SNAP 2009 had no surprises in terms of the types of questions but was different on some parameters from previous year. The total number of questions increased from 135 to 150, though maximum marks of the paper remained the same. The overall difficulty level of paper was less compared to last year and this year the 2 marks questions were only in AR/LR section unlike last year where the 2 marks questions were present in all 4 sections. The negative marking was 25%.
A brief snapshot of the various sections and marking scheme is presented below:
|
Section |
No. of questions |
Marks per question |
Total marks |
|
Section – 1 (General English) |
40 |
1 |
40 |
|
Section – 2 (Quantitative Aptitude, Data |
40 |
1 |
40 |
|
Section – 3 (General Awareness) |
40 |
1 |
40 |
|
Section – 4 (Analytical and Logical Reasoning) |
30 |
2 |
60 |
|
TOTAL |
150 |
|
180 |
The section was dominated by VA and there was only 1 Reading Comprehension passage followed by 3 questions. The total time allocation to this section should have been 25 minutes. The section comprised of:
|
Topics |
No of Questions |
|
Errors in Usage (Tense errors, Prepositional, Incorrect and Correct sentences, Sentence Completion) |
13 |
|
Grammar (Punctuation, Parts of Speeches, Phrases and Clauses) |
5 |
|
Vocabulary (Word Usage, Synonyms, Antonyms, Odd man Out) |
12 |
|
Verbal Reasoning (Fill in the Blanks, Jumbled Sentences) |
5 |
|
Reading Comprehension |
3 |
|
Other verbal concepts |
2 |
|
Total |
40 |
The Difficulty level of this section was on the easy to moderate side. There were a few tricky questions that should be best avoided in order to maximize the score. RC questions were very few compared to last year. Most questions in this section were easy and attemptable.
In all, a good attempt would have been 28-32 questions in 25 minutes with a possible score of 25+.
Similar to last year, Arithmetic was the most favoured area this time too. Almost all the questions in this section were solvable in comparatively less time and were direct questions based on concepts and requiring no application. There were two questions which did not have the correct options. For the first time questions on Visual Reasoning was also a part of this section. DI sets were straight forward and were not calculation- intensive. Though DS was mentioned as the part of the section but there was no question present in the paper on DS. The overall level of the section was easy. The section comprised of:
|
Topics |
No of Questions |
|
Arithmetic |
12 |
|
Algebra |
8 |
|
Geometry |
3 |
|
Data Interpretation (2 sets: one on Tables and other on Pie Charts) |
8 |
|
Logic Based Questions |
6 |
|
Others (Visual Reasoning) |
3 |
|
Total |
40 |
In all, a good time allocation for this section should have been 35 minutes and one could attempt around 25-30 questions with a possible score of 23+.
This was the 'toughest' section of all the sections as the questions required a good recall and an eye for detail. There were questions on Definitions (Dendrochronology, Ekistics etc.), Economy, Acronyms, History, Sports, Science & Technology and Current Affairs. This was a paper that would have played into the hands of those who have been reading a newspaper on a daily basis and all sections of newspapers and Magazines (Business World) and those who have an active interest in quizzing. In general, a good time allocation for this section should have been 15 minutes and one could attempt around 15-18 questions with a possible score of 13+.
The section had the highest weightage in terms of marks. DI was a part of this section too and again the questions were not calculation-intensive but required basic understanding and some logic. Some of the questions were easily doable with the help of options and required very little time to solve. Questions based on critical reasoning were time-consuming. Visual Reasoning questions were easy. There were 2 questions on groups and conditionality, which again were very easy. There were 5 single-question sets on Strong/Weak Arguments, which were slightly on the tougher side requiring some analysis compared to the rest of the section. The section comprised of:
|
Topics |
No of Questions |
|
Data Interpretation |
11 |
|
Logical Reasoning |
9 |
|
Critical Reasoning |
4 |
|
Verbal Reasoning |
4 |
|
Visual Reasoning |
2 |
|
Total |
30 |
A good strategy for any student would have been to spend a good amount of time in this section on account of the higher marks per question which implies a higher return for time spent. Overall, a good time allocation for this section should have been 45 minutes and one could attempt around 22-25 questions with a possible score of 40+.
Since the overall level of the paper was easy, speed would play a critical role and will be a big deciding factor this year. The cut off is also expected to go higher. An expected score to get SIBM call this year would be 101+.
Below is present the summary of the above analysis.
|
Section |
No. of questions |
Marks per question |
Total marks |
Time allocation (min.) |
Attempts |
Possible |
|
Section – 1 (General English) |
40 |
1 |
40 |
25 |
28-32 |
25+ |
|
Section – 2 (Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency) |
40 |
1 |
40 |
35 |
25-30 |
23+ |
|
Section – 3 (General Awareness) |
40 |
1 |
40 |
15 |
15-18 |
13+ |
|
Section – 4 (Analytical and Logical Reasoning) |
30 |
2 |
60 |
45 |
22-25 |
40+ |
|
TOTAL |
150 |
|
180 |
120 |
93-98 |
101+ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The expected cut-off for allied institutes is
|
Institute Name |
Expected Cut-off |
Institute Name |
Expected Cut-off |
|
SIBM |
101+ |
SCIT |
76+ |
|
SCMHRD |
94+ |
SIOM |
68+ |
|
SIIB |
84+ |
SIMS |
64+ |
|
SITM |
80+ |
SIMC |
56+ |
Disclaimer: The above cutoffs are only suggestive in nature and may differ from the actual cutoffs. Roots Education cannot be held responsible for any decision taken by the candidate on the basis of the above information.
My expectations from MBAGuru were completely fulfilled and exceeded, both in terms of attention and enthusiasm. The classes are intensive and rigorous, along with a very relevant series of tests.
