EAMCET 2014: Get prep tips from 2013 topper

With an All India Rank (AIR) 1, PallerlaSai Sandeep Reddy was the EAMCET (Engineering, Agriculture and Medical Common Entrance Test) 2013 topper. Not only EAMCET, but this lad from Andhra Pradesh also topped JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) Advanced in the same year. Read full story here!

According to Sai, two years of continuous preparation, constant revision and proper time management were some of the factors that helped him climb this ladder of success.

In an exclusive interview with shiksha.com, Sai shares his mantras that helped him crack the exam to, thus, help EAMCET aspirants sail the exam smoothly this year.

I prepared from 11th class. Two years of good preparation should suffice. As I was preparing for JEE the syllabus is almost the same. I completed the syllabus in almost one and half year. I did past year papers in the end and that's it. Constant revision is essential.

JEE Mains and EAMCET have more or less the same syllabus. But the difference is the pattern of the exam. So the students can prepare the same material for both exams. But they should keep in mind about the pattern of the exams. EAMCET requires quick solving of relatively easy questions while Mains requires conceptual depth. Students should keep this in mind. It is strongly recommended to solve past AIEEE papers (for the sake of Mains) and past EAMCET papers so that students get an idea about patterns and more importantly, time management.

The syllabus is almost same. While depth of questions asked is quite different.

Though well planned and executed self-study suffices but it is recommended to join in a coaching institute because the competitive environment there is key factor. And guidance of experts in the field also helps a lot. I joined in Sri ChaithanyaNarayana IIT Academy in 11th.

By the end of 11th class we get an idea about topics which we are good and the ones at which we aren't that good. So time division should be according to it. It should be planned so as to give more time to the subjects and topics which we are not that confident at. Developing confidence is the most important thing in the whole preparation process. Personally for me, Chemistry was the tougher topic since there were lots of things to revise. So I used to write short notes, revise them a lot of times.

As for working on my weak areas is concerned, I did the following:

• First of all, read some good text regarding the topic and understand it thoroughly.
• It is recommended to consult the teacher even for small doubts.
• It is good to write all the doubts in a book.This helps a lot.
• After getting confident about theory start solving problems.Begin with easier ones.
• The number of questions that we solve doesn't matter .All that matters is the confidence and concepts that we gained by solving those questions matter.So know the concept behind every question you solve.You should be able to solve if similar question comes in JEE Main exam.
• After solving some basic questions, go to some hard ones.Spend some time on each question.
• Then go to past year papers.Read them and get an idea to what extent questions are asked in exams.

I used to revise a lot. Last four months of preparation time is essentially revision and solving past year papers.

The main references are the textbooks i.e. NCERT books themselves. Almost all the questions in EAMCET papers come from them. So be extremely thorough with them. And next, get some book that has past years papers with solutions. This is very important. They will suffice.

I planned well and spent enough time on basics in 11th. Moreover, I solved past year papers in the given time frame to get used to pressure situations in exams.

Since I keep forgetting, I also used to revise patiently many times. Everyone does forget, so do keep revising

• Start solving previous year papers keeping in mind the time limits as in the exam.
• Maintain small notes containing last minute - revision formulae.
• Maintain notes on the formulae and reactions that you often tend to forget.
• Write error-notes i.e. a list of all the errors you made in the practice tests. Have a look at it before exam.
• Always keep your eye on the target.

• People generally believe in short cuts and substitutions methods which prove to be bad.
• In the exam if you know a method, just follow even if it is based on substitution because time matters a lot. And after the exam is over (practice tests) know the correct solutions also
• Don't spend too much time on any question. You have to solve 160 questions in 3 hours which is quite tough. It’s ok to leave a few.
• Avoid bubbling mistakes.
• Don't get tensed in any stage of preparation or exam. Keep yourself cool. Practice helps in this aspect.