Based on the responses from 5000 banking and government jobs aspirants across the country, the survey from the online competitive exam preparation space Oliveboard found that 44.3 per cent respondents voted for job stability, while 36.7 per cent chose better work-life balance over other popular considerations, such as good salary (11.1 per cent).
79 per cent of the survey respondents were from tier 2 and tier 3 cities, the study revealed.
"When we speak of the aspirations of Indian youth, it is important to look beyond the mega cities, teeming with MNCs and startups. The majority of Ind live in small towns and villages, where public sector jobs are most sought after," said Abhishek Patil, CEO and Co-founder, Oliveboard.
"Our survey sheds light on the dreams and motivations of this oft-ignored section of society," Patil said.
According to the survey, 23 per cent of the respondents opted for a mock test in Hindi instead of English.
In terms of preferred mode for exam preparation, 58.7 per cent voted for online mock tests, while YouTube classes and videos (44.5 per cent) came second, and traditional coaching institutes (8.4per cent) were the last choice.
A majority of the candidates (39.4 per cent) prepare for three or more competitive exams at the same time, the study said.
The survey also found that access to online coaching for competitive exams, such as JEE, NEET, Banking, SSC and GATE, has gained greater momentum.
Online learning and personalised education tools are replacing traditional coaching methods.
Social media is definitely a game-changer, offering easy access to discussion forums and study groups.
According to the data, Telegram groups (31.5 per cent), WhatsApp groups (31.5 per cent) and Oliveboard discussion forum (27.1 per cent) are the most popular platforms to interact with peers and educators.
( With inputs from IANS )