9 Things to Keep In Mind When Appearing for a Competitive Exam

Appearing for a competitive exam for the latest govt jobs elicits anxiety in most of the young aspirants. It is perfectly normal to feel anxious when you set high career goals for yourself. However, what changes the whole game is when you decide to go about the entire process of preparing for competitive exams in a well-planned and systematic way.



Before we start talking about ways in which we can systematize the learning process, it is essential to understand the value of time. With that said, make sure that you start your preparations as soon as you can, without procrastinating. When you do that, the below-given tips can help you achieve your goal to secure any of the government jobs in India that you set your eyes on. 

Write down the subjects you intend to cover

Before preparing for the govt jobs (no matter which one it is), it is crucial to know what subjects and topics are necessary to be covered. This helps you prepare yourself entirely without missing out on any concept whether or not it is significant. Reading up every topic gives you confidence and decreases the chances of attempting wrong answers, just in case there's a question from a topic that doesn't seem as important. 

Come up with a timeline.

Now that you know what all topics you need to cover to be fully prepared for the exam, it is time for you to decide which topic deserves more attention and time. When planning your timeline and dedicating a certain amount of time to a topic, there are a few things you should keep in your mind.

To begin with, enlist all those important topics that you're not very confident about. These are the topics that need maximum time and effort. Give these topics more time than what you estimate would take to complete them. Next, focus on topics that are difficult but not very significant. Give these topics less time, but make sure you're prepared for them as well. 

For topics that you're more confident about than others, dedicate lesser time to them and leave them for last. While you dedicate time to each topic, also make sure that you set aside some time for revisions as well.

Plan your study time

One primary reason why it is crucial to plan your study time is that it helps you mentally prepare for studying and prevents you from procrastinating. When we study at odd times and don't plan study time, we might keep pushing it for later, thus wasting the whole day.

Make sure that the time you plan for studying is such that you feel energized and motivated to prepare for the latest govt jobs. While some people are night owls, some people grasp better at the crack of dawn. Identify what time of the day suits you best and plan your day and study time around that. 

Have a dedicated place for studying

One thing that most people underestimate is fixing a particular place in the house for studying. When you're at home, you generally study just about anywhere. This can also impact how you grasp. 

Dedicating a specific place for your studies helps in eliminating distractions. This place should be away from television, window to a busy road, and the clickety clacks of the utensils from the kitchen. 

If there's no room that is as soundproof as you'd want it to be, don't be disappointed. To make sure there are no distractions, you can as well plan your study time such that there's not much noise from the kitchen, roads, and other places. This could be after lunch, after dinner, or early in the morning as per your preference. 

A quick tip- make sure you tell your family that you plan to dedicate a particular place and time to study. This will help you ensure that no one expects you at that time or barges in, breaking your focus. 

Take small breaks

If you plan to study for long hours without being tired, you're in for trouble. Pulling an all-nighter makes sense for exams that don't require you to have a complete hold over concepts. They're more like the best emergency solution. However, doing it regularly can do more harm than any good. For long term plans, it is best to study in shifts and to take breaks. These breaks help you put yourself at ease so that studying doesn't get to you. 

These breaks also fuel you and prepare you for the next shift of studying. Competitive exams require commitment and consistency. Breaks help you in being consistent instead of studying for long hours, being exhausted, and giving up for a few days, which disturbs your entire study plan. So, make sure that you take regular breaks, like 5 minutes of break after studying for 25 minutes or maybe 15 minutes of break after studying for an hour.

Make notes

It is imperative to prepare notes if you're aiming to crack a tough competitive exam. When you read so many books, it can be tiresome to go back to each book when you plan to revise or reread to brush up on concepts. This is when the notes that you prepare help you at such times.

There are various styles in which you can take notes. While some people like taking notes in bullet points or using shorthands, some students prefer to take notes in paragraphs and elaborate on the critical points. You can also use different colours to make every concept even more distinct from another. You can explore different styles, try them, and see what form of note-taking is most useful in helping you refresh your memory. 

Have weekly revisions

One of the most crucial factors that decide whether or not you'd perform well at a competitive exam is how regularly and frequently you revise the concepts that you learn. Revisions also help boost your confidence so that you don't feel anxious in the exam hall. 

It is excellent if you dedicate weekends for no new concepts but revisions. That way, you can start a new week with fresh concepts while sleeping with confidence about the topics covered throughout the week. However, this is not to suggest that you can skip daily revisions. The more revision sessions you plan, the better. Make it a point to revise every day for 15 minutes before you move on to a new concept the next day. 

You can also form study groups and volunteer and take up a few subjects so that you can learn better while you teach the concepts and topics to other students. 

Rest when your body begs for it

So many times, hard work is misperceived. Students believe that staying up all night or giving up sleep and studying without taking breaks, eating correctly, or pursuing hobbies is what counts as hard work. If you're doing this, you're not letting your body and mind rest. When you don't take enough rest, you're compromising on your ability to grasp and focus every time you skip your sleep, meal, and break.

When you no longer feel like studying after you've already studied for a while, it is a clear indication that your body needs rest. When your eyelids are all droopy, do yourself the biggest favour by going to bed. Make sure that you're catching up on an average of six to seven hours of sleep. Stay well-rested and eat a healthy diet so that you have all the nutrients that your body needs to function healthily. 

Stay Positive 

No amount of preparation, hard work, perseverance helps unless you stay positive. Positivity doesn't always accompany hard-work. Some people dedicate all their time to their work or studies and still don't feel happy or satisfied with it. You need to keep reminding yourself that with all the hard work that you're putting in, you are moving closer to your dream job.

There are so many latest government jobs, and the journey can be tiring at times. However, when you stay positive and optimistic, you can deal with stress and anxiety from the whole preparation process and keep yourself motivated. Give yourself a pep talk every time you feel low and talk to your family and close friends about it. This can be therapeutic. 

Bottom Line

When you keep the things mentioned above in mind while preparing for govt jobs, the chances of your success significantly increase. These tips also help in reducing exam-stress and increase your resilience. 

One additional tip when you're preparing for government jobs 2020 is to stay updated and look for info from time to time through a trusted govt jobs portal. When you start preparing for your exam, remember not to be too hard on yourself. Doing so will make the whole process seem all the more painful. Stay true to yourself, work hard, plan your study and have a definite goal, and nothing can stop you from fulfilling your dreams.