The Importance of general awareness and current affairs
As aspirants to a management programme you will have already started the delirious process of preparing or revising for the entrance tests that are scheduled around the months of October, November and December. Now would be the time to have quicker revision plans for concepts, mock tests and also regular reading. Most candidates expect to be up to date on the current affairs and general knowledge only at the last moment. This approach is not entirely good. Building one’s general awareness cannot be achieved overnight it takes time and procrastination is definitely not advised in this case. Being unprepared in this matter can also cost you that coveted seat in your dream b school. You would ask why focus on general knowledge and current affairs now since these topics would be more relevant at the Group Discussion or the Personal Interview? It is not so since there are entrance tests which do have a section on general knowledge or awareness as part of their exam. And this is certainly not to be taken lightly.
The XLRI Admission Test (XAT) conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur usually has around 50- 60 questions on general awareness which accounts for about 25-30% of the test. Apart from the objective questions, the XAT also has an essay writing exercise which can prove to be a deciding factor at the GD and PI. Thus these areas emphasize on your reading habit and assimilation of information. Symbiosis International University conducts the Symbiosis National Aptitude Test for admissions to all PG courses which also include the management programmes. The SNAP comprises of objective questions with negative marking. Around 40 questions are asked on general awareness. In the syllabus for the test the institute mentions the various areas which are covered as part of the general awareness component. Questions can be asked on Current events in India and the global scene, Physics, International currency, Civics (Indian constitution), Chemistry, Mathematics, History, current affairs etc. The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade conducts its own test to admit candidates for the MBA in International Business at its Delhi and Kolkata campuses. Several participants at IIFT have confirmed that general knowledge is an important aspect of selection at the institute. IIFT test is an objective test and covers Quantitative Ability, Verbal ability, data interpretation, Logical reasoning and General awareness. As part of the general awareness you may be asked questions on Indian and International economy, Indian trade & commerce, trade relations, political, social and business current affairs, education, general knowledge, history etc.
The IIFT 2011 test is scheduled to be held on November 27 and SNAP on December 18.
Reading on a regular basis would be the first step towards developing general awareness and a good intellect. If one does not have the habit of reading, cultivate it. One can start by setting aside fixed times during the day when you read for at least 5-10 minutes. It can begin with a book that is enjoyable, newspapers, magazines etc. As you progress in your concentration levels and interest you can start reading more general and current affairs focused material.
A popular misconception with students about general awareness is that it is considered to be only mugging up facts, names and dates. This is not true. While it is good to know the precise date of an event or important statistical figures of the economy of a country, it is also important to understand the analysis behind it. It is impossible to know everything as part of the analysis and this is not expected of a candidate. However learn to develop your own analysis and opinions on situations and issues that you understand. This becomes more important during GDs, PIs and essay writing. Many management institute faculty also feel that students come with prepared responses and are unable to express their own opinion about matters closer to their interest areas. Nobody is born with an ability to analyze it is a result of extensive reading and practiced study. An accepted way to begin is by reading analyses written by others namely experts in the field, through the print media, good editorials, television shows, having discussions with peers or seniors etc. All this would enable you to think for your own. Start the exercise early because remember, Rome was not built in a day.
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