There is a kind of success that hits different. Not the kind that falls into your lap on the first try, but the kind you fight for. The kind where you take a hit, get back up, reset your strategy, and come back swinging. That is exactly the story of Anas Ashik Ismail, a B.Pharm graduate from K.M.C.H College of Pharmacy, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Dr. Akram Ahmad (B.Pharm, Pharm.D, PhD in Medicine from University of Sydney) has a tete-a-tete with Anas where he unravels his GPAT journey, preparation tips and more. Let’s get inspired.
AIR 1536
GPAT 2026 Rank
3 hrs/day
Daily Study Time
5 Months
Total Preparation Period
2nd Attempt
Resilience Defined
Second Attempt for GPAT? You Must Read This
Coimbatore is nestled at the foothills of the Nilgiris and is the gateway to the serene hill station of Ooty. It is known for more than its scenic beauty. It is a city with an increasingly proud academic culture, and Anas's story adds a new chapter to it.
Like many pharmacy students, Anas sat for the GPAT in 2025 and didn't clear it. It's an experience more common than people admit. GPAT is a rigorous national-level examination. Thousands of well-prepared candidates miss the mark every year. What separates those who succeed from those who don't isn't always intelligence. It's often what you do next.
Anas chose to reflect, regroup, and return. He enrolled in the best online GPAT coaching, built a disciplined daily routine, and committed to giving it everything he had, even while attending college right up until 5 PM every day. With only evenings to study, he carved out roughly 3 focused hours each night.
GPAT Preparation Strategy 2026: Learn from Rankholder
When asked about his month-by-month preparation plan, Anas was refreshingly candid: he didn't have one. What he had instead was something arguably more valuable, a structured coaching schedule that he followed diligently, without deviation.
"I followed the class schedule of the academic team," he said simply. “I didn't need to plan, the programme was already planned.”
This insight is more profound than it sounds. One of the biggest pitfalls GPAT aspirants fall into is spending more time planning their study schedule than actually studying. When you hand the scaffolding over to a proven system, one designed by faculty who have themselves cleared the exam, you free up your cognitive energy for what matters most: learning, practising, and revising.
| Anas's GPAT 2026 Preparation at a Glance | |
| Preparation Duration | 5 months |
| Daily Study Hours | ~3 hours (post-college, evenings) |
| Coaching Approach | Live classes + recorded sessions (Academically) |
| Mock Test Practice | Academically mock tests + resources |
| GPAT Rank Achieved | AIR 1536 |
| Attempt Number | 2nd attempt (failed in 2025) |
| Target Specialisation | M.Pharm in Pharmacology |
| Classmates Who Also Qualified | ~10 students from K.M.C.H |
How AI-Based Mock Tests Help You Clear GPAT
Beyond live classes, one of the pillars of Anas's preparation was AI-based mock test practice. He participated in GPAT mock tests facilitated by Academically that is also India’s first AI-based mock test simulating real exam conditions. With this feature he trained himself to manage time, spot patterns, and reduce errors under pressure.
This is a habit that almost every GPAT qualifier shares. The exam itself, 125 MCQs in 3 hours with a negative marking scheme of –1 for wrong answers, is as much a test of strategy as it is of knowledge. Without regular mock test practice, candidates often find themselves well-prepared on paper but underprepared in the exam hall.
The format of the test rewards those who can identify what they know quickly, skip what they don't, and return with fresh eyes. That instinct is trained through repetition, through mock after mock after mock.
What is the Scope of Pharmacology?
With a rank of AIR 1536, Anas has excellent options ahead of him, and he already knows exactly where he wants to go. His target is an M.Pharm in Pharmacology.
It's a choice that speaks to both passion and pragmatism. Pharmacology is one of the most versatile and in-demand specialisations in pharmacy education today. The scope of pharmacology ranges from clinical trials and drug development to academic teaching in medical and dental colleges. Pharmacologists are needed not just in pharmaceutical companies, but in research institutions, healthcare organisations, and increasingly in regulatory affairs.
For Anas, who aspires to build a career at the intersection of science and impact, pharmacology opens more doors than perhaps any other M.Pharm branch.
K.M.C.H College of Pharmacy: Roots of Pharmacy Education
It would be incomplete to tell Anas's story without acknowledging the institution he came from. K.M.C.H College of Pharmacy in Coimbatore is one of Tamil Nadu's most respected pharmacy institutions, known for its strong faculty and rigorous academic culture. The fact that approximately 10 students from his batch qualified GPAT 2026 including Anas, is not incidental. It reflects a culture of academic excellence that encourages students to aim higher.
Anas's success, in this sense, is both individual and collective. It is a testament to what the right environment, the right institution, and the right coaching can produce together.
The Role of Structured Coaching: What Made the Difference
Anas's preparation rested on a specific foundation. Academically’s structured online coaching programme that gave him live classes, recorded sessions he could revisit, and AI-powered mock tests that adapted to his preparation level.
He didn't have to figure out what to study next, how to pace himself, or what the exam was going to throw at him. The system did that thinking for him, so he could focus entirely on learning.
The centre of it all is the 20+ years of experience of faculty members who have gone down the same path. Some GPAT rankholders, or some even have settled in countries like Australia, Canada, UK or USA and having a license.
This is the core value proposition of good coaching: not just content delivery, but structure, accountability, and adaptive feedback. Anas followed the schedule. He attended the classes. He took the mocks and his rank AIR 1536 on just 3 hours a day reflects exactly what that discipline can achieve.
- 100+ hours of live & recorded GPAT lectures
- International faculty who are GPAT rankholders, having license and well settled in Australia, Canada and more
- Adaptive AI-driven GPAT mock tests
- 1:1 feedback sessions with GPAT experts
- 1-year access to all course material
- Previous year question banks & 3 grand mock tests
- Expert tips & tricks for approaching the GPAT exam
- Community support on Discord, doubt clearance sessions
What Anas's Story Teaches Every GPAT Aspirant
If you are reading this as someone who has failed the GPAT, or someone who is preparing for their first attempt, Anas's story carries several lessons worth sitting with:
Failure is data, not destiny
Anas failed in 2025 and used that experience to identify what wasn't working. He didn't abandon the goal, he recalibrated his approach.
Consistency beats intensity
Three hours a day, every day, for five months. Not ten-hour cramming sessions, but steady, disciplined effort over time. That's what moved the needle.
Structure removes guesswork
Following a coaching schedule removed the cognitive burden of deciding what to study. That mental clarity translated directly into better preparation.
Mock tests aren't optional; they're essential
Regular practice in exam-like conditions is what bridges the gap between knowing the content and performing under pressure.
A clear goal is a powerful motivator
Anas knew exactly where he was going: M.Pharm Pharmacology. That clarity of purpose kept him going through long evenings after college.
What’s Next After GPAT?
With AIR 1536 in his career, Anas is now well-positioned for admission into government pharmacy colleges across India. He is targeting M.Pharm in Pharmacology. It is a field with rich career pathways in clinical trials, pharmaceutical research, academic teaching, and healthcare consultancy. It is both within India and in international markets.
As Dr. Akram Ahmad, Founder and CEO of Academically, noted in his conversation with Anas, the future in pharmacology is not just bright, it's globally relevant. Pharmacology-trained M.Pharm graduates are among the most sought-after pharmacy professionals today. They are medical students and nurses in academic institutions, to cutting-edge drug development work in clinical trials
Anas's journey from a failed GPAT attempt to a nationally competitive rank, and that too, achieved while attending college full-time and studying just 3 hours a day, is one of the most honest and encouraging stories we've seen this cycle.
It's a reminder that the path to success rarely runs in a straight line, but with the right guidance and the right grit, it always leads somewhere worth going.
