Cracking competitive exams is the only way to gain entry into lucrative jobs in the government sector.
When it comes to studies, we always find ourselves under tremendous pressure. Candidate’s most common question while preparing is – Should I take coaching or not? You can pass an exam on your own with smart study methods and full-proof planning. The regular study combined with extracurricular activities, including group discussions, can help you excel in these exams.
This blog is about how to prepare for a competitive exam without coaching.
Is it possible to pass competitive exams without coaching?
It is a myth that students cannot pass competitive exams without coaching, and there can be no doubt about that. There are a lot of toppers who have cleared exams by self-studying without any guidance, so if you think you can remove the exams without guidance, go for it.
This is how you can prepare for competitive exams without coaching.
Before preparing for any exam, conduct your own research. You can read articles and watch videos.
You should estimate how much time you will need to prepare for the exam. Usually, an exam takes an entire year to prepare.
You can use YouTube videos to help you make your own study plan.
The syllabus should be divided and 70-80% of the syllabus should be completed before three months to the exam.
Make notes on your own and keep them concise and short so that you can study and revise them quickly.
Do at least three revisions before the exams to get a better rank, so that you can pass the exam without coaching.
Coaching alternatives?
Self-study is the best alternative to coaching. It’s too obvious, but if you compare self-study today with ten years ago, there’s a huge difference, and that is the internet.
Using a smartphone today, anyone can study or learn about anything and everything. Ten years ago, the internet wasn’t accessible to everyone.
For studying for exams, students used to rely on books and libraries.
If you use the internet properly, it can be the cheapest way to find information. These things will help you study for competitive exams.
- Video on YouTube.
- Online blogs.
- Various websites.
- E-books.
These are the best options for coaching, and if you need any personal guidance, you can reach out to the best teachers in India that frequently use social media platforms to guide students for free.
Search for the exam you want to take, watch 5-10 videos on top, and you will have all the answers.
Any specific strategy for self-study?
In addition, we will discuss a strategy called ‘learn-test-revise’ here. The following three actions should be taken simultaneously, not subsequently. Let’s break things down to pieces.
Act 1: Prerequisites
- Make sure you understand your syllabus and the percentage of weightage in the previous year’s question paper.
- Gather the resources. Any documents, videos, books, handwritten notes, etc. that you feel are needed.
- Plan your schedule so that you will complete the syllabus one month before the exam. Schedules should be realistic and achievable.
Act 2: The marathon
- Establish a routine and follow it religiously.
- Don’t compromise on the amount of effort or sleep you put in every day.
- [Wake up – stretches/walk – learn – breakfast – lunch – power nap – coffee – learn – dinner – REVISE – PLAN the next day ] ___ loop for 6 days ___ mock test
- Keeping mocks till the end is suicide. Make sure you take mocks each weekend.
- The benefits of taking mocks early:
- The format of the exam becomes clear to you
- As you become used to working under time pressure, you become more efficient.
- You train your mind to concentrate for 2 or 3 hours and pass the exam.
- Understand your strengths and weaknesses from the very beginning of the preparation process.
- You should aim to improve your mock score every week, therefore the marathon is divided into smaller laps.
- Follow the schedule and Believe
- No matter how bad the situation gets, don’t give up halfway. The longer you stay in the race, the higher your finish will be.
Act 3: The final push
- One month before the exam, revise and take more mock exams.
- Analyze mock exams and develop a strategy to succeed.
- Prepare yourself mentally by building confidence.
- Don’t read anything the day before the exam, just relax and let your hard work pay off on D-day.
Final Thoughts
We will not tell you not to join any coaching institute to prepare for your exams. Just make sure it’s worth it for you.
Simply don’t blindly follow your friends and other people and join coaching classes.
