Your guide to acing SNAP this year
Tuesday, November 5th, 2019
Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP) is an exam conducted by the Symbiosis International University for the aspirants who dream of pursuing their MBA in the top institutions of the country. Every year, there are many takers for the exam who wish to achieve their dream of studying under the coveted institutions established under the university.
This year, the SNAP exam is scheduled to be held on December 15, 2019. Every year, there are a few changes made to the pattern to keep it updated to match the expectation of getting the best lot of the country. On the same lines, quite a few changes have been introduced this year too in the exam pattern. This article provides an overview of the changes introduced along-with a few tips for each individual section.
In SNAP, 2019, the total number of questions has been reduced to 110. The time allowed for taking the test is 120 minutes and the maximum marks that one can score stands at 150.
There are 3 sections in the test this year-
- General English: Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning, Verbal Ability
- Quantitative, Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency
- Analytical & Logical Reasoning
There would be 105 MCQ’s – normal questions and 5 Non-MCQ’s – special questions, this year. A negative marking of 25% for each wrong answer is applicable, irrespective of the weightage given to the question. Also, note that the General Awareness section has been scrapped for SNAP 2019.
General English
There will be a total of 34 questions for General English this year. For each correct answer, 1.5 marks would be awarded and there are no special questions.
This section covers everything ranging from vocabulary, grammar to reading comprehension in order to gauge the aspirant’s bent and understanding towards the English language. The trick is to be well versed with the nuances of the language which can only be developed through dedicated reading. There is also be a huge focus on grammar and vocabulary questions. Reading newspapers is an efficient way to go about things- not just reading but also noting down new words that you come across. This also inculcates a better reading speed and comprehension abilities which help an aspirant to ace any given exam.
Quantitative, Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency
There will be a total of 40 questions in this section; 35 questions carrying one mark each and 5 non-MCQ special questions which carry 2 marks each.
This section is designed to gauge the quantitative aptitude of a student and his comfort with numbers and data. It has a good mix of mathematical and logical questions to have a wholesome taste of an aspirant’s quantitative abilities. The only key to acing this section is practice. You may start preparing data sets that involve approximation techniques for calculation. You also need to be very clear with your basics for the quants section. You can perform the difficult level questions as long as you apply the concepts learned before. It is also better to have an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses so that the time can be managed effectively to maximize your score in the exam.
Analytical & Logical Reasoning
This section will have a total of 36 questions carrying 1.5 marks each. However, there are no special questions for this section.
This section covers a variety of topics like linear arrangements, family-tree, coding-decoding, syllogisms, sequencing, functions, etc. The pain point for this section is always the speed of doing the questions and once you get an understanding of a particular topic, this section can be a major player in maximizing your score. This requires practice and an understanding of all types of questions so that any question can be tackled during the exam. Referring to previous year question papers and mock tests is strongly suggested particularly for this section. Also, it is better to leave out tedious questions as they tend to take a lot of your time. Therefore, the process of selection of questions is of supreme importance.
How to start my preparation today?
The first and foremost thing you need to do in order to start your preparation is to be acquainted with the type of topics that are included in the exam. You may take note of the different types of questions that have been included in the previous years’ papers and prepare yourself accordingly. It is also necessary that when you have listed down the topics, you practice a decent number of questions for each topic. The number of questions to be practiced should be based on your competency in that topic.
It is always better to be self-aware to be well prepared for any entrance examination. You should always list your weaknesses and strengths. While your strength could help you maximize your score in the main exam, the weakness would give you a motivation to do better. The most effective way to improve your weak areas would be to take mock tests and analyze them regularly. The method to solve the question should be stressed upon during analysis. Using the most time-effective method is what is going to place you in the top 1 percentile.
How to attempt SNAP?
A major trick that can be used in SNAP is to attempt as many questions as you can in the limited time given. The attempted questions should be chosen strategically. Pick the section you are most comfortable with. Since you can access all the sections at once, you need to attempt the section and questions in which you can easily score marks.
If you are stuck on a certain problem during the exam, it is best not to stress over it too much and to just move on to the next question. It is imperative you maintain a calm persona on the D-Day. Time is your competitor here and you need to win. The one who manages his time well also holds the baton of success and realizes his dream of coming into one of the top B-schools of the country.
While it is necessary to give a fixed number of hours to understand concepts, give mocks and analyze them, the candidates also need to ensure that they take some time off and re-energize themselves. The quest is to become managers of the world and the one who manages his time well has conquered the arena of success in the future and his life. Be wise and judicious, and the destination is not far.
So, read your favorite books, have your favorite food, enjoy a movie once in a while and do not miss out on a day out with your friends. Enjoy the learning process and do remember- hard work always pays off. We wish you all the best for your preparation!
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This post was contributed by Swati Mehta(SCMHRD Batch 2019-20, 99.08 percentile SNAP 2018)
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