Interviewer: Dr Rav Singh
SNAP Toppers: Deep, Shivika, and Palak
Dr Rav Singh: Hi everyone. We have our SCMHRD team with us, and we want to know the secrets behind your 99th percentile SNAP scores. Was achieving 99%ile something you expected, or was it a mix of luck and hard work?
Deep: It’s a combination of so many things! We set that target—99th percentile—right from the start, because you have to aim high. But on the day, it’s a mix of hard work, preparation, and a bit of luck on how the paper falls for you.
Dr Rav Singh: What is the single most important advice you have for aspirants who are trying to manage both CAT and SNAP preparation simultaneously?
Shivika: You absolutely cannot wait for CAT to finish! That’s a trap. SNAP needs completely different training. You need to get your mind accustomed to solving questions in under one minute. If you wait, you lose those crucial weeks. Start preparing for SNAP alongside CAT from the beginning.
Dr Rav Singh: What’s the recommended number of mocks, and is a low score at the start normal?
Palak: Yes, a low score is definitely normal! I was scoring around 25-30 marks initially. You need to attempt around 20 to 25 mocks for SNAP specifically. The initial scores are a rollercoaster, but analyzing them is what moves you into the safe 40+ range.
Dr Rav Singh: What should be the absolute target score in their mocks to feel safe for a top college?
Deep: The target should be a consistent 40+ marks in your mocks. That benchmark is what gives you confidence and increases your chances for a call from SCMHRD.
Dr Rav Singh: Since time management is the key, what was your fixed sectional strategy or attempt order?
Shivika: The core strategy is the two-round approach. As for order, I focused on Verbal first, aiming to complete it in 7 to 9 minutes maximum. This built a time buffer for Quants and LR.
Dr Rav Singh: Can you explain the two-round strategy for the whole 60 minutes?
Palak: It’s vital. Round 1 is your speed run: hit the entire paper (Verbal, LR, Quants) and solve only the easy questions that take less than 40-45 seconds. This secures all the guaranteed marks. Round 2 is the cleanup, where you go back and strategically tackle the medium-difficulty problems you marked for review.
Dr Rav Singh: What is your advice on strategic guessing or taking risks, given the negative marking?
Deep: You must take calculated risks, but only when you can narrow the options to a 50/50 chance. Remember, you gain +1 but only lose −0.25. Use the options to eliminate choices. This is smart work, and it’s built into the exam design!
Dr Rav Singh: When practicing mocks, how do students identify which questions or topics to avoid on the final day?
Shivika: You need to train your mind to leave questions that are time sinks. Use your mock analysis to track topics like long Time and Distance or tricky Logarithms. If you are stuck, you must mentally tell yourself, “I will solve this at home, but I must leave it now!” That ability to sacrifice a question is crucial.
Dr Rav Singh: What is the ultimate tool for improving consistently in SNAP?
Palak: You need to analyze relentlessly. I highly recommend using an Excel sheet to track your performance by topic for every single mock. It will clearly highlight where your confidence breaks down under pressure, telling you exactly where to focus your study time for the next attempt.
Dr Rav Singh: Finally, why do you recommend students register for all three SNAP attempts?
Deep: It’s simple geometry: the difficulty level changes dramatically across slots, and there is no score normalization. By registering for all three, you are maximizing your chance of having one attempt with an exceptionally high score being chosen as your best. Don’t leave your fate to just one day!
