Competitive exams are getting more and more competitive.  The number of candidates appearing for each exam, from Civil Services, to CAT to IIT-JEE's and National Law Schools, is mind boggling. But who are the lucky few (and is it luck at all?) who get through when lakhs of candidates remain disappointed? If you see the successful candidates, you will realise that they are not necessarily the ones who were scoring highest marks in their respective schools or colleges. Many of them were probably also not bookworms who were studying 18 hours a day.  Then what makes them successful?  Here are a few significant points that can help you become one of the winners:

Set your goals clearly, and based on your strengths and aptitude, not just on your interest. The earlier you decide, the longer the time you have to prepare for entrance exams

Keep abreast of the dates of various entrance exams, since nowadays so many of them take place in different months of the year.  For example, those aspiring for an MBA should know that the Institute of Rural Management test is on November 11, CAT is on November 18, The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade on November 25, while MAT is on December 2, JMET on December 9, Symbiosis SNAP and ICFAI on December 16, Narsee Monji on December 30, and finally XAT on January 6. This knowledge helps you prepare systematically giving priority to the ones that are most important to you.

Appear for all the allied exams e.g. if you wish to get into engineering, appear for IIT-JEE, AIEEE, CET etc., and not for unconnected exams like Law, Medical, etc.

Other than preparing for the exams, keep yourself abreast of Current Affairs and GK, brush up your communication skills, and learn the techniques of facing interviews and Group Discussions.

Systematically answering mock tests number of times (in the same time period) gives you vital practice on making the best of the available time during the exam.

And finally, use stress reduction techniques to ensure that you keep good health, do not get tensed up, and can be relaxed when you sit for the exams, thus giving the best of yourself.