Update on 2024-04-15

How to Prepare Aptitude Test for Campus Placements?

Before hiring students for placements many companies convey written tests to ascertain the intelligence level of applicants. The main aim of conveying these tests by companies is to discard those candidates who do not match the terms and conditions of the company. Given the vast population of students especially engineering students in our country, the number of aspirants is generally far greater than the number of openings in various companies and this problem leads the companies to use these tests as a method of eliminating students.

Companies that hire students through campus placements have various rounds to shortlist exemplary candidates. These rounds hold aptitude tests, group discussions, and then the last one is a personal interview.

There are approx 90% of the candidates who apply for the exam but fail to qualify for it. The aptitude test is conducted to test the candidate on Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability, and Analytical Ability/Logical Reasoning. Here we have mentioned some crucial points that will help you prepare for your Aptitude Test.

Preparation Guide for Aptitude Tests:

Below we have mentioned all the tasks ahead for you in the course of preparation for aptitude tests –

Assemble all the information about Aptitude Tests
Study all the subjects and identify basic topics
Solve sample papers (at least 15- 20 )
Create information sheets and reference
Revise important topics
Manage your time

Collect knowledge about Aptitude Tests:

Approx 7-8 months before campus placement, is the best time to do some analysis work concerning the aptitude tests that you will have to write for placement season.

Consult your seniors –

Your newly graduated seniors can help you with all the major details of aptitude tests that helped them at their time. If possible take sample papers and any material from them, as well as tips and tricks. This is the right time to address them as they are freshly out of college and will retain the tiny details versus when you ask them 6 months down the line!

Access your campus placement cell –

Try to find out the list of companies that conduct aptitude tests. Most placement cells willingly provide this information.

Outer aptitude tests –

You can also search online on different forums like Quora to get information about external aptitude tests like the AMCAT test that will help you with skill evaluation and help you get a job.

You can do this research over a few weeks and create a list of all the aptitude tests with tentative dates and costs for every test. This way you will prepare yourself and not miss any of them! Remember, Opportunity knocks the door but once, and each opportunity could lead you to your dream job and brilliant career!

Read all subjects and recognize critical topics

The students can start preparing for the exam. 5-6 months before the tests is the right time to revisit the general subjects like Logical Ability, English, and Quantitative Ability, as well as course-specific engineering technical subjects. The test comprises all the basic information which you surely have studied in high school but are out of touch in college.

Select a textbook or a book meant for Aptitude tests written by authors like Dr. RS Aggarwal. Read all the topics and focus more on those which you find are important. Some of the important topics for aptitude tests like AMCAT tests are –

A. Quantitative Ability

Basic Mathematics

Divisibility

HCM & LCM

Numbers, Decimal Fractions & Power

Applied Mathematics

Profit & Loss

Simple and compound interest

Time, Speed, and Distance

Inverse

Engineering Mathematics

Logarithms

Permutations & Combinations

Probability

Logical Ability

Deductive Reasoning

Objective Reasoning

Selection decision tables

Puzzles

Coding deductive logic

Data Sufficiency, Directional Sense, Logical Word

Sequence

Inductive Reasoning

Number series pattern recognition and coding pattern

Analogy and Classification pattern recognition

Abductive Reasoning

Logical word sequence

Data sufficiency

Verbal Ability

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Antonyms

Contextual Vocabulary

Grammar

Error Identification

Sentence Improvement and Construction

Comprehension

Reading Comprehension

Attempt Sample Papers:

Two or three months before the test, the candidates can start solving sample papers. Because till then you will gather all the subject knowledge. It is the best time to prepare for other features of the aptitude tests like testing against time and completing the entire test paper.

Solve as many sample papers as you can, balancing with at least 1 sample paper every day. It will be a difficult task managing this with your exam and college schedules but this will hold you in good stead during the actual placement season.

Plan reference material:

Knowledge sheets are compressed documents with important information like formulae, grammar rules, word lists, engineering concepts, etc. Formulate independent sheets for each section and file them in a folder.

Don't go for a bulk of sheets, try to make it short and sufficient so that you can go through in the last few hours before your aptitude test. One of the best ways is to create these sheets with your few close friends and share them.

Revise the important topics:

Keep revising the important topics until a week before the aptitude tests. As soon as your placement season begins, you have to focus on various things like preparing for group discussions and preparing for other technical rounds of interviews. The key to success is to be prepared always and not let go of every opportunity you get.

Time management:

You need to be extra careful about the time you spend on solving a sample paper and make sure you don’t cross the assigned time. Also, keep in mind- not to waste more of your time on the less scoring part of the test. You can fix it out by solving multiple Mock tests available online while being mindful of the allotted time.