NMAT Exam: How to prepare for NMAT Quants

How to start preparing for NMAT Quants? What should be the strategy?

Quant preparation of NMAT involves a proper strategy and this three-step process helps you to prepare for each topic in a systematic way. For each topic under quants, this process will help in understanding the basics and escalate oneself to benchmark NMAT questions. Learning the basics is a vital part along with the proper amount of drill. NMAT is an exhaustive exam that requires an automatic way of solving to cater the time crunch so it is very important to work with a variety of sums to get a grip of the topic before moving to NMAT level sums. The three distinct steps involved are Learning, Drill/Practice, and NMAT level Questions by going back to basics. One can become a pro in quants by emphasizing on understanding the basics. Is it really tough to understand math or are my basics weak? Where am I going wrong in my math prep? When there are 1000’s of videos that give an idea on how to prepare for Quants, this one unfolds things that one must avoid during Quant Preparation. Watch the video below to make quants simpler!

How to prepare for Arithmetic in NMAT Quants?

Arithmetic plays a crucial role in Quant preparation and a kick-starter. A major portion of Arithmetic compliments the Data Interpretation preparation. Arithmetic Topics include Percentages, Profit and Loss, SI & CI, Ratios, Mixtures, Averages, Speed, Time, Distance, Races, Pipes Cisterns & Time work. The sequencing of arithmetic topics makes life simpler as its concepts are built over the other, for example, Simple interest is percentage increase and compound interest is successive percentage increase this is the way one should start looking at arithmetic topics. Learning Arithmetic topics conceptually is vital, watch the video on the left to unleash how arithmetic works.

How to prepare for Number Systems NMAT Quants?

Number Systems is a vast topic and contributes around 1-3 questions in. There is a range of topics under Number Systems - Factors and Multiples, HCF and LCM, Factorials, Base Systems, Remainders, and Miscellaneous topics. Number theory is a topic in which one needs to understand the basics: Factors, Multiples, etc and there are no specific solving techniques, tips, and shortcuts required. Know all the rules and practice enough questions. To know how to start learning number theory watch the video below!

How to prepare for Algebra?

Algebra is the second most vital topic following Arithmetic. Preparing for Algebra involves getting accustomed to working with variables, the x’s y’s, etc. The topics under Algebra are Linear & Quadratic Equations, Inequalities, Functions, Progressions, Algebraic Expressions to Polynomials. Algebra is an interesting topic that should be prepared with fun, however, students get stuck in between asking themselves how should I start my preparation with Algebra. Let's break the ice and make Algebra learning real fun, Watch the video on the right to know how to start Algebra.

How to prepare for Modern Maths?

You will observe that Modern Maths has been the favorite topic of the NMAT exam. In the NMAT by GMAC Official mock, a lot of questions were seen from the Modern Maths section. it is not something that you can ignore Typically you get 5-6% of the NMAT paper or 15-18% of the Quantitative Aptitude portion from Modern Maths. More often than not, the questions are based on basic concepts and their applications. Rarely you get a question which is based on a formula that a class 10th student would not know. A lot of students spend a lot of time mugging up fancy formulae. It would be much better for them if they just knew the basic concepts of permutation and combination like nCr and nPr. The topics and chapters which are covered in the Modern Maths syllabus for NMAT exam are as follows:

• Set Theory
• Binomial Theorem
• Permutation and Combination
• Probability
• Sequence and Series

What books to refer to for NMAT Quants?

Following is the list of Generic books that are recommended for the Quantitative ability section that is helpful for all the MBA entrance exams:

• NMAT Official guide
• Arun Sharma- How to prepare for Quantitative Ability for CAT
• RS Aggarwal- Quantitative Ability
• Quantitative Ability for CAT by Nitish Sharma

Also read: NMAT vs CET Also read: NMAT CDPI Experiences Also read: All you need to know about NMAT by GMAC Also read: Top College you can join through NMAT

NMAT 2020: Avoid these 5 mistakes

The NMAT 2020 exam is arguably the most important exam in India for students wanting to secure the coveted MBA seats in NMIMS Mumbai - one of the top management institutes of the country. This is obvious from the high level of competition with more than 60,000 candidates competing for seats in various MBA programs such as Finance, Marketing, Operations, etc.  Click here to take CAT and NMAT mocks In such a competitive scenario, it is very important to create a well structured NMAT preparation strategy as a single mistake can hamper your chances of success! But there are some stupid mistakes that a lot of candidates make when they're seriously preparing to crack the NMAT exam. So this article deals with these mistakes which can be easily avoided with some effort…In other words “What to not do while preparing for the NMAT Exam?” Some of the common mistakes that many candidates make are highlighted here so that you can avoid them and avoid then as prepare for the NMAT 2020 exam much more successfully.

1. Don’t skip any part of the syllabus thinking it’s easy

NMAT 2020 has three sections namely Quantitative Ability, Verbal Ability, and Logical Reasoning. With each of them having almost equal stakes in the exam. But some candidates foolishly focus only on Quantitative Aptitude and Verbal Ability thinking that only these are tough while the rest of the topics are a piece of cake! They believe that there is no need to separately study Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Data Interpretation as these can be understood only by giving mock tests. So don’t make this error and provides equal importance to all or any of the topics within the NMAT exam. Of course, you should focus more on the topics that are your weaknesses and plan your study schedule accordingly but that doesn’t mean you neglect certain topics at all!!

2. Not planning out your schedule

Many aspirants forget to appear for NMAT mocks. And that is certainly true within the case of NMAT preparation. You should plan a strict study schedule which has both long term and short term plans for your study preparation and the most important thing is…you should stick to this schedule! This will provide you with a clear path to follow that is uniquely suited to your strengths and weaknesses. However, having said that, it's also important to schedule touch leisure in your preparation otherwise you'll burnout!

3. Not analyzing the results of NMAT mock-tests

Mock-tests are an integral part of your NMAT preparation but just giving them is not enough. They are essential tools to analyze your preparation level and understand your strengths and weaknesses so that you can prepare accordingly from thereon. In such a scenario, it is very stupid to just give the tests and not analyze their results. In fact, it is best that you give a full-length NMAT mock test even before you start any NMAT preparation so that you can obtain a general idea of what to focus on in your preparation. This will also help you in creating a customized study schedule.

4. Only just focusing on formulae and not the conceptual clarity

It is vital to find out all the specified formulae for NMAT preparation as they're necessary for solving questions. But this does not mean you can ace the NMAT exam by just learning all the formulae and knowing the various tips and tricks. In fact, the key to acing NMAT is actually conceptual clarity. You should have a deep knowledge of all the NMAT topics with an understanding of all the applicable laws and principles. These take a while to find out in fact and just in case you've got any doubts, you ought to consult the varied resources available. This is the sole thanks to really achieve success during this hyper-competitive exam.

5. Focusing on the quantity but the quality of your preparation

And this is often certainly true even for the NMAT exam. Some students measure their preparation on the basis of a number of hours studied or even the number of mock tests attempted. Well, quantity is certainly no measure of success during this case. Rather you ought to specialize in covering all the topics and clarifying all the concepts within the NMAT syllabus no matter the time it takes you (Less or more!). As they say in this case, working smarter not harder is the better option.

6. Revise everything that you study

It is very important that you understand the concepts and formulae you learn during NMAT preparation. However, it's equally as important that you simply revise them regularly in order that you'll remember them long-term. A common mistake that NMAT aspirants make is not leaving space in their study schedule for regular revision sessions. So don’t make that mistake and revise the concepts and formulae you learn weekly and monthly. In fact, it's best to organize a formula sheet while learning the formulae and refer this sheet daily in order that you'll remember all the formulae long-term. Related Links: NMAT syllabus NMAT  scores cut off How to crack the NMAT exam

NMIMS is one of the highest and finest B-Schools in India with excellent placement records. The alumni of this institute are successful and have achieved the highest positions in their respective firms. it's the type of culture that NMIMS holds alongside the academic records that make it an ideal institute to reinforce your potential. NMAT by GMAC is a national-level MBA entrance exam for admission to renowned management colleges such as Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), Alliance University, SRM University, BML Munjal University, VIT University, ICFAI Business School (IBS) and Ansal University. A computer-based test, NMAT by GMAC is conducted by Pearson VUE at 35 locations across India, and the aspirants have the right to choose their own exam venue/date/time as per convenience. It is accepted as an admissions criterion by the leading management institutions in India. i) Language Skills ii) Quantitative Skills iii) Logical Reasoning

What was your strategy for NMAT that helped you scored 240 marks in NMAT?

The best way to get the best out of NMAT is to focus on your strengths. NMAT as compared to CAT and other exams gives you a lot of options. It lets you take 3 attempts. Apart from that you also have the liberty to choose the sequence of the sections, as to which section you want to attempt first. NMAT is a speed-based test so you need to be very fast with the approach. You should be focused - what are your strengths and weaknesses. So that is exactly what I did. I focused on my strengths and attempted those questions first.

As you said that you focused on your strengths, what was your strongest section?

As a typical engineer, my strongest area was quants. I tried to maximize that. When I wrote NMAT in 2018 the time for quants was 60 mins and 48 questions were to be attempted. Quants had the maximum weightage. But in the new NMAT paper pattern quants has equal weightage as others.

What was your approach in choosing the sections?

I chose quants as my first section. I didn't want to burden myself with the questions that I am not able t solve. As quants were my strongest area, I was able to attempt the maximum number of questions in the given time frame. Next, I attempted Verbal and then the LR section. While giving mocks I tried permutations and combinations of various sections. After 5 to 6 mocks using the same strategy and sequence I was able to fix a combination for my self that was best suited for me and ended up scoring well. After fixing the sequence of sections I focused on making it better.

 What was your preparation strategy for NMAT?

I started my preparation for NMAT in January 2018. Initially, I hung out in clearing my doubts and learning the fundamentals. I maintained a timetable where I set daily targets for myself. These small milestones are important if want to achieve a bigger target. Once my doubts were cleared and my basics were strong, I started with the mock tests. I made sure that every day I spend a minimum of three hours for solving problems. For cracking NMAT with an honest score an individual must increase his speed of solving problems and this was my basic strategy.

How did you prepare for all the sections

• To prepare for language skills it's necessary to read a lot of books and consider increasing your vocabulary.
• For Quantitative Skills, it's important to clear the fundamentals thoroughly then practice problem-solving. QS requires time management and accuracy, so one must get used to problem-solving at a quick speed.
• For Logical Reasoning practice is extremely important, you want to practice and solve lot of problems because the questions are easy but are considerably time-consuming.

How did you manage to prepare for CAT and NMAT simultaneously?

CAT and NMAT both differ when it comes to speed and the way of approaching questions. You need to have a lot of speed and the nack for solving the questions faster. In CAT if you get stuck at some question you can stay for some seconds and try for that question but NMAT does not give you that amount of time-space. Since NMAT is the first exam, I was already preparing for it with the mindset that I have to solve the questions quickly. This approach helped me a lot with my CAT exam. It helped me get through the easy questions quickly and I had more time to attempt the difficult questions.

What was some time Management formula while taking the particular NMAT paper?

•  NMAT has 108 questions and 120 minutes to answer the whole paper. There are 3 sections and every section has a while duration allotted thereto.
• In NMAT 2018 (according to the old paper pattern), Language skills had 32 questions and 22 minutes to unravel. It had 2 reading comprehension and other questions like jumbled paragraphs, analogies, synonyms, mark the error, fill within the blanks. So for this section time management and daily reading practice is important.
• Quantitative skills had 48 questions and an hour. Data Sufficiency and Data Interpretation are the foremost important a part of this section. All you would like is Accuracy and practice to crack this section of the exam.
• Logical Reasoning had 40 questions and 38 minutes. during this section Verbal Reasoning, deciding, Arrangements, Series, Numerical Grid, genealogy are the topics to specialize in. This section is extremely time-consuming which may be solved by managing time and attempting easy questions first.

What did you do that helped you stay relaxed?

My recreational activities included listening to music, gardening, pursuing my hobbies like quilting, sketching, watching movies, and other creative work where I can take my mind off the studies. I really like watching movies that are entertaining, inspirational, and hold some meaning and my favorite is the Pursuit of Happyness. For each student, recreational activities are important to recharge your mind and obtainable to study again.

What suggestions would you like to give to students appearing for NMAT 2020?

I scored 213 in my first attempt, 227 in the second attempt, and 240 in my third attempt. I gave around 25 locks for NMAT. It helped me keep a track of my progress. It was through the mocks and the realization of my weaknesses again and again and working on them. I emphasized a lot on mocks and focused on my speed. I made sure that it keeps improving. I gave a mock for 2 hours and gave 3 hours for a thorough analysis. I made notes for which section I was not good at. I worked and focused on that particular section for some days before giving the next mock. This is the strategy I would recommend to everyone. It's easy to crack the NMAT exam or any other exam if you follow a planned strategy. For achieving an excellent score in NMAT attempt to increase your speed and accuracy and learn time management.