Antriksh (SCMHRD) on Speed & Accuracy
Interviewer: Dr Rav Singh
Antriksh Raina (MBA – Sales & Marketing) SNAP Percentile: 99.69
Preparation and Mocks
Dr Rav Singh: SNAP is a critical exam, especially if CAT doesn’t go well. Considering the short prep window, what was your approach after CAT?
Antriksh: I was working, so I studied late at night. My initial focus for SNAP was on the mocks and on new topics not covered in CAT, such as Clocks and Calendars. I took a couple of days to just get familiar with those topics before using them in sectional mocks and sectional tests.
Dr Rav Singh: How many mocks did you take for the exam?
Antriksh: I took about 16 mocks. I had a balanced approach: 8 mocks before the first attempt and 8 after, which helped in gradual improvement.
Dr Rav Singh: How many attempts of the SNAP exam did you take?
Antriksh: I also took three attempts.
Dr Rav Singh: Which attempt proved to be your best?
Antriksh: It was my second attempt that actually gave me the best score. Although I thought the third slot felt better while taking it, the results showed the second was my best shot.
Dr Rav Singh: Why is taking multiple attempts so important for SNAP?
Antriksh: The most challenging aspect is that the level of difficulty changes significantly in every slot, and there is no normalization. Taking two or three attempts maximizes your chance of performing well on an easier paper, as only your best score is considered.
Exam Strategy and Sectional Focus
Dr Rav Singh: How did you manage the 60 minutes without sectional timers?
Antriksh: I chose to start with the Verbal section first. My aim was to complete it quickly, in about 6 to 7 minutes. This gave me a time buffer that was crucial for tackling the Quant and Logical Reasoning sections later on.
Dr Rav Singh: How is it possible to finish the Verbal section in 6-7 minutes?
Antriksh: It is possible if the paper is largely Vocab and Grammar-based with no, or very short, Reading Comprehension (RC) passages.
Dr Rav Singh: What was your strategy for dealing with tricky or time-consuming questions?
Antriksh: You have to be strategic about leaving questions. In a 60-minute exam, you cannot afford to waste 4-5 minutes on a difficult question. The goal is to attempt around 45 to 50 questions but maintain a very high 90% to 95%+ accuracy.
Dr Rav Singh: Can you share your section-wise strengths and weaknesses?
Antriksh: My strongest area was English/Verbal. My weakest area was Logical Reasoning. For Quant, like for almost everyone, Arithmetic was my focus. I aimed to solve the 8 Arithmetic questions in just five to six minutes, which is under 90 seconds per question.
Dr Rav Singh: Did you give any other MBA entrance exams?
Antriksh: Yes, I gave CAT, SNAP, and XAT.
Final Advice
Dr Rav Singh: What is your one golden piece of advice for all SNAP aspirants?
Antriksh: I’d say: Do your reasoning well, and keep your concepts clear. You should start your reasoning preparation early!
