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Advantages of enrolling for online coaching for IIT JEE 2015

Aditi Deshmukh, is one such aspirant who was introduced to online coaching by one of her friends when she hit a tough spot having made up her mind to not join regular coaching classes for the heck of it. She wasn't keen to be one of the thousands taking up coaching classes which are burdened with large batches of students being tutored by teachers unable to guide each personally and topper students receiving the best coaching in separate batches. "While I was clear about not joining the run-of-the-mill coaching institute packed with large student batches and segregating students based on how many marks they score, which is so preferential I also understood that it makes a huge difference to have an expert guide you and help you understand where you stand and the strategy accordingly. I joined Spanedea, known for its customized learning solutions and have been so pleasantly surprised with the efficacy of their personalized programs and their counselors.

This is also the perfect time to begin preparing intensively preparing for IIT JEE Mains and according to experts time well managed and well spent now will determine how well you score. Online tutoring portals, which come the closest to providing expert customized learning programs at the comfort of your home, has proven to be the most reliable and effective option. For e.g. Spanedea has a rigorous 'Bridge course' for students in 11th grade moving to 12th grade, which helps them catch up with any concepts missed in the year. The course would cover all essential and critical topics from 11th grade in PCM and problem solving sessions conducted by expert faculty from IIT. Also, check the counsellors/faculties' profiles and credibility. Neepa Shah, a renowned JEE counselor who has counselled over 1000 IIT JEE aspirants on the leading coaching portal, Spanedea, says, "An increasing number of students are experiencing the benefits of online coaching – personalized attention from expert faculty who have already passed from IITs, time management and most importantly the efficacy in outcomes. There are in fact many who have joined even those who have joined regular coaching classes.. There is a tremendous shift in outcomes when students get personalized attention. "

There is no need to wait then! Hurry and register with a leading online coaching portal which will take into consideration your learning requirements and aptitude to design a customized and winning preparation strategy to crack the IIT JEE. Be ready to secure a seat at the reputed IITs according to your own terms!

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How to prepare for GD/PI 2014?

Understanding the crux of the round -A group discussion is conducted to typically assess your leadership, decision making skills apart from your communication and group dynamic skills. To stand out, you will need to show your confidence to express in front of a group of eager-to-please competitive aspirants, by driving mutual agreement in the group over an issue in a stipulated time. To build that confidence, one must be aware and must have begun practicing right when one joins a coaching class/ decides to take CAT.

Preparation tips -Before commencing preparations you must understand where you stand in terms of your interpersonal skills, debating, etc. A mentor or a person who has cracked the CAT can help guide you; you must also take the time before deciding to join any GD/PI sessions or coaching classes and evaluate them accordingly rather than just join a popular mock session. Smaller batches have proven to be more effective due to the personal attention one receives. Knowledge can be gained best by reading, so read voraciously. At a minimum you must read one daily and one pink paper. Practice as much as you can by forming communities/support groups and conducting mock GD/PI sessions. Evaluate and learn from your mistakes. For guidance and mentoring seek IIM alumni who should be able to help you understand where you stand.

Bear these in mind -Preparing without keeping a time limit will impede your outcome. You need to learn how to articulate your thoughts and convey it in the shortest time while keeping it relevant. It is wrong to assume that if you speak the most you will be considered a leader. Pay attention to your vocabulary, diction and practice by listening to TV news correspondents and reading out aloud. Mind your body language and keep an erect posture, maintain eye contact with the participants and the interviewer. There is a difference in being assertive and aggressive - learn the difference.

Interview tips -Since the interviewer will probe you to understand if you are a right fit and your reasons for opting for a particular school program. It is important to be enthusiastic but take care not to get carried away. Use the open ended questions thrown at you to direct the line of interviewing. Don't waste your time repeating the same points mentioned in the form. Use any and all opportunities presented to convey your thoughts/beliefs and project any defining moments in your career/academic arena. Remember, at IIM, the faculty, admission personnel, students and even alumni take interviews so do not underestimate anyone.

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What Is The Ideal GMAT Score To Get Into ISB?

ISB hence remains a top choice among students wanting to pursue top notch postgraduate management studies. A total of 774 students were admitted by ISB across its Hyderabad and Mohali campuses in 2013 for its full-time, one-year programme in Management designed for working professionals - Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP). The new batch comprised professionals from diverse academic cultural geographic and social backgrounds with professional backgrounds varying from PSU/government, healthcare, fashion etc. The average GMAT score stood at 711 with 5 years of working experience.

With ISB placing utmost importance to preserving diversity in class profile, even having launched 'diversity scholarships', the approach strategy for getting into ISB must be holistic and focus on high GMAT score, academic profile and quality work experience. While cracking the GMAT is a key component in the application process it becomes more critical for those with strictly academically-oriented backgrounds or conventional sectors like IT, engineering, finance etc. It reflects a sense of determination and academic acumen. An ideal preparation strategy must account for the time required for preparing for GMAT as per one's learning requirement while also expanding one's knowledge to enhance success across other stages like personal interview etc.

Time management skills are critical given that ISB favours candidates with significant work experience. Finding time to prepare for the test after ascertaining one's strengths is challenging for most working professionals and ultimately leads to loss of opportunity with respect to scoring high in GMAT. A well-structured online GMAT preparation course such as Spanedea's online GMAT preparatory course which provides learner-centric customized preparatory courses have known to render effective results. Students could log into the portal and get quality expert guidance as per their convenience. Unlike a traditional coaching class setup, aspirants get to choose the faculty and the preferable timing while also having the course tailor made to suit their learner requirements/ backgrounds.

A high GMAT score rarely counts beyond the interview stage though it does lend credibility to your application. A low GMAT score will constantly nag you and affect your performance in the long run and is bound to make one edgy and vulnerable. So set the targets high and aim to crack GMAT to land a seat at ISB.

Check : More GMAT Blogs

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How Do You Apply For GMAT Scholarship For MBA?

The falling rupee has predictably perturbed many students planning to pursue their MBA abroad for the year of 2013. Compared to last year, students have to shell out Rs. 7 to Rs. 8 more per dollar which coupled with a 10% average rise in tuition costs would up their education budget by 20%.  Never before has attaining a scholarship to pursue that coveted academic program been so important, especially when most scholarships could net savings anywhere upto 50% of the tuition fees. 

1. Where to look - There are quite a few organizations that offer scholarship opportunities but aren't promoted or publicized as much. Search online with regards to your nationality, gender, school/university of graduation, intended field of study, business schools you are interested in applying to.  For instance, women studying anywhere in the U.S. can avail financial support from The American Association of University. There is also the Rajiv Gandhi scholarship at Imperial College London for Indian nationals who intend to return to India post graduation.  You could also join student groups or online forums of the concerned universities and seek information on various sources of funding from its alumni or current students. Additionally,  check with the admissions cell of the college in case of any queries. 

2. Timing - Since the process of vetting applications for scholarships starts pretty early it makes sense to apply to the course early on. This will also reflect an assuredness to commit to the programme. 

3. Priming the application - While the importance of scoring high in GMAT cannot be stressed enough, the focus must also be on delivering excellent essays - which your GMAT Tutor should be able to guide you, and presenting your academic and/or career graph interestingly. Preparing to ace the interview is also very critical. 

4. Getting realistic - Attaining a merit scholarship can be tough to crack. However, there are ways one can offset myriad costs involved in the process like the Beat the GMAT competition which in 2013 doled out 8 scholarship packages including a full GMAT-test prep course and admissions consulting package. While applying, keep a good balanced mix of college profiles. While one must aim for ambitious programmes from top B schools, ensure that you also have a couple of practical options included in your dream list. 

Remember, most merit scholarships are given after taking into consideration your entire application. However, one of the prime most factors is a high GMAT score. It will be the key differentiator when ascertaining if you will make it to the programme of your choice or will also receive substantial financial aid to sail through. Step up your preparations for taking GMAT in a systematic manner and you won't be disappointed.

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How should you decide between taking the GMAT or GRE

Students are since trying to comprehend which test should they prepare for.  The scores of both the tests are valid for 5 years and the sections of the test are almost similar. While both the tests are equally competitive they differ on some aspects which we will delve into. 

1. Cost and Accessibility: The GMAT ($250) is more expensive than GRE ($140). This can be a crucial factor since many students opt for retakes. The number of test taking centres is greater for GRE. 

2. What does it test: Both the GRE and GMAT are made up of verbal, quantitative and analytical writing sections.   A key differentiator is the prominence of vocabulary in the verbal section of GRE.  In GMAT however, critical reasoning (which does not form a part of GRE) accounts for one third of verbal section.  The analytical writing sections and quantitative sections comprising number theory, arithmetic, statistics, algebra, geometry and probability are mostly similar. 

3. Preparation Time: It's important to understand one's strengths and understand one's standing of the respective sections.  A GMAT preparation test or a GRE preparation test will evaluate your strength and weaknesses and let you know which suits you better. 

4. Difficulty levels: Every assessment tests different skill sets and hence the difficulty levels are subjective in terms of student's strengths and expertise in a particular assessment area. Both tests require the same amount of preparation and time management skills. 

  5. Acceptability: While GMAT is acceptable in all B schools, GRE is still gaining ground, although rapidly. Most business schools have hardly any data regarding GRE scores and have statistics only on GMAT. In fact it is only recently that publications such as US News started including GRE scores in their ranking comparison charts, which is important in shaping the perception of GRE as an acceptable alternative. 

  While GMAT still holds a preference with lots of students who want to pursue MBA, students opting for dual degrees are increasingly opting for the GRE. So also are engineering graduates who aren't sure of choosing between MS or MBA. 

Do your homework. Contact the admissions department of your aspirant schools and inquire about their policies. Accordingly weigh your expertise, skills, strengths, against the structure of both tests. Taking mock GMAT and GRE tests will help you understand your strength and comfort with a particular methodology. Lastly, also keep in mind your long-term learning and career objectives which should enable you to take the decision. 

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How to Prepare For Verbal GMAT

Let us begin by understanding the basic structure of GMAT Verbal; its 3 layers  - 

Sentence Correction:With a limited number of question types, this section is the easiest to master.  However, most mistakenly rush into problem solving instead of understanding grammar concepts, which this section is based on. One can do a Sentence Correction (SC) question in 1/3rd the time compared to a Reading comprehension (RC) or Critical Reasoning (CR) question. This time saved should be invested to improve the accuracy of the remaining two sections. 

Tip: Focus on the fundamentals with specifically tailored grammar exercises as per one's expertise level, moving then into various question types. 

Critical Reasoning: This section is underestimated by most students. It is only once one starts attempting it in mock tests, one realizes the impact the section has an overall accuracy. It is this section that causes the differential between high and average GMAT scores. 

Tip: Practice CR in a timed environment to check accuracy. Expert one-on-one guidance with the tutor provided by online GMAT prep courses can help improve performance on each question type. 

Reading Comprehension: Unlike the other two sections, it is Reading Comprehension that sets the pace of the GMAT. Most students hardly realise this and alarmingly hence approach the test without any strategy for RC. 

Tip: One needs to understand how will one tackle the section if one is running short of time; if there is a need to read the entire RC, maximum time dedicated to RC etc. such specific approaches are tailored into online GMAT tutoring courses, customized as per your strengths. 

From the above structure, one can deduce that the objectives of the GMAT Verbal section go beyond gauging one's diction or grammar alone. 

As a matter of fact, it is to:

1. Evaluate understanding of the meanings of words, sentences within the text and the relationship among words and concepts.

2. Evaluate skills to study and conclude; identify assumptions/perspective; understand the author's intent and levels of meaning.

3. Evaluate one's expertise to differentiate between relevant points; summarize text while understanding its structure.

Failure to get assessed on these skills early on in the preparation is a mistake most students commit. The result is lack of desired results which further proves detrimental to their confidence leading to the entire preparation going awry.  The key is to work methodically.  Traditional coaching classes approach the sectional objectives very myopically unlike online coaching classes which structure the approach as per each student's expertise level against each objective. Register for a free counselling session with an expert faculty from SPANEDEA who will help you understand exactly where you are going wrong.  Remember that it is not without a reason that the Verbal constitutes an important part of an analytical test like the GMAT! 

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How To Prepare For IIT JEE Exam

In spite of this assuredness though, the success rate in the IIT JEE main entrance test 2013 was a dismal but predictable 10%!What was the most surprising was the dismal performance of students from Maharashtra, an education hub. We can then safely assume that the 10% success rate is unrelated to the quality of infrastructure or coaching that students go through. Are we missing something?

Anand Kumar , a state education official says, "The 90% failure rate in IIT-JEE main test is reflective of the ineffective foundation laid that encourages mass production of ideal student prototypes. There always has been a 10-90% divide: the top 10% achievers set the pace of the course and the rest 90% groomed to follow the trail set by the 10%! There needs to be better programs that empower students to build upon their internal guiding system and technology is slowly bridging the divide."

Students enrolling for online coaching were found to outperform their peers in a traditional classroom setup according to a study conducted by the education department. Students and parents are slowly seeing the benefits of IIT-JEE online preparation with the primary one being personalized attention, flexibility and customized courses. How does one opt for a customized online course?

Begin by taking an online assessment test to understand your grasp of concepts required for preparing for IIT-JEE. The test will help one ascertain understanding of the concepts – strengths and weakness in particular, what needs to be worked upon etc. One can take an online free IIT JEE assessment test here.

The analysis should help faculty customize the pace of course structure and approach if one decides to pursue a customized online preparation course for IIT JEE like this one. The student after registering with the portal for performance analysis will be guided by a faculty. The faculty will analyze the performance of the student during the test in a trial class and make him/her aware of the student's leaning to a particular subject, probable causes for a lower score etc. He will have a trial class with the faculty and will accordingly be suggested a customized course basis his strengths and weakness.

For IIT generally to get a rank one needs to get 45% marks of the total. Toppers generally get 78-85% marks. For IIT JEE preparation, mastering of concepts is the most crucial. Hence proper planning and the strategic preparation approach is important. Understand your standing and comfort level with each topic, seek personalized quality guidance and put your best foot forward. Good luck!

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Are You Geared up for CAT 2013 ?

What is the best preparation plan? : Considering the probable learner dynamics - students from varied academic backgrounds, with different strengths, varied experiences; can a model approach be defined? Within what context? No one can know your strengths like you, so be more self-aware; certain diagnostic tests (like this link) can help. "Work to solidify the strongest areas and stabilize the weaker ones. If you believe you need help, seek guidance from people who might have already cracked tests or join a course which understands the importance of keeping a track of your development through individualized attention," shares Chaitanya Shahare, Ex-alumni IIM C and Active faculty at Spanedea, an interactive online learning portal that offers customized courses.

Is there a benchmark to measure preparation : It is not true that to crack CAT one must start studying a year in advance! There are candidates who have cracked CAT within 6 months of preparation. The key is to know how and where to apply yourself and accordingly increase the intensity of preparations. Begin analyzing your progress through sectional and mock tests. Chaitanya says, "analyze your current standing. There is never a perfect time to start taking mock tests – start with sectional tests and time-based exercises – this will enable you to understand section-wise strengths and also gauge your proficiency in the subject. If you are in the 50th percentile, which means you correctly attempt five to seven questions (out of 30) in both sections, it most likely indicates low mental stamina, calculation mistakes. Also, check if you can decode the mixture of different concepts in the questions.

Do develop a sense of humour for certain. Not only will it help you sail through the PI (personal interview) but also help you cope with the uncertainties that come with CAT preparations (not to mention life!). Keep an eye on the bigger picture. Cracking CAT is one of the ways for you to realize your dreams but not the only one. It however, does pay to give it your best shot. After all, there are some things which even a good sense of humour can't override like an overwhelming sense of regret! Good luck! Go CAT 2013!

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5 Factors To Consider While Choosing An Online GMAT Preparation Course

1. Check the fundamental course ideology : What is the basic GMAT preparation online course ideology? Is the GMAT preparation online course structured to prod even the most basic concepts and review them? While every course will strive to incorporate all relevant aspects in its syllabi, it is pertinent to note if the GMAT preparation online course is mechanically construed or is it designed keeping in mind different learning probabilities? How attuned is the faculty to the student's queries and learning requirements that might require stepping out of the syllabi?

2. Underline the L for Learner! : Although every GMAT preparation online course requires well-structured syllabi, it pays to keep the learner and his requirements at the core. GMAT aspirant, Ryan Ricardo (names changed) was weaker in verbal ability and strongest at quantitative. After joining coaching classes which had over 80 students in a batch making monitoring and reviewing individual section performances nearly impossible, he opted for a GMAT preparation online course. "I had a twelve hour work shift and apart from attending the coaching classes on the weekend and setting time aside to study, pursuing a preparation course was difficult or so I thought, until I came across this online preparatory portal that helped me take sessions at 12 a.m."

3. Faculty expertise in applied knowledge : If the course is the chariot, the faculty is the driver (you, of course, are the warrior!). Checking the credibility and levels of expertise of the faculty of the GMAT preparation online course is also very critical. Teaching is an art and not every teacher is a good presenter or communicator; concepts thus remain muddled in the minds of students. Look out for innovative teaching strategies, hiring policies, testaments, profiles of faculty on relevant social networking sites, any published research or articles.

4. Result driven : Though it is one of the basic principles of any education course it is surprising how often it is overlooked. Some basic factors that need to be accounted to map learning outcomes are: What are the learning goals of the student? What approach will best take them there? Check how seriously they take student feedback into account.

5. Value and Credibility - two sides of the same coin : An online preparation course has to be highly value driven. It is not necessary though that a course with higher fees will turn out to be the best or the one with the lower fees will be any less effective. Apart from faculty profile check if the portal mentions internal quality assessments; check for accreditations, reviews/testimonials, community forums, blogs, networking sites etc. Credibility and value are inextricably linked. Any reputed GMAT online portal would publish its best practices and testimonials as a testament to its credibility.

Lastly, remember it's the knowledge that you bring to the table that makes all the difference. The courses are a medium; you are the warrior who needs to cultivate your strengths and persevere with weaknesses. Trust your instincts and good luck with having the pertinent knowledge literally at the tips of your fingers!