajan describes it as part of the process rather than something separate from it. \u201cPressure is part of the process,\u201d he says. \u201cIt is important to understand pressure and use it positively instead of getting stressed.\u201d \u201cMindset is very important,\u201d Srajan says advising future aspirants. \u201cDon\u2019t just focus on rank. 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.\u201dIn a year where over 3.3 lakh students registered for the Karnataka Common Entrance Test, Srajan\u2019s 177 out of 180 places him right at the top of a highly competitive list, just behind Tanisha Karthik, who secured Rank 1 in the Engineering stream, and ahead of Ninaad Vasisht at Rank 3. Looking ahead, Srajan is considering mechanical engineering, while also exploring electrical and electronics engineering options.<\/div>\n