Class IX is right time to start competitive exam preparation

Beas Dev Ralhan

The number of candidates appearing for different competitive exams is increasing fast. Cracking a competitive exam is a daunting task. These exams aim to assess the aspirants’ perseverance, patience, time management and will to grab the coveted seat despite all odds. Accomplishing a huge volume of comprehensive exam preparation in a limited amount of time requires a strategy. Successful are those who make the best use of the available time.

Escape the rat race

Unlike school or college academic tests, competitive exams require a different approach, a focused mindset, and a thorough understanding of subjects and concepts. Usually, students face numerous challenges in clearing these.

To ensure success in competitive exams, it is important to start preparing as early as possible. To begin with, have a focused goal. With a fixed goal and the right plan in hand, aspirants can measure their preparation — how far or close they are to their goal.

Plan, prioritise and focus

To tame a lion, it is important to know about it extremely well. Similarly, aspirants should be clear about the exam — the pattern, stages and the competition. Often, aspirants face the dilemma of when they should start preparing for the exam.

The ideal time to start preparing for competitive exams is High School education, i.e., from Class IX. At this stage, students are mature enough to realise their abilities and decide their career path. Moreover, the concepts introduced in Class IX curriculum are the fundamentals on which the foundation of higher education is laid. Secondly, there is enough time to work on the finer aspects of complex concepts.

Students can start preparing for the competitive exams they wish to sit for, be it JEE or NEET while preparing for the school exams in Class XI and XII. This is the right time as the concepts tested in competitive exams are covered in Class XI and XII. Since there is a lot to be covered in less time, it is essential to have a strategy. It is advisable that one understands the past years’ exam trends and devise the preparation strategy accordingly. They should focus on weaker subjects and revise the stronger ones. Finally, to assess preparation vis-a-vis other aspirants, it is highly recommended that one practises mock tests and solve previous years’ question papers.

An early start helps to analyse one’s preparation and efficiency to deliver on the D-Day.

— The writer is Co-Founder and CEO, Next Education India Pvt Ltd.