Exam preparation articles

• CAT section strategy: 40 minutes each for VARC, DILR and QA

  CAT gives each section 40 locked minutes and does not penalise typed answers. How to plan VARC, DILR and QA, and how the marking should shape your attempts.

• How to analyse a mock test, question by question

  The marks are in the review, not the score. A simple method to analyse any mock test in under an hour and find exactly what to study before the next one.

• How to use mock tests: test, analyse, improve, repeat

  Sitting more mocks does not raise your score by itself. Here is a four-step routine that turns every mock test into marks, for any competitive exam.

• IBPS PO prelims strategy: three tests, 20 minutes each

  IBPS PO prelims gives English, Quant and Reasoning 20 minutes each, with a cut-off in every test. How to plan each 20 minutes and clear all three.

• IELTS Academic vs General Training: which one do you need?

  IELTS Academic and General Training compared: who needs which, what is the same, how Reading and Writing differ, and how the overall band is worked out.

• Negative marking: when does guessing pay? SSC, bank, railway, UPSC and CAT

  A simple rule tells you when a guess is worth it under negative marking. Worked out for SSC CGL, IBPS PO, SBI PO, RRB NTPC, UPSC prelims and CAT.

• नेगेटिव मार्किंग: तुक्का कब लगाएँ? SSC, बैंक, रेलवे, UPSC और CAT

  नेगेटिव मार्किंग में तुक्का कब फ़ायदेमंद है, यह एक आसान नियम बताता है। SSC CGL, IBPS PO, SBI PO, RRB NTPC, UPSC प्रीलिम्स और CAT के लिए हिसाब।

• RRB NTPC CBT-1 preparation: pattern, timing and a study plan

  RRB NTPC CBT-1 is 100 questions in 90 minutes with one-third negative marking. The pattern, how to use the single clock, and a plan for each subject.

• SBI PO vs IBPS PO: how the prelims and mains differ

  SBI PO and IBPS PO compared: section sizes, sectional cut-offs, the main examination, the descriptive paper, and how to prepare for both in one go.

• How to calculate your SSC CGL score from the answer key

  SSC publishes a provisional answer key after each tier. How to work out your raw Tier-I and Tier-II scores from it, what normalisation does, and what to do next.

• SSC CGL Tier-I preparation strategy: section by section

  How to prepare for SSC CGL Tier-I: the pattern, a plan for each of the four sections, how to spend the 60 minutes, and how to use mocks in the last months.

• SSC CGL Tier-I की तैयारी कैसे करें: सेक्शन-वार रणनीति

  SSC CGL Tier-I की तैयारी: परीक्षा पैटर्न, चारों सेक्शन की योजना, 60 मिनट का सही इस्तेमाल, और आख़िरी महीनों में मॉक टेस्ट का उपयोग।

• SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL: eligibility, pattern and which to choose

  SSC CGL and SSC CHSL compared: who can apply, the posts, the Tier-I and Tier-II patterns, marking and timers, and how to prepare for both at once.

• UPSC prelims explained: GS Paper I, CSAT and the 66-mark rule

  How UPSC Civil Services prelims really works: GS Paper I decides who reaches mains, CSAT only needs 66 of 200, and how the one-third penalty changes your attempt.