For thousands of engineering aspirants in Nepal, getting into Institute of Engineering — especially Pulchowk Campus — is more than just an academic goal. It is a dream built on pressure, sacrifice, uncertainty, and relentless hard work. Every year, students spend months preparing for the highly competitive IOE Entrance Examination, chasing the hope of securing a seat in one of Nepal’s most prestigious engineering colleges.

But behind every rank, every score, and every success story, there exists a deeply personal journey — one filled with anxiety, self-doubt, mistakes, breakthroughs, and emotional battles that nobody sees.

This is one such story.

A story of someone who had an entirely different future planned, only to change paths unexpectedly and dive headfirst into the intense world of IOE entrance preparation. A story that many +2 graduates preparing for IOE in Nepal will deeply relate to.

Change of Paths

Until the end of Grade 12 boards, my future looked completely different.

I had already planned everything in my head. My goal was to go to India through the ICCR scholarship and pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Economics. That path felt natural to me. I had mentally committed to it for a long time.

But life changes quietly.

During the vacation after boards, I returned home and started seriously thinking about my future. I weighed every possibility carefully. I discussed with seniors, family members, and anyone who could genuinely guide me. The more I reflected, the more I felt drawn toward engineering — specifically Electronics Engineering.

And eventually, I made a decision that surprised even myself.

I decided to prepare for the IOE Entrance Exam and target BEI at Pulchowk Campus.

The shift was massive.

From Economics to Electronics Engineering.

From scholarship dreams in India to fighting for a regular seat in Nepal’s toughest engineering entrance examination.

And the challenge ahead was crystal clear:
I needed a rank within the Top 100 to secure a regular seat in BEI.

There was only one problem.

I was already late.

Almost one month had already passed after the boards, which meant I had barely two months left for preparation while many IOE aspirants in Nepal had already been studying for months.

The Beginning of My IOE Entrance Preparation

I purchased a mock-test-only package from Pi Academy while staying at home.

I returned to Kathmandu Valley on 31st Jestha.

The very next day — 1st Asar, a Saturday — was designated for a mock test.

I sat for it.

Score: 81.

Honestly, I felt anxious.

The questions completely outplayed me. My confidence shook instantly. But at the same time, some seniors told me that 81 in the very first mock wasn’t terrible for someone who had just started IOE preparation.

Still, panic got the better of me.

I made my first major mistake:
I immediately started grinding MCQs from Week 1.

For the entire week, I focused heavily on practicing questions instead of building proper concepts and revising theory.

Then came another mock test.

Nothing improved.

That was frustrating.

I consulted seniors preparing for IOE and students already studying engineering at Pulchowk. Almost everyone gave me the same advice:

“Complete studying first. Practice later.”

But I simply couldn’t stop practicing MCQs. I felt guilty whenever I wasn’t solving questions.

So eventually, I built a strategy of my own:

80% study
20% practice

At least for the first month.

And surprisingly, it started working.

Slowly Crossing 90… Then 100

My third mock test score climbed close to 90.

That single improvement changed my mindset completely.

For the first time, I felt:
“Maybe this is actually possible.”

I started imagining myself crossing 100 marks consistently. Maybe even getting into top 100 someday.

But IOE preparation is never linear.

Fourth mock:
Around 90 again.

Fifth mock:
Finally touched around 100.

And that was when I realized two huge mistakes I had been making all along.

The Biggest Mistake: Ignoring Chemistry for IOE

Like many IOE aspirants in Nepal, I heavily prioritized Physics and Mathematics.

And like many others, I ignored Chemistry.

Not because I was good at it.

But because I was scared of it.

Organic Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry felt terrifying. Every time I opened those chapters, my brain resisted instantly. So instead of confronting the weakness, I escaped into Physics numericals and Mathematics problems where I felt relatively comfortable.

English?

Almost everyone ignored it.

So I ignored it too.

Another problem was that I never truly “finished” any subject. I kept jumping between chapters randomly:

One difficult chapter from Physics
Another troublesome topic from Maths
Chemistry once in a blue moon

There was no completion mindset.

No structured revision cycle.

No mastery.

Just survival.

Yet amidst all this chaos, there was one thing I consistently did right.

Every morning, I ran 5–6 kilometers.

Without fail.

At first, it had nothing to do with studies. But eventually, I realized it helped enormously with focus, stamina, and mental clarity during long study sessions. Looking back now, that daily running habit may have contributed more to my preparation than I initially realized.

The Chemistry Comeback

Eventually, I decided to confront my biggest weakness.

For one entire week, I studied Chemistry rigorously.

No escaping.

No avoiding reactions.

No pretending I’d “do it later.”

And the result?

My mock score crossed 105.

That felt huge.

For the first time, I became genuinely satisfied with my preparation trajectory. I thought:

“Okay… now I just need to finish Physics and Maths properly.”

So I spent the next week diving deep into them again.

But IOE preparation has a brutal way of exposing weak revision.

The next mock test humbled me completely.

Everything I had studied in Chemistry the previous week felt erased from my brain.

Especially Organic and Inorganic Chemistry.

I remembered almost nothing.

That frustration was difficult to describe.

I genuinely started wondering:

“What’s even the point of studying Chemistry if I forget everything after one week?”

A part of me wanted to abandon it again and focus entirely on Physics and Maths.

And honestly, many IOE students fall into this exact trap.

The Most Enjoyable Phase of Preparation

Despite the struggles, I kept pushing.

Slowly, my Physics and Mathematics syllabus approached completion.

I continued balancing concept study and MCQ practice.

Chemistry remained incomplete.

English preparation remained almost nonexistent except during mock tests.

But eventually, I entered what became the most enjoyable phase of my entire IOE entrance journey:

The practice phase.

At that point, there was very little left to “study” except Chemistry. Most of my time went into solving questions, analyzing mistakes, and giving mock exams.

And my scores started rising consistently.

110+ became normal.

That feeling was addictive.

For the first time, I truly felt competitive.

An App that Helped Me During IOE Preparation

One thing that helped me tremendously during revision was the mobile app Anki.

I used it heavily to revise concepts and formulas through spaced repetition.

Because of it, concepts stayed fresh throughout the practice phase.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t make flashcards for every chapter due to time limitations, but whatever I managed to revise through Anki stayed in my memory far longer than traditional revision.

At one point, I scored 122 in a mock test.

A week later, I attended regular CBT exams at another institute and scored 131 in one of them.

That score changed my confidence entirely.

I started believing that top 100 might actually become reality.

Even then, half of Chemistry still remained unfinished.

The Final Week Before IOE Entrance

I had selected the 7th Bhadra morning shift for my actual IOE Entrance Exam.

My original plan was simple:

Complete remaining Chemistry from 1st Bhadra onward
Continue practicing side-by-side

But once the actual entrance examinations began, everything changed psychologically.

Suddenly, social media, discussions, and student experiences flooded everywhere.

Everyone was talking about:

Difficulty levels
Unexpected questions
Negative marking
Tough shifts
Cutoff predictions

Pressure consumed me.

Concentration became difficult.

And I realized something very important:

The final week before IOE entrance is probably the worst time to learn completely new topics.

Revision would’ve been far more effective.

But fate had one more emotional blow waiting.

On 6th Bhadra — just one day before my entrance exam — my maternal grandmother passed away due to blood cancer.

That moment shattered me emotionally.

I had countless emotional strings attached to her. She had always supported me quietly. Deep down, I knew she would’ve been incredibly happy to see me succeed in IOE.

Yet somehow, amidst grief, pressure, and exhaustion, I gathered myself together.

I carried her blessings with me into the exam hall.

The IOE Entrance Exam Day

7th Bhadra.

The actual entrance day.

The questions were moderate overall.

I deliberately skipped two one-mark English questions because I was certain I would get them wrong and didn’t want negative marking.

And as expected…

Organic Chemistry defeated me once again.

But surprisingly, I walked out satisfied.

Very satisfied.

As I exited the exam center, I genuinely felt confident about crossing 120.

And eventually…

I did.

Final Rank:
28.

Final Thoughts for Every IOE Aspirant in Nepal

If you are currently preparing for the Institute of Engineering entrance exam and dreaming of studying at Pulchowk Campus, remember this:

No preparation journey is perfect.

You will make mistakes.
You will ignore subjects.
You will panic during mocks.
You will compare yourself with others.
You will doubt yourself repeatedly.

But consistency matters far more than perfection.

Sometimes, even two imperfect months of focused preparation can completely change your future.

And perhaps the most important lesson of all:

Do not fear weak subjects so much that you avoid them entirely.

Because often, the subjects we fear the most are the ones that ultimately decide our rank.

To every IOE aspirant reading this:
Keep showing up.
Keep revising.
Keep practicing.

Your IOE dream might be much closer than you think.