Rankers Vs Non-Rankers

Que)  I am a very hardworking student and and could study  8 to 10 hours per day, Still, I couldn't crack many competitive exams, Why???  What are the major differences between rankers and Non-Rankers (Who couldn't crack Major competitive exams ) if both categories do the same work and study the same resources? 

Ans) Very interesting question. Most of the students either underestimate or overestimate themselves.  They don't know the real difference between academic and competitive exams. Very few only they can assess correctly about themselves and exam .unfortunately we always try to judge /assess /estimate others except ourselves.

Coming to your question - All aspirants are reading the same books and the same materials  & more or less the same level of teaching/coaching ( No major difference ), still very few only crack exams.

Let us understand in detail.

With the value of the Internet and Online Study Guidance, almost everyone has the same resources and books. But still only a few successfully clear the exam. This depends totally on the way they study and their mentor.

15 Rules for success is as follows :

(1) Very few students only able to understand the pattern and demand of the examination exactly. This requires a clear understanding of the pattern of questions (Not type of questions ). What exactly the examiner test from a student? 

(2) They read newspapers religiously every single day without fail. Usually make their short notes.

They know what to read and what not to read. 

(3)Minimum resources and maximum revision is the mantra for success. Even this fact knows most of us,  but they pick up more and more books ..they feel they don't want to miss anything.. Unfortunately, students also like imaginary words and fast success formulas   A mentor always should be a ranker should know all subjects completely must be highly experienced to handle thousands of students( of course, they should spend time with students..). 

(4) They never ignore basic resources such as NCERT books, baic books, self made notes etc. The student who relies on guides and notes made by others - can succeed, but never becomes a ranker

(5) They solve test papers before the actual exam. Be it Prelims or Mains. They do answer writing practice for 6 to 7 months before the exam

Usually, they attempt all questions (even with average answers).

(6)They don’t do Ph.D. on one topic. Serious aspirants try to touch all topics but don't spend excessively on a single topic. More love towards the subject - More research they do the more dangerous it becomes. But very tough to know up to what extent we should go and stop....real challenge 

(7)They choose their optional based on their interest and not based on popularity. They avoid herd mentality. A lot of factors need to be considered.  Choosing the right option is also a crucial factor

(8) There are innumerable ways to crack ( Not that every successful person fallow the same strategy - But they follow the standard rule of study ) But very close monitoring and quality teaching required to avoid mistakes.

(9) They compete with themselves and not with others. This is their source of motivation.

Self-motivation - Self-comparison - target-based study - performance improvement.

(10) They do better time management. They make a study schedule and stick to it.  More consistent The study schedule ensures that they are in the right direction of preparation.

Successful candidates log off from social media, enjoyments, etc.  In reality, they avoid all distractions. Of course, Some relaxation and enjoyment are always permitted.

(11) They focus on their work i.e. preparation rather than results, cut-off marks, number of seats, optional removal, and so on.

They keep working on their weak areas and thus keep improving.

Their target is expected cut-off marks. For example if 110 is a high side target -  they target min 120 marks in the mock test. They always try to achieve 120 min marks and work accordingly.  No matter how many students appearing, how many toppers appearing etc.

Single person - Single job - single preparation - Single mentor - single comparison - single target.....no tension - no hurry - no worry...

(12) They focus more on words rather than sentences while reading books. "How to read a book is an art ". This is crucial. Everybody reads the same book and attends the same teacher class - Still few only crack...

(13) Review mechanism is very important. for each wrong question, students have to review very closely and categorize mistakes and minimize the errors. It is called 'back engineering'. Writing a mock test is only 2 to 3 hours. .to review the same paper may take min 6 to 10 hours ( For real review)..more practice is not required. Effective practice with the review is important.

(14 ) Monitoring the performance is the key factor. Monitoring in every aspect is essential.

(15) They start preparation from the interview - Mains - Prelims.....maximum students do the reverse ( That's why they fail in mains & interview )

Conclusion: Mentor - Revision - Review - Monitoring is very important.

Same resources - Same teaching - Same hard work - But very few only can crack. Requires perfect strategies and mentor support.....