HOW TO PREPARE EFFECTIVELY FOR MBA ENTRANCE

If you ask students what they dislike most about school/college life, probably nine out of ten students will say - ‘exams’. The reason is pretty obvious. Students spend days and nights slogging over books preparing for exams. Once the exams are over, they spend their time agonising over the results. More so if it happens to be an entrance exam. MBA entrances seem to have gained popularity of late. Everyone seems to be going for them these days. Quite a few of the aspirants are clear about their objective and go towards it with a proper action plan. Many others are just putting their luck to test, or are confused on how to go about preparing.

If you are a student planning to take the entrance, follow the steps below and exams will no longer torment you. Besides the MBA entrance exam, these steps will help be of interest to anyone taking an exam, be it a school level exam, college level exam, or a competitive one.

Step 1: Start early
There is no point in procrastinating. If you start studying early for your exams then you will have more time to study. When you have plenty of time at your disposal then you can study at your own pace. You will not have to cram extra hours. Think of it as a 100m race. The student who starts early has that much of head start over the others. If need be, join a coaching class. There are a many reputed coaching classes that specialise on MBA entrances, and boast of many successful stories.

Step 2: Be clear about the sections
Don’t waste your time reading something that will not even be asked in the exam. Find out exactly what the exam syllabus will be. Make a list of all the topics that might be asked. Most of the MBA entrances have sections on:

1. Verbal ability

2. Reading comprehension

3. Quantitative ability

4. Data interpretation

5. Analytical ability

6. General awareness

The numbers of questions under each section vary from exam to exam, but the kind of questions is similar. Next, get a list of the books that you would like to refer. Make sure that you have all the course material ready well before the exams. Don’t waste your time hunting for reading material at the eleventh hour.

Step 3: Find out what you are comfortable with
O.K, so now you know the sections that appear in a typical MBA entrance exam, what next. Your next task is to find out what you know and what you don’t know about these sections. What are the sections you are comfortable with? Where do you need to spend more time? Don’t waste precious time studying topics you already know. This may be tempting as it gives you comfort but your time will be better spent if you study topics which you don’t know. You will improve only when you work on your weaker points. If problem solving is a weak point for you, spend more time on that compared to the section you are comfortable with.

Sample tests track and evaluate your results. They isolate your weaknesses and thus highlight what you need to practice most. A commercial course or an MBA preparatory program will help point out to you what practice questions also reveal. That is, there are many shortcuts and tricks that can help you to find the right answer more quickly, and help improve your ability to eliminate the wrong answers. Knowing the question format and taking practice tests will train you for success.

Step 4: Formulate a plan
After you find out exactly what you need to study, your next step should be to form a plan as to how you will study. Start with a broader plan and then break it down to smaller tasks. Smaller tasks can be better managed. Make the plan as specific as possible. Give deadlines and try to stick to these as much as possible. Don’t fix deadlines that are too ambitious and may not be achievable, as you might get discouraged.

Step 5: Execute the plan
You now know what to do and how to do it. But you still have got to do it. This is the most crucial stage. Even the best of plans if not properly implemented are useless. You should periodically monitor your progress to know how you are doing with respect to your plan. If you are not able to meet a deadline, then you have to buckle up. Finally don’t lose steam towards the end. You may start-off with all the enthusiasm but get complacent later. A good way to avoid this is to study along with a friend. This way you and your friend can motivate each other.

Take practice tests. For best results, try to simulate exam conditions as closely as possible when taking sample tests: no unscheduled breaks or interruptions, strict adherence to time limits, and no use of outside aids. Familiarising yourself with the test taking conditions will prepare you for the day of the test and help eliminate any impediments to your success!

There are two basic elements to preparation – study and practice (good luck for those who do not follow these two). The numerical ability (arithmetic, geometry, algebra, probability, sets etc.) is of a high school level, and that is the reason many of us will have lost touch with these subjects. Moreover, a little revision and practicing numerous time savers and short cuts will enhance your performance. The verbal section will pose a lot of traps to catch even the most confident people, so some brush up on your grammar will not go waste.

There is no substitute for practice in your preparation for the MBA entrance test. The time limits that are present in the test will be very difficult to adhere to without practice. Practice makes a man perfect. Also, there is not substitute for hard work. Plan the schedule of your preparation ahead. Maintain consistency throughout your preparation. Do it on a regular basis and when time comes give it the best shot.

You can improve your performance at the entrance test quite considerably by putting a little (or a lot of) effort into preparing for the test. With this, you should be able to improve your score, which will make a noticeable difference in the options you have for choosing a business school.

A few more tips . . .

· Before the exam day, make sure you have everything you need. Double check before leaving for the examination hall. If you are writing an exam that requires you to carry a hall ticket or an ID card, then make sure that you have it with you. The worst possible start you can give yourself is to arrive for the exam without the things needed to write the exam.

· It is important to relax. Don’t indulge in last minute reading. You will gain nothing, on the contrary you will get more nervous.

· Reach the exam hall well before time so that you have plenty of time to settle down.

· Read the question paper very carefully. Do not forget to read the instructions. Don’t assume that the model of the question paper will be same as last year.

· Attempt the easier questions first. That way you can allocate more time for the difficult questions.

· Manage your time efficiently. You must attempt all the questions in the stipulated time.

· Write your name and roll number legibly and neatly. Do not scribble. Avoid scratch marks on the paper.

· If you have some time left in the end then revise your answers once. Verify the numerical calculations.

· Follow the other instructions properly

You probably knew most of the points discussed in this article. So practice them now and see the results. In case you had feel that you were going wrong in your preparations earlier, rectify them now and get set for the exam of your dream course.