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Tips to crack SNAP 2011
In an online chat with readers, Aziz Manva, an IIM alumnus and head of Testfunda.com addressed queries related to cracking the Symbiosis National Aptitude test (SNAP) 2011. SNAP is the entrance test to qualify for MBA at Symbiosis post-graduate degree institutes and is scheduled on December 18, 2011. For those who missed it, here's the transcript:
mukta : anyone here... can you give me any tips to crack the symbiosis entrance test? is XLRI better than symbiosis?
Aziz Manva : Yes, XLRI is definitely better than Symbiosis. In order to crack SNAP, focus on getting the LR questions right as they carry more marks. Also, allocate adequate time to each section
catquestion : can you suggest me books to read to crack General Knowledge. How recent will the questions be?
Aziz Manva : Look at current affairs (Indian as well as international) over the last 1 year or so. Also, try and follow any good book that helps you prepare for Bank entrance exams e.g. banking services chronicle.
devang : hello sir, i am struggling with Quant problems. just one month left. how to prepare since there are sectional cut offs also?
Aziz Manva : Yes, there are sectional cut-offs but the quant in SNAP is not very difficult. For SNAP, focus more on Arithmetic to do well in quant. If you are looking to crack CAT first, look at Algebra, Geometry and Modern Maths
auro : hello sir, would u be able to suggest what is the correct strategy for process of elimination.. every one has different view
Aziz Manva : There can never be one correct strategy for elimination. It varies from question type to question type. For e.g. to eliminate options in verbal questions, you probably look at tone and degree of the language used, while for quant, you look for answer options that do not satisfy the given mathematical condition or range. The exact strategy for elimination will come with more practice and with better observation of answer options.
mangalam : How good is SCIT?
Aziz Manva : SCIT is a good institute if you want to become a specialist in IT Management. However, if you are looking at a general Systems MBA, try NITIE or specialises in Systems from any of the top B-schools. However, on the whole, SCIT is a pretty decent institute
bulla : what qualification is required to write CAT exams?
Aziz Manva : You need to either be a graduate or in the final year of graduation from any approved institute or university. Also, if you are from the general category, you need to have atleast 50% in your graduation. If you are from any of the reserved categories, you need to have atleast 45% in your graduation
kapil : best book or study material to prepare any enterance exam of MBA(CAT,SNAP,XAT,MHT-CET)
Aziz Manva : There are a number of sources available in the market. We also have complete material (theory _ full length tests papers) that help you prepare completely for CAT, XAT, SNAP, IIFT, NMAT and MHCET
divya : although accuracy is important, sometimes i tend to guess the answers out of lack of time. i have been doing that in mock lately. is there a way to improve that?
Aziz Manva : If you are asking this question with reference to CAT, I would recommend that you don't do this as your chances of clearing the sectional cut-offs will reduce. It is ok even if you answer 1-2 questions less but try and get most of them. In case, you do need to guess, try and eliminate 1-2 options before you guess the correct option.
Ilustration: Dominic Xavier
'Start with a section you are confident of'
kapil : tips & tricks to prepare for MBA entrance exams
Aziz Manva : Each MBA exam has a different structure and pattern, with varied question types. As such, there cannot be common tips and tricks. However, in general, improve your reading, solve a lot of puzzles and whenever you solve any question from MBA preparatory material, look at how the official solution is better than (or comparable to) your solution.
Mandar : I want to give SNAP 2011....I know its too late but can I start preparing now? also can anyone guide me on which areas should I stress more.... thanks in advance
Aziz Manva : It is not too late for SNAP as you have close to 2 months left....which is sufficient for SNAP. First get hold of the last 2-3 years SNAP papers and solve them completely. That will give you a fair idea of the questions types and difficulty level of the exam. Based on your analysis of these tests, start working on specific areas of Quant, Verbal and DILR. Also, SNAP generally has more marks per question for the Reasoning questions. So, try and become very good at that. For GK, cover current affairs over the last 1 year
bulla : How many times can we write CAT Entrance Exam?
Aziz Manva : As of now, there is no restriction of the number of attempts for CAT. So, you can attempt as many times as you want.
prav : can you advise the order by which a candidate should solve the paper. Like GK first then English and so on. What will be your suggestion in this regard
Aziz Manva : I would sugest that you start with a section that you are comfortable with. Solving it first will give you confidence that will help you throughout the paper. However, keep in mind that you do not spend too much time over one section. Ideally, when you start the paper, try and mentally divide the time equally among the sections
rajiv : what about the management quota?
Aziz Manva : Each of the institutes within SNAP will have a management quota. However, the office in that college or the students will be able to give the most accurate information about this.
kapil : if i need to buy some books then which book i should buy so that i can make good preparation? other than urs study materials
Aziz Manva : Though our material is more than sufficient, if you still want additional material for SNAP, you can look at R.S.Agarwal.
Illustration: Uttam Ghosh
'HR and banking have good career prospects'
vaidehi : what is the qualification required for MBA in HR.
Aziz Manva : As such, there is no specific qualification required as you have to select your specialisation in the second year of your MBA. The only condition may be the college may require you to have some minimum grades in certain subjects to take a particular specialisation.
rajiv : can any one help me finding about the management quota?
Aziz Manva : The best people would be the students currently studying in the institute that you are targetting
kapil : sir i would like to give CAT.but for this yr there is very less time is been left of nearly less than 2 months.as i have to begin right from the starting.would you think still if i work hard in this less period of time i can make it to IIMs which every person's dream
Aziz Manva : Yes, you can provided you study in a focused manner. You will need to work on the most important chapters and practise a few full length mock tests. We have a complete crash course (which will be launched today or tomorrow) that you can use to study in the last month or so.
vaidehi : CAN I DO MBA THROUGH DISTANCE EDUCATION.
Aziz Manva : Yes, you can but the market value of such a course is not as high as a full time MBA or even a part time MBA
de : will SNAP 2011 have sectional cut off?
Aziz Manva : Last year, Snap did not have sectional cutoff. It just considered final scores for admission. So, it can be expected that it will not have sectional cut-off this year as well
vaidehi : Minimum how many marks are required to qualify in entrance exams.
Aziz Manva : Generaly, you require either 50% or 60% marks (varies from exam to exam), if you are from the general category and 45% or 55% (if you are from any of the reserved categories)
bulla : Is there any AGE limit for CAT Entrance Exam?
Aziz Manva : Currently, there is no age limit for CAT. You can take it at any age
prav : What are the PG courses available for management graduate who has already done MBA from lesser known institute. What will be duration of the course and how it can affect the career of an individuals. Is there any age limit to write these exam.
Aziz Manva : All the PG course (full time MBA, part time MBA, etc) are available. Accordingly, the duration of the course will vary. Also, there is no age limit to appear for any of these exams. Finally, irrespective of your first MBA, if you do your MBA from a great institute , you will have a good career. I know someone who did his MBA from an average institute and then did a second MBA from IIM B. He is currently doing very well
vaidehi : i would like to do MBA in HR can i make my career in it what is better HR or BANKING.
Aziz Manva : It depends on your interest. Go for something that you like, because both HR and Banking have very good career prospects. However, you can also select a course where you have dual specialisations. Take that and select HR and Finance as your specializations. That should help
de : thank u sir..So do they announce before the paper whether they would have sectional cut off?
Aziz Manva : Yes, it is announced before hand (some days or weeks before) that the paper would have sectional cutoffs or not
kapil : thank you for lovely response.but sir i think i am not quite confident to give CAT this year due to very short period of time to prepare as per the level of the paper or question they ask .sir can i give this exam in next year? if i give this year then which crash course you r talking about in test funda? & sir i am BE graduate passed in 2009 with aggregate percentage having more than 50.but i have took 5 yrs to complete my engg instead of 4 yrs so am i elegible for SNAP& XAT? due to 5 yrs in Engg i know i am not elegible to appear NMAT.so please suggest!
Aziz Manva : Yes, you can take the CAT exam next year if you feel that you want more time to prepare. As far as I know, you are eligible to appear for SNAP and XAT, but it would be best if you check their respective websites
vaidehi : Or Can you please suggest me for any pg course i have done my B.COM.
Aziz Manva : You could either pursue an M.B.A or even go for a CS degree
romit : here to do general awareness from
Aziz Manva : For SNAP, focus on current affairs in the last 1 year or so. Look at the past 2-3 years SNAP papers for sample GK questions. Also look at the any magazine that provides material for bank entrance exams
lo : I am preparing for CAT can i know the cut off of NITIE as i want to do my MBA there.
Aziz Manva : Ideally look for a 98+ percentile overall and a 98.6+ percentile in quant + DILR section
vaidehi : what are the fees for part time mba.
Aziz Manva : they vary from college to college. You will need to check with the college that you are interested in.
auro : hi, also suggest me which are the top 5 colleges for pursuing human resource management and/or finance?
Aziz Manva : For Human Resource, there are 4 excellent colleges : XLRI Jamshedpur, TISS Mumbai, SCMHRD Pune and XIM Bhubaneswar. Apart from these, you can also do your MBA in HR from any of the top 10-12 B-schools in India. For finance, rather than a specific college that specializes in Finance, you can go the top B-schools and do Finance from there.
Illustration: Uttam Ghosh
'Keep yourself updated on the latest happenings from newspapers'
bulla : How much is the yearly fees for general seat for each year of MBA in IIM Colleges?
Aziz Manva : General, the fees in the IIMs for the 2 year PG course are in the range of 9-11 lakhs
omit : can u please let me know some good books to do current affairs frommm
Aziz Manva : For SNAP, look at any magazine that provides GK material for Bank exams...e.g. magazine such as Banking Services Chronicle or book such as Manorama or Competition Success Review
lo : I have finished my B.E in 5 years but failed in 2st year itself. Am i eligible for NMAT as i am not clear with their criteria. They have specified a person should clear final year in 1st attempt and i have done so. Can you please help me on this
Aziz Manva : If you have cleared your final year in 1 attempt then yes you are eligible. But, to be sure before you pay the money, call the NMIMS office and confirm.
lo : Thanks for your answer sir whats the cutoff approximately for IITB that is SJMSOM and IIT KGP VGSOM colleges i am asking approx as this is the first time they moved to CAT
Aziz Manva : The cutoff for IIT B should be around the cutoff for MDI and NITIE i.e. around 97 while that for VGSOM should be around IMT Ghaziabad i.e. around 95
romit : can u please suggest me some books to do social issues for IRMA exam
Aziz Manva : Rather than books, follow the website of NABARD for their recent schemes, programmes, etc. Also, as much as possible on Ministry of Agriculture schemes and plans
sss : How is TASMAC as an institute in terms of placement for part time mba for 1 yr experienced in with IT background.... ur views wud be appreciated
Aziz Manva : While TASMAC is a decent institute, I would suggest that you prepare seriously for the entrance tests and try a full time MBA. That is always beneficial
romit : Will India yearbook 2011 help?
Aziz Manva : That is also fine but please also keep yourself updated on latest happenings from newspapers.
Illustration: Uttam Ghosh