The number of competitive exams and the participants in it will only increase in the years to come. So it is necessary that we know what are some of the best practices to follow in order to crack these competitive exams. Here we are talking about exams such as IIT-JEE, NEET, ICAR, IISER, NTSE, Olympiads, etc. With the procellous covid sparing no mercy on students and teachers, the struggle to clear competitive exams has intensified this year. Online teaching, though has it’s disadvantages, there is no choice left with the students but to resort to the internet enabled classes. Students can visualize themselves to be playing a game of pugilism with the competitive exams – either they knock hard and win or get knocked out ! Most of their fears about competitive exams are incogitant – they only need to realize it, be bold, work hard and clear the exams in style. Found below are some best practices for cracking competitive exams.
- Know your syllabus and plan a time table
The moment you decide which competitive exam you are going to write, you must invest a good amount of time knowing the syllabus and scheduling your day/ week/ month with the topics. Some topics will have a greater weightage than others, so spend ample time learning and revising those topics.
- Effective time management
All competitive exams are time bound, so it is very essential that you learn the art of time management. The questions which eat your time in the exam need to be identified early and sound judgement has to be there as to what is to be done with respect to those questions. Such questions may be skipped for the time being and attended later.
- Embrace online classes
Whether you like it or not, the order of the day is online classes. Learn to use online classes for knowledge enhancement, revision of topics, practice of tough concepts and questions, etc.
- Where you sit and study matters
You might be a scrupulous person or not, however, you need to look for a quiet, tidy, well-lit place in your house to study. Dark places will induce sleep/ sloth in your brain, messy places will make your brain more disorderly and in a noisy place, you just cannot concentrate on your study.
Continuous Study Matters
How many times you study matters. Revision is important in cracking competitive exams. The more you revise a concept/ chapter/ subject, the more chances are that you will make less/ nil errors in the main exam.
- Sound mind in a sound body
Healthy body will help you keep your brain healthy, so it is very important that you exercise regularly daily. Do not consider exercising as a waste of time, instead it helps you to save time while solving problems as a healthy brain can quickly solve problems. Investing money by going to gyms, fitness centers is not a bad idea but if you consider it is a waste of time going to the gym, you can resort to exercising at home. Practicing yoga and meditation is a great idea, just that you need to learn the yogasanas and meditation techniques well before you can start practicing on your own.
- Clarify your doubts instantly – DO NOT POSTPONE
If you are a sincere aspirant of competitive exams, you are bound to get lots of doubts in your study. Do not postpone your doubt-clarification. If you feel this is not the right time to clarify your doubts, list them in your note books or record your voice in your smart phone for the next doubt clarification session with your teacher. With the advent of the internet, majority of your doubts can be clarified online by searching by yourself.
Some final thoughts – Here are some of the tips from expert GURUJEE faculties which will help you crack competitive exams and be a bel-esprit in future.
- Chapter wise preparation of basic concepts and formulae
- Revise all subjects all days
- Attend mock tests regularly and find weak areas
- Solving previous years question papers.
- Reduce screen time, for relaxation, find new ways other than gadget-dependent relaxation like going for a casual walk, preparing a quick snack in the kitchen, a short ride in your bicycle, etc.
- Practice answering tests with full concentration
- Maintain consistency – If you study math 6 to 7 daily, physics 7 to 8, chemistry 8 to 9, be consistent with the timings – daily practice during the same hours
- Study at least four hours each day for good results
- Practice as much questions as possible from all subjects
- Be quick and smart in clarifying your doubts and enhance your understanding of each topic