'The GK Section Is A Game-Changer In SNAP' - 98.5%iler Saurabh Kumar On Cracking The SNAP

Crack SNAP Better with SIBM Bengaluru

Meet Saurabh Kumar, a first-year student at SIBM Bengaluru who hails from Jaipur. After completing his engineering from Jaypee University of Information Technology, Solan, Saurabh worked for two years in the IT division of Secure Meters Limited. To improve his career prospects, Saurabh decided to do an MBA and appeared for the SNAP exam in which he scored 98.51%ile. He is currently studying in the second semester of his MBA and wishes to take up Finance as his specialisation in his second year.

Did your educational background help you during test prep? Did it help you in subsequent rounds (GE-PI-WAT)?

My engineering background helped me significantly during the preparation for the Quant and the LR sections. I could easily tackle a few concepts related to numbers, analytics and LR. Also being an engineering graduate, I had considerable experience in attending interviews. This helped me prepare for the questions better. I also used a lot of industry-related jargons in my interview.

What was your strong/weak section and what was your overall test taking strategy?

Quant and DI have always been my strong sections. Hence, I started attempting the paper with those sections as it helped in boosting my morale. Playing to my strengths was the strategy I adopted. I also took up a lot of mock tests which gave me a better understanding of time management which I think is vital for cracking SNAP. From the mock tests, I realised that the GK section takes comparatively less time to complete and it is a game changer in SNAP as it has a ‘Domino effect’.

What was your strategy for individual sections (Quant/Verbal/Data Interpretation/General Awareness/Reading Comprehension)?

Since LR has the highest weightage in SNAP, I devoted most of my time to this section. My strategy for Quant and DI was to maximise speed and minimise errors, which involved a lot of practice. I attempted Verbal and GK at the end as I had worked hard to keep myself updated with the laws of grammar and current affairs.

Since it’s a paper-pencil test, does it affect the test-taking in any way? Any specific strategy for the same?

I do not think that the format of the test affected me. As I have always had a habit of jotting down important things on paper, I preferred a paper-based test.

What do you think you did right during test prep? What was it that you did right on Test Day?

As a working employee, I always had little time to focus on concepts and facts which were essential for cracking SNAP. The strategy I adopted was to appear in as many mock tests as I could. This gave me a fair idea about my strengths and weaknesses and gave me a clear understanding on my key improvement areas.

In the last month of preparation, I revised all the concepts that I had learned and also took up a lot of mock exams. Since I believed that the GK section was a game-changer, I focused a lot on current affairs.

How did you prepare for the group discussion? What was the topic and how did you tackle the GD round?

For GE-PI-WAT preparation, I consulted many websites online and found the list of commonly asked topics. I also followed current affairs and focused on news related to the economy of the country. I believe that it is necessary to take part in mock GEs conducted by your colleges or by your test prep centres as it helps build confidence.

SIBM Bengaluru has a different way of conducting their GE process. We had been shown a video and then were asked to discuss the same. The topic was ‘Is our generation ethical?’. Tackling the GE round was simple as I was able to contribute a lot of valid points to the discussion and turn the direction of the GD along those lines.

What resources you used to refer while preparing for the essay writing? (Please mention the topic)

I regularly kept a tab on the columns of  ‘The Hindu’ to get the latest updates on current affairs. I also followed the various test prep websites to cover all the significant topics from Indian history and economics.

How was the interview experience like? What was your preparation strategy and how did the interview turn out to be?

My interview at SIBMB was intense and I could sense that the panellists had very high expectations from the candidates. I went through a stress interview and was questioned from my graduation and work experience. Due to my preparation and my prior experience with interviews, I was able to answer all the questions with considerable ease. I was also given a few financial scenarios on which I was expected to shed some light upon.