How to Prepare for SET 2026 General English Section
Symbiosis Entrance Test 2026 ( SET )
Registration - 15 Apr '26
General English preparation for SET exam is not very tough but requires a good amount of dedication and practice. Read the article below to know how to prepare for SET 2026 General English section.
How to Prepare for SET 2026 General English
General English Preparation for SET Exam 2026: Language skills remain a critical point to judge the fitment of a person in both academic and professional spheres. Preparing for the General English section of SET exam 2026 is not very tough but requires continuous practice and dedication. Preparing for the General English section in a planned manner will help candidates fetch a good score in the SET 2026 exam. This section of the Symbiosis Entrance Test, checks the proficiency of students in English language and their comprehension skills.
Symbiosis SET exam 2026 is scheduled to be conducted on May 2 and May 10. General English is an important part of the SET exam syllabus 2026, which, with good practice can fetch a good SET score 2026. Read the article below to know how to prepare for SET 2026 General English section including important topics, books, etc.
- Understand General English Section in SET Exam 2026
- SET 2026 General English Section: High Weightage Topics
- SET Exam 2026 Syllabus for General English
- How to Prepare for SET 2026 General English Section
- Best Books for SET Preparation 2026: General English
- Common Mistakes to Avoid in SET 2026
Understand General English Section in SET Exam 2026
According to the past year SET exam analysis, General English section is easy in terms of difficulty. As mentioned before, the section check English proficiency and vocabulary of students. This section can be scoring as students do not have to learn tricky formulas or hard to learn theorems.
Check the table below to know General English SET exam pattern 2026:
| Feature |
Particular |
|---|---|
| Number of questions |
16 Multiple Choice Questions |
| Sectional Time Limit |
No section time limit |
| Marking Scheme |
+1 mark for correct answers No negative marking |
| Good attempt |
10 to 13 questions |
SET is a national-level entrance exam conducted for admission to various undergraduate courses. SET 2026 will be conducted in the computer-based test mode. The difficulty level of the SET exam is usually easy to moderate. But, a few questions might trick your mind and can be time-consuming.
General Knowledge and Analytical and Logical Reasoning are easier than the Quantitative Aptitude section. In 2025, according to the students who appeared for the SET session 1 exam, the SET exam was moderate. The General English section was the easiest of all four sections. The Quantitative Aptitude section was the toughest, and the other two sections were moderate to easy. The overall difficulty level of the SET question paper was moderate. Students who appeared for the SET 2025 session 2 exam said that the overall difficulty level was easy. Again, the General English section was the easiest. In this session, the Analytical and Logical Reasoning section was also easy to moderate. The Quant section was easy to moderate, and the General Knowledge section was difficult.
Aspirants should start preparing for the SET exam at least six months before the test date. SET preparation requires planning thus one must start early. They can also join coaching institutes for focused preparation. Starting early will also help you assess that whether you need to join a coaching institute or not. Divide your preparation into three phases - 1. Covering the syllabus 2. Practicing mock tests, sample questions and 3. Revision.
The SET syllabus includes the following topics:
General English: Parajumbles, Sentence Completion, Grammar, Comprehension Passages, Synonyms and Antonyms, etc.
Logical Reasoning: Tables, Graphs, Pie Charts, Blood Relation, Seating Arrangement, Strong and Weak Arguments, and Syllogism
Quantitative Aptitude: Geometry, Algebra Number System Arithmetic, Mensuration etc.
General Awareness: Companies and Founders, Awards, Books and Authors, Sports, Politics, Current Affairs, etc.
You can read the following SET books for exam preparation:
- A New Approach to Reasoning by BS Sijawali
- Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha
- Multi-Dimensional Reasoning by Mishra Kumar and Dr Lal
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
- High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren & Martin
- How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Arun Sharma
- Class 9 and Class 10 NCERT Mathematics books
- Quantitative Aptitude by R. S Aggarwal
- Manorama Year Book
SET 2026 General English Section: High Weightage Topics
Important and high weightage topics of SET syllabus 2026 include:
| Topic |
Description |
|---|---|
| Vocabulary |
The section tests knowledge of students of different words in the English language. A good vocabulary will fetch good scores in this section |
| Reading Comprehension |
Checks the ability to analyse passages. Students have to draw meanings from the given passage |
| Grammar |
Students should know grammar rules to ace this part. They should know how to identify grammatical errors and improve structure of the sentence |
| Sentence Correction and Error Spotting |
Review common errors such as punctuation marks, misplaced modifiers, improper tense, etc. This part tests the candidate’s analytical skills. |
SET Exam 2026 Syllabus for General English
The General English section will have 16 questions. Refer to the table below to know the important topics in the General English section.
| Important topics for SET 2026 General English Section |
|
|---|---|
| Synonyms in English |
Antonyms |
| Error Spotting |
Prepositions: Types, Kinds, Usage, Best Books |
| Vocabulary and its applications |
Grammar and Parts of Speech: Types, Exercises with Answers, Grammar Rules, Examples |
| Analogy |
Fill in the blanks |
| Articles |
Reading Comprehensions |
| Idioms and Phrases |
Clauses |
| Para Jumbles |
Paraphrasing in English |
| Nouns: Types, Exceptions, Rules, Exercises with Answers |
One Word Substitution: Examples and Exercises |
Common mistakes to avoid in SET exam include:
- Poor Time Management
- Neglecting Planning
- Procrastination
- Lack of Conceptual Clarity
- Overlooking Sectional Preparation
- Ignoring Previous Years' SET Question Papers
The QA section of the SET exam can be prepared with practice and revision. Students can start their QA preparation by understanding the concepts, syllabus and learning formulas and theorems. Regularly practicing mathematical problems after memorizing the formulas will help the SET aspirants to crack the QA section of SET exam. The more they practice, the better their chances of getting a good score in this section. Topics such as number system, algebra, mensuration, geometry, profit and loss, ratio and proportion, probability, are some of the important topics for the Quant syllabus.
In 2026, SET will be conducted in two phase, i.e. Test 01 and Test 02. According to the previous year SET analysis and student's reactions, the difficult level of the exam is easy to moderate in both sessions. A good score in SET BBA exam can be subjective, but if we look at the analysis, then the following can be termed as a good score in SET:
Section | Number of Questions | Difficult Level | Good Score |
|---|---|---|---|
General English | 16 | Easy | 13-15 |
Quantitative Aptitude | 16 | Moderate | 13-14 |
General Awareness | 16 | Moderate | 07-09 |
Analytical and Logical Reasoning | 12 | Easy-Moderate | 10-12 |
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How to Prepare for SET 2026 General English Section
A strong hold over the English language and good comprehension skills will get the students through in this section. Check some important tips to prepare for General English section of SET 2026:
Learn New Words: Students should have a notebook or flashcards to learn new words every day. They can jot down the new words they come across during the course of their SET exam preparation 2026, along with their meanings. They should know their meaning, antonyms and usage. Revising and revisiting these is important.
Daily Reading Habit: Students should cultivate the habit of reading every day. Students can read newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, etc., or editorials, magazines and novels. This would help students in enhancing comprehension skills and vocabulary.
Manage Time: The duration of the SET exam will be 60 minutes only. Students have to solve a total of 60 questions within the time limit. To ensure that students are able to complete the exam within time, students should work on their time management abilities. They can prioritize reading passages as they can be time consuming. If they find any question difficulty, they should not get stuck on it and move on to the next. Students can revisit the challenging questions again. Candidates should divide their time among sections to avoid rushing in last questions.
Practice SET Mock Tests and Sample Papers: Mock tests are the replicas of the SET question paper. They create an exam like environment to help students understand how to manage the questions and time. Students should analyse the SET exam mock tests to check their progress.
Revision: Revision goes a long way in preparation for any competitive exam. Attempt an ample number of sample papers and mock test after completing the syllabus. These two will help you get through the General English section with a good score in hand. Even though there is no negative marking, students should attempt those questions first which they are sure of.
Best Books for SET Preparation 2026: General English
The following is the list of best books for the General English section of the SET 2026 exam. Check the recommended SET books below:
| Book name |
Author/Publisher |
|---|---|
| High School English Grammar and Composition Key |
Wren and Martin |
| Word Power Made Easy |
Norman Lewis |
| Objective General English |
SP Bakshi |
| How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT |
Arun Sharma & Meenakshi Upadhyay |
Also Read: Section-wise Best Books for SET 2026
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Common Mistakes to Avoid in SET 2026
Here the common mistakes to look out for SET exam preparation 2026:
- Neglecting Vocabulary
- Overcomplicating Grammar
- Not Practicing
- Ignoring Reading Comprehension
- Not Managing Time
Read More:
Saumya Jain is an English Literature graduate from the University of Delhi. She has over 8 years of editorial and content writing experience. At Shiksha.com, she has spent more than six years creating research, stud
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 19 hours ago
Students can prepare for SET exam even if they have not studied mathematics in high school. To prepare for mathematics component of SET exam students can start their SET preparation by learning formulas and theorems. The difficulty level of the QA section is slightly higher than rest sections but wi
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 19 hours ago
To crack SET exam in first attempt, students should have a preparation plan for 3 to 6 months bifurcated according to topics, strengths and knowledge of students. Students should consistently practice to fetch good SET scores.
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 21 hours ago
General English: Synonyms, Antonyms, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, correct grammar usage and their rules
Quantitative: Geometry, Algebra, Statistics.
General Awareness: General knowledge and current affairs.
Analytical Reasoning: Coding and decoding, Data interpretation, True or false statements,
R
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
- Understand the pattern of the question paper for your subject.
- Examine previous year's questions to determine the requirements of each section.
- SET question papers mostly consist of four sections, including English Quant, GK, and Reasoning.
- Collect study material accordingly to study each concept in de
V
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
Syllabus in SET exam is based on Class 12 and students need not study advanced topics beyond Class 12. SET syllabus assesses knowledge of students and skills at Class 12 level.
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
Yes, IPMAT books can be used for SET exam preparation as both are BBA entrance exams. Candidates can use same books for preparing for topics such as Quantitative Aptitude and General English. However, the difficulty level of SET exam is much easier as compared to that of IPMAT exam.
R
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
SET is a speed-based test that assess a candidate's analytical aptitude, logical reasoning skills, Quantitative Aptitude and English comprehension. Students should have a strong base on concepts and solve PYQPs and mock tests to fetch good score. Historically, the SET exam is much easier than other
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
SET exam is conducted for admission to eight prestigious colleges of Symbiosis International University. Candidates can choose their preferred institutes during SET application process. It is a gateway to undergraduate programmes offered at Symbiosis colleges.
M
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
SET does not occur twice a year, but it takes place on two dates within same session. Candidates have the option to appear in either or both. The best attempt from the two will be considered. SLAT 2026 exam will be held on:
| Test 1 | 02-May-2026 |
| Test 2 | 10-May-2026 |
R
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
To download SET syllabus PDF, follow process below:
- Click on SET Exam Syllabus 2026 PDF link
- Login to Shiksha.com with user ID and password
- Click on Download buttton
A
Contributor-Level 6
SET Notifications
Previously, the SET exam had 150 questions. They were reduced to 60 multiple-choice questions in the year 2021, and the duration of the exam was also reduced proportionally. Check out the table below to know what can be considered a good score in SET exam according to the previous years' analysis: