CUET General Test: Top 7 Mistakes To Avoid

Are you afraid you will commit the same mistakes that students are prone to when you appear for the upcoming CUET general test? How important is it to avoid these mistakes? And what can you do to avoid them in the CUET and get top scores?

The National Testing Agency conducts the Common University Entrance Test (CUET), formerly known as the Central Universities Common Entrance Test (CUCET), an all-India test for admission to various undergraduate, integrated, postgraduate, diploma, certification, and research programmes at 45 Central Universities of India. Many other state universities and deemed universities also accept the scores.

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Central University Entrance Test (CUET) is a single-window for students to apply to the participating universities/institutes across the nation. The CUET score is required for admission to various programmes of the participating universities.

As part of National Education Policy 2020, CUET was introduced in 2022 as an updated version of CUCET, making it mandatory for all the 45 central universities to adopt it. The CUET 2023 consists of a general test, two papers that are domain-specific, and one language test.

The CUET General Test syllabus includes:

• General Knowledge & Current Affairs
• Numerical ability
• General mental ability
• Aptitude
• Logical and analytical reasoning
• Quantitative reasoning (application of basic math, arithmetic, mensuration, algebra, geometry, probability and statistics)

Number of questions in the CUET general test

Out of 75 MCQs, 60 must be answered in 60 minutes.

Know - CUET 2023: Exam Dates (Out), Admit Card, Mock Test, Syllabus, Pattern, Free Sample Papers

In the CUET general test, students are prone to making several mistakes that they must guard against to ace the exam with a good rank to get into a dream university. Careers360 lists the top 7 mistakes that students make and advises you on how to avoid them.

Believing Rumours And Waiting For Postponement Of The Exam

We are all aware that various rumours constantly circulate about exam formats, levels of difficulty, significant topics, and book recommendations, and that these rumours get more frequent as the exam date approaches. You must accept the reality that nobody can predict certain details of the exam. Moreover, NTA is conducting CUET for the second time this year.

Instead of waiting for the exam to be rescheduled, students should begin preparing right away. Ignore rumours so that they don't adversely affect your preparation plan. The best way to prepare is to treat each subject on equal terms. You should be equally prepared in all subjects, based on a well-planned strategy.

Being Unaware Of The Competition Level

CUET UG 2023: The NTA is conducted the CUET exam for the first time in 2022. A total of 16.85 lakh people have registered for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) 2023, according to the National Testing Agency (NTA). 13.95 lakh of these have completed the application process and paid the fees. There are 6.51 lakh female candidates and 7.48 lakh male candidates out of a total of 13.99 lakh candidates. Whereas in 2022, the Common University Entrance Test received over 11 lakh (11,51,319) applications. 9 lakh (9,13,540) of those applicants have submitted the required application fee. According to a tweet by University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, students from every state and union territory have applied for CUET UG 2023. This means the competition will be quite fierce. You are mistaken if you believe the CUET exam to be simple.

Following Many Sources Of Study Material

By this point, the majority of students have finished their coursework and are looking for different types of revision, like practising exams, referring to sample papers and books. Free pdfs are available on different educational sites. However, they may confuse you and maybe it will be a waste of time.

If you have two different tasks from reliable sources, just complete one at a time before moving on to the revision package. There isn't enough time left, so those who are about to begin the preparation should right away start studying wisely and strategically.

Avoiding Simple Math Tricks And Calculation Speed.

Although not everyone is an expert at playing with numbers, the topic or subject isn't as difficult as it appears to be. Any calculation or problem will be a piece of cake if you know a few simple math tricks! When math tricks are mastered, they work like magic to help students excel in academics as well as in more challenging courses. Math tricks help you learn how to solve problems quickly, efficiently, and confidently, which enhances your math abilities and understanding as significant questions start to appear from the cubes and squares of the numbers section. Some of these tricks are:

• Tricks for addition and subtraction
• Tricks for Division and Multiplication
• Square-root and squaring tricks
• Decimals and fractions
• Vedic Math: Tricks and Its Importance

Example

If you multiply 57 by 11,

= 5 _ 7,

5 + 7 = 12,

Place 2 in the given space and add 1 to 5 to obtain 627.

Can you find out what 72 x 11 =?

You'll have more time for other questions in exams like the CUET if your concept is clear, you've been practising, you know the constant values, and you can calculate the given values by using a trick. These are crucial to improving your ability to calculate quickly. Calculations can help you save time in any competitive exam. If you don't, you might end up using more time than you intended. It depends directly on your calculation skills.

Reading Years-old Current Affairs

The term “current affairs" refers to significant social or political events that are currently taking place. Questions on current affairs are asked in a number of competitive exams. Only the most recent six months' worth of current events is supposed to be prepared by students. Furthermore, there isn't enough time left to prepare anything else. So, avoid reading the years-old current affairs, as it would likely be a waste of time.

Spending Too Much Time On A Question

In your paper, dropping questions that you can't answer right away can make all the difference. So, you should know the art of leaving questions immediately.

For instance, let's say that after five minutes of trying, you are still unable to answer a question that is doable. With the understanding that you can return to it later, you should put it aside right away and move on to the next question. Never assume that by spending two more minutes on the problem, you will be able to find the answer. Your flow for the remaining questions may be disrupted as a result. You might be able to figure that out in the next two minutes, but you shouldn't commit that time until you've answered every question on the test that is doable.

Attempting The Numerical Questions At First

If you are familiar with the CUET syllabus, within 20 to 25 minutes, try the GK, current affairs, and reasoning sections first. Following that, spend 20 to 25 minutes on the paper's numerical section. Save the last 10 minutes to revisit questions and answers. A question that you cannot answer or are unsure of should not be given more than 45 seconds of your time. Numerical problems are time-consuming, even if you know how to calculate the answer. But in the case of general knowledge and current affairs, you can answer within seconds if you know.

Conclusion

Apart from the above-mentioned mistakes, students also make the following mistakes during the preparation for competitive exams such as CUET:

• Not focusing on important rules, tricks, formulas,
• Not having a proper idea of the CUET syllabus and exam pattern
• Not practising CUET Mock Tests-Download FREE CUET mock tests PDF
• Not having proper guidance
• Not understanding the questions properly before answering

So, make sure you overcome these problems by avoiding all the mistakes mentioned to get a good rank to get admission in one of the best colleges in India. Practise a lot, enhance your speed, follow the syllabus, stick to study material from an authentic source and do not pay attention to rumours. Start your preparation right away to be among the toppers.

Caution: A Must Read

Each one of you requires a unique intervention and strategy.

Therefore, avoid copying other people's methods and strategies because they might not work for you and won't provide you with any benefits. Don’t get tricked by cognitive biases during this crucial time for CUET preparation.

But how do we learn exactly? Why do some students pick up information more quickly and easily? Why is it easier to learn some skills than others? Why do we forget the lessons we learn? Find out what works for you and strategize accordingly.