This is not just about clearing the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT). I really urge the aspirants to think big and beyond the exam and “enjoy” the whole experience. Enjoy the preparation, cherish the joy of solving each difficult question, laugh at the silly ones, enjoy the peer pressure, enjoy the bus and metro rides to your weekend mock test destinations, enjoy the glum faces after each mock test, enjoy low percentiles and enjoy the XAT - but never let your confidence go down. Never aim low. I firmly believe that a searing want to clear the exam (come what may) puts unnecessary pressure and only increases the probability of failure. Be sincere, not serious. Therefore, I iterate - don't miss the bigger picture. If possible, go and visit your dream campus. Don't get carried away by the mock toppers or the timers and launchers at all. Make your own choices and hold the belief that you are the best. You know why—because you are the best!

Having said this, you must ensure that you are consistent with the preparations and are aware of your strengths and weaknesses in various topics. One important practice that must be mastered is to always scan the entire question paper and plan your 180 minutes. According to me, the game is not to be good enough to be able to solve all the questions. Instead, it is to be smart enough to know which ones not to attempt. Unfortunately, the competition is very fierce and not all will land in their dream schools. You need to be in your best form and the momentum of preparation has to only increase till the D-day. Only then will you be able to feel most confident about yourself and unleash your best in those fateful 180 minutes. Any hint of complacency or low or overconfidence is a sure shot recipe for disaster. Clearing XAT has to be your need, and not a want or a desire.

Keep your focus intact, prepare your best, stay composed and I am sure that you will reach your destination, sooner or later. I wish you all a very good luck. Remember - you are the best!

Varun Madan is a business management (finance and marketing) graduate from XLRI School of Business & Human Resources, Jamshedpur, from the class of 2008-2010. His XAT performance put him in the 99.96th percentile.