India has an incredibly competitive atmosphere especially when it comes to undergraduate level competitive examination. Whether it’s science, commerce or humanities stream students struggle for admissions in top institutes.
Examinations like JEE, NEET, CA, CS, UPSC and other government examinations are extremely difficult to crack. With increasing competition student have started preparing for these examinations at a very young age. These have lead to good quality of students who are dedicated to their career and fulfilling their dreams.
To crack any competitive exam you must have knowledge of the things you need to know before appearing for the exam. This includes a complete analysis of the syllabus for the exam, subjects related to it and weightage are given to each subject. This will help you schedule your syllabus and plan your study accordingly.
Also, checking previous years question papers can help you get an idea of the exam pattern.
1. Start as early as you can
Starting your preparations for the examination as early as possible can give you an advantage over others. Starting early can make a big impact on your journey of preparation for competitive examinations. Starting gives you some extra time to practice complex questions and learn new concepts.
There are many students who take a gap after the class 12th examination to prepare for competitive examinations but if you start preparing after the class 10th boards you will have ample time to prepare without wasting a year. You will have a fair understanding of basic concepts, and you get ample time to study for the advance ones.
2. Planning and strategizing is essential
For efficient and effective learning you must create a plan and strategy that suits your interest and needs. The first step is to analyse the difficulty level of the examination you are preparing for. Evaluate how much preparation you have done already and how many chapters you have to complete further.
Make a plan accordingly on how to approach your studies. Make a schedule for the number of hours you want to spend on self-study and practice. Make sure you have enough time for learning, practising, and revising. Plan a balanced schedule that is neither too aggressive that you don’t feel encumbered by the pressure nor too relaxed, and you end up chilling all-day and don’t forget to spend more time on the subject that you find difficult.
3. Focus on understanding, not on parroting
Competitive examinations like JEE, NEET, CA Finals, UPSC, etc. are incredibly arduous and test your analytical skills. You need to understand the concepts and analyse them carefully. Each topic is interlinked with others. If you miss any chapters that you feel is not important.
It’s important that you have complete knowledge of the basic concepts because that is the foundation of your learning. Having a strong base of the basic concepts will help you understand the advance concepts. Simply mugging up these concepts will make more confusion when there is even a little change in question pattern and will eventually hinder your growth.
4. Practice is the key
Practice makes a man perfect. Once you have understood the concepts thoroughly and studied the chapters now it’s time for you to practice. Practising the concepts you have studied will help you to create a strong foundation.
To test your understanding of concepts and to know how much you have prepared you can take a subject-wise practice test. Start solving the questions that are given at the end of each chapter. Once you start solving these questions you will get better at properly answering them. Your answer must contain all the necessary points and should be to the point. Also, it will help you to increase your speed and solve your questions faster.
Don’t forget to solve mock test papers and previous year question papers. Make an examination environment at home and start solving these test papers. This will help you to increase your focus and deal with pressure during the examination.
5. Learn from your mistakes
Identifying and rectifying your mistakes is very important or else you will keep repeating the same mistakes again and again. Just solving test papers is not enough. You should learn from the mistakes you make while solving your test papers. Once you identify your mistakes then you can work on the areas where you fall behind. Take more time to understand those concepts where you are repeated making mistake.
6. Revise your concepts
Now comes the revision part. Once you have practised solving enough mock test papers and previous year’s test papers, free some time to revise your concepts right from the beginning. This will help you to recall all the concepts in case you need them in the final exams. Start your revision 20 – 30 days prior to the exam, so you have enough time to revise all subjects.
Conclusion
With such competition in competitive exams, you have to be lucky enough to get selected and study effectively and efficiently by making strategies that are suitable for you. Following these tips will definitely increase your chances to clear competitive examinations. Just stay positive, be confident and believe in yourself and there will be nothing you can’t do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mock tests and previous years’ question papers are incredibly beneficial. They familiarize you with the exam pattern, marking scheme, and types of questions asked. Regular practice of mock tests helps improve speed and accuracy, while solving past papers gives insight into recurring topics and important concepts.
Self-study can be sufficient for some students, but joining a coaching institute can provide additional guidance, expert faculty, study materials, and a competitive environment. It can be particularly helpful for understanding complex topics and maintaining a consistent study routine.
Focus on understanding the fundamental concepts of each subject. Pay extra attention to topics with high weightage in the exam. Develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills, as these are valuable across different exams.
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