How To Ace The QA Section In SNAP?

          Quant is one of the easiest sections of the exam. The Quantitative Aptitude section includes problems on numbers, algebra, geometry, arithmetic and modern maths. But, for most of the non-engineers out there, this section seems the toughest, mainly due to the following reasons:

1. Loads of formulae and complicated calculations
2. No connection with basic mathematics
3. A big chunk of portion to be completed in a short span of time, leaving no room for conceptual learning

          SNAP exam gives leverage to the aspirants to switch between the sections. This comes as an added advantage to you as an aspirant, where you can give dedicated time to a particular section based on your area of strength and weakness.

          This year has seen a major change in the SNAP paper pattern with 60 questions to be solved in 60 minutes. The number of questions in the QA section is 20. There is a negative marking for every question. So, the questions need to be attempted wisely. Now the major question comes, how to start? To what extent should we go in our preparation? How to revise?

          The first step to start preparing for the QA section is to take up a mock test, either a sectional or a full test, no matter where you stand in your preparation journey. Mock tests and analyses are important aspects throughout the preparation journey till decision day. Analyze your performance in the QA section and you will get a rough picture of how much you would have to stretch yourself in this section. The ocean of syllabus might seem vast and overwhelming in the beginning but, proper planning, dedicated hard work and sincerity will help you sail through the basic conceptual understanding of all the topics in this section.

          Once the basic conceptual learning and formulae study is completed, you need to start solving the questions. Remember, The more you practice, the easier it would be for you to solve on the day of the examination. Start from a basic problem involving formula application. Once you reach a level of confidence, you can go ahead with application-based problems.

          As the ideal time per question in SNAP 2020 is one minute per question, you need to be fast enough while practicing. It is very important that you have enough time to go through each question on the day of the exam. For this, you can solve the questions in multiple rounds. The first round will include the low hanging fruits, meaning the easiest of all questions. This includes the direct formula based questions which could be solved in less than 30 seconds. Any exam is designed to include a blend of questions from all categories and as an aspirant, you should grab this opportunity. The second round will include questions that you can solve, but it will take more than 30 seconds. The third round will include the trickiest questions of all, which can be attempted or left based on the availability of time and ability. This strategy helps you fetch decent marks, even if you believe a particular section is tough to crack.

          Practicing is the key strategy to ace through the QA section. Mock analysis, on a continuous basis, will help you understand your strengths and weaknesses. This will help you in curating your strategy to handle the questions on D-day.