Boys occupy the top slots among rank holders from the city in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE)-main exams, the results of which were announced by the Central Board of Secondary Education on Thursday.

Ninad Hemanth Huigol, a student of BASE coaching centre, is among the toppers in the city, with a ranking of 54. Huigol scored 325 out of a total of 360. He said steady preparations of two to three hours a day helped him succeed. Huigol has a special interest in Physics. A student from Delhi Public School, South, he aspires to study Physics in the Indian Institute of Science. “The preparatory tests given in BASE were helpful. My family has been supportive,” he said.

For Viswajith P Hegde, a boy who started his journey in a small town — Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district — it was a dream come true when he saw his scores. A student from Deeksha College, he has a rank of 65.

His score is 323. Hegde hopes to bag a seat in IIT Bombay or IIT Madras. In the past, he has stood first in the state in the SSLC exams. “The mock exams helped me prepare for JEE. They were helpful and helped boost my confidence.”

Sumanth Hegde, another student from BASE, has secured a rank of 93 with a score of 320. A student of VVS Sardar Patel College in the city, he feels the practice papers helped him prepare well for the exam. “I would study for four to five hours a day. Constant revisions and practice papers helped me.” Hegde said he would concentrate on preparing for JEE (advanced). He wishes to bag a seat in mechanical engineering at IIT Bombay or IIT Madras.