As the level of competition increases, every year and the number of candidates appearing for competitive exams increases in an overly-populated India, the prospect of cracking that exam and ranking high seems more far-fetched than ever. But nothing is impossible, and these exams, too, are not.
With proper guidance and a plan, cracking the exams and getting that dream college or job isn't too far fetched. It is important to note that searching up for this article meant that you might have been under extreme stress and required guidance, and we are happily here to help.
Also read:Top 10 easiest Examinations in India or Effortless govt. exams to crack
Create a study plan
Excessive time is sometimes spent on planning than the execution of the said plan. This has to be the easiest task at hand at the moment, and thus, we still suggest investing time to make a plan.
Many studies have proved that only 3% of the population actually sets a goal, and only 1% plans out their moves in a written format. We suggest you add yourself in that one percent. Planning needs to be considered an art in this perspective because a few people are actually able to do it. What is harder, though, is the execution of this plan.
So, it is also important to keep in mind that a plan should be one that can be followed. Don’t add study in all sections or for 24 hours of the day. It is advisable to put in a few hours of exercise or a hobby in a few slots as well. Give more hours to subjects that you find harder and less time for others.
Make a study plan that also has a slot for a 30-minute re-evaluation of the whole day.
Stick to the study plan
It may be hard to follow through with the same study plan after a week, but sticking to the plan and making it a routine might be one of the best things that you can do. What you can do after a week is shuffle up some subjects but maintain the number of hours you study. It would also be fruitless if you fail to execute the well established and thoughtful plan.
After your exams start, it might be difficult for you to study for all the papers as per schedule but again, maintaining a good amount of study hours is important. You should also divide your time based on your skills and learning capacity as well as subject proficiency. Subjects like logical reasoning, mathematics and other aptitude related subjects that require more practice should be given more time.
Time Management
Time is money, and in this case, the ticket to cracking the exam. Without proper time management, all efforts are futile. It is easier to make a separate list based on self-evaluation about the strong and weak subjects, the places that need more attention, and to accord the time slots as per this list. Making a list of important topics and completing them as a first priority is the best way forward.
Books and other materials
What is just the right amount of books to study from? Most exam portals or exams have a set of books that they deem appropriate and even necessary to read through. Referring to numerous and uncountable books do not help much most of the time, but whenever given a chance, it is good to study from different sources for subjects such as that of arts to get a better grasp of the different perspectives.
But for subjects such as science, or commerce, where the same concepts are universal, referring to too many books can create confusion. It is advisable to refer to a good amount of material for practicing aptitude or writing and grammar so as to gain a better grasp at the same.
And for similar types of exams, which have some subjects in common, similar books can be referred to. So, try to find common topics or study materials from your various exams that you are preparing for. Doing this would reduce the amount of material you buy, saving you that money, help you prepare for more than one exam simultaneously and reduce the workload. It is also important to buy books that are most commonly heard of and are directed by many coaching institutes to be used because they have more than a significant amount of material within themselves.
It will also be good to watch videos of people who have already succeeded in these exams because of their experience that they are able to share and insights that no one else will be able to provide you. This is especially important for interview rounds or group discussion rounds.
Read More:How to prepare for UPSC Prelims?
Prepare Your Strategy
Now, we have the material in hand and a study plan, but having a strategy is a whole other game. Planning and executing successfully to get the desired result is only possible through strategizing. The basic know-how is cleared; in the next level, you would have to think about the rounds that you have to clear.
So most exams have two or three rounds. The written exam is either followed by another main paper, then comes the group discussion and personal interview round. All three rounds require a different level of preparation.
For written exams, strategize in a way where it leaves you more than sufficient time to revise once. This means completing the ascribed syllabus way before the date of examination. It is also advisable to make flashcards or notes over sticky notes so that you can keep important concepts within your eyesight for a good amount of time.
Coming on to the group discussion and personal interview, watch videos such as "most commonly asked question in an interview" or recording of mock interviews to get a gist of the round. Group discussions are simple, yet they are an elimination round rather than a selection round. Keeping this in mind, prepare yourself to speak as much as you can in that round.
*How to prepare for group discussion and things to keep in mind*
- Search upon most used topics for group discussions
- Be aware of current affairs, even for the same day
- Speak confidently, but do not try to be a 'know-it-all.'
- Talk sensibly and don't speak for the sake of speaking more.
- Listen to other people carefully and bring in their points while you speak if you can accommodate them.
- Make proper use of the time when you speak and state facts once in a while, using statistics and such.
Writing consistently is a way of preparation.
Writing is time-consuming, but it is advisable to do so for concepts that need little understanding and more memorizing. When you write, you can also speak the words along with writing. This will engage four senses of sight, hearing, speaking and listening. This helps in memorizing better than any other method.
Since writing is so time-consuming, you can also start by writing things in little points rather than whole answers. Making notes first is advisable and persistent writing of the same is going to make memorizing them easier. If you write short paragraph summaries about concepts, these can act as revision notes for you later too.
Improve Your Vocabulary
Even though some competitive exams have the option of choosing regional languages or languages other than English, most take English as the compulsory medium of instruction. Even if English was not the medium of instruction, there is always an English paper involved. So it is important to improve vocabulary. This does not mean that you have to use extremely tough words while writing your answers, but due to the presence of a vocabulary and grammar section in an English paper, it is required for you to prepare for the same.
The best way to do this is by reading a wide variety of books, on various topics, by reading reputed newspapers, maintaining a diary that contains new words that you encounter with their meanings, inculcating the habit of spoken English every day, watching movies in English subtitles, watching English news, etc.
Aptitude test preparation
Aptitude is also a core subject besides English that tests the candidates on their ability of speed, precision and problem-solving. These tests assess logical reasoning and thinking capability under stress and time constraint. Knowing the shortcuts of solving and formulae in this situation is important.
But what is more important is speed and precision. These are skills that come and enhance with practice. So preparation for the aptitude section mostly needs you to practice, solve as many questions as you can in a day, set a time limit and see how many questions you can solve, always explore new techniques and shortcuts that can make solving it easier. There are a number of websites that give aptitude questions for practice from a competitive examination point of view. Some of them are:
Update Yourself On Current Affairs
Current affairs and general knowledge is another section that can prove to be hard if you are not prepared. Millions of things happen around the world in one day, and it is hard to keep track of them all. But there are again a lot of websites and newspapers that you can visit to know about the national and international events. Awards and various other events, international events, dates of national and international importance, etc., are important information to be stocked.
Reading newspapers and knowing the current events from an exam point of view is different from reading a newspaper simply. Yearbooks and different blog articles that sum up a year worth of affairs are something you should try and visit way before the examination date so you can later focus on daily and recent current affairs nearer to the exam date. Writing down news reports whose subject matter interests you will also help you to remember them.
There are also specific events that happen daily, for example, protests regarding something that has been going on for a while. Writing a summary from start to end of such an event, with specific developments that happened in between, will give you a better perspective over the same.
Know The Ins and Outs of The Exam
There are blogs and articles, interviews and tutorials and a lot many other sources from where you can get insights on the selection process, the difficulty level and the expectation from candidates, etc. these ins and outs are important for you to fully create a successful strategy and make necessary changes in your preparation if needed. Do your research on this to have better knowledge about the organization you may be applying to.
Better connect with people who have given the same exams, especially specific exams that are given for specific institutions of companies to get better knowledge about the
Create shortcuts
Using shortcuts, which are most relevant for aptitude and logical reasoning or arithmetic papers, is one of the keys to answering within a short time frame. Knowing these shortcuts gives an individual the upper hand. They are time-saving and life-saving.
You can also create shortcuts to remember certain concepts. Flowcharts are a good way to write a big concept into a small area for good remembrance. The creation of essential shortcuts is also important to memorize formulae.
Solve Previous Years’ Question Paper
This is an unspoken rule that the best way of practicing is solving previous year's question papers. Since the pattern of exams doesn't change very frequently, previous year question papers are truly a treasure. They give you a sense of the kind of questions that come, marking allotments for each question or section and are best for practice.
Mock tests using these question papers are also very effective to practice for the exam. Creating a time limit that is going to be similar to the exam and picking up question papers from previous years, you will be able to test yourself, your speed and use of technique and shortcuts that you have been learning till now.
Keep Yourself Motivated
Exams take a considerable amount of determination and time for preparation, so much so that individuals can lose their motivation and experience the monotony of life more deeply. Thus, it is important to keep spirits and motivation high to be able to perform better.
Meditation, taking out one day of break to go out with people whose company you enjoy and spending some time over your hobbies are good ways to keep yourself out of the boredom of the monotone. There is no doubt that difficulty will still knock at your door, but determination, concentration and patience are key to success.
Conclusion
With these steps, you may achieve your goal of cracking this upcoming stream of exams, and we hope this helped you in some way. Rigorous hard work, patience and determination are important for what you want to achieve. And if ever your mind wanders towards if you are doing enough or if you are good enough, know that you are. The result isn't the only deciding factor of your entire life, and it is just one part.
