Kerala engineering, pharmacy entrance exams today: Quick tips to students

entrance exam

About 1.1 lakh students will take the entrance tests for engineering and pharmacy courses in Kerala on Thursday. If you are one of them, here are a few tips that will help you give your best in the exam.

The exams will be held in two sessions. 

Paper 1, consisting of Physics and Chemistry, will be held between 10 am and 12.30 pm. Paper-II will have Maths and will be held between 2.30 pm and 5 pm.

Try to arrive at the venue at least half-an-hour before the exam starts.  

Those who have applied for engineering courses will have to give the two papers, while those who want to pursue pharmacy have to take only the exam in the morning session. 

5 points to note

1. You will be given a booklet that will be sealed in the middle on the right side. Open the seal only when the invigilator asks you to. After you open the booklet, ensure it has 120 questions in all. If there is a blank page, ask for a new booklet.

2. Make sure that the booklet’s version is right. There will be eight versions in all: A1, A2, A3, A4 and B1, B2, B3, B4. Those whose roll number ends in an odd number will get A1, A3, B1 or B3 version, while students whose roll number ends in an even number will get A2, A4, B2 or B4 version (Consider 0 as an even number). 

3. Ascertain that the version-code on the top left margin of the facing sheet of the booklet is the same as that printed on the admit card. If it is not, replace it immediately with a booklet that has the right version. The right side of the facing sheet will have the booklet’s serial number. Enter your name and roll number and provide your signature in the cells provided for them in the question booklet.

4. In the answer sheet, it is very important that you write the version-code of the question booklet in the box at the top left and mark it in the bubble. 

5. You will have to write the serial number of the question booklet in the box provided for it on the answer sheet. You will have to mark it in the bubbles, too. You should also provide your roll number in two places on the answer sheet and mark it once in the bubbles. Refer your admit card when entering the roll number, don’t write it from your memory.

5 things to remember while giving the exam

1. You will have 150 minutes to give each paper with 120 questions — or about 75 seconds for each question. If you can answer a question fast enough, you will have additional time to deal with difficult questions.

2. You will have 5 options for your answers. Choose the correct answer or the one that is the most appropriate part of the correct answer. Go through all the five options before giving your answer.

3. Start answering from the first question. If you find a question difficult, skip it for the moment and go to the next one. While you do this, ensure that you don’t get the question number wrong while marking the answer.

4. Complete the first round by answering as many of the 120 questions as possible. Then deal with questions you couldn’t answer in the first round, beginning again from the start. In this round, too, you can skip the questions you feel are really difficult. This way, you will be able to answer all the questions you know. 

5. It is better to skip a question if you are not reasonably sure about the answer. There is an 80 per cent possibility of a mistake in such cases. Remember, for every wrong answer, there will be one negative mark; there is no negative mark if you don’t answer a question.        

Things to pay attention to in the answer sheet

A sample answer paper with an OMR is given on page 136 of the prospectus. Study that carefully before going to the exam. 

While giving an answer, blacken the bubble fully. If it is not done properly, the optical mark reader may not read it properly. 

Remember, the paper will be evaluated by a computer, not a human being. Ensure that no dirt, sweat or oil stain falls on the answer sheet. It is advisable to keep a handkerchief below the wrist outside the paper. The OMR answers should not be folded, torn, wrinkled, or pierced with a pin or a needle.

Ensure that the barcode on the left and right parts of the answer sheet does not get dirty. This is the secret code of your answer sheet.

Do not detach the part shaded red at the bottom of the OMR Sheet that is meant to maintain a copy of your answer. Separate it only after the exam is over.

Do not write anything that could indicate your name or roll number on the right side of the sheet. Do all your rough work only in the question booklet. 

Keep these things ready today itself 

• Admit card

• Two or three black/blue ball pens

• Watch, kerchief

• Hardboard or clipboard

Things that are not allowed

• Pencil, rubber

• Correction fluid

• Calculator

• Logarithm table

• Mobile phone

• Smartwatch or other electronic devices.

COVID precautions

• Sit only on the seat allotted to you in the examination hall.

• Those in quarantine should reach the exam venue in their own vehicle.

• Take drinking water and lunch with you.

• Wear a mask, ensure social distancing.

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