Phase I: Confusion 
After deciding to appear for the GPAT exam there was just uncertainty. I had a lot of queries with no one to answer them. It was like seeing my goal but having zero information on how to achieve it, what to study and when to start the preparation. Summing up it was a mess.
Phase II: Collecting information 
It was the start of my B. Pharm 3rd year when I started jotting down the syllabus of GPAT and what the core important subjects are, along with minor ones, which books to prefer for my preparation and which online coaching to follow. For two months I just gathered all the data.
Phase III: Lockdown struggle 
I remember that due to COVID we had our online classes which were new for both teachers and students. We had no books with us as we used to borrow them from the college library and before the lockdown we had to return all the books and clear our dues. Neither were we able to buy books nor were we able to order them. Again I started my search to download a softcopy of the required books for my preparation. It was hectic at that time because I was new to it. I felt like I had come back to square zero.
Phase IV: Preparing for the competition 
- Handwritten notes: This is the most important thing to do for any exams. I have seen good results by making notes that are handwritten by me. The brain processes things faster when it is familiar with them. It becomes 10 times easier for our brain to understand a concept.
- Targeting topics and not chapters: I used to give myself a target that I have to complete this topic. For example: For a day I targeted to accomplish not the whole of general pharmacology but absorption and distribution then the next day metabolism and excretion.
- 1-3-7 rule for revision: A fruitful technique. Day 0 you studied then within 24 hrs revise it(Day 1) - then revise it again on the 3rd day (Day 3) - then revise it on the 7th day (Day 7). It helps a lot to learn the classification of drugs. Revision is a must and cannot be skipped.
- Teaching technique: Imagine you are teaching someone and you will observe that you are getting a deeper understanding of that topic. It helps you to remember what you learned for a longer duration.
- Testing myself weekly: After 3 months of making notes and studying, I got myself into analysis. I started weekly chapter-wise tests. And whatever questions I was unable to answer, I used to write them down and again test myself on those questions. I also solved the previous year’s question banks. This built up my confidence and helped me to develop the skill of approaching an answer.
Phase V: Cracking the exam 
For the last 2 months I just revised and attempted mock tests. Nothing new just what I had learned. Switching subjects to avoid boredom. But not giving up on the consistency. On the result day, all my hard work paved the way to success and I cleared my GPAT exam with a good score.
What are your methods of preparation for any exam? Please share your experience and opinion.
MBH/AB
i have started gpat preparation from my starting of 3 rd year i was fully consistent in sem 5 but later in sem 6 i become inconsistent but now i truly wants to be the consistent till my gpat exam ,i hope that consistency will work out soon.