EXAM TIPS FOR CS STUDENTS – CS SNEHA MOHANKUMAR

Hello Friends, This is CS Sneha Mohankumar. Passed both groups of Executive in 1st attempt. Wrote Professional programs - one at a time and passed all of them at first attempt. 

I made few mistakes and learnt certain lessons the hard way- so wanted to share my learnings here. 

 

EXAM TIPS FOR CS STUDENTS – CS SNEHA MOHANKUMAR

·                  Be early to the exam center. Do not rush. Your mind has to be calm enough to think and understand what the question is actually about and to recollect what you have read. With COVID protocols in place there is bound to be checking the temperature, sanitizing etc, so kindly be present before an hour.

 

·         Those who have paid fees for exams, kindly write the exams without fail. Last session itself less number of people appeared and lot of people passed. We need fresh CS members as Corporates need them and my assumption is that Institute also need to send fresh members to a certain extent every year. Also just 2 more attempts in old syllabus & this will also help for a certain liberal valuation. Kindly do not miss this opportunity!

 

·         Finish all your packing (Stationaries, Admit card print out & attestation, checking the route for exam center) in the previous night itself. Do not postpone to last minute.

 

·         Read the question properly. Make sure you understand what is actually asked. Sometimes the questions are tricky & we may misunderstand and rush to write incorrect answer.

 

·         Time management is the key. The question paper pattern consists of six questions- plan to finish each question in 30 mins. If each question has 5 sub parts, plan to finish each sub part in 5 mins. You have to go through the past exam question paper to know the pattern and fix in your mind beforehand about your time management. Keep checking your time then and there. If you miss your time target, try to catch up in the next question itself. Do not accumulate your delay. You will end up not writing an entire question if time is not managed well. Also have the last 10 minutes as spare (free time). This is to check what you have written, to ensure you did not leave out any question. Sometimes you would have misunderstood the question and might have written something completely different. This last 10 minutes will help you to rectify your errors.

 

·         Attend everything. Some students tend to write only for 80 marks so that they could get 60 marks. Remember here that the person getting the first mark in the subject itself gets around 75 marks only, which shows that the one who wrote almost everything well gets 75 marks. So we must attempt everything.

 

·         There are always few very tough questions even for the rank holders, at times in compulsory questions. So, no one will know the answer for each and every question. What the examiner expects is your view and your understanding on the subject matter. So attend it even if you do not know the exact answer.

 

·         Trust yourself. Have confidence. You know the answer. You have been with this subject for the past 2-3 months or even more. You know the basic idea and intention of the subject.

 

·         Give equal weightage for each question. Some students write for pages to the questions they are confident and leave out the questions they are not sure of. Do not do this mistake. If the question’s mark is 5 mark- even if you write for 10 pages, the examiner could give maximum 3.5-4 marks only. Whereas, if you write your perspective or something connected to the questions you are not sure of, there is a chance that your perspective is right or atleast you will end up getting 0.5-1 mark for that question.

 

·         Whether the question paper is tough or easy should not affect you. If the question paper is tough, it will be tough for every student-not just you. If it is easy, it will be easy for every student- so do not be lethargic. The valuations might be strict if the question paper is easy.

 

·         Write for the entire 3 hours. Do not leave the exam hall in 2 or 2.5 hours. You have spent several months to read the subject. Utilize the full 3 hours of your time writing what you have studied.

 

·         Write what you know clearly first. It will boost your confidence. What you have written in the beginning will give the exact opinion about you to the examiner. If good opinion is formed, it will reflect for the rest of your answer paper. You can shuffle between questions. But do not shuffle between sub parts. Ie: If you know Question No’s 2 and 4 well, write them with all its sub parts. Never write Ques 2 (i), Followed by Question 3 (i). etc

 

·         Where there are choices, you may attempt a question which has more parts, if you know all answers. Ie: If one question has 3 parts and its alternate question has 4 parts, if you know the later one, better to select it, as marks will be given for 4 questions and you may gather more marks, provided you have sufficient time.

 

·         I have always written the exams to the point and precise and have not concentrated on the number of pages written. For 5 mark question I have always written 1 page- not more.

 

·         Even if you do not write 1 exam well (which has happened to me many times) never waste time in thinking about it or going through the Materials of the exams you already wrote. Instead, it should act as a stimulant to write next exam well and compensate. If you get 40 marks in the exam you did not do well, you can catch up in the next exams, for which you should not lose heart and write the remaining exams well

 

·         CS Executive - Writing MCQ paper- If you know the answer for only 50 questions, do not take risk. Write what you know. But if you are sure about 60-70 questions, you may try the other 30 questions ( atleast attend 90 questions). If one question is right, you will get one mark; whereas if 4 questions are wrong, you will lose 1 mark.

 

·         Writing CS exam is like a mind game. You should know to control your mind and keep it calm for 3 hours. Do not panic if you do not know answer for few questions and do not leave hope at any stage. Give your best! Your self-satisfaction that you have given your best is important. That will take you towards success.

All the best folks!!