Preparing for the tech test

Updated on: Monday, November 16, 2009

Clearing the All India Engineering Entrance Examinations (AIEEE) demands a systematic approach in preparation which will help students get admission into one of the top National Institutes of Technology (NITs). The engineering entrance exam consists of the CBSE syllabus of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics and some common topics from Classes XI and XII of the state boards. The cut-off is generally around 60 to 70 per cent. For an organised preparation for the AIEEE, appropriate study material is the first thing an aspirant must have. Every set of problems needs to be approached differently and with a set of separate specific working methods. It involves perseverance in practice to gain confidence and a deeper understanding to handle the problems so that you focus on speed and accuracy, which is undeniably the key to success.

AIEEE is not difficult, but considerably tricky. Books that develop your conceptual understanding should be picked up while preparing for the exam.

Here are few points that should be kept in mind when you begin preparing for the exam and a step-by-step guide outlining the process for solving a problem:

* Try the conventional methods first.
* If they don’t work out, try to understand the problem again and find clues that can lead you to the solution.
* Go through the concepts relating to the problem once again and see how they can be applied to the problem at hand.
* Try to relate the problem to real-life situations, which will help you analyse it better.
* Consult the solution, only when you have exhausted your limits and see, what you had missed earlier.
* Practice similar problems extensively to increase clarity, speed and precision.
* Devise your own shortcuts and ways to deal with particular kinds of problems.
* Always exercise time pressure while solving AIEEE papers.
* In Maths use short methods for calculations, skip irrelevant steps to save time.
* Focus on solving the problems on your own, while preparing for the exam.

As both speed and strike rate should take precedence, you need to be quick off the mark and accurate to achieve high scores. A high speed with little accuracy can actually kill your chances in the main exam. Never use a calculator while preparing for the AIEEE as being adept at mental calculations can actually increase your speed. Select your questions wisely. If you solve the average questions correctly, you can easily get through. You may attempt tough questions to gain skill. Good luck!

The author is Executive Director, FIITJEE Ltd.

For the countdown
* Make a note of all the important points.
* Make a timetable for the last 12 days for the revision of your syllabus. Your timetable must be developed in such a way that you give the maximum time to your strengths. Say, if you are strong in Physics, for example in Electrostatics — then revise Electrostatics, giving enough time to it so that you are sure and confident of every concept in it. If you are not thorough in modern Physics, then only revise whatever topics you have studied.
* Don’t study anything new in that last week.
* Take a few mock tests to check your speed and accuracy.
* Identify the problem areas i.e. where you are wasting the maximum time. Try to analyse where you are making mistakes, which section/s you are not doing well in. Whatever mistakes you make in the first paper try to eliminate these in the second. In this way you will be better prepared for the exam.

Preparing for the tech test

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