ETEA (HOW TO PREPARE)
NOTE: This article has been updated by the author as per students' demands. Make sure you read both of them !
The updated version can be found===> HERE
Once your FSc exams are over , another major step is there waiting for you to be completed and it's ETEA. Well ETEA stands for Educational Testing And Evaluation Agency but it's not as simple as it sounds! For most of the students it is another name of of Stress, Tension, Anxiety and depression.
Most of the students are afraid of appearing in ETEA and different students have different study plans and arrangements. Almost 38020 students appeared in ETEA 2018 and it is most likely that 80% of them studied their books thoroughly but still there were only 21 students to get over 600 barrier and 521 students who crossed 500.It doesn't mean that the rest of 37000 didn't study well but the major problem is with the way you study your books. I told you different students have different study plans and it is your method of study that determines your success. So here I am going to mention my methodology that helped me to get through ETEA. I will discuss each subject separately so as to clarify them.
Physics:-
While some of the students think Physics is hard and requires harder study, I made physics my backbone. I wouldn't say it's simple but i say it isn't hard either. It is cosmic fact that solving physics MCQs requires stronger concepts but your teacher plays a major role in this aspect. If your teacher is good then you have nothing to worry otherwise you will have to sort out some other plans!
No matter how much your teacher is good at physics , you cant make it without studying it yourself. Learn each and every topic by heart and ask questions if you don't understand something. Don't be shy at asking questions because the more you ask the more you learn.Since you have given your FSc papers, it means you remember each and every topic . Now its time for MCQs type study. My personal method was to look at the book heading like it was CAPACITOR. Then I would close the book and write the final equations like U=1/2 CV^2 etc. After that I would Find ratios and proportions like if capacitance is kept constant then U is directly proportional to voltage square. and if charge is kept constant U is proportional to Voltage only. Then i would plug in other equations in this equations to make out more equations like putting C=permittivity*area/separation.
Then I would study the topic in book and the proceed forward. At the end of each chapter I would solve some MCQs to enhance my MCQs solving capability. Also solve Numericals of each chapter as they contain crucial concepts. Some Exercise questions are also conceptual so study them too!
Note : Physics section has been explained best in the updated version of this article! Refer to that for better understanding.
Chemistry:-
First year Chemistry requires conceptual study while 2nd year Chemistry is totally rote based. So if you are studying first year chemistry just try to make your concept more and more clear. Second year chemistry is rote based because t includes reactions which you must memorize. Also if you know the mechanism of the reactions then it will be plus point. Memorize reactants , products, catalyst, temperature,pressure etc for every reactions. Make sure you study it constantly without any gap because things are going to be forgotten easily. Most of the students study extra books for chemistry. It is good but only if you have extra time. I personally used federal books and used to write important points in my textbook. Do note some important points like
apha hydrogen is necessary for tautomerism
beta carbon for iodoform test
beta hydrogen for elimination
apha hydrogen for oxidation
Alkanes are oxidized to alcohols
- Alcohols are oxidized to carbonyls
- Carbonyls are oxidized to carboxylic acids
- Carboxylic acids are oxidized to CO2.
- Carboxylic acids are reduced to alcohols
- Carbonyls are reduced to alcohols
- Alcohols are reduced to alkanes etc.
Most of the reactions in organic chemistry are repeated so if you encounter a reaction for a second time just switch to the previous one and momorize that one. This will help you avoid paradoxes in your brain.
Biology:-
No body asks about biology because they know the rule, RATTA. The more you memorize things better the more you will be able to score. But it is necessary to clear your concepts regarding some important topics like GENETIC MARKERS , LINKAGE, Somatic cell hybridization etc. Also study Diagrams carefully as they contain some important points like Cystic Fibrosis is AUTOSOMAL RECESSIVE. This MCQ came in ETEA and it was taken from a diagram. So make sure you study diagrams carefully. It is necessary you spend most of the time reading book and don't waste your time reading NOTES/GUIDES etc. Students solve Biology MCQs but I never did. Chapters like Plantae and Animalia are harder to memorize so I used another trick. I studies them constantly. Each and every day I would give 45 minutes to these Chapters and then a day came when I would memorize the whole Chapter in a couple of hours. So this might be an easy way to deal with them. Memorize things effectively because you can even answer all the 80 MCQs correctly in ETEA so it might be a plus point.
Note : Biology section has been explained best in the updated version of this article. Refer to that for better understanding!
ENGLISH:-
Most of the students ignore ENGLISH but it should not be ignored. There are 20 MCQs so if you were able to solve 12-15 then you get 48 to 60 marks. There are a lot of things to learn but I learned only the following:
NARRATIONS( Direct/Indirect )
VOICES( Active/Passive )
PREPOSITIONS
ORDER OF ADJECTIVES ( Pneumonic : OSASCOMP)
CONDITIONALS
USE OF Latter Last Latest etc ( Use of some particular adjectives which are mentioned in our book)
FIGURES OF SPEECH
Idioms( Currently this have been a new trend in ETEA . They include idioms instead of vocabulary. Use internet for learning idioms)
TIME TABLE:-
I made time tables to study but I could never follow them and it was my fault not to do so. It is necessary you make an effective time table so that things are well organized.
Students usually have two methods of study. Those who study a single book the whole day and when they finish they take another one.I personally used the other way where I would study all the 3 books in a single day. I would cover 2 chaps of phy, 2 of chem, 1 of biology in a single day. This helped me to memorize things effectively. The time you study a particular subject also matters. I used to study Biology in morning (brain works better in the morning) Chemistry at night time and Phy is afternoon because it is calculation based and helps you avoid SLEEP. It is hard to study from 4 pm to 8 pm so I would learn English during these hours.
SUNDAY TESTS:-
You must be familiar with the saying " Practice make a man Perfect" and Sunday tests are no different. It helps you learn how to manage your time and how to avoid double filling by mistake( I personally did this mistake in ETEA and wasted my 5 marks). You also come to know about your weak and strong points. Also you have an opportunity to compare yourself with others.
I personally attended 13 Sunday tests the details of which are given below:
ENGEECON(@ETEA GUIDLINE):-
I appeared in 4 tests and topped all of them.You probably hadn't heard this name but they are the one who make standard tests. The test's standard is completely matched with ETEA and you will feel like you are setting for ETEA test.
Main Points are:
ETEA's standard matched MCQs
Average Difficulty level + Above average difficulty level
Unique and important points
They also give you the solutions of mcqs at the end of the test so it also saves your time because it take only 25 minutes to check your answers compared to discussion class which takes 3 hrs.
- They try to include MCQs from those topics which are important and there are greater probabilities that those MCQs might be repeated in ETEA like there were 2 MCQs in ETEA 2018 exactly matches with Engeecon.
FCA:-
I appeared in two tests.The topper would be awarded with laptop in those tests. I topped both of them and got Two Laptops. Laptop tests are conducted in FCA in the month of JAN and onward so make sure you appear in those tests. If you are lucky you can get one.
I noticed both the tests were planned to make the students tensed because they were very difficult . If you are a good MCQs solver and you think you need hard ones then you might attend FCA's tests.
Main points in their tests are:
Difficult MCQs
If you are chemistry expert then you should probably check your abilites at FCA. Seriuosly they are very conceptual
QCA:-
I appeared in 7 tests , topped 4 of them and remained second in two while 6th in the other. They also give prizes that depends on situation. Main points that I noticed in their tests are:
They try to cover those points which are not directly mentioned in books.
They also give some extra points that are not part of the book but might come in ETEA.
Some points are also taken from federal books to compel you to study those books also.
MM:
I appeared only in one test and topped it. The test is easy in particular with main focus on few topics only.
Summary:-
Its better you attend Sunday tests. They enhance your abilities and cut off your mistakes. Make sure you attend 5-6 tests. We had a lot of time for preparation so that is why I attended 13.
MCQs Books:
It is also necessary you practice MCQs in different books. I personally used the following:
ICA ( Islamia Coaching Academy)
QCA ( Quality Coaching Academy )
CCA ( Career Coaching Academy )
FCA ( Frontier Coaching Academy )
MCA
Pretest
Etea
Engeecon MCQs Book
Genius ( Physics by Sir Tayyab)
Champion ( Chemistry by sir Yousaf)
