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4 key activities to crack competitive exams

A comprehensive guide for 10th grade students

Competitive examinations are about speed and accuracy. To improve speed a students must be able to consume information, synthesise understanding and deliver right answers or right approach to a useful conclusion.

First — Language and Reasoning skills

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Second — Speedy Mathematics

For attaining speed and accuracy with calculations, start with Vedic Mathematics.

Here are some books on Vedic Mathematics that cover the subject comprehensively with exercises:

1. “The Complete Book of Vedic Mathematics: Including Quick Mental Ability” by Bharti Krishna and Manoj Kumar Thakur — This book is a comprehensive guide to Vedic Mathematics, and it includes a wide range of exercises to help readers master the techniques.
2. “Vedic Mathematics Made Easy” by Dhaval Bathia — This book is a practical guide to Vedic Mathematics, and it includes numerous examples and exercises to help readers develop their skills.
3. “Vedic Mathematics for All Ages: A Beginner’s Guide” by Kenneth Williams — This book is an excellent introduction to Vedic Mathematics, and it includes a wide range of exercises that are suitable for all ages and skill levels.
4. “Mathematics Simplified: A Vedic Approach” by Jagadguru Swami Sri Bharati Krishna Tirthaji Maharaja — This book is written by the founder of Vedic Mathematics, and it provides a detailed overview of the subject, along with numerous examples and exercises.
5. “Vedic Mathematics: Secrets Revealed” by Arvind Gupta — This book is a comprehensive guide to Vedic Mathematics, and it includes a wide range of exercises that are designed to help readers develop their mental calculation skills.

These are just a few of the many excellent books available on Vedic Mathematics. Depending on your level of familiarity with the subject and your specific interests, you may find some of these books more helpful than others.

Third — Emotional Health and Perseverance

For a student preparing for competitive examination it’s easy to get disheartened if there’s not a healthy support from peers and family members, especially in India where students get emotional about cracking IIT-JEE, CAT and numerous other competitive examinations from the area of government jobs, government backed universities, and other jobs and universities of prestige. Another huge set of competitive examinations are held by UPSC in India, among other state level administrative jobs examinations.

Fourth — Choice of Career with self-assessment

Choosing a career path can be a daunting task for a student of grade 10. Here are some steps that can help the student to objectively narrow down their career path:

1. Self-assessment: The student should start by assessing their strengths, weaknesses, interests, values, and personality traits. This can be done by taking career aptitude tests or personality assessments.
2. Research: The student should research various career options that align with their self-assessment. This can be done by talking to people in those fields, attending career fairs, and reading about various professions online.
3. Skills analysis: The student should assess the skills required for the various career options they are considering and compare them to their own skills. They should consider the skills they already have and those they need to develop.
4. Academic planning: The student should plan their academic path based on the career options they are considering. They should research the education and training required for each career and choose appropriate high school courses and extracurricular activities.
5. Hands-on experience: The student should try to gain hands-on experience in the careers they are considering. This can be done by job shadowing, interning, or volunteering in related fields.
6. Decision-making: Based on the above steps, the student should make a list of the top career options they are considering and objectively evaluate the pros and cons of each. They should consider factors such as job demand, salary, work-life balance, and personal satisfaction.

By following these steps, the student can objectively narrow down their career path and make an informed decision. It is important to note that career paths can change over time, and it is okay to explore different options before making a final decision.