NATA 2018 Preparation Tips

Examinations form an indispensable part of an education system, especially India’s. When it comes to clearing or scoring well in an exam, the most important medium is preparation. The better you prepare, the more you increase your scores in the test.

The Council of Architecture, New Delhi, conducts an annual aptitude test for students interested in the field of architecture. The National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) is a national level exam that tests candidates’ drawing and creativity skills. Like any other examination, it is easy to pass and score well in NATA if you plan your preparation time and work accordingly. But, preparation holds massive value. Your results depend on how well you prepare for the exam. Here are some important tips to help you make a proper roadmap to success for NATA 2018. You can also contact the Counsellors at DQ Labs if you need Coaching classes (Physical or online) for NATA 2018.

Acquaint Yourself with the Syllabus

The quintessential step in every preparation schedule is a thorough understanding of the Syllabus. Since the syllabus informs you of the topics and their weight in the exam, it is imperative that you start with a reading of the syllabus. It will provide you with the key details of the examination, such as the number of questions, pattern, duration, and more. Hence, you can start devising your practice time in keeping with the syllabus. You can also get a copy of it printed for a better reference in times of confusion or schedule management. You can also download the NATA 2018 brochure.

Practice and Refine Your Drawing Skills

One of the key requirements to clear NATA is Sketching and Drawing. There are, however, many students interested in architecture who lack the basic minimum aptitude in a drawing. But there is nothing to feel low about. This test is more about skill than about talent. You can always practice and improve upon something you are weak in. You could refer to student drawings evaluated by DQ Labs over the last 12 years.

In order to commence your preparation for NATA, start with practicing drawing and sketching. Move ahead in a leveled manner. Start with the basics and go on to draw intense perspective figures. Once you get hold of the basics, you will easily progress to the level of drawing ability the test requires. It is essential to understand that the exam will test your drawing skills and you have to refine them in order to get placed in any of the NATA colleges.

With more and more practice, you will become well-versed with the techniques of sketching. Avoid the use of erasers and draw boldly without shaky figures. Learn the varied style of drawing once you gain expertise with the basic techniques. You could also attend DQ Labs classroom coaching in Bangalore, Pune, Chennai or Mangalore. They also offer online classes for students who can't travel to their centres.

Nurture Aesthetic Sensitivity

A very significant characteristic of NATA is its emphasis on testing the examinee's creative and aesthetic focus. The second paper of the exam evaluates the candidates' faculty vis-à-vis Visual Spatial Ability, Architecture Awareness, Mental Ability, Mathematics, English & Analytical Reasoning. A crucial part of your preparatory time should be devoted to enhancing these skills. To understand and prepare for this part of the test, you can sign up on DQ Edge and access the free study material.

This paper is an online computer-based examination. Therefore, it is important that you practice equally on screen. Make yourself familiar to and comfortable with the operations of the mouse.

Revise

Every preparation period winds up with a revision session. When you prepare a time schedule for your preparation, start with leaving off a good amount of time for revision. Keep aside a month before the examination to revise the entire Syllabus. It depends on your level of preparation. You can provide more time to revision if you have more time left in hand. Revision is the best way of reassuring yourself of your preparedness along with rechecking your readiness. A single revision session is not the right way to go about it. Revise as many times as possible to properly place the information in your mind.

You can consider the DQ Labs Crash Courses to help you with this last minute preparation. This has helped thousands of students clear NATA and you can be sure to do well if you go through this program.

Practicing Sample Papers is a good way of revising the syllabus. It helps you find the topics you are weak in and facilitates a better revision in those specific areas. Revising more increases your selection rate to NATA colleges.

The DQ Edge

DQ Edge is the (patent pending) testing platform by DQ Labs. This is the only one of its kind in the world which incorporates Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help you formulate a study strategy.

When you use DQ Edge, the platform will analyse your strengths and weaknesses and will give you a shortcut to focus your energy only on topics that you need to improve on. It also suggests topics which have a higher weightage in the exam.

Practice Mock Tests

The best way to finalize your preparation for any examination is to practice as many tests as possible. There are many sample and mock papers available for NATA on the web. You can access question papers and solutions to review your preparation. Solving previous years' papers will give you an idea about the pattern of questions and will help you strategize your time during the exam. You can take time-bound tests to check your promptness.

Taking the Exam

Once you are done with the practice phase, there is the main exam to tackle. All your preparation comes to pay off in these two tests of 90 minutes each. For the examination day, you have to make separate groundings.

Reach the exam hall early - some of the exam centres are located far away from the city and could take you a long time to reach. So plan well and reach early.

Since the exam has no negative marking system, therefore, you can attempt all questions without hesitation. Plan your time according to the number and pattern of questions beforehand. Make backup plans in case you are lagging behind your time strategies.

Do not overlook this aspect of your preparation. All your hard work can come to nothing if you go into the exam hall unprepared about this. This practice is helpful to reaffirm your confidence in yourself.

Lastly, a vital part of this prep time is your health. You have to take care of your fitness, both mental and physical to get through the challenging period of preparation and pass with flying colors. Focus on your diet and take proper breaks between study sessions to keep yourself motivated throughout.

Good luck for your examination. Stay tuned with DQ Labs for examination update on NATA 2018 tips through webinars.