The Common University Entrance Test (CUET) is a pan-India prestigious examination which is conducted every year by the National Testing Agency (NTA). CUET is conducted for various undergraduate, post-graduate programmes in all the participating institutes of India. Candidates aiming to study in central universities of India have to mandatorily appear for CUET.

With CUET just around the corner, here are some tips and guidelines for the candidates to get the best possible score that they can. If you are appearing for the CUET next year, we have some additional tips for you as well.

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— Be thorough with the syllabus and pattern of the examination: This year, the revamped version of CUCET (CUET) has become the new gateway to various prestigious institutions in our country and the exam is being conducted for the first time on such a large scale. For the candidates appearing this year, you should be familiar with the syllabus by now, which is basically the NCERT-issued class 12 textbooks. Your focus should be to cover as many topics as possible for the papers you are appearing for. Candidates who are appearing next year have the time to go through the syllabus and familiarise themselves with the pattern of the examination.

— Have a plan or routine: Candidates should prepare a plan on how to revise the subjects, chapters or topics for the upcoming exam in July. You should no longer focus on studying a new topic from the basics. Since you have already appeared for your boards, your focus should be on practicing questions and test papers.

If you are not appearing this year, then this would be the ideal time for you to prepare a detailed plan on how you would want to study simultaneously for your boards and CUET. Do remember that the syllabus of CUET will be the same as the board examination syllabus, only the type of questions will be different. For this, you must get yourself accustomed to the type of questions that will be asked in the exam. Your board preparation will be crucial to building the fundamental concepts of your subjects. The additional preparation for CUET will focus on time management, improving efficiency, and bridging the gaps.

— Strategise your preparation: Current year candidates should focus solely on solving questions, spotting weaknesses, bridging the gap between the board and the CUET syllabus, efficiently managing their time and thoroughly acing the pattern of the examination. Next year candidates will have the advantage of getting the question papers, question types and other resources, once CUET is conducted this year. Take time to research on the exam, and then prepare a strategy on how to tackle the subjects.

— Use the correct resources: Candidates appearing for CUET next month must note that time is pacing fast. While there is no need to panic, your preparation will deal with test papers, online crash courses and timed mock tests. Concentrate on making yourself strong in the fundamentals of your subjects, quick thinking, and time management. Candidates appearing next year can study the books, especially the NCERT books (available on the NCERT website or the E-pathshala website) and take the help of additional resources, like past years’ question papers and reference books to prepare comprehensively for CUET.

— Practice: There is no alternative to this advice. Revise with your short notes and practice with objective questions and answers for CUET. Those appearing next year can start practicing with subjective tests, slowly and steadily proceed towards objective tests.

— Stay updated: Candidates who have selected or will be selecting the General Knowledge section will need to have a good understanding of world events. Get hold of reliable current affairs books and go through them regularly. You will be familiar with many of the events and for those you are not familiar with, you can jot them down in a notebook. If you are planning on long-term preparation, keep yourself updated through newspapers, online news sources, encyclopedias and other resources.

— Brush up on quantitative and analytical skills: Those who plan to appear for the Section III general test will need to brush up on basic quantitative and analytical skills. Get a list of basic formulae from class 6 to 10 and commit them to memory. Practice analytical skills with test papers of various exams, such as the GRE, SAT, Bank examinations, etc. The method to tackle this part would be same for both current and future candidates. These problems are best tackled through repeated practice.

— Look after your mental and physical health: This is the most important part of your preparation strategy. You are more important as a human than just a number in a huge list of candidates. All the students who are appearing for CUET this year would have faced tremendous difficulties and would probably be exhausted by now. Take a breath and remember that CUET or any examination for that matter, is not a make-or-break deal. There are several ways you can achieve your goals, and you are just getting started with life. Eat healthy, sleep well, spend time with your family and friends and exercise daily. Take the help of counsellors or other resources if you feel mentally exhausted.

The writer is the Chief Academic Officer at Extramarks Education