Acharya Prashant explains that the primary obstacle in competitive exams is not the lack of study, but the mental preoccupation with competition, fear, and comparison. He points out that students often lose their genuine love for subjects like physics or science because their minds are filled with thoughts of cut-off marks, neighbors' taunts, and the fear of failure. This mental instability divides their energy. He suggests that one should stop viewing these as 'competitive' exams and simply see them as exams, focusing purely on the subject matter without comparing oneself to others. True excellence comes from selfless action, where the performer is so absorbed in the task that the ego or the 'self' disappears, much like a Zen archer whose arrow releases itself.