Cracking World’s Toughest Exams

The secret of success is that you should never be afraid of failure. India is a breeding ground for aspirational dreams where millions of aspirants prepare for competitive exams like the UPSC, CAT, CA, NDA, and JEE to name a few. Recently, a UPSC aspirant, Kunal R. Virulkar, who shared his journey after not clearing the exam despite 12 attempts, received a lot of appreciation on social media for his determination and commendable efforts. His posts read: “12 attempts, 7 mains, 5 interviews. NO SELECTION,” followed by a poignant Hindi statement, “Shayad zindagi ka dusra naam hi sangharsh hai (Perhaps struggle is another name for life).” In 2023, around 13 lakh candidates appeared for the UPSC prelim exams, while the vacancies were only for 1,255 posts. Nidhi Agrawal (24), a Civil Services aspirant says, “In this competitive world people associate themselves with success. However, during our preparation stage, success is always measured by meeting the daily, weekly, and monthly targets. Competitive exams allow you to cover a vast syllabus in less time, teaching you that persistence is the key to success.”

The Uphill Climb

In the realm of competitive exams, success often seems like an elusive dream. From the vast syllabus, fierce competition, expectations, and immense pressure, success is never guaranteed. And ‘failure’ lurks around every corner, threatening to derail even the most determined aspirants. Mihika (24), a freelancer who attempted CAT, NMAT, SNAP, etc in 2023 decided to mould the shape of her dreams. She began applying internationally. She says, “I had already taken a year off and neither I nor my parents were keen on me trying again for the Indian exams since they have gotten highly competitive. I still see myself as not a high achiever kind of a person who can get into these top universities.” The rat race to success is a bumpy track. Many aspirants feel dejected, lonely and have thoughts of quitting. Amidst the academic stress, students fear that if they do not qualify, another year will be wasted and the same cycle will begin again.

Nidhi says, “Students stay away from their hometown and their parents. They live in a competitive environment where thousands of students are living together preparing for the exam. It often gets lonely. Students overthink regarding the time they are spending and the outcome.”

Challenges Galore

It is precisely in the face of these challenges that the true test of character and exploration begins. Some aspirants change their dreams while others

grind harder to achieve their goals. Hence, the word ‘aspirant’ validates their dreams instead of tagging them as ‘failure.’ Akshay Dhanesan Nambiar (19), a Mumbai-based Automation and Robotics student at VESIT, had attempted the JEE Mains in 2022, scoring a rank under 30,000. However, due to his understanding of his level of preparation, fear and anxiety, he didn’t appear for the

JEE Advanced 2022. After taking a drop year, he reappeared for the JEE Mains and the JEE Advanced in 2023 with an AIR of 3,484. He says, “Today, I look back on that decision without any regret. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The experience motivated me to work even harder, leading to a significant achievement in my first year. I secured an internship at IIT-BHU under Dr. Ankit Arora in the domain of VLSI. This experience has reinforced my belief that hard work and dedication can pave the way for success, regardless of the path taken.”

Lessons For Life

Beyond academic or professional success, preparing for competitive exams teaches invaluable lessons that extend far beyond the confines of the examination hall. It instills resilience, determination, and grit, qualities that are essential for navigating the challenges of life. Aarish Khan, a Mumbai-based chartered accountant and teacher, who teaches Direct tax (CA Final) and Income tax (CA Intermediate), says, “Students need to be clear with their goal, what exactly they want. Nowadays, it’s quite easy to get distracted by social media advancements and mass content consumption. As a teacher, I try to motivate my students and it helps them to reset their thinking and stay persistent in their goal. But also, self-motivation is the biggest factor.”

Not the End Goal

In today’s competitive world, it’s difficult to not view exams and academic results as a direct reflection of a person’s abilities or self-worth. Mihika says that it took her several years to understand that marks do not always correlate to success. To date, it affects her emotionally and mentally. Mahek (23) who had attempted CPT in November 2020 and CA intermediate level exam in June 2021 couldn’t succeed. But she prepared for the MBA entrance. She is now a Chartering and Operations Executive in a shipping company. “I took a 9-10-month break and went for an MBA programme. Seeing the word ‘fail’ for the first time in my life was disastrous. I suffered for many months, trying to figure out what went wrong. Eventually, I took the ‘failure’ as a stepping stone for the next journey ahead,” Mahek says. In the end, preparing for competitive exams is not merely about achieving academic or professional success but about embarking on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth. It is about learning to embrace challenges, overcome setbacks, and emerge stronger, wiser, and more determined than before.

Testing Times

• The toughest competitive exams in India are UPSC IAS, JEE Advanced, GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering), IIM CAT, NDA (National Defence Academy) Exam, CLAT (Common Law Admission Test), Chartered Accountant (CA) Exam, UGC NET, NEET, National Institute of Design Entrance Exam

• In 2023 around 13 lakh candidates appeared for UPSC prelims exams for only 1,255 vacancies

Competitive exams allow you to cover a vast syllabus in less time, teaching you that persistence is the key to success.” — Nidhi Agrawal (24), a Civil Services aspirant

Students need to be clear with their goal, what exactly they want.” — Aarish Khan, CA and teacher, Mumbai

This experience has reinforced my belief that hard work and dedication can pave the way for success, regardless of the path taken.” — Akshay Dhanesan Nambiar, student, VESIT