Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana is a national level scholarship exam conducted every year by IISc Bangalore (Indian Institute of Science). This exam can be undertaken by the students of class 11th, 12th and undergraduate program who wish to enrol in science courses such as B.sc, M.sc etc in Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology. The exam takes place for three hours and the results are generally announced by the third week of December. The exam was followed by an interview which shall not take place this year. Appearing for the exam is easy too. The very first thing you need to do is fill the registration form online. An admit card will be generated for your candidature, you just need to carry this admit card to the exam hall.
What is challenging is the exam itself. As a high number of students undertake the exam starting from class 11 till undergraduates, the competition definitely is not an easy nut to crack. Having enthusiasm, passion, dedication and good command over these subjects are the essentials you must possess to excel in this competition exam. Also as we all know that there is no definite prescribed syllabus by the IISc for the exam. The exam aims to test the analytical abilities and that is why it is important to focus on the concepts of these subjects only.
Here is a short guide on how you can take the KVPY Exam?
Table of Contents
1. Know about SA, SX and SB
The KVPY Exam is held for three categories. SA is for 11th graders, SX is for 12th graders while SB is for undergraduate Bachelors. In the exam form you may find these terms but don’t get confused. After getting yourself registered in any one of the above-listed categories, the student needs to pay the fee for the exam. The fee assigned for the general category is Rs. 1250 while for other categories the fee is Rs. 625. The exam takes place in November and the results are announced by December. The languages valid for the exam are English and Hindi. So, now that you are clear about the categories of the exam, make sure you carefully fill the one you belong to.
2. Exam pattern
The exam of KVPY follows a pattern that has remained constant over the years. There are four subjects for the exam: Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Maths. The exam will be conducted in an online mode and will be a computer-based examination. Also, one thing to keep in mind is that if you have a gap then you will not be able to pursue this exam according to the rules set by the conducting agency. Officially there is no prescribed syllabus but you need strong conceptual clarity and know the application of these concepts for clearing the exam.
3. Refer KVPY previous year question papers
Since there is no disclosure of any syllabus, previous year question papers are the only things that can guide the exam. It is important to analyze the exam pattern, questions asked from each topic and the frequently asked questions. Knowing all these things can only help you to crack the exam. So make sure that before starting the preparation of the exam you have a clear pattern with you. Also, going through the previous year questions can help you to revise for the exam which will help you to take the preparation to another level.
4. Beware of negative marking
Since the exam will have negative markings make sure that you only attempt the questions that you are very confident about. Good preparations and thorough revision will ensure that you can attempt maximum questions with all effectiveness. In total there are only 120 questions. For every correct answer, you will get 1 or 2 marks. A negative score of 0.25 and 0.5 respectively will be given for the wrong answers. Negative markings can pull down your results to a great extent. That is why it is important to just focus on doing the questions you are sure about.
5. Stick to NCERT & very few other reference books
The main thing you want is to concentrate on the NCERT mainly. NCERT is best for cracking national level exams. It will help you to strengthen your concepts & you would also come to know about the topics and subtopics that you need to cover. For practising more you may refer to any other reference book but make sure you don’t end up sticking to it as it will take a lot of your time. Also, it is never an assurance that similar or the same questions will come from the reference book. So try not to devote your whole time to one reference book and put NCERT on a priority.
6. Analyse your performance
Keeping a track of your everyday performance is a must thing to do for scoring better. Solve more mocks and sample papers. It will help you to become better every day. Also, try to know the areas that you are performing well and the areas that you are lacking. The idea is that your performance should keep on getting better and should reach the stage where you are performing your best with very less or just a few mistakes. Challenging yourself to do better than your last performance is also very important.
7. Give at least 6-7 months for preparations
Since the competition is huge, you should not take any risk. It is best to dedicate time for your preparations as they say practice makes a man perfect. With ample time you can practise, revise and at the same time overcome your weak areas. So instead of rushing at the end try to give yourself the needed time to excel
Summary
All these tips and tricks are best for your upcoming KVPY exam. As this exam only needs your stronghold on concepts, distinguished attitude and a lot of practise, It is better that your focus should remain on the parameters of the exam. Make sure you are on point with your preparations. At last, don’t feel nervous as being anxious and nervous will only bring down your performance. Believe in yourself!
Read also: How To Master Class 4th Maths?