When the Neet exam was postponed, Sankalp Sandeep Naik thought about giving up. “I completely lost interest. I thought I should stop,” the Dubai student recalled.
But his mother refused to let him quit. His father stood by him. His brother gave up their shared bedroom every night so Sankalp could study without interruption.
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Months later, the Ascentria student, who also studies at JSS Private School in Dubai, became the highest-ranked candidate among those who appeared for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026 from centres outside India.
He secured 650 marks out of 720, an All India Rank (AIR) of 1,398, and topped the ‘Outside India’ category in the National Testing Agency’s state-wise toppers list. His scorecard also shows an overall percentile of 99.9253.
The 18-year-old said the postponement of the examination was the toughest part of his journey. “Postponing exams is very difficult for students. It affects their mindset,” he told Khaleej Times. “When the exam was postponed, I completely lost interest. I thought I should stop. But my mom, dad and brother kept pushing me. Then I kept going. I am thankful to everyone who supported me.”
Sankalp said he joined Dubai-based coaching institute Ascentria in Class 12. While he initially concentrated on his CBSE board examinations, he shifted his full focus to Neet during the final months before the test.
“I prepared seriously for around five months,” he said. “The regular tests and teaching at the institute helped me improve steadily.”
“Initially, I was not doing well in the Neet tests because I was focusing on my boards. But towards the end, when I started focusing only on Neet, that is when it really started to show.”
Alka Malik, founder of Ascentria, said the result reflected the student’s hard work, supported by his teachers and family.
“We are immensely proud of Sankalp and all our students for their dedication, perseverance, and pursuit of excellence. Their achievements are a testament to their hard work, supported by the unwavering commitment of our faculty and the trust of our parent community.”
Behind the result, however, was the support of an entire family. Sankalp shared a room with his brother, but during the preparation period, his brother moved to the living room every night so he could study peacefully. “My brother had to move to the hall and sleep there because I mostly studied properly at night,” he said.
His father also took leave from work several times to support him during the crucial months before the examination. “All in all, my family supported me very much,” he said.
The journey also meant giving up many things he enjoyed. Sankalp stopped attending his cricket academy once studies became more demanding, although he continued playing occasionally for his school.
He also missed several family occasions, including his own 18th birthday. “My birthday was three days before the originally scheduled Neet exam. I was just studying on my birthday,” he said.
Asked which day of his Neet journey he would like to relive, Sankalp said it would be the day he finished writing the examination. “That day I knew all the pressure would be over. I would finally be free from studying every day and could have fun again,” he said.
Although he felt confident after the exam, he admitted there was still some nervousness while waiting for the results. “There is always a little bit of fear in the back of your mind, but my parents always supported me, so I was pretty confident.”
Asked what people often fail to see behind a top rank, Sankalp said the biggest challenge was changing his lifestyle. “People only see the score. They don’t see the sacrifices. Going from having fun all the time to suddenly studying six or seven hours every day is really difficult. The biggest challenge is making that shift. Once you get into the flow, everything becomes easier.”
He advised future Neet aspirants to focus on revision instead of trying to cover as much material as possible. “It is more important how many times you study the material than how much you study. Even if you do one chapter five times, it’s better than doing five chapters one time.”
Sankalp, whose father is an engineer, said he has wanted to become a neurosurgeon since childhood. “I have always wanted to become a neurosurgeon. I had only one aim in life,” he said.
He now plans to complete his admission formalities before returning to Dubai in August. His preferred choice is AIIMS Nagpur, where he hopes to begin his journey towards becoming a neurosurgeon.
Source: Khaleej Times