Coaching vs Self-study

Coaching vs Self-study – Which is better?: Are you confused whether to take up coaching or not?

It is normal to get confused because nobody wants to leave anything to chance and therefore wants to avail the best available resources to perform well in an entrance exam.

In fact, in the age and time we live in, for good or for worse, entrance exam coaching has become a part and parcel of the preparation ritual. Even the very bright students aren’t at many times brave enough to stake their future on self-study.

So, we thought it is a good time to discuss the pros and cons of self-study and coaching. 

What differentiates the two approaches to entrance exam preparation? Is it possible to prepare for entrance exams without coaching? We discuss all these and much more here. So, keep reading.

Coaching vs Self-study – Which is better and why?

The key differences between self-study and coaching is given below. 

Particular	Coaching	Self-Study
Structure and format of education	Coaching is a very streamlined form of academic discourse. Also, you are taught in a very structured environment, wherein students need to fit in to get maximum benefit. For instance, coaching institutes will complete the schedule as per a schedule. So, if you miss some classes, you face the risk of falling behind.	There is no definite structure to self study. In fact, the structure and format will depend on the study plan you make and how dedicatedly you follow that plan. Also, you can make multiple changes to the study plan. In this regard, the coaching classes are more rigid as there structure and format doesn’t change as per the whims and fancies of the student.
Personal assistance	Students take up coaching in the home of personal assistance by the coaching staff. But the catch here is that coaching institutes today have hundreds of students in each batch. So, getting personal attention can be a far fetch dream, unless you are a very good student and the coaching institute feels like investing in you could be gainful (for instance, they may feel like you are a good bet to get a rank in the entrance exam, which if tt happens, can be good promotion for the institute.)	Self-study, as the term indicates, is dependent to a large extent on what the candidates do and decisions they take.  The candidate may be influenced by peer groups, family members, but otherwise, he or she is free to make their own decisions regarding what to study and what to study.
Study material provided	The coaching institutes have their own custom-made study material that students must follow for exam preparation.	The candidate is free to choose any study material they find suitable. It is recommended that the candidate opts for best study material recommended for each subject by experts.
Getting external help	Candidates who undertake coaching more or less depend on coaching manuals. Also, when the candidate is already taking coaching, one is not expected to again seek help somewhere else. That being said, if the coaching is inadequate, the candidate may seek help from their teachers, experts.	The candidate while doing self-study is free to get as much external help as possible, from teachers, peers, or even experts, if it is available for free. The quality of help one can avail will depend on the available resources and also the judgement of the candidate. The candidate must be smart enough to filter out the good advice from the bad.
Time available for self-study	If you are doing coaching, you will have very limited time available for self-study. Typically, coaching classes will take up 2-3 hours every day. Add to add another 1-2 hours of travel time.  So, you must smartly utilize your time for revision of coaching manuals. Further, you must also find some time to read the textbooks. This is because if you become over reliant on the notes provided by the coaching institutes, you might lose the habit of reading textbooks or miss out on nuggets of wisdom that they may contain.	Since you are already doing self-study, you have no scarcity of time at your disposal.  So, you can tweak and adjust your exam preparation routine multiple times.
Which to opt for?	If you have covered most of the fundamental concepts, coaching can be an option. But that being said you need to do some research about the institute, the faculty they have. Also, realize that just taking up coaching won’t matter unless you also complete the study material they share, solve sample papers, and do timely revision. You must assess your progress keenly after, say, month. If you feel like coaching is not helping you much, you can opt out and focus on self-study.	If you are a strong kid with strong belief in your abilities to self-learn, then self-study can be fruitful. Truth be told, there is enough good study material around and if you could complete these texts (as per the syllabus for your exam, you will put yourself in the right track. After completing a few topics, solve relevant problems, including those given in the sample papers and previous years’ question papers. Also, since most entrance exams are time-controlled, you need to focus on improving speed and accuracy.

Also Read:

How to Prepare for JEE Main Exam	How to prepare for CAT
How to Prepare for CLAT	How to Prepare for NIFT 2025 Situation Test
How to Prepare for NIFT Personal Interview	–

What do coaching institutes say on coaching for entrance exams?

This is what Allen,  a leading coaching institute, has to say on coaching, why, and how it is useful:

When to take coaching for entrance exam preparation?

While we don’t at all recommend that students take coaching for entrance exam preparation, it is also true that many students will still depend on coaching for exam preparation.

So, here we have stipulated a few thumb rules that candidates may consider before enrolling into a coaching institute:

• You need some help to improve your problem-solving abilities or conceptual understanding of topics. In this case, a crash course may suffice. 
• However, if there are large gaps in your exam preparation, short-term courses won’t cut it. You need a proper course. But note that long-term coaching courses will also be expensive.
• You need last minute motivation and a peer group to practice with – In some cases your self-study is going great guns, but you may want to spice up things by taking a crash course and test your progress in a peer group. 
• In some cases the candidate is simply not able to do self-study. In that case, a coaching institute can provide a helping hand.
• Also, if you are a very good candidate, you may also consider taking up coaching considering coaching institutes tend to pay special attention to brilliant students.

Resources for popular entrance exam preparation:

Syllabus of Top Exams	Exam Pattern of Top Exams
JEE Main Syllabus 2025	JEE Main Exam Pattern 2025
–	NEET Exam Pattern 2025
CAT Exam Syllabus 2025	CAT Exam Pattern 2025
NIFT Syllabus 2025	NIFT Exam Pattern 2025