KCET 2018: Tips to ace the exam

KCET is the common entrance test organized by the state Government of Karnataka for admission into various courses like Medical, Engineering, Architecture, Dental, Naturopathy, Homeopathy etc. Students who wish to crack KCET need to be focused and determined to achieve their goal. The aspirants who wish to gain admission in various professional colleges of Karnataka need to take this elite exam. Like other competitive exams, KCET also tests the analytical skills along with speed and accuracy of candidates.  

All the competitive exams like the JEE, VITEEE and KCET demand tremendous hard work coupled with smart work. While JEE and VITEEE are national level exams, KCET is meant for those who wish to get into professional colleges of Karnataka. Getting through all these competitions is quite challenging. While JEE assesses the in-depth knowledge of students, VITEEE tests thinking ability and speed. In order to crack KCET one needs to have an excellent speed and expertise in his selected domains.   

Here are some tips which will help you ace this competition quite easily.

During Preparation:

• Know your exam well: It is extremely important to be well-versed with the paper-pattern so that you can plan out your preparation strategy accordingly. KCET exam asks objective type questions to be answered within prescribed time limit. So, once you know this, plan out your preparation as well as revision accordingly.
• Meticulous planning: Nobody can undermine the importance of planning. Chalk out your plan considering what all topics you intend to cover in the stipulated time period. Once you make the plan, try sticking to it. This will ensure that you are able to cover your syllabus in time and also have time for revision.    
• Study Material: Your success or failure in the exam, to a large extent will depend on the notes or the study material that you refer. Consult your seniors or the candidates who have already cracked KCET to get an idea about the most appropriate books or notes.
• Knowledge: Work more on your basics. Cramming is a big no for such competitions. Try to go into the intricacies in order to understand the topic well. Try to cover every bit of the syllabus. This will help you in getting a good rank in Karnataka CET.
• Practice as much as you can: Practice can actually help you in getting through quite easily. Focus on theory but devote maximum time on practical questions. Practice numerous problems on daily basis as this will also help in enhancing your accuracy.
• Speed: Speed is the most important factor in KCET. Solving 60 questions in 80 minutes is a big challenge. Hence, those who are competent of solving every type of question at a good speed can ace the exam. Try to attempt 70 questions in 80 minutes in your revision time. This will enable you to tackle 60 questions on the final day quite easily.
• Revision Notes: Jotting down all the important points at one place is highly recommended as it saves a lot of time. These notes come handy especially in the final days when you cannot imagine going through your books again. These notes also avoid in missing out the important facts or formulae.   
• Previous Year Papers: Completing your syllabus is not as important as referring the Karnataka CET question papers of previous years. Solve at least 1 KCET paper on daily basis. This helps in keeping in touch with the topics and also increases efficiency and speed of attempting questions. You can also expect to get some repeated questions in the exam.  
• Keep a track of your performance: Try to identify the areas where improvement is required and hence try to work on them. Focus more on the topics you are weak at. Also, keep on revising the topics side by side so that the matter does not get faded away from the memory.
• Recreation: Spare some time for your family, friends and your favorite shows. Practice some sort of meditation or yoga as they help in reducing the stress levels. Fresh mind can grasp more and at a higher speed than a stressed mind.  
• Positive attitude: Don’t dwell too much on your performance in the practice tests. Don’t get disheartened if you commit mistakes or are unable to attempt some questions. Instead, try to identify the areas where you commit mistakes and rectify them. Positive attitude is a must for winning this race!

While taking the exam:

• Read the question paper and the instructions thoroughly: Do not miss out important instructions due to anxiety. Be calm and go through the paper. Read the instructions carefully. While going through the paper mark the questions that seem to be simple.
• Attempt simple questions first: Try to solve the questions that seem to be within reach. Do not get worried as you are bound to get difficult questions as well. The first hour should be devoted to the easiest questions. Subsequently you may proceed towards the difficult questions.
• Avoid silly mistakes: You cannot dare to lose a single mark due to some calculation or trivial mistake. This has to be avoided because the loss of a single mark could mean that you could lose as many as 1000 points of rank, especially in exams like Karnataka CET.
• Maintain your confidence while attempting the paper: It is extremely important to have immense confidence in yourself while sitting for competitions. Even on the final day, do not get anxious if you are not able to crack certain questions. Always remember, that it is not the quantity that matters but the quality. Losing hope will only worsen the situation.
• Time management: It is extremely important manage your time while sitting for KCET. If you get stuck somewhere, switch to the next question, without wasting a single second.
• Short-cuts and tricks: Since it is an objective test, you just need to arrive at the correct answer, by hook or by crook. Skip steps and use shortcuts to save time. But, this should not affect your accuracy.
• Attempt maximum possible questions: Try to attempt maximum number of questions as a single correct question can improve your rank tremendously. But spend time on tough questions once you have attempted all the simple ones.   
• Spare time for revision: If possible try to save some time for revision. Going through the questions already attempted might help you in identifying some of the mistakes

Cracking Karnataka CET is difficult but not impossible. Just follow these tips diligently and you will easily get through. Have faith in yourself and achieve this milestone!

Content Courtesy: askIITians.com