MindIt

Every day we hear about numerous entrance exams taking place and the efforts children are making towards them. Be it for Government jobs, colleges, prestigious IIT entrances or more, these exams are an attempt to pick candidates on the basis of merit. Even though luck is important as thousands of aspirants apply, a deeper knowledge and preparation can make it a far easier attempt.

A competitive exam tests mathematical skills, reasoning, reading, writing, comprehension skills and fundamental knowledge of the subject in particular, which later sums things up with an interview where general knowledge, current events and questions about that individual and his views are discussed.

Here are few tips that can help an aspirant:

• Make sure that you know well about the entrance exam you are preparing for. Be certain whether you know what the exam is for, whether you have the desired percentage or grade for the exam, check whether there is an age limit.
• nNext, you would need to brush up on the basics and practice it well.
• Keeping abreast with the current affairs and having a clear picture about what is happening around you is imperative; there are chances you might be asked to give your opinion on a particular issue during an interview.
• Joining a good coaching class is a wise move to make and will help you clear many doubts apart from preparing you for the exam with mock tests, study material and hands-on counselling.
• Planning well, working out a pragmatic goal and setting achievable deadlines are the key to preparing. You need to weigh things and spend time on them accordingly.
• Become a part of a similar group that is either preparing or has made attempts for the same entrance exam as you. Associating with like-minded people and sharing views on various topics might give you an edge.
• Positivity plays a great role in shaping your ideology and keeping faith in oneself. Since there is no guarantee that you might crack the exam at the first go, one should be open to failure or success.
• Mock tests are crucial, how else will you know what the test can be about and how you will scoreIJ When you prepare at home there are chances you might be able to answer most of the questions with ease. However, during a mock test, you will have the clock ticking and have an allotted time to solve the paper. Not only does this make preparation more interesting but also prepares you for the actual test.
• It will be advantageous if you prepare for mock interviews as well. You will find many such examples in magazines and on online portals. Your study group or even friends and family can help you with the interview preparation. Speaking skills and how you set forward a viewpoint is important.
• Do not work to exhaust yourself. Follow a good healthy regime. Sleep well and enjoy the process of preparing for an exam.

(The writer is Nitin Vijay, MD, Motion Education Pvt ltd)