NDA 1 2021 notification is just about to get released by UPSC and that’s why it is important to put your focus on the English section. Let’s find out about how you can get a good score in the English section of the General Ability paper in the NDA written exam.
You might be aware of the division of the marks and questions in the General Ability paper. General Ability consists of two parts, A and B where A belongs to the English section. English sections comprise 50 questions out of the total 150 and build marks up to 200 which are very crucial for any candidate to take his place in the merit list. Scoring marks in the English doesn’t require any candidate to be a fairly very genius in English but rigorous practice can compensate for anything if done right.
Many candidates failed to score good marks in English just because they were overconfident and didn’t prepare for the English section. Let’s look into the official notification of the UPSC NDA and try to understand what exactly is required from a candidate for the English section. “The question paper of English is designed to test the candidate’s understanding of English and workmanlike use of words. The syllabus covers various aspects like Grammar and usage, vocabulary, comprehension, and cohesion in extended text to test the candidate’s proficiency in English.” I believe that makes it clear about the level of English that a candidate will have to face.
We will focus on ways and methods to score good marks in the English section and how to improve the accuracy in your answers:
Do An Analysis Of The Previous Year Question Papers
Nothing is better than analyzing the previous year’s question papers as they give you proper insight into how the pattern and topics. It will specify the areas in which you are required to put your focus and in those areas where you will have to put out extra work. The general trends of the questions that come in the exam do not change much over the years as in other sections of the paper. Questions from various domains such as antonyms, synonyms, spotting errors, etc., do alter in the numbers but usually, their representation is fixed as per as their trend in the exam is concerned.
Attempt A Lot Of Mock Tests
You won’t be getting marks just by analyzing the previous year’s question papers. You will have to solve as many mock question papers as you can as it is highly recommended to improve your accuracy. Doing mock tests before the examination reduces the pressure that you are creating for yourself and also enhances your question handling skills. Mocks are designed in a way so as to provide you with a real-time exam scenario where you can attempt the questions and make as many mistakes as they will make you learn. You can collect all the previous year question papers and new mock papers in the SSBCrack NDA Written online course.
Categorize Sections And Strategize
Various sections such as antonyms, synonyms, spotting errors, idioms, and phrases, fill in the blanks, ordering of sentences and comprehensions are the major components of the question paper. Since they are categorized in the question paper, therefore you won’t have to do any kind of work for that but you will have to determine which sections you can handle well. For example, a candidate is very well in doing synonyms and antonyms but spotting errors gives him nerves then he should focus more on the former but also determine the root cause for his low performance in the later. Spotting errors comes under the grammar part of English while Synonyms and antonyms come under the language part of the English. Find your strengths and weaknesses, and perform likewise by analyzing both and reducing your nervousness.
Read A Lot To Understand The Structure Of English
Comprehension in the English section is the easiest one if compared to the other sections as you just have to find the answers from the given passage but it consumes your time. If you have been an avid or just a normal reader in your life then this is the section where you can score good marks. Start reading a lot in order to get familiar with the comprehensions and passage structure too. This will not only solve the language grasping issues but will also improve your vocabulary which can ultimately be used to handle antonyms and synonyms questions, along with the one-word substitution type questions.
Develop Familiarity With Basic English Grammar
It is very important that you should be familiar with the basics of English Grammar rules as the questions that form the major part of the English section and it has relevance with grammar only. There are many books to practice and you should devote sufficient time to particular topics as it will develop the familiarity while increasing the basic understanding of the topics. Start from scratch and cover one and all.
Attempt With Caution
I often suggest people take risks while marking the answers as it increases the chances of getting a number of questions correct but it is for those who can successfully apply elimination of the options. If you are more than 60% sure about any option then you should go for it and if the chances are minuscule for the same then please don’t as it can have an impact over your overall score.
Work On Your Vocabulary In A Routine
You should take up a different number of words daily and use them to form meaningful sentences. It will not only help you in understanding the proper context of the words but will also make you familiar with the synonyms, antonyms, and other users of those words. Increasing the vocabulary count can be done by reading a book and marking the words which are unknown to you.
You should keep these things in mind while ongoing preparations as they will make sure that you will not deviate from the right methods of preparation. Different candidates have a different level of proficiency in English and that’s due to their educational background. You can also catch up to their level if you will practice hard enough as it’s the only key to score good marks in different sections of the NDA examination. Aspirants should be aware of the entire scenario like the frequent merit-out issue that many candidates face. NDA exam, SSB Interview as well as subsequent training life demand a high level of dedication and goal-oriented approach.
Seek Good Online Courses
You shouldn’t venture out during these times when not only travelling activities but academic institutes are also closed. This is a great time to try new things that technology has brought at your steps such as Online Courses. Taking NDA Written Online courses will not only give you access to full-length quality lectures but will also provide the facility to take standardized mock tests for comparative study and growth. You can take multiple quizzes after each lesson in order to ensure the full understanding of the subject along with creating your own customized lesson plans. You can check out the course content along with other important specifics at the SSBCrack exams.
The SSBCrack NDA Written Online courses can also be accessed at the SSBCrack Exams app available at Google play store.
I hope these points will be helping you out for the upcoming NDA Written exam.
Jai Hind
