Are you worried about how to start preparing for the upcoming entrance examination?
Worry not for we will help you out in this crucial phase of your life. Here are some preparation hacks you must know before you start your preparation.
Know your exam
The first and foremost thing is that you have to collect each and every detail about the exam you are going to appear in.
- Purpose of the exam
- Date of exam
- Duration of exam
- Exam centers decided by the conducting body
- Mode of exam
- Examination fees
- How to apply
- Do check the official website of conducting authorities
- Documents required after or during the conduct of the exam
Are you eligible?
Before making any decision or start preparing for any exam make sure you have gone through the eligibility criteria.
- Education qualification
- Minimum qualifying percentage required to appear in the exam
- Minimum and maximum age required
- Physical eligibility for the exam
Know Your Syllabus
Syllabus plays a vital role in your preparation.
- Check the official website of the authority conducting your exam. For example, NDA Exam is conducted by UPSC, so you can check the official website of UPSC to get the updated syllabus for upcoming exams.
Select Your Study Material
A massive variety of resources are available in the market today but the selection of the standard material is a must.
For example, you can update your general knowledge and current affairs section by studying standard magazines and newspapers available in the market.
Below is the table representing a few standard study materials with respect to the competitive exam point of view.
English | Lucent’s General English |
Quantitative analysis | Dr. RS Aggarwal |
Logical reasoning | Dr. RS Aggarwal |
General knowledge | Competition Success Review |
Current Affairs | Newspapers like: The Hindu, The Times Of India |
You can also kick-start your preparation brilliantly with subject-wise articles, videos and practice questions on Eazyprep’s Learning Zone.
How to study
Now that you know what are the subjects and topics associated with your upcoming exam then devise your strategy.
- Learn the basic concept of every subject
- Learn modern techniques to solve problems
- Take a brief idea of exam from previous year question papers
Source: You can get the previous year question papers from our Learning Zone.
- Practice mock test daily
- Prepare hand made notes
Hand made notes are very beneficial for your learning. Reading stuff can only reach up to your cache memory but writing things will make you remember things for a long time. Also as you will be the author of your study material this will help you at the time of revision.
Create a game-changing plan
- Plan your study time as per your convenience as this could be a game-changer.
- Use the Pomodoro Technique to complete your daily tasks
- Always work according to your lifestyle, just do not blindly follow any schedule time tables set by others because every individual has different concentration levels. Some are comfortable studying at night and some find it easy to study in the morning.
- Make your learning creative and not boring for example you can learn from audio lectures too and from online content.
Maximize Your Learning
Nowadays you must have heard the phrase “Smart Work Is Better Than Hard Work”. This means you need to focus more on the quality of the study. You don’t need to burn the midnight oil.
Let us discuss a scientifically proven technique developed by Francesco Cirillo (owner of Cirillo Consulting, a consulting firm based in Berlin) which is known as the Pomodoro Technique. The Pomodoro Technique is a time management methodology that divides the task into short intervals. Let’s see how it works:
There are certain steps that need to be followed for this technique to work.
- Select the task to be done.
- Set the timer. As per requirements divide the task based on time (say 30 minutes).
- Work on the task.
- End your work within the Pomodoro set by you.
- Take a short break of 3-4 minutes.
- Then repeat step 2.
- After four such cycles, take a long break of 10-15 minutes.
In this fashion, you can tailor your own Pomodoro Strategy as per your lifestyle. Read more about it here.
Keep analyzing yourself
It is very important to do a periodic check on how you are doing and what your strengths and weakness are. This will help you in tweaking your study plan accordingly.
- Try to find out your strengths and weaknesses through regular mock tests.
- Analyze the loopholes.
- Work on your weakness daily.
- Take help from other students who are in the same phase.
Daily To-dos
Here are some things that you need to do daily. Make sure you allot a fixed time for them every day.
- Daily revision
- Read newspapers daily
- Daily mock test
Train your mind for the exam environment
Gear up your preparation and try to develop time management skills because competitive exams are time-based exams. A moment of a minute can either make you or break you. It’s a game of time.
So a consistent practice could help you to handle exam pressure.
Emotional Preparation
Every day, take care of the following few things to make sure you are can avoid the grueling exam stress.
- Believe in yourself
- Don’t panic
- Be happy and positive
- Sleep well
- Practice yoga
- Eat healthily
In the end, just remember this Success mantra- Prepare, Practice, and Revise. “Forget About Outcomes Just Focus On Actions” as this can gradually pave your journey to a bright and lucrative profession.