Before we talk about some foolproof KVPY preparation tips and strategies, you gotta know the coolness associated with it! Oh yes, my friend. Once you are a KVPY Fellow, you get to flaunt your badge throughout high school and college, during campus interviews, future jobs, and even to your spouses and kids, if you ask me, until you take it to your grave.
Apart from flaunting, KVPY Fellowship can:
- Get you direct admission into institutes like IISC and IIIT-Hyderabad
- Get you a monthly scholarship and contingency grants in your basic science and specialization courses
- Get you exclusive access to all national libraries and science camps in the country
KVPY Preparation Tips
We did our homework – we stalked and hunted down a couple of KVPY Fellows, and flattered them shamelessly until they divulged their secret tips and preparation strategies to crack the esteemed KVPY. Here are the 7 preparation tips for KVPY aspirants:
Table of Contents
Align your JEE/AIPMT Preparation with KVPY
If you are a JEE or AIPMT aspirant, the good news is that the KVPY syllabus is the same. You can simultaneously prepare for your college entrance as well as KVPY exams. Refer to the study materials of your JEE coaching center. Questions in KVPY are of JEE Advanced level. Hence, focus on fundamentals and core concepts; you will need to apply them in questions. In fact, preparing for KVPY will speed up your preparation for competitive exams too.
Schedule your Preparation Subject-wise
Strong problem-solving skills and concept clarity are needed to crack KVPY. It is imperative that you concentrate on each subject and prepare a timetable around it.
- Physics: This section is usually tough in KVPY. Lots of questions are asked from Optics and Resistor Series. Even in SA which is KVPY for class 11, few questions are asked from the class 12 syllabus such as Lens Maker’s Formula and Kirchhoff’s rules. If physics is your strong point, you will have an advantage over others.
- Chemistry: It is easier when compared to physics. Revise simple reactions from standard 10. Most of the questions are reaction or property-based, very few questions will be asked from numerical. You’re expected to have a thorough knowledge of chemical bonding, organic and physical chemistry. NCERT is not sufficient for the physical part.
- Mathematics: KVPY math is of moderate to the tough difficulty level. You must prepare very well for it. Substitution and trial and error also work for this subject but might take up a lot of your time.
- Biology: Bio is considered the easiest section in KVPY. You must know the basic biology of classes 9 and 10 for SA. Moreover, it is very scoring and students can easily qualify this section.
Solve KVPY Previous Year Papers
To get a fair idea of the kind of questions you can expect in your exam, it is always advisable to solve lots of KVPY previous year’s papers. They give you an insight into the actual KVPY exam and help you analyze its difficulty level. Time yourself sincerely and start solving at least one paper a week.
Download free KVPY Previous Year Papers along with solutions by KVPY experts.
Refer Right Books for KVPY
NCERT for physics, chemistry, and maths/biology is a must for cracking the KVPY exam. Other than that, you can use the following reference books:
- Physics: HC Verma or DC Pandey
- Chemistry: Primarily NCERT. OP Tandon for those topics you are unable to understand from NCERT
- Mathematics: RD Sharma
- Biology: AIPMT Guide by MTG
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Solve Online KVPY Mock Papers
KVPY is conducted in online mode. Hence, it is important that you have sufficient online practice before the actual exam. When students are not acquainted with computer-based tests (CBT), it often happens that they mess up the paper due to nervousness or even mark incorrect responses (KVPY has negative marking for incorrect answers). It is very important to take mock tests in a real test environment to get the real feel of the exam and ensure that there are no surprises on the exam day.
Take myPAT’s free online KVPY mock test and assess your performance against thousands of KVPY aspirants across India.
Maintain a Notebook for Important Formula
Make notes during the preparation phase. Maintain a notebook for all the important formulas, theorems, proofs, and equations while studying. Keep revising from it every day. This will be particularly helpful during revision. You will have all the important material in place and you won’t have to hunt for anything at the last moment in those 20 kgs of books.
Preparing for KVPY Interview
It is hard to predict the kind of questions they will ask in KVPY interviews. The best way to prepare for it is to increase your general scientific knowledge – view online lectures and videos, attend science fairs and camps. Read previous qualifiers’ interview experiences and blogs. This is as close as you can get during the interview preparation phase.
PS: The trick to crack the interview is what you write in a form they ask you to fill before the interview. Write only about things which are your strong points. And keep yourself as specific to these topics as possible in the interview.
Looking for more information on KVPY? For KVPY 2021 syllabus, exam dates, application procedure, marks distributions, etc., refer KVPY exam page here.