Why do most candidates fail to qualify for competitive exams?

Taking any competitive exam requires patience, hard work, planning, strategy, and a lot more. To a certain extent, luck also plays a role, but the extent may vary. Failure in competitive exams is the most challenging part to overcome for a candidate. The personal causes may be different for different individuals. However, there are a few things that can be prevented during the preparations. These few things are the common mistakes made by candidates who are doing IIT/JEE or NEET or cat exam preparation.

It is best to condense the list and understand the important reasons behind failure in competitive exams.

Cracking competitive exams is a very lengthy process. Patience and hard work require a lot of effort in the right direction. There are very few students who can sustain this long process. But some of them fail over that process. Yes! It is all about the process and pattern of competitive exams that one should consider.

It's not always about the written examination!

There are many candidates who fail to qualify for the exam despite rigorous preparation and hard work. When higher authorities of the institution interview candidates, they find that they lack communication skills among many others. In this way, they fail to go through the interview process even after scoring well on the written examination.

Although the interview is just an example, there are many more things when it comes to complete preparation. We have to understand there is a difference between intelligence and smartness.

Below listed are a few mistakes that candidates must avoid while preparing for the competitive exams in the upcoming year.

Reasons why candidates fail to clear the competitive exam

a. Unaware of the updates in exam patterns and syllabuses

There is a constant change in the syllabus and the pattern every year. Some topics have lost weight over the years due to their importance. As a result, some candidates are not able to answer every question in the question paper because they are not following these changes.

b. Discipline Issues

Are you someone who stays up late at night scrolling on Instagram?

Many candidates do and this leads to disturbing their routine. A person's level of success is determined by his or her discipline and perseverance. You can achieve success if you follow a disciplined routine on what to study and when to study. You can't achieve success with a magic wand. De-cluttering the pressure later can be achieved with a dedicated timetable and well-sorted guidance on which subject needs to be covered first. It is easy for small distractions to disrupt the routine.

There are too many distractions for students when it comes to cracking competitive exams. Instead of focusing on the goals, students are often concerned and think about others' success stories. The majority of them spend more time reading articles about others' success than preparing for their own. The use of social media and other devices also breaks concentration. While studying, keeping the phone away and not touching it is a good idea.

c. Exam Pressure

Exams like SSC-CGL, NEET, CAT, and UPSC have a limited time for students to attempt all the questions. Students not only have to answer the questions on the screen but also deal with the pressure of the clock ticking away.

Often, this causes anxiety and tension, which prevents candidates from thinking clearly and quickly enough to answer the number of questions correctly in the given timeframe.

It is possible for students to reduce their exam fear by taking regular online mock tests. This will help them get used to the examination experience and will make them more confident during the exam.

d. Conceptual Ambiguity

"Swimming in the deep ocean requires a good practice in the pond"

It is common for students not to study the fundamentals behind the concepts in every topic in depth. The majority of questions asked in major competitive papers like CAT are concept-based and can range from easy to advanced.

It is important for students to understand the basic concepts behind each question, even when they use formulas and short tricks to save time. When confronted with a complex question, they will be able to rescue themselves by using the fundamental knowledge of concepts. For more conceptual clarity candidates can practice theCAT mock test series.

e. Having No Guidance

We often get lost in translation. Which coaching should I take? How do I plan for my studies? We have little scope for concentration with all these questions. It is best to seek guidance or mentorship from an experienced individual in order to cope with this. Guidance from a Guru can help sort everything out, and these are people who have gone through the same stage and succeeded.

Everyone around you sees your best efforts as scraping by, as the bare minimum, which is painful, frustrating, and ultimately discouraging. Competition exams can be challenging for intelligent kids. Sometimes these students have more going on than they realize, whether it be a learning disability, developmental disorder, or mental health issue. They burn out because they are under too much pressure to succeed. In such cases having the right guidance is helpful to motivate you and encourage you to achieve well in life.

Get yourself prepared for competitive exams and overcome the hurdles

Stay focused on your preparation instead of making these mistakes. We all know that competitive exams are tough. There is a chance you won't be able to succeed in your first or even second attempt. However, you can achieve the goal, and eventually, you will succeed. A little patience, perseverance, and faith in yourself will go a long way.

A single-digit score can push a student off the list at any stage of the selection process due to the high level of competition. Be focused and pay attention to the preparation process. It is the only secret Mantra towards success.

Rather than preparing for the last 1-2 months of preparation, these competitive exams require a long period of preparation and strategy. Exam101 offers mock test series, curated by experts, designed to give real-time experience. You can solve these mock test series to strengthen your exam preparation. An ambitious aspiration cannot be achieved through selective study and guesswork. The mindset has to be carved out from the beginning so that it does not become a burden at the right time but becomes a challenge worth taking on.