triplemonky

Sunday, 15 December 2013

conversation about cat

The Common Admission Test or CAT is the most crucial entrance examination for management aspirants in India.

Scheduled to be held between October 16 and November 11, 2013, the test scores will decide if you'll make it to the 13 elite Indian Institutes of Management or 150 other leading business schools in the country.

With less than 48 hours to go for first phase of the all-important test, Rediff.com had organised an online chat for the benefit of readers.

In the chat, Rahul Reddy, Director, VistaMind Education, a Bangalore-based CAT training institute answered queries and offered essential tips to readers on how they can optimise the last few hours and prepare better in the exam.

For those who missed the live chat, here's the unedited transcript:

Anuj Goyal: sir, I am able to manage only 12-14 attempts in QA with 70-80% accuracy. In VA, I have 20-22 attempts but accuracy is 50-60%.how to improve in the remaining few days?

Rahul Reddy: Hi Firstly, you have done reasonably well, just need an last push. In Section 1 you need to attempt 15-16 Qs. Focus on easy medium Qs. Attempt only those Qs that you are confident about. If struck on a Q, drop it and move on Section 2 attempts are ok, accuracy needs to get better. Try to identify areas where mistakes are high and get a special session with a good VA teacher.

ulfat: sir how to improve accuracy in VA? how many attempts will get me 80 per cent accuracy?

Rahul Reddy: Hi 80% is difficult to achieve on consistent basis and luckily not required. If you attempt high 22-25Qs with 70% accuracy you will get well above 90 percentile

rittika negi: Hi Rahul, will there be sectional cut offs in DI? What score should i aim for in each section to make it to IIM-A, B and C?

Rahul Reddy: No seperate cutoffs for DI. Entire Section 1 QA DI will have a cutoff. For IIM A and C, Cutoffs can be as high as 95%ile in each section. IIM B has lower cutoffs, but higher weightage for profile

kunika: Sir, i am really worried about negative marking scheme. Does it affect my score, if my accuracy is poor? how can i work on this

Rahul Reddy: Hi poor accuracy is a big negative, not just because of negative marks but because of the time wasted. Accuracy in section 1 should be 80% or higher, and section 2 it should be 70% or higher

zubeda-pawaskar: Can you share last year's cut-off figures from last year at top IIMs. With 95 percentile in mocks, which schools can i focus on?

Rahul Reddy: Cutoff figures for IIMs are very complicated and involve wieghtages for Acads, work exp etc. Broadly for new IIMs cutoffs would be 99% overall and for older ones 97 . Bschools like Bangalore, Shillong are exceptions as the weightage on non CAT factors is more

manoj: Which are the other important exams besides CAT and GMAT?

Rahul Reddy: XAT, SNAP and CMAT are exams which are accepted by good Bschools. Additonally IIFT and NMIMS conduct their own exam

omi: Do IIMs demand work experience? What is a good CAT score to qualify? pls guide

Rahul Reddy: Work exp is not compulsory, though some additional points are given for people with work exp. All IIMs have a mix of students, freshers and work exp

mustafa: If I do not get a call from IIMs, which are the other good b-schools I can target?

Rahul Reddy: Non IIMs, best are XLRI, FMS, SPJain, NITIE, MDI, IIT Mumbai, IIT Delhi, JBIMS, IIFT, NMIMS,

sanchit jain: sir...please tell me how i can put my maximum efforts in these last 15 days before CAT?

Rahul Reddy: Hi First, we should keep in touch with all areas. Ideally some time on basic skills - Speed maths, vocab revision, speed reading, grammar concepts would be good. Don't try solving new material. Revise by picking 15-20 key problems from each chapter (or Type of q) and then re-solve it. These Qs can be from Mock CATs, past CAT/XAT papers or any exercise.

rajat: If my net score is 27 with an accuracy of 90.8%, what are my chances this year?

Rahul Reddy: Each day, each slot paper would be different. However an overall score of 27 is quite low.

anuj: Sir i want to pursue job then please tell me the value for money percentile to pursue mBa.., or tell me at least percentile which will be good to pursue mba

Rahul Reddy: Choosing a Job Vs Doing an MBA is common choice for students. Unless you have a great job (possible only for IIT/NIT or Stephens.SRCC types) it is better do an MBA from any Bschool above 80%ile. So MBA from WE, FORE, KJ Som, TAPMI, BIMTECH, would be better than direct Job

Anuj Goyal: Sir, how to solve the inference based questions in RCs?? I always get confused with the options, because all of them seem to be correct...

Rahul Reddy: RC the key is spend 3-4 min on passage reading it once, making sure you get the key ideas only. Then spend a min of two min for each Q, going back to passage, finding the relevant lines and analysing carefully.

kapadia: What would be the cutoff for Symbiosis and ISB Hyderabad? which one is better for mba?

Rahul Reddy: ISB Hyderabad is a 1year Exec MBA program for people with a min of two years work exp and a good GMAT score is required. The cost is about 25 lakhs. Symbiosis has many good Bschools offering 2 year MBA/PGDM. The best ones are SIBM Pune, SCMHRD Pune, SIIB, Pune and SIBM Bangalore

rakesh: Hi Rahul sir I am good at Quant but my english is not very good. How much should I attempt in QA to get a call from IIMs? what was the cut off for VA last year?

Rahul Reddy: Hi Rakesh we have sectional cutoffs for the IIMs in both sections. So in section 2 you will need a score of 35 for the IIMs. Two things you can do. One is ensure that you score heavily in LA area. Second focus on Qs like Para Jumbles, Para completion etc which are essentially logic qs. This can help increase your score

max: I am getting an overall score of around 46-52 in mocks. What chance do I have?

Rahul Reddy: Hi Max. The exact score required depends on the paper you get. However you need to push up the score and that is possible. If you increase attempts in each section by 2 Qs, then your score can go up by 10-12 marks and that can take you to 85 %ile where we have some very good Bschools

janu: I am an arts graduate. can i apply for cat this year?

Rahul Reddy: CAT is open to all Graduates Com, Arts, Engg etc. However for 2014 admisison cycle CAT starts from 16th October. So too late to apply now.

shahin: My budget is Rs 12-15 lakhs. from which institutes I can pursue mba finance in india?

Rahul Reddy: Hi the budget should be enough for most Bschools in India (except ISB Hyd). Best bschools outside of IIMs would be SP Jain, JBIMS, MDI, NMIMs

mustafa: I always struggle with Mathematics. What according to you would be a fair attempt for Quant?

Rahul Reddy: Depends on the paper. My advise attempt 2 sets of DI and then pick and chose about 6-8 Qs from Quant. Should give you a decent %ile

vishal: sir what is the difference between progressive negative marking and successive negative marking? how does it affect overall score?

Rahul Reddy: Normal negetive would be 3 for every correct answer and -1 for every wrong answer. Progressive negative implies higher negative for greater errors, Ex: -1/4 for 1st 5 mistakes, -1/3 for next 5 and so on. It affects people who have a tendency to make more errors. However, i don't expect it would be a major factor in CAT

rajat: Sir, last year I got 92.6 percent. I did not get any call from the IIMs. What do you think would be the best thing for me to do this year?

Rahul Reddy: Rajat: If you have good job, you can gain experience and going for CAT with 2-3 years experience. However if you don't have a good job, then i suggest you do your best this year and take what best bschool you can get

waman: I am weak in RC passages, this brings down my overall score by 10 percent . What do you suggest I should do now?

Rahul Reddy: Not Sure i understand. Are you saying that you get a effective negative score from RC? Difficult to make improvements this late. Suggest you pick and attempt one Rc while maxing attempts in other areas

vicky: Sir going through last years papers and practicing some mocks are sufficient for Revision in few days before exams ....????

Rahul Reddy: The last week should not be high stress, it should be light revision. If you have 20 days, then you can do more

vicky: Sir how to improve the English vocabulary ????? as I will take cat next year i have 1 years time to do so ...Kindly give me guideline how to do it ....whether we have to learn dictionary words ????

Rahul Reddy: There are many ways. Best is to read 300-500 word passage from newspaper, magazine or online. Write a 3-5 line summary. After that, pick words that dont know from the passage, guess their meaning and then check against a dictionary. This way learning from context is much more effective than word lists. And this method combines preparation for RC as well as vocab

Last minute studytipss

We've all heard it before: don't cram. Don't wait for the last minute. You won't retain as much, you'll tire yourself out and it just won't work. It's far better to develop strong daily study habits that'll keep you revisiting material often, and without the stress.

This is all excellent advice. It's also advice that I never followed, not once in the whole length of my college career. Instead, I developed ways to be an excellent last-minute studier, and not only did I graduate college, I managed to make the Dean's Honor list a few times.

Based on what I learned, here's a few tips to help you discover how to study for a test at the last minute, and optimize those few, precious hours before a big test.

If you know your study habits suck, don't miss class.

Okay, so if you're the type of person who doesn't have good study habits, you may not have good class-attending habits, either. But if you can make yourself go to class on a regular basis, you won't have to study nearly as much, and you'll have a good idea of what to expect on tests.

Cram with others (especially if you've missed class).

Being somewhat antisocial, I didn't learn the value of group study until I was well into my junior year, but everything they say about it really is true. You will remember more from a group study session because it's more like a social conversation - watching and listening to other people in an interactive environment will make things stick more than reading them on your own.

If you're a class skipper, you can also glean from the people who have been faithfully attending. However, if you do this, always be thankful and don't do it often - people who work hard will soon get fed up with your mooching!

Make flash cards - and use them correctly.

As a quick learning tool, flashcards are a lifesaver, but only if you use them well. The big mistake I see people making with them is to just run through them incessantly, continuously reviewing cards they know while repeatedly drawing a blank on the ones they don't know.

Try this instead: go through your stack and remove the cards that you know. Continue going through the remaining cards and removing them as you get them right until there are no cards left. Rinse and repeat. Also, if the stack of cards you don't know is huge, break it up into manageable sections, then combine the smaller decks as you master them. Ideally, you should be able to go through your cards and get everything right on the first try, then put the cards away for a little while, then come back and do it again.

Write song lyrics.

Music has an extraordinary power to stick in our heads, because it connects more deeply with different parts of the brain. This is why we all sing the alphabet song when we're trying to organize files in the right order.

Just take a tune you know, any tune at all, and make up new lyrics for it using the information you need to remember. It doesn't have to be good, you just have to be able to sing it to yourself until you remember it. Once you can do that, you won't forget it.

Use silly, abstract memory triggers.

Another great trick that's worth the silliness is to come up with any kind of weird mental story or picture that'll cement concepts in your head, or connect one thing to another.

For example: when I was seven, my mother taught me this trick as I was learning to identify the 50 U.S. States. She pointed to the edge of Idaho and observed that it looked a bit like an old man's face, maybe even that of Santa Claus, which would help me remember the state's name because...Idaho-ho-ho.

This sort of thing seemed embarrassingly silly to me, even as a seven-year-old. But it really, reallyworks.

Take breaks.

You may think that with only a few hours before the big moment, you've got no time to lose. However, you'll get much, much more out of the time you spend studying if you take breaks and distract yourself. I recommend the occasional 15 minute break every couple of hours or so, and if you can, play a little video game or watch something short and entertaining on your favorite video sites. Things like this are immensely refreshing. But avoid chatting with friends during these breaks - it's far too easy to get caught up in a long conversation and lose track of time.

Don't lose sleep - much.

Along similar lines, all-nighters are likely to cause your brain so much stress and exhaustion that you not only forget everything you've learned, you don't have the mental capacity to properly read, write, spell, or fill in little circles.

A far better bet is to get started studying as early as possible, stay up late, get a few hours of sleep, then wake up early and get another hour or two in just before the test (which you can now take with a somewhat fresh mind). Having a little sleep between these two study periods will also give you a great chance to find out which things you've retained from the studying the night before, and to brush up on the ones you haven't.

Eat.

Being hungry triggers stress, which makes it very hard to think and remember things. Snacking lightly while studying will not only make the experience more enjoyable, it'll make it more effective.

More importantly, have breakfast before the test, or whatever meal comes right before. Take your study materials with you if you have to. Avoid too much starch and sugar, and be sure to have lots of protein.

Tuesday, 10 December 2013

Exam Preparation Strategy

Know your strengths and Weaknesses
You can plan the journey to the destination well if you know the start point. You need to understand your strengths and weaknesses for any test preparation, like you can be strong in Mathematics, average in Physics and totally clueless in Chemistry. This is important because then you will create your plan to turn your weaknesses into strengths and ignore certain weaknesses if they are not important from exam point of you and improve your strengths.

Plan your preparation

It is rightly said, "He who fails to plan, plans to fail". Nobody can undermine the importance of planning when doing any important task, and if it means preparing for the Bank PO exam, you should be even more careful. The Study Plan that will be created for you will be weekly, you will be assigned some chapters to study every week so that you are able to complete your syllabus in time

Know your exam well

1. Know the syllabus well
2. Know the exam pattern 3. Exam Notification 4. Know about important chapters

Practice Hard

Don't forget that only learning chapters will not take you anywhere, it is questions that you need to answer in the final exam. So practice, practice and practice till you are perfect at the chapter and then move ahead

Beyond Studies

It is important study hard and spend few hours daily on preparation but an hour or a half in your daily timetable demands to be just for yourself. Exercise in this time to keep your mind, body and soul fit. Breathing exercises should be included in this regime in order to relieve the stress and be ready for intellectual challenges. Food is also a very important aspect that needs to be taken care of when preparing for entrance examinations. Stay away from fried, fatty and high sugar foods and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.

Special Tips for Students

Below mentioned are some important tips when deciding what chapter to study on any given day:
* If you have enough time for the exam, pick a chapter you are weak in and one that is important from the exam standpoint.
* Or if you do not have enough time, pick a chapter that you are comfortable, have not practiced enough and that is an important chapter.
* Any day give priority to important chapters if you have not revised them or not practiced enough questions on them.
* If exams are just approaching, leave out any new chapters because it will create a lot of stress and anyway you cannot master it enough for the exam.
* Keep in mind important milestones coming up, like mock tests or school exams, festivals or family functions.

Preparing for competitive Exam

Are you preparing for any competitive Exam or do you have any plan to fight a competitive Exam in near future?

If your answer is yes, then this article will help you out to make a good strategic preparation for your exam.

Generally every exam touches some basic elements like General knowledge, reasoning, general awareness and mathematical questions.

I am going to discuss some points which are needful for you to get success in your exam.

1. Planning

Prior to exam preparation you should firstly study and analysis about the examination essential required aspects like

a) Qualification that is needed

b) Percentage of marks

c) Maximum and minimum age limit.

See that you are meeting every required parameter.

2. Clear Your Fundamentals

If you are done with first point then in your next step you should clear your basic fundamentals that you have studied in 8^th, 9^th, 10^th standards. Matriculation maths formulas should be on your finger tips; brush up your English grammar.

3. Work on your General Knowledge and keep it updated, time by time through news media and magazine on current affairs and events.

4. Joint coaching Institutes

It is not necessary that you should joint any institute for competitive examination preparation if you do not feel that you should join it. But it can help you out in

a) Providing you a proper counselling.

b) Clear your doubts

c) Will provide you study materials.

5. Set Your Goal

You should set your realistic goal considering your ability, time duration, the resources you have. A good strategy should be made to achieve these goals.

6. Create environment by making group circle of friends who are interested and doing the same examination preparation. It will play vital role in busting your moral up in route of preparation.

7. Time Management

You should distribute equal time to each section and more time should be given to the section or part in which you feel you are weak.

8. Be Positive

You should be positive and should have faith in yourself because it may be not possible that you will clear any exam in first time or in first attempt, it will check your patience.

9. Take your mock test

It is not difficult to solve all questions of any exam. But it is difficult to solve all of them in a given time duration. For that you should take sample papers and try to solve them in a given time period. These practices will enhance your performance in the examination real scenario.

10. Subscribe for the magazines which are of monthly based editions and comes with sample question papers.

Tuesday, 12 November 2013

prepare for class eight

Get all the required items. You should be ready with all the materials required for your class, so you can fully concentrate in class and use them when needed. Always keep the basic materials like pens, pencils, highlighters, notebooks etc.

Read the lesson in advance. It is much better if you read the lesson which is going to be taught tomorrow beforehand. It will give more confidence in class. Read the lesson, make notes if necessary, and remember important points.

Read what had been taught before. A quick revision is really good for you to remember what had been taught before.

Do your homework. Always complete your assignments, homework, and reports on time.

Stay organized. Being organized is helpful. Arrange everything neatly so you can use your stuff when required.

Be attentive. Always be attentive in class.

Take notes. If you make notes you can always review them before the class starts.

Be confident. If you be confident then it will help you to answer questions and participate in class.

Friday, 8 November 2013

Characteristics Of A Gentleman!

The word ‘gentleman’ has been coined in such a manner that it has become extremely difficult to define or even understand it properly. In today’s world, this word is used on a casual or on an everyday basis, without people understanding the depth in its meaning. All audiences are addressed as ‘ladies and gentlemen’, when it is a known fact that all women are definitely ‘ladies’ but not all men are gentlemen. It takes certain characteristics and a discerning eye to differentiate between an ordinary man and a nobleman. Only when we learn and comprehend the qualities of a gentleman, can we realize how imprecisely we use the word casually. There are definite principles that govern the qualities that a man must possess order to be labeled as a 'gentleman’. Once upon a time, a gentleman was a nobleman who led the ladies, walked with tailcoats and dropped hats in respect for women or dignitaries. The question here is what defines a gentleman in modern times? Read on to gauge the characteristics of a modern-day gentleman, and how easy it is to transform into one with a few of these important features.

Chivalry

Yes. Women love a bit off wooing, wheedling, pricey dinners, the opening of doors and definitely expect the typical ‘ladies-first’ attitude from men. These are those few traits and characteristics that have remained unchanged from the yesteryears. A gentleman, on the basis of chivalry, is one who is devoted to making another individual, in this case, a wife, a girlfriend, a daughter or a sister, feel loved, beautiful, respected and secure. Chivalry has always been synonymous with being a gentleman, and women tend to appreciate and notice this trait as a primary differentiation between an ordinary man and a nobleman. Gentlemen, in this aspect, are those who travel that extra mile to make their ladies feel like the ‘queens’ providing them with their matchless love, support and care. Loyalty and valor also make for an important part of chivalry. It takes a lot of work to be chivalrous, and this is one of the prime reasons as to why women prefer gentlemen over others.

Values

Gentlemen are associated with honourable values and rigid principles. Along with charm, values are also synonymous to gentlemen. Being a gentleman is not important only when you are in the company of a gorgeous lady, it should be a personal development as a whole in general. Being articulate, and not profane, about worldly or personal issues is another important aspect. Along with chivalry, behaviour and values are important elements that women yearn for.

Etiquette

If you remember ‘My fair lady’ or any of the other classics, gentlemen always have polished etiquettes when at home and in public. From not clinking cutlery to not picking noses, etiquettes are an important part of being a gentleman. So, if you are trying to impress a girl on your first date, then you might want to try and lower the tone of your voice, wear a pleasant smile and be sophisticated in your approach towards her. And that must not be a one-off incident. Gentlemen are well-mannered everywhere and in every situation.

Ambition

A gentleman is ambitious, usually hard working, diligent and contains a passion to succeed. These people are usually very hard to find in real life. Ambitious gentlemen are always considered attractive, so long as they strike the right balance between humility and the joust to stay at the top. Women always love an ambitious man, but one with a certain level of prudence, humility and patience.

Smooth Not Sleazy

Gentlemen are the ones who can ‘knock your socks off’ and still be smooth and sharp about it. Blunt men in tuxedos with a fussy approach cannot be labeled gentlemen. The trick here is to be ‘smooth, not sleazy’. Healthy tactics, with a decent and confident approach, characterize gentlemen; it does not depend on the social standing of the individual, nor does it depend on the number of tuxedos he has in his wardrobe. A person who is stable, with a sense of gratitude and a respectful demeanor, is considered to be a gentleman.

Honest

No matter what the situation is, gentlemen are the ones who stand tall, and stand true to their opinions. Along with the idea of gentlemen being sexy and emotionally appealing, honesty is another virtue that defines a true gentleman. To be able to play the part of the perfect gentleman, it is necessary to be graceful and honest about life.

Charming

Last but not the least, women expect gentlemen to be charming. In all aspects, a man who respects himself will be better able to respect others mentally and physically, emitting a sort of grace and charm about him. In order to be charming, a man has to strike the perfect balance between etiquette, hygiene, ambition and chivalry. Women always look for charming men who are easy to be with and, above all, who do not take undue advantage of their power and status.

From walking a lady to the doorstep to meeting a humble man to even being someone who is simply well dressed, we all meet men with certain characteristics all the time. But the question to tackle here is, how many gentlemen have we met? In a world with ample quantity of men, it is very difficult to come across or meet men with real ‘quality’. Therefore, it is every man’s prerogative to learn and understand the different aspects of being a gentleman, and if you are not a woman, you might want to reflect on how many ‘real’ gentlemen you have come across in your life.

Wednesday, 6 November 2013

How to Crack IIT-JEE

iit jee is considered as one of the most difficult exam after the 12th boards.It is the dream of every student to become an IITIAN .If u analyze the previous years papers and the students who get through then it shows that IIT JEE tests concepts ,if ur concepts are good then clearing IIT JEE wont be that difficult.

A pay attention on concepts,concepts are the key to success by concepts what i mean is that all u have to do is to understand exactly what a author wants to say in his book,if u misinterpret him it becomes a misconception.and that's the reason jee becomes difficult because the students are full of misconceptions.
B
B solve less problems 25 to 30 problems per chapter are more than enough but solve quality problems.
C
C study the course in modules for example study one chapter in all three subjects each per two weeks,if the chapter is very small time could be less.
'Electrostatics and Current Electricity', and 'Electromagnetism'-each of these topics has contributed about 15% to the total marks in the past four years. Students should devote about 30% of their preparation time to the coverage of Electromagnetism and Electrostatics; because together they constitute almost one-third of the total marks and can be more scoring as the degree of difficulty when compared to Mechanics is relatively low.
'Organic Chemistry' has the highest weightage with mean marks of 36%. Topics like 'Isomerism' and 'Name Reactions', and 'Stability of reaction intermediates' should be thoroughly covered. It is easier to remember the reactions and conversions involving aromatic compounds and a considerable percentage of questions from organic chemistry are based on this part. An understanding of directive influence of substituent groups, resonance and mechanism of reactions definitely helps in cracking the problems of organic chemistry.
'Calculus' accounts for about 30% of the total marks in JEE Screening. Students can score a high percentage of marks by firmly grasping the fundamentals of Calculus. More emphasis should be given in preparing 'Functions', 'Increasing/Decreasing Functions', and 'Maxima/ Minima of Functions'.

THE GOLDEN RULES THAT HELP U CROSS THE LINE

This is one such exam were hard work doesn't hold the key, u should have a good strategy,finally u should have the right exposure so u don't feel nervous when u finally face the exam.

The complexity of the IIT-JEE arises from the fact that the questions are always unique in their context, and solving them often requires a combination of concepts from across different chapters. Nonetheless, some basic data analysis can be quite revealing and could give some important insights into how one should go about preparing for each subject. Such analyses form the basis of our understanding of the JEE. The section-wise breakup of marks in the past four years (2001-2004) JEE Screening has been given below for your reference.

Section wise backup for marks.:

PHYSICS

'Optics' too contributes approximately 13% to the IIT-JEE test ,it has been observed that problems on Physical optics are more frequent than that on Geometrical optics. Students should take care to devote about 10% of time on Optics for robust preparation.

In the past four years, approximately 20% of the total marks pertain to Mechanics. Within Mechanics, the favorite topics seem to be 'Rigid Body Rotation' and 'Motion on a Plane'. Topics like 'Simple Harmonic Motion' and 'Work and Energy', on the other hand, have been accorded relatively less priority for these years. Apparently, students have to be thoroughly prepared with Mechanics as it forms almost one-fifth of the whole JEE Screening paper. It is important for students to realize that Mechanics though important, takes relatively more time for preparation. Thus, they should restrict their preparation of Mechanics to about 30% of the total time. The next important topics are 'Modern Physics' and 'Thermal Physics', each commanding a share of about 12% of the total marks. These topics can be covered thoroughly in a relatively less time (10% of total time can be allocated to each topic); therefore, a student should look at exhaustively preparing for these topics.]

The last but not the least, 'Mechanical Waves' (sound) has accounted for approximately 12% of the total marks. Students can prepare for Wave Motion by restricting their total time spent on this particular topic to about 10%.

CHEMISTRY

'Physical Chemistry' is a close second with a mean weightage of 33%. In fact, questions on physical chemistry are all numerical in nature. Problems on topics like 'Electrochemistry', 'Kinetics', and 'Chemical and Ionic Equilibrium' are always asked either directly or along with some other topic. Students are advised to cover all the topics of physical chemistry. This is an area in which students can be sure of hundred percent score, provided they have a clear understanding of the concepts and a good practice of solving problems within recommended time.

'Inorganic Chemistry' and 'General Chemistry' account for 21% and 10% of the total marks. Inorganic Chemistry should be prepared by studying the group properties and periodicity. Lots of emphasis has to be given to Exceptions. Questions are asked from these topics invariably. The properties of some important compounds are also asked in the form of reactions. Remembering the reactions involved in qualitative analysis is of great advantage. Questions asked in General Chemistry mostly include that from 'Stoichiometry' and 'Chemical Bonding'.

MATHEMATICS

In Integral Calculus, students must practice problems on 'Definite Integral' with a proper understanding of the use of their properties for evaluation.

In 'Area of Regions Bounded by Curves', students should take care to draw figures for obtaining the limits of the integrals to be evaluated.

'Algebra' has a weightage of about 23% of the total marks. Students should emphasize practicing only those topics that have been well understood by them. Since problems on Algebra are trickier, students must practice solving as many different types of problems as they can.

'Analytical Geometry' has a weightage of about 20% of the total marks. It is also a conceptual topic. Before solving a problem, students must draw figures of the given curves to understand the problem.

The topics of 'Vectors and 3-D Geometry' and 'Probability' have a weightage of approximately 6% each. These also have to be thoroughly prepared.

'Trigonometry' carries a weightage of about 9%. It has been observed that this weightage was as high as 17% in JEE Screening 2001 and as low as 4% in JEE Screening 2003. Students, anyways, must be thorough with the topics of 'Inverse functions', 'Solutions of Trigonometric Equations', and 'Solution of Triangles'. The formulae and standard results of trigonometry must be learnt by heart in order to do well in the Mathematics paper.

Please note that the JEE is not about scoring 100% in a subject or the examination. Your aim should be to attain an optimal score in each subject, depending on your strengths and weaknesses.