MICAT Preparation 

MICAT is a unique entrance examination and of the quirkiest in India. That is how I like to
put it. The exam seems to look straightforward but isn’t. It is designed in such a way that it
touches upon every aspect that affect one’s aptitude and potential to learn. With so many
sections, it makes it impossible for one to go for this exam unprepared. Like the life is at
MICA, this exam aims to check holistically your cognitive and creative abilities. Let’s try to
break out the sections of the exam along with some tips to help you prepare better. 

Psychometric Test- This is the section of paramount importance. Like a mystery none have
been able to decipher what is the right answer. With about 120-150 questions in about 30
minutes. The key to this section is consistency. The best approach is to practice some
psychometric tests online and compare your results, this helps you understand if you are
answering with the same line of thought.  Some questions like do you gossip? Do you believe
in being honest can also be tricky, so stay honest and honest consistently is the mantra

Creative Writing- In the heart of most Mican’s. You enjoy and despise this section the most.
This is the standout section in MICA. Paid heavy importance to by aspirants. Following a
similar time crunch of 30 minutes you are expected to write a short story as well as answer
certain subjective questions. The first three questions test your style of writing an argument. 
With a phrase or a sentence given, you are expected to present your opinions for and against
the same. You can also be asked to write about the same with your own point of view. The
last question is testing your story writing skills. With 4 pictures provided to you, you must
weave a short meaningful story. It could be anything, something funny, serious, or even
moralistic. One can prepare in multiple ways for this section. Reading and practicing writing
is very crucial. Reading short stories or editorials to help in argument writing as they support
your practice to express your opinions in a crisp way. Articles also help you open your mind
and be receptive to different ideologies which you may encounter during interview prep as
well.

Thinking Abilities: questions are a mixture of both convergent and divergent thinking. With
series and pattern questions only, practice can help you crack this. Statement-conclusion,
small puzzles, finding the best fit series are some examples. Word association questions only
found in MICAT’s are a part of this section. They consist of one word with multiple options
to choose from, words that are can be associated together with creativity and logic
Practicing for 30-60 minutes a day would be beneficial if you are starting a month before the
exam.
Quantitative techniques: In lieu of the current trend of analytics in the industry it is seemingly
possible that quants are becoming difficult year by year. The quantitative questions range
from algebra and arithmetic in equal proportions. This section comprises of are 20 questions
and incorrect answers result in a 0.25 penalty mark. Working on your foundation and keeping
them solid is the key to this lock. Before moving on to other subjects like probability,
mensuration, numbers, equations, venn diagrams, and functions, you might concentrate on
arithmetic and keep an eye on your speed. Data interpretation questions also need basic
understanding of percentages, ratios and calculations.
Verbal Abilities: This section alike quantitative techniques. These questions are difficult to
medium level and hence practice becomes important along with accuracy. Para-completion,
Para jumbles and short format comprehension questions are found here. exercises. Statement
and assumptions questions test your critical thinking skills and are not as straightforward as
they seem to be. Unprecedented last MICAT exam had questions with almost 8 options hence
accuracy and grammar rules became crucial in cracking this section. Practice basic sentence
formation rules along with punctuations and where are they appropriately used. Vocabulary
questions can also surface with are based on context and prior knowledge about the same.
Reading articles and practicing critical reasoning questions can help you sail through this.

Preparation Strategy
The first and foremost step in cracking a competitive exam is working on your basics. If your
roots are strong, you can almost tackle any question. As the questions get tougher your
conceptual understanding and application will have to improve as well. For this, practice is a
must. Start with small and easy fundamental concepts and then move to questions that are an
amalgamation of many.
Second Important strategy is to keep in mind the limit constraints and the pressure that
awakens during your final exam, If a question takes 1 minute in the final exam, you should be
able to complete it in 45 seconds during your practice tests. Practice your mocks and
questions with time limits.
Lastly, Revision is extremely crucial. This has two parts to it, first revise your concepts and
what you learnt last night every morning or each day before starting the next set of studies.
Secondly, revise your answers before submitted the exam as well. Leave 1 minute before
each question to quickly run through the answers and calculations. This helps you avoid a
negative marking.
Some other tips
 Set your timetable. Making your own schedule and following through helps you track
your own journey. This should be based on your best time of productivity. It is seen
often that one should use the most productive time of the day for the most difficult
subjects or one that require more concentration that the other.
 Know your own strengths and weakness. This can happen only when you have started
to practice questions that you become aware of your own areas of weakness. Revise
the areas of weakness more often and do not waste time on concepts that you are
already positive about. Set extra time aside for the same and use multiple resources on
weaker areas. You can watch YouTube videos or questions provided by IQuanta for
the same.

Pooja Sharma
Batch 2022-2024