Getting into a good college like the National Institutes of Technology (NIT) is a dream for any MCA aspirant in India. However, to be placed in some of the best colleges in the Indian subcontinent, one must ace the prestigious National Institute of Technology MCA Common Entrance Test (NIMCET). Many private colleges and universities also recognise NIMCET scores for admission and eligibility criteria into their Master’s programs.
With 25,000 candidates competing for approximately 805 seats offered in 11 NITs across India, the competition is tough. But we have prepared a section-wise preparation guide, do’s and don’ts, so that you can give it your best shot.
It is an annual qualifying examination for admissions into postgraduate MCA programs held at a national level. NIT Jamshedpur conducts it, and the mode of exam is Computer-based in several designated centres across 26 Indian cities.
NIMCET Exam Details
The exam duration is 2 hours, consisting of 120 multiple-choice questions worth 480 marks. This exam has negative markings as candidates score 4 marks for every correct response and minus 1 for every wrong answer.
The exam is conducted in English and is mandatory for placements in the 11 NITs across India, namely Agartala, Raipur, Tiruchirapalli, Surathkal, Allahabad, Calicut, Bhopal, Jamshedpur, Kurukshetra, Patna, and Warangal.
The exam fees are different for candidates from different social sections. It costs INR 2500 for candidates from the Gen/EWS/OBC category and INR 1250 for candidates from the SC/ST/PwD category.
NIMCET Exam Syllabus
The NIMCET syllabus includes mathematics, computer awareness, logical reasoning, and general English. Candidates studying for the test must follow the syllabus recommended by the administering organization.
NIMCET Section-Wise Preparation Guide
The NIMCET exam comes with 50 questions on Mathematics, 40 on logical reasoning, 20 on computer awareness, and 10 questions to test your command of the English language.
Since the exam pattern consists of 120 questions that need to be answered in two hours, a candidate optimally needs to solve one question every minute without any breaks to attempt 100% of the exam. This requires meticulous planning and systemic execution. We will cover the different aspects of each section of the exam for a learner to focus on while preparing.
Mathematics
In this section, candidates can expect questions on Algebra, simple arithmetic, Probability and Statistics, Set Theory, Calculus, Trigonometry, position Vectors, subtraction of vectors, Limit of functions, continuous functions, and Coordinate Geometry (hexadecimal representations). The questions below are excellent examples of what to expect.
- The expressiontanA1−cotA+cotA1−tanAcan be written as: secA.cosecA+1
- The area enclosed between the curves y2 = x and y = |x| is: ⅙ sq.unit
- If A is a subset of B and B is a subset of C, then the cardinality of A ∪ B ∪ C is equal to Cardinality of C
Logical Reasoning
This section will cover questions based on the logical situations, basic concepts, simple identities, simple examples and information provided in a sentence or passage format. This will test your analytical as well as observational skills. Some good examples are:
- If TRANSFER is coded as RTNAFSRE, the ELEPHANT would be coded as LEPEAHTN
- Fill in the blank in the series: ELFA, GLHA, ILJA, _____, MLNA:KLLA
- Pointing to a gentleman, Mohan said, ‘His only brother is the father of my daughter’s father’. The gentleman is Mohan’s ____.: Uncle
Computer Awareness
Since all eligible candidates for NIMCET expect to have gone through their undergraduate studies, they should have some exposure to the world of computers. This section will test your basic computer knowledge and data representation skills. Here are some sample questions:
- The Process when the processor fetches another instruction during the execution of the current instruction is called: Pipelining
- Which is the fastest means of memory access for the CPU?: Registers
- The binary multiplication 00*11 will give: 00
English
While consisting of the least number of questions, this section can be pretty time-consuming as it is mostly filled with long passages that you need to read critically and then answer the relevant questions. It also quizzes the candidate’s grammatical knowledge and vocabulary. Some of the topics would be forms of verbs, nouns, prepositions, correct forms, voices, etc. Here are some examples:
- Choose the synonym of the given word: Uninteresting
- Which is one word for An uncivilized/primitive person: Barbarian
- Identify the type of error in the following sentence- Some of the books were destroyed.: Punctuation Error
Get Ready to Ace Your NIMCET
With the syllabus and topics listed above covered, qualified candidates are ready to begin their journey to ace NIMCET and get a seat among the best. Remember to stay consistent with your preparation and enter the exam hall with a cool, calm, and collected mindset.
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