Are you preparing for your entry test for universities? Have you always dreamt of going to LUMS, NUST or other top universities of Pakistan? Want to see your name high up on the merit list? If you answered yes to these questions, then this article is for you. Let us share our top tips and tricks to score higher on entry for universities.

Before we begin though, let us make it clear why scoring high on your entry test is really important. You see nowadays securing good grades in college is essential but not sufficient. Every university has a selection criteria which includes tests and interviews. More weightage is given to your marks in your entry test than your grades in college when deciding your place in the merit list. Therefore, your marks in entry test, of the university that you want to pursue higher education in, will ultimately be the deciding factor of whether you will be able to secure admission in your dream university or not. Entry test is the biggest hurdle you need to cross to get admission in your dream university.

Now that we’ve made clear how crucial it is to get high marks in entry tests, here are some tips which will help you ace your upcoming entry tests:

Start Preparing Early

Your preparation for entry test does not start after you are done with your high school (A-Levels/FSC). It is much better if you prepare your board exams of FSC or final exams of A-Levels with the intention of learning key concepts for entry tests too. Doing so, you will have a complete year to learn and prepare for your entry test. After your high school exams, you will have around 30 to 40 days for the preparation/revision of your entry test.

Understand the Concepts

Entry tests are all about how much you understand key concepts of major subjects. You may do well in FSC by cramming everything but it won’t work when it comes to entry tests. Try to read every line of the book with concentration. Try understanding the concept on your own and if it doesn’t work, take help from YouTube and your teacher. In the end, intermediate marks don’t matter for entry test; concepts do.

Focus More on Science Subjects 

A major chunk of entry test comes from science subjects. Do consider them important and spend more time on preparation of these subjects. Most difficult problems are from Physics and Mathematics. You need to focus on these two subjects more compared to other subjects. Grasp all the concepts of Physics given in your book. Understand all important laws and implementation of numerical formulas.
For the preparation of Mathematics, practice as much as you can. Learn different tricks to solve problems in the shortest way in order to save time.

Avoid Using Calculator

Try to limit the use of calculator for small calculations or stop using the calculator altogether during your preparations for the entry tests. Try to perform basic calculations either in your mind or manually. Try practising calculations on your own which will also help you to manage time. Indeed, time management is essential for your entry test.

Practice from Sample Papers 

We all know that practice makes a man perfect. Sample papers of different universities give a brief idea about what types of questions are going to be asked in the test. You get to know about the time limit and complexity of the MCQs. Knowing the pattern and type of questions you will face in the actual test will prove very useful in coming up with an approach to solve as many questions as you can on the day of the test.

Keep Yourself Motivated

Your main goal is to ace your entry test and get admission into your dream university. Make your mindset and try reminding yourself about your goal whenever you feel like getting distracted from studies. You have been working hard for 2 years and just need to hold on for a month or so. You shouldn’t let yourself get distracted and not let all the hard work go to waste! Just focus on your studies, try avoiding social media and mobile phone for a couple of months. Work hard and celebrate your success after achieving excellent marks in the test!