Further to my post yesterday, here is my take on how to prepare for the other sections of SNAP:

2.  SNAP Quantitative, Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency

This section has traditionally been dominated by Arithmetic questions based on topics like Time, Speed & Distance, Work, Pipes & Cisterns, Averages, Percentages, Simple & Compound Interest, Mixtures & Alligation, Profit & Loss and Ratio & Proportion.   The number of questions from other areas has varied over the years. The weightage apportioned to Data Interpretation has also not been very high – and the DI sets have also been easier when compared to those that appear in CAT or XAT.

How to prepare for SNAP Quant section?

Get your Numbers and Arithmetic right, and you are likely to crack the Quant section of SNAP.  So, ensure that you revise and practice enough questions from all the regular topics of Arithmetic like TSD, Work, Ratios, Proportion, SI&CI, P&L and Mixtures.  Once Arithmetic is conquered, you can move on to practice questions from Geometry, Numbers, Modern Math and Algebra in that order. Also, ensure that DI sets based on simple calculations fall in your comfort zone. In this section, your speed of solving can prove to be the key differentiator (not at the cost of accuracy though).  Taking a series of area-wise and mixed section tests will therefore serve you in good stead. This is a fairly easy section – and you can attempt a minimum of 30-35 questions in around 30 to 35 minutes if you prepare well.

3.  Analytical & Logical Reasoning

This section has 40 marks out of a total of 150. Doing well in this section can prove to be a make or break situation for you. This section generally has a mix of Logical Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning with more questions from the former. The Logical Reasoning Questions belong to a range of topics that include Coding, Number/Letter Series, Arrangements, Family Tree, Directions, Symbol based, Venn Diagrams, Cubes, Clocks and puzzles. The number of questions from Verbal reasoning has varied from 2 to 8, with Critical Reasoning and Syllogisms being the most frequently asked question types. Data Interpretation questions have also made a special appearance in this section in a couple of tests.

How to prepare for SNAP Analytical & Logical Reasoning Section?

The only way to master this section is to engage in a lot of practice with similar question types. Solve LR & VR questions from past Mh-CET, SNAP and MAT papers and that should give you good practice. If you develop a decent level of proficiency, you should be able to solve around 30 questions in 35 to 40 minutes.

4.  General Awareness: General Knowledge, Current Affairs, Business Scenario

“How to prepare for the SNAP GK section” is an oft asked query by all SNAP aspirants – the only reason for this is that there is no fixed syllabus for this test and an analysis of past papers only points to a whole lot of uncertainty with regards to this section. In the past, questions in this section have been based on both Current Affairs (Indian & International, Brand and Business GK, Sports, Literature, Awards and Personalities) as well as Static GK. Last year the test had about 25 questions based on world affairs while 15 were based on national affairs/events. This year it is stated that current affairs related to last 2 years will be assessed in this section – so try to brush up your knowledge on the various events and happenings across different heads in the last 2 years.

How to prepare for SNAP General Awareness Section?

Let me just repeat what I suggested for the XAT GK preparation:

1. Go through the archives of any National Newspapers/Magazines for relevant articles –start with the latest and go backwards as much as you can (maybe covering events that have occurred in the last 2 years).
2. Alternatively, you could access monthly compilation of current affair topics provided by various GK resources like IMS GQuest or Manorama Yearbook. IBEF is also a good resource for facts and figures pertinent to the Indian economy.
3. Make notes as you read – this should help you retain facts and figures. Organise what you read into the various heads as mentioned above for quick reference later on as this could also serve as a source for quick revision, closer to your exam date.
4. Engage in group study – Creating questions and challenging each other in a group is a fun way of learning GK (which can sometimes get drab and boring).

General Knowledge does not have a fixed syllabus – so you will never have a sense of completion to your preparation. But go ahead, and do as much as you can – and who knows you might just about crack this section. So if you do not believe in your GK abilities, you may target to attempt around 18-20 questions with around 80% accuracy. Wild guessing should be avoided due to negative marking.

What’s a good Score in SNAP?

The SNAP cut-offs for SIBM and SCMHRD have generally varied from around 90 to 100 range over the years depending on the level of difficulty of the test (with 2010 as an exception when the cut-off was close to 120). With the questions in the Reasoning section carrying only 1 mark instead of 2, the cut-offs are likely to drop slightly. In any case, I would suggest that you should aim to maximise your scores rather than go after a number – as the number is only proportional to the test level of difficulty and the relative performance of other test-takers. Further, there are no sectional cut-offs this year – so your strategy could be to maximise your scores from sections that are your strength. However, ensure that you do not get a zero or negative mark in any section to avoid being disqualified from selection at a later stage.  In past years, it has often been observed that all applicants from SC/ST/DA category have received a call for the second stage. So, if you belong to this category –just hang in there, maximise your scores and a call might almost be guaranteed.

Have your test strategy in place

Which section will you start with and what is the sequence you will follow? How much time will you assign to each of the sections? How any attempts will you target in each of the sections? Answer these questions for yourself as you take the SNAP mock tests – and ensure that you know the right path for you as you approach D-Day. This is a comparatively easy test – wherein you should be able to solve most, if not all, questions with a minimum level of effort. If the CAT has not gone too well, here is your chance to get your first GD-PI call for the season.

All the Best!!

VK