How to Prepare for IOE Entrance After Class 12 in Nepal:

Preparing for the IOE entrance exam often feels like a race against time. Many students begin with confidence, believing that the months after their board exams will be more than enough to cover the syllabus. However, the reality of preparation, discipline, and time management often tells a very different story.

The following reflection shares a personal experience of mine preparing for the IOE entrance exam and the lessons learned during that journey.

The Illusion of Time

Picture this, you just got done with your 12th boards and you are on cloud nine, planning your next trek to i dont know, Gosaikunda or somewhere. You feel as if you have all the time in the world with 3 months at your disposal to prepare for competitive exams, whether that be IOE or CEE and you are relaxing with your friends without a care for the world. But suddenly, you realize there’s only a month left and an ocean full of syllabus to cover, not to mention the heap load of PYQs you have practice. You start seeing it all crumble right in front of you and you start picturing yourself settling for BBA or even BBS. This is what happened with me and here’s what helped me achieve an All-Nepal-Rank of 26.

Building a Practical Study Plan

Make a time table, not the typical one with tables and fixed upper and lower limits and designated bathroom breaks;) but one that is flexible enough to accommodate your learning along with re-adjustment in case you are unable to follow it. Set realistic goals and reward yourself for small achievements. This might help, if you are given
86,400everydayandsomebodytakes86,400 everyday and somebody takes 86,400everydayandsomebodytakes60 from you, do you sob over that and throw away the remaining money on meaningful stuff? Of course not, learn to value time. One thing, you will never be able to completely follow your ideal time table but what matters is that you put in the effort to make closer and closer resemblance between your day and the time table. In case you are short on time, cover all the syllabus at surface level and leave what you cannot conceptualize even a little bit. Practice more and more rather than just memorizing theory.

The Importance of Consistency

Another thing that people often underestimate during preparation is consistency. It’s very easy to study for 10 hours one day and then do absolutely nothing for the next two days. But entrance exam preparation doesn’t work like that. Even a few hours of focused study every day adds up much more than random bursts of motivation. Some days you will feel productive, some days you won’t even feel like opening a book. What matters is that you show up anyway. Progress during preparation is rarely dramatic; it is usually slow and almost invisible until suddenly you realize you can solve problems that once looked impossible.

Learning from Past Questions

PYQs are probably one of the most underestimated resources during entrance preparation. Many students keep postponing them, thinking they will practice them once they “finish the syllabus”. But the reality is that the syllabus never truly feels finished. Practicing PYQs early helps you understand the pattern of questions, the level of difficulty, and the kind of thinking the exam expects from you. Sometimes you also realize that certain topics appear again and again, while others are rarely tested. The more you practice, the less intimidating the exam starts to feel.

Finding Motivation

I was promised a bike if i got the scholarship in Computer Engineering, the most preferred branch, but that is not what kept me going. The reaction that my mom and dad would have when i ranked 1st in PoU entrance exam and 26th in the IOE entrance is what kept me going. Also my sister is a Pulchowk alumnus, so i couldn’t let her down as well. FInd what inspires you and start preparing from the very start. You can enjoy all you want in the 4 years of your bachelors in the college you want just because you sacrificed your three months or live to regret it for the next 4 years and enjoy the 3 months doing dumb stuff.

A Thought to Remember

“Don’t worry about it and take a day off and rest up. Just know that I’ll be one day ahead of you”