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Hello AKU aspirants! The exam day is a daunting encounter and unfortunately some students take a long time to recover from the trauma of nerve-wracking anxiety, blanking out during the test, and filling the answer sheet bubbles haphazardly as time ran out. Exam stress is natural and everyone has their own coping mechanism. Figure out what strategy suits you and trust yourself, it will work out in the end. We’ve compiled some tips based on our own experiences to help you through it!

1) Get a solid night’s sleep. Or if you’re the type to pull all-nighters, recharge on caffeine, because you will not get the chance to zone out, feel drowsy or tired in general. Skipping on breakfast because of nerves and nausea is fine, but have a light snack or chocolate for the sugar rush. Being alert is essential.

2) Reach the exam centre on time. There will be a long queue outside and you do not want to stress about entering the hall in time.

3) No need to bring stationery, the management provides free labelled AKU pouches to everyone (they will certainly remind you of that).

4) They will also ask you to remove watches, so spend the 30-minute waiting period making sure you have a clear view of the clock, the desk is stable, and you’re comfortable with your seating. Ask the invigilator to accommodate you in case of issues, you should not spend time on it after the exam starts.

A brief overview of the exam pattern for further context:
The AKU Test consists of 100 multiple-choice questions. It has five sections of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Science Reasoning and Mathematics. The first three sections carry 0.25 negative marks for each incorrect answer, the last two have no negative marking.

5) The test is attempted with a pencil, which means you can change your answers if you have second thoughts after filling in an option.

6) It would help to decide beforehand which section you want to attempt first, depending on whether there is negative marking or not. I would personally suggest attempting the Science Section first because the second part of the exam has no negative marking, supposing you have to rely on guesswork due to limited time.

7) Time management is critical and you are given 2 hours to solve 100 MCQs. Many students are not able to complete the paper due to lack of time. Some questions might not make sense, and it is best to leave them for the end. Allot a fixed duration for each question and do not go beyond that.

8) If you get stuck on one MCQ, do not spend extra time on it. Especially if you feel that you know the question but cannot identify the right option. A few questions are incorrect and are removed during the post-exam analysis (about 10 MCQs in 2021).

9) Apply the process of elimination while solving the paper. Cross out the incorrect options first, then focus on the remaining answers. Not only is this practice time-efficient, it also increases the likelihood of choosing the correct answer.

10) Due to negative marking you will have to consider each question carefully. If you can eliminate two options, that gives you a 50 percent chance of getting it right, so selecting an answer is the recommended practice. (Consult SAT general resources for a detailed guideline on how to attempt questions with negative marks.)

11) You might have the time to recheck and attempt all questions, or you might not. Make sure that all the MCQs in the Math and Science reasoning sections are shaded by the end of the exam. No negative marking, remember!

Hope this guide alleviates your anxiety regarding the entrance test. You can reach out to us for any personalised guidance. After the exam, there is no need to stress about your answers, just pray for the results. We wish you luck and hope you clear the test! Above all it was a fun, intellectually stimulating exam you don’t get from other institutions. The experience will be worth it!

BEST OF LUCK TO ALL THE STUDENTS :))

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