Exploring the Key Success Factors of Top People in the University Entrance Exam

Abstract: Identifying the effective factors in the success of top people, and trying to take advantage of them, is one of the most important strategies for success. The lack of an in-depth study in representing the success factors of top students at the university entrance exam motivated the researchers to conduct the present study. The data were collected through a qualitative approach and a deep semi-structured interview with the elective students of university entrance exam, which were selected by the extreme case sampling. After 12 interviews, theoretical saturation was analyzed and data analysis was performed based on a seven-stage Collizzi. The deep analysis of the participant's experience of life has resulted in the classification of seven main themes (main success factors). The results were presented to the participating professors and confirmed after successive studies. The findings indicated that the identified seven factors played a major role in achieving top rank in the university entrance exam. These factors include self-motivation, ambition, purposefulness, speed, learning strategies, learning environment and family features.