Budgam’s Attiya Zehra cracks JEE exam with flying colours

Budgam, : Attiya Zehra of main town Budgam has achieved a significant milestone in her academic journey by successfully clearing the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), one of the most challenging engineering entrance tests in India, with an impressive score of 99.84 percentile. This score marks the highest among female candidates in Jammu & Kashmir.
Talking to Rising Kashmir, Attiya Zehra said, “I have achieved a score of 99.84 percentile in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), making me the top female candidate in Jammu and Kashmir.”
Attiya completed her basic education at Alasma Educational Institute in Budgam till 10th grade before enrolling at Spring Buds School where she pursued her 11th and 12th grades in non-medical subjects. She also attended coaching sessions at SKIE classes for a duration of six months, specifically for the NEET Batch. “When I joined the coaching center, most of the syllabus had already been covered. During that time, SKIE classes launched a new NEET Batch, and I registered for it,” she said
Attiya said that after completing her 12th-grade examinations, she took a two-month break. After that she began attending classes at a tuition center, continuing her coaching until December 2024. Following this period, she transitioned to self-study for the syllabus she had covered in the coaching center.
She emphasised the effectiveness of self-preparation for students, noting how coaching provides a roadmap and guidance for exam preparation. Attiya mentioned that she purchased a laptop to facilitate her studies online. She engaged in solving questions and watched instructional videos on YouTube to improve her problem-solving skills, particularly when she struggled with certain questions. Initially, she focused on easier problems, but once she grasped the concepts, she progressed to tackling more challenging questions.
Attiya added that she acquired quality modules for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and concentrated on solving previous years’ questions (PYQs) without delving deeply into the theoretical aspects. She said that she focused on the modules and memorized the necessary formulas.
She expressed her gratitude for the unwavering support of her family, attributing her success in the examinations to their encouragement. In her last attempt, she had achieved a score of 84.10 percentile, but in her most recent attempt, she scored 99.84 percentile, becoming the highest-scoring female candidate in Jammu and Kashmir.
Attiya says that she was completely confident that she would score above 98 percentile. She has already reviewed the answers for the JEE Mains 2025. She believes that if students concentrate on their studies during the 11th and 12th grades, they may not need to attend coaching classes. Instead, they should engage in self-study to prepare for any examinations that follow the 12th grade.
“It was part of my daily routine to solve 65 to 70 questions. Whenever I had free time, I played volleyball, which I consider one of the best sports. I have even participated in a national competition in this sport through the Youth Services and Sports Department of J&K in Karnataka,” Attiya stated.
She stressed that students must work diligently and focus on their studies to achieve their aspirations. Those who put in hard work can reach their goals at any time, as there is no specific timeline for success, she said.
Her father, Ghulam Hassan Khanday, is a Physical Education Master and serves as the Incharge Activity Officer at the District Youth Services and Sports Office in Budgam. He has been lending unwavering support to his daughter, akin to that of a coach.