ALL

ABOUT
SNAP
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

CONTENTS
Introduction03
SNAP Fast Facts 04
Important Dates 05
Eligibility Criteria  06
Application Form 07
Admit Card  10
Exam Pattern  12
Syllabus  13
Participating Institutes 14
Result  16
Selection Procedure 21
SNAP Topper Interview 23
SNAP 2017 Exam Analysis 32

2
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

INTRODUCTION
The Symbiosis National Aptitude Test or SNAP is a national level post graduate entrance
examination conducted by the Symbiosis International (Deemed University) for admissions
to the MBA programme at the affiliated institutes. Each year around 50,000 candidates
appear in
this national level test conducted at various centers across India.

What’s New in SNAP 2018: The exam pattern of SNAP 2018 has been revised. The exam
has been introduced with ‘Special Questions’ - which are non MCQ questions just like TITA
questions in CAT. Candidates will have to type in the answer on the virtual keyboard. Each
of the four sections will consist of five special questions. Additionally, the marking scheme
has also been revised.

In this E-book by Careers360, we present All About SNAP for the aspiring candidates. The
E-book will guide you with insights on each aspect of SNAP 2018. Read here about eligibil-
ity criteria, application procedure, exam pattern and other important exam related dates to
keep a track of all the factors of SNAP.

3
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

SNAP 2018 FAST FACTS

Exam Name Symbiosis National Aptitude Test

Conducting Body Symbiosis International (Deemed University)

Exam Type National Level

Exam Category Post Graduate

Exam Mode Online

Exam Pattern Objective (Multiple Choice Questions)

Exam Duration 2 hours

Total No. of Ques- 130

tions
Total marks 150

Total Number of Sec- Four – 1. Current Affairs 2. Analytical and Logical Reasoning 3. General Eng-
tions lish 4. Quantitative, Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency

What’s New in SNAP The exam pattern of SNAP 2018 has been revised. The exam has been intro-
2018 duced with ‘Special Questions’ - which are non MCQ questions just like TITA
questions in CAT. Candidates will have to type in the answer ont he virtual
keyboard. Each of the four sections will consist of five special questions. Addi-
tionally, the marking scheme has also been revised.

4
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

SNAP 2018 IMPORTANT DATES

The important dates related to SNAP 2018 have been released. Based on the official impor-
tant dates, below is the schedule of the exam.

SNAP Important Dates

Events Dates
SNAP 2018 Notification August 2018

Test Registration begins August 28, 2018

Last Date of Registration November 26, 2018

Last Date for Fee Payment November 26, 2018

Admit Card Availability December 1, 2018

SNAP 2018 Exam Date December 16, 2018 (2PM to 4PM)

Declaration of SNAP 2018 Result Second week of January 2019

Short listing of candidates for GE, PI & WAT Third week of January 2019

GE, PI and WAT First/Second week of February 2019

SNAP 2018 Final Merit List Fourth week of February 2019

5
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

SNAP 2018 ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Symbiosis International (Deemed University) prescribes the eligibility criteria of SNAP
2018, the national-level management entrance exam conducted by the University for admis-
sion to its 15 institutes.

Highlights of SNAP Eligibility Criteria

●● For General Category candidates, Bachelor’s degree from a recognised institute/university with at
least 50 percent aggregate marks.
●● For SC/ ST category candidates, Bachelor’s degree from a recognised institute/university with a
minimum of 45 percent aggregate marks.
●● All foreign degrees/qualifications should be verified from AIU by the candidate before seeking
admission to any programme of SIU.
●● Final year graduation students are also eligible to apply. However, they must complete their degree
with the requisite aggregate percentage or equivalent CGPA at the time of admission.
●● Age Limit: There is no age limit to apply for SNAP.

Reservation Policy
As per UGC guidelines, SIU follows the below-mentioned reservation policies to enroll
candidates in any programme (except Symbiosis Institutes of Management Studies):

Within Sanctioned Intake

Category Reservation
SC 15 percent

ST 7.5 percent

DA 3 percent

Over and Above Intake

Category Reservation
Kashmiri Migrants 2 seats per programme

International Candidates 15 per cent

Note: Shortlisted candidates are required to submit valid caste certificate(s) at the time of
GE-PI and WAT.

6
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

SNAP APPLICATION FORM

The SNAP 2018 registration started on August 28. Candidates call fill the form in online
mode only but would need to do the registration for the exam first. After that, they can login
to the official website of the exam to fill the form. The last date for registration is November
26. While filling up the application form, candidates can choose up to three exam cities as
per their preference.

Important Dates

Events Dates
SNAP Registration begins August 28, 2018

Last Date of Registration for SNAP 2018 November 26, 2018

Last Date for Fee Payment for SNAP 2018 November 26, 2018

Admit Card December 1, 2018

Exam Date December 16, 2018 (2 PM to 4 PM)

7
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

Pre-requisites for Registration

●● A laptop or a desktop computer with a good internet connection
●● A valid email address and contact details (mobile number)
●● A recent photograph in .jpg/ .jpeg/ .png/ .gif formats, with size between 10 KB to 100 KB
●● Mark-sheets or Degree certificates (required to enter the details while filling the application form)

How to Fill SNAP Application Form

1. Register for SNAP Test
●● Visit the official website of SNAP test
●● Click on Register.
●● Fill the first part of the Registration Form with the personal, educational, and other details in the
space provided in registration form. Make sure that the information filled is accurate.
●● Enter OTP and valid mobile number. Next, verify your email ID.

2. Make Payment
Pay the SNAP Test Fee which is a refundable amount of 1,750/-. The various payment modes
available are:

Online Payment options: Credit/Debit card should either be Visa or Master card. Candi-
dates can transfer SNAP application form fee to Symbiosis Test Secretariat account using
Net Banking option after the registration. The payment can be done using the following
available gateways-

●● Online payment through Billdesk Payment Gateway

●● Online payment through Easebuzz Payment Gateway
●● Online payment through Indian Bank Payment Gateway

Payment through Cash: After completing the online registration process, candidates will
have to print the 'Axis Bank or Indian Bank Challan' from the SNAP website. It is in three
parts and they need to Pay Rs. 1750 in cash at any Axis Bank or Indian Bank branch in your
city. The bank will return two stamped parts of the 'Axis Bank or Indian Bank Challan' to
the candidate. Candidates need to keep the Candidate copy as payment receipt. They must
sign the stamped 'Symbiosis copy' of the 'Axis Bank or Indian Bank Challan' and send it to
the Symbiosis Test Secretariat.

Payment through Demand Draft: Candidates can also pay through a Demand Draft (DD)
of Rs. 1750 from any Nationalized Bank in favour of "Symbiosis Test Secretariat" payable
at Pune.

8
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

They must choose the mode of payment as 'DD Payment' in "Make Payment" Tab. Candi-
dates should take a print of the payment advice form, fill in the DD details, sign and send it
along with the DD to the Symbiosis Test Secretariat at the following address:

SYMBIOSIS TEST SECRETARIAT,

SYMBIOSIS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
Gram: Lavale, Tal: Mulshi, Dist.: Pune – 412115
Phone: 020-39116226/ 27.

Once the payment of Demand Draft is realised at the Exam Office, candidates can view their
Admit Card by logging into their SNAP 2018 account.

3. Fill the Application Form of SNAP 2018

After making the non-refundable payment for SNAP 2018 Entrance Test, candidates will
be required to complete the online registration form (Part II) for Programme(s) registra-
tion and the respective institute(s). A separate non-refundable payment of Rs.1000/- per
programme per institute at this stage has to be made.

Candidates will also be required to upload a scan copy of their photograph which will be
printed on the admit card. Photograph should not be more than three months old and should
be within the recommended format:

Image Specifications

Dimension Format
10 KB - 100 KB .jpg/ .jpeg/ .png/ .gif

What after filling SNAP Application Form?

After completing the registration process and filling the application process, candidates can
download the admit card. It will be available from December 1, 2018.

9
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

SNAP ADMIT CARD

SNAP 2018 admit card will be released for download on December 1. Candidates who
register for the exam by paying the application fee and submit the application form before
the deadline will be able to download the hall ticket which carries information such as
Candidate’s Name, Photograph & Signature, Date & Time of the exam, Exam Centre Name
& Address, Exam day instructions and more. Candidates must carry the admit card on the
exam day as no candidate will be allowed to appear for the test without it.

Important Dates

Events Dates
Registration begins August 28, 2018

Registration ends November 26, 2018

SNAP Admit Card to be Released on December 1, 2018

SNAP 2018 exam December 16, 2018

SNAP 2018 result Second week of January 2019

How to download SNAP Admit Card?

Candidates will have to visit the official website of SNAP 2018.

Enter login details – SNAP ID and password

●● Click on the "Login" button
●● SNAP 2018 admit card will appear on the screen
●● Download and take at least two copies of printout of the SNAP admit card/ hall ticket
●● Save a soft copy for further reference

What information does SNAP admit card contain?

●● Candidate’s Name, Roll Number
●● Examination Date & Time
●● Test Venue, Test venue code and Address of the venue
●● Exam day Instructions

10
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

What to carry to the test centre on exam day?

Candidates need to carry their admit card along with a photo identity proof at the exam
centre as mentioned below:
●● Passport
●● Pan Card
●● Voter ID Card
●● Driving license
●● AADHAAR Card (UID)
●● Credit card with photograph
●● College/Institute Identity Card

Note: Candidates must affix their latest passport size colour photograph on the SNAP admit
card at the place provided for before appearing for the entrance test (Photograph should not
be more than 3 months old).
Candidates, who fail to produce their SNAP 2018 admit card, will not be allowed to appear
for the exam.

SNAP Exam Day Guidelines

Applicants must follow the below given guidelines for the exam day:

●● Reach the exam centre at least 30-45 minutes before the exam to undergo few verification pro-
cesses.
●● Calculators, watch calculators, cell phones, alarm clock will not be allowed at the test centre.
●● Candidates may attempt any section in any order during the exam.
●● No extra time will be given after the completion of the test.
●● The exam invigilator will check the admit card before commencing the entrance test.
●● After submission of the paper, no one will be allowed to re-enter the exam hall.
●● Differently Abled category candidates are requested to contact STS with scanned copies of their
Medical Certificates for ascertaining the percentage of their disability. (email: info@snaptest.org).
Candidates failing to do this will be considered under the Open Category.
●● Any candidate found using unfair means during the test will not be considered for admission and
will be exempted from receiving their exam scores.

11
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

SNAP EXAM PATTERN

Symbiosis International (Deemed University) has altered the exam pattern of SNAP 2018
exam. Starting this year, the exam will consist of ‘Special Questions’ besides the normal ques-
tions. These are non-MCQ questions – just like TITA in CAT wherein candidates will have to
type in the answer using a virtual keyboard. Candidates will get to know about the type of ques-
tions asked in the exam, marking scheme, duration of the test, total number of questions, etc.
with the help of the exam pattern. SNAP 2018 will be an online (computer-based) test of 2-hour
duration carrying 130 multiple choice questions.

Highlights of SNAP Exam Pattern

SNAP Highlights Details

Duration of the Test 2 hours

Total Number of Sections 4

Total Number of Questions 130

Marks per question 1

Total Marks 150

Negative marking 25 percent for both Normal questions and Special questions
i.e. for every 1 mark question, 0.25 mark will be deducted for incorrect response.

The exam will be divided into four major sections - General Awareness, Analytical and Logical
Reasoning, General English, Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency.
Now, understand the exam structure. The below given table explains the complete pattern.

SNAP Exam Pattern

Normal Total
Special Total
S.No. Sections Ques- Ques-
Questions Marks
tions tions
1. General English: Reading Comprehension, 30 5 35 40
Verbal Reasoning, Verbal Ability

2. Quantitative, Data Interpretation & Data 30 5 35 40

Sufficiency

3. Analytical & Logical Reasoning 30 5 35 40

4. Current Affairs 20 5 25 30

Total 110 20 130 150

12

SNAP SYLLABUS
The syllabus of the exam is broadly divided into four sections as mentioned in the table
above. The table explains the SNAP syllabus:
Section
General Awareness
Analytical and Logical
Reasoning
General English
Quantitative, Data
Interpretation and Data
Sufficiency
ALL ABOUT SNAP
Syllabus
Entertainment
Quotations
Current affairs
World records
Social issues
Geography
Politics and History
Business and Finance, etc.
Data interpretation based on text, graphs and tables
Column graphs and Bar graphs
Critical reasoning
Coding and decoding puzzles
Line chart and Pie charts
Syllogisms
Visual reasoning
Symbol Based problems, etc.
Sentence correction
Fill in the blanks
Antonyms
Idioms and Syllogisms
Contextual usage
Analogies
Jumbled paragraphs
Sentence completion
Simple interest and Compound interest
Venn diagram
HCF and LCM
Partnership
Trigonometry
Ratios and Proportion
Number system
Profit and Loss
Geometric and Arithmetic progression, etc.
13
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

SNAP PARTICIPATING INSTITUTES

There are 15 participating institutes of SNAP 2018 across India which will accept the scores
of SNAP 2018 for the admissions to management programmes.

SNAP Participating Institutes

No. of
S.No Name of Institutes MBA programmes offered
Seats
Symbiosis Institute of Management
1. 120* MBA
Studies (SIMS)

Symbiosis Institute of Operations 90* MBA (Information Technology)

2.
Management (SIOM- Nashik) 30* M.Sc (Computer Applications)

Symbiosis Institute of Computer

3. 150 MBA (Operations Management)
Studies & Research (SICSR)

120 MBA (International Business)

Symbiosis Institute of International
4. 60 MBA (Agri Business)
Business (SIIB)
30 MBA (Energy & Environment)

Symbiosis Institute of Business

5. Management, Bengaluru (SIBM – 150* MBA
Bengaluru)

Symbiosis Institute of Business Man-

6. 220* MBA (Innovation and Entrepreneurship)
agement (SIBM - Pune)

Symbiosis Institute of Media & Com-

7. 120 MBA (Communication Management)
munication, Pune (SIMC- Pune)

Symbiosis Centre for Management

8. and Human Resources Development 250 MBA (Infrastructure Management)
(SCMHRD)

Symbiosis Centre for Information MBA (Information Technology Business

9. 210
Technology (SCIT) Management)

Symbiosis School of Sports Sciences

10 NA MBA (Sports Management)
(SSSS)

Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Man-

11. 150 MBA (Telecom Management)
agement (SITM)

Symbiosis School of Media & Com-

12 munication, Bengaluru (SSMC, Ben- 80* MBA (Communication Management)
galuru)

14
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

No. of
S.No Name of Institutes MBA programmes offered
Seats
Symbiosis School of Banking and
13. Finance (SSBF) (Formerly Symbiosis 50* MBA (Banking and Finance)
School of Banking Management)

Symbiosis Institute of Business

14. Management, Hyderabad (SIBM, 120 MBA
Hyderabad)

Symbiosis Institute of Health Sci- MBA (Hospital & Healthcare Manage-

15. 90
ences (SIHS) ment)

Note: The intake may or may not change this year. The information provided is based on last
year’s data.Once the selection rounds are over, the final merit list will be prepared by SIU.
The following factors will be considered for the final selection.

15
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

SNAP RESULT
Symbiosis International (Deemed University) will declare the SNAP 2018 result in the
second week of January 2019 in online mode only. Candidates would be able to check their
section-wise, scaled scores secured in the result. Candidates would need to use their user id
and password to check the result. All the 15 participating institutes of SIU will announce a
shortlist of candidates after the announcement of the result.

Important Dates of SNAP Result

Events Dates
SNAP test December 16, 2018

SNAP Result Second week of January 2019

Short listing of candidates for GE, PI & WAT Second/Third week of January 2019

General Exercise (GE), Personal Interaction (PI) &

First/Second week of February 2019
Writing Ability Test (WAT)

Final Merit List display Last week of February 2019

16
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

How to check SNAP Result

●● Visit the official website
●● Login through SNAP user id and password
●● Click on the ‘login’ button
●● Result will be displayed on the screen
●● Print out or download SNAP 2018 result cum scorecard
●● Keep the copy of result for future use

What is included in the SNAP Result cum scorecard?

The SNAP result will display the following information:
●● Sectional scores
●● Overall scores
●● Shortlist Status
●● Candidate’s name
●● Candidate’s Roll Number
●● Candidate’s signature & photograph
●● SNAP conducting authority stamp

How is the Result Computed?

●● According to the exam pattern of SNAP, the exam is divided into four sections.
●● As per the SNAP marking scheme, each question carries one mark and 0.25 marks are deducted
for an incorrect answer.
●● The total number of the marks is 150.

What after SNAP 2018 Result?

After the result is announced, SNAP 2018 participating institutes will declare the shortlist of
candidates on the basis of cutoff. The shortlisted candidates will appear for Group Exercise
(GE), Writing Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interaction (PI) rounds. The final merit list
will be prepared by the SIU after the selection rounds.

17
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

SNAP CUTOFF
Once the result gets announced, the 15 affiliated institutes of SIU will release their indi-
vidual SNAP 2018 cutoff lists for admission to various management programmes. Every
participating institute will have different cutoff. Check the previous year's cutoff of SNAP
participating institutes:

Factors determining the Cutoff

●● Number of candidates' appearing for SNAP
●● Number of candidates' passing the SNAP test
●● Difficulty level of the question paper
●● Number of seats available

SNAP 2018 Expected Cutoff

Below mentioned is the last year’s expected SNAP cutoff by coaching institutes. The last
year’s expected SNAP cutoff will help candidates get an estimate of the score that they need
to obtain in the exam to get the respective college.

SNAP Expected Cutoff by Experts

Cutoff by Cutoff by IMS Cutoff by

Institute
T.I.M.E. Learning Bulls Eye
SIBM Pune 66-68 75 67+

SCMHRD 62-64 71 64+

SIIB 53-55 NA 58+

SIBM Bangalore 53-55 NA 56+

SITM, SIOM, SCIT NA NA 47+

SSBF, SIMS, SIIB (Energy/Agriculture) NA NA 42+

SICSR, SIMC NA NA 38+

SIHS,SSMS,SSSS,SSMC NA NA 32+

Previous Year SNAP Cutoff

Below mentioned is the previous year SNAP cutoff. It will give you an idea about the marks
that you need to score in SNAP 2018 to qualify for the admission process.

18
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

SIBM Pune Cutoff for MBA 2018-2020 batch - Category wise

Category Cutoff Percentile

Open 97.6659

SC 73.0880

ST 38.8921

DA 46.5174

KM 87.9513

SIBM Pune Cutoff 2017

MBA (Innovation & Entrepre-

Category MBA
neurship)
Open 98.0147 53.5879

SC 71.0776 Nil

ST 35.0997 -

DA 40.7579 Nil

KM 88.6704 Nil

SIBM Pune Cutoff 2016

Category MBA MBA (I&E)

Open 97.9031 70.8679

SC 70.8679 -

ST 32.3682 -

DA 34.0668 -

KM 82.8182 -

19
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

SIBM Bangalore Cutoff 2015 for MBA

Category SNAP Cut off

Open 86.5401

SC 24.6635

ST -

DA -

KM 49.4344

SIBM Pune Cutoff for MBA

Category Open SC ST DA KM
Cutoff 98.0147 71.0776 35.0997 40.7579 88.6704

SIBM Pune cut off for MBA (I & E) - 53.5879 (Open Category)

SIBM Bangalore Cutoff

Category Open SC ST DA KM
Cut off 86.5401 24.6635 - - 49.4344

SNAP Final Result 2018

The final result of SNAP 2018 will be announced after the selection rounds are over. SIU
will release the final merit list for candidates on the basis of below-mentioned weightage.

Weightage for Final Selection of SNAP 2018

Parameters Weightage Score

SNAP Score (out of 150, scaled down to 50 marks) 50

Group Exercise (GE) 10

Personal Interaction (PI) 30

Writing Ability Test (WAT) 10

Total 100

20
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

SNAP SELECTION PROCEDURE

The selection procedure of SNAP 2018 will start after the announcement of the result.
The selection procedure will be a three-step process. Firstly candidates will be shortlisted
based on their SNAP 2018 score. Second, shortlisted candidates will appear for the selec-
tion rounds that include Group Exercise (GE), Writing Ability Test (WAT) and Personal
Interaction (PI) rounds. And third, the announcement of the final selection list by SNAP
participating institutes individually.
The table below displays the dates related to SNAP 2018 selection procedure.

Important Dates for SNAP Selection Procedure 2018

Events Dates
SNAP 2018 Exam Date December 16, 2018

SNAP 2018 Result Second week of January 2019

Declaration of shortlist Third week of January 2019

Selection rounds First week of February 2019

Final result Fourth week of February 2019

21
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

Every institute will release their own cutoff to shortlist the candidates. The candidates who
clear the cutoff of a particular participating Institute, s/he will be shortlisted for GE, WAT
and PI rounds. The final merit list will be generated based on the overall performance of a
candidate in SNAP and the selection rounds.

Steps for SNAP Selection Procedure

●● Appear for SNAP 2018.
●● Candidates scoring the minimum SNAP cutoff will be eligible for the selection process.
●● Shortlisted candidates will have to appear for GE, WAT and PI rounds.
●● The final merit list will be prepared on the basis of below-mentioned weightage.

Weightage for Final Merit List

Parameters Weightage
SNAP Score (scaled to 50 marks) 50

GE 10

PI 30

WAT 10

Total 100

*Note: SIU has the right to change the weightage given to each factor.
Some of the participating institutes also consider candidate’s profile for the final merit list.
For candidate’s profile, past academic records and work experience are considered and given
certain weightage.

22
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

SNAP TOPPER INTERVIEW

SNAP 2017 Topper Interview: Ensure that no
topic goes unrevised for more than a week, says
Aditi Garsa of SIBM Pune

Dismissing notions about the fact that it is difficult to

prepare for competitive exams like SNAP along with
a full-time job, SNAP 2017 topper Aditi Garsa shares
how she balanced professional life with exam prepa-
rations. The topper not only aced SNAP 2017 with
an impressive 99.18 percentile, but also outshined in
other competitive exams like CAT and CMAT. Aditi
finally went on to bag admission in one of the top
B-schools – SIBM Pune.

As a result of being a working professional, she shares that she did not find the time to attend
coaching. She naturally did not want to waste the time on weekdays which she could utilise
in self-study. The key aspect of cracking SNAP, she believes, is to keep revising over and over
again so as to not lose touch. Besides sticking to her well-balanced preparation strategy, she
relied on SNAP mock tests to boost her preparation. In this interview with Careers360, Aditi
shares her success mantra in the form of the study materials, preparation tips and above all,
immense motivation for SNAP aspirants.

Most people shun or give up on their social life during the peak of their preparation phase.
Aditi, on the contrary, feels that one should have cheat days when all they do is spend time
with friends and family. Read this interview for more such insightful tips by the topper.

Careers360: What was your SNAP 2017 overall and sectional percentile? Apart from SNAP,
which other entrances you appeared for and what were your scores?
Aditi: My overall SNAP 2017 score was 99.18. I appeared for CAT and CMAT and scored 96 and
99.87 percentile respectively.

Careers360: What was your preparation strategy? Please share section-wise strategy in
detail.
Aditi: For QA, I studied from the book ‘Quantum CAT’ by Sarvesh K. Verma. This one book was more
than enough to crack any entrance exam.
For LR-DI, a thorough practice of the book ‘How to prepare for LR and DI by Arun Sharma’ was suffi-
cient for SNAP. I was not good at DI but practicing its solved exams helped to overcome that weakness.

23
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

As for VARC, I didn’t have any book to prepare as I was comfortable in this section.
The GK section is make or break for cracking SNAP. I wasn’t particularly good at this but I came to
know early on that GK can be a decisive factor in getting a good percentile. So, I followed online sites
that provided current affairs. Apart from this, I took plenty of mock tests.

Careers360: How did you prepare – Self-study or Coaching? Please explain which one do
you think is better?
Aditi: Since I was preparing for MBA entrance exams while I was working, I didn’t find the time to go
for coaching regularly. I was spending a lot of time in commuting and did not want to exhaust myself
too much. I decided to devote that time for self-study and during the weekends I went for mock tests.
Personally, I feel self-study is the best way to prepare. In this age of the Internet, one can find directions
as to what books to study from or what topics to focus on. But at the end of the day, it’s putting in your
own efforts that ensures good results.

Careers360: When did you start preparing for SNAP? Please share in detail your month-
wise preparation strategy for SNAP in terms of 3 months, 2 months, 1 month and last minute
strategy you followed.
Aditi: I started preparing for SNAP about two months prior to the date of the exam, the reason being
the format is different from CAT. It takes time to adjust to a different format. I realised this after I
took the first few SNAP mocks. Unlike CAT, SNAP has GK which is a game changer. The sections are
slightly easier than CAT but the challenge was accuracy and speed. So I worked on my proficiency by
solving previous year papers.

Careers360: Last year, SNAP was conducted online for the first time. How do you think it’s
different from the offline exam? Which method - offline or online according to you is more
convenient for the candidates?
Aditi: Both online and offline have their advantages and disadvantages. But speaking of SNAP in
particular, I think online is better. SNAP is about speed and this is easier to maintain in online mode.
One saves time since they don’t have to fill OMR sheets. It may not seem like much but in an exam
like SNAP that demands speed, it can make a lot of difference. Also in online, there is the flexibility of
changing the answer by going back to it, which is a plus point.

Careers360: How did you balance your preparation with studies or job? Please share your
timetable.
Aditi: I was preparing for MBA entrances along with a job. A lot of time would get wasted in commut-
ing. So I tried studying every day in the morning for two hours. On weekends, I used to spend more time,
about 8-10 hours. I did easy topics on weekdays so that I wouldn’t get exhausted and on the weekends
I took up topics that troubled me. GK was something on which I spent a good 30-45 minutes daily.

24
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

Even if GK doesn’t feature as a separate section in every MBA entrance, it is vital for cracking inter-
views. As the date of exam drew nearer I geared things up by taking at least two mock tests during the
weekdays. It helped maintain the tempo and brings a comfort level with sitting for a long time to take
the test.

Careers360: What was the one thing that you did consistently during your preparation?
Aditi: I think one should not lose touch of any topic for more than a week. One may be good at Quant
but not revising formulae for too long can hamper recalling time. All these things should be on tips. So,
one must ensure no topic goes unrevised for more than a week. People who struggle with vocabulary
should also follow this.
The most important aspect of preparation is persistence. Preparing for any competitive exam can be
taxing. Many a time it can get frustrating. In that case, hang out with friends, have a good time and get
some sleep. The next day, get back to where you left off.

Careers360: What are the best study materials for SNAP?

Aditi: It is very important to solve previous year questions. Here are the books I used for section-wise
preparation:

●● QA: ‘Quantum CAT’ by Sarvesh K. Verma

●● LR-DI: How to prepare for LR and DI by Arun Sharma
●● VARC: Skills in this section develop over time. The Economist is the best magazine that I have come
by. ‘The Hindu’ and ‘The Indian Express’ are newspapers with excellent editorials.
●● GK: Try reading newspaper otherwise online sites for current affairs also solves the problem.

Careers360: When did you start taking mock test and what was the frequency?
Aditi: I started taking mocks two months prior to the day of the exam. I started with two mocks per
week and then increased the frequency to 4-5 times a week as the day of the exam drew nearer.

Careers360: How does one with non-English background prepare him/herself for the exam
as the mode of the exam is only English?
Aditi: One doesn’t need to be very proficient in English. Vocabulary based questions are a rare sight.
MBA entrances test the comprehension capability which is logical in nature. It may be a little daunting
initially but if one continues to taking mock tests, it can be mitigated over time. One can put in extra
efforts by reading newspaper editorials that will bring about visible positive results.

Careers360: What was your exam day strategy in terms of question selection, time manage-
ment, accuracy and sectional attempts?
Aditi: I started with the GK section first as that was the section that could be finished in less than 10
minute and one either knows the answer or doesn’t know it. There isn’t much scope for revisiting GK
questions.

25
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

Next, I attempted the section I was most confident about – General English. I tried to not leave a single
question as I knew this section would boost my percentile.
Then I moved to Quant, LR and lastly DI. I made sure I attempted more than the sufficient number
of questions required to clear cut-off as I did not have 100 per cent accuracy in my attempts.

Careers360: How do you suggest one should keep his/her calm and confidence during the
long and tiring preparation process for a management entrance exam?
Aditi: MBA preparations can take a toll on body and mind. Do not shun friends. I suggest you should
have cheat days when you do nothing but hang out with friends and family all day. Work hard rest of the
time but do not be guilty of those cheat days that you get to enjoy.
Do not leave topics to study one week before the exam. You will never end up doing it. Make sure you
have a basic idea of all topics even if you are not an expert in all the topics.
The day before the exam, avoid studying. Have confidence in the efforts you put in all this time. One
more day won't change anything rather it may only add to the stress. Have a long and sound sleep – you
should be at your best for the exam.
On the day of the exam, be composed. Reach the exam centre at least half an hour before the exam
starts. Attempt what you are confident of first and then see if it’s worth taking the risk.

Careers360: What is your message for SNAP 2018 aspirants?

Aditi: It’s a great thing that SNAP isn’t like any other exam. It doesn’t require you to go deep into a
topic. It challenges your time management skills and the best part is that this can be developed over
time with practice. Focus on GK as it can skew the odds in your favour and get you ahead in the game.

26
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

SNAP TOPPER INTERVIEW

SNAP 2017 Topper Interview: Revising concepts
from time to time helps in memorising them, says
99.91 percentiler Dhrumil Shah

SNAP 2017 Topper, Dhrumil Shah believes that the

journey of preparation for MBA entrance exams is
like a roller-coaster ride. You will be frightened when
going through it but surely realise the enjoyment after
having completed it. Read this SNAP topper inter-
view to know about his road to success of securing
99.91 percentile in SNAP 2017.

Dhrumil believes that studying for other MBA

entrance exams prepares you for Quantitative Ability,
Verbal Ability, Logical Reasoning and DI, but SNAP is different as it has a Current Affairs
(CA) section as well. He used the CA part to his advantage to give leverage to his SNAP score
and started preparing for it early on. As he shares his phase-wise preparation strategy for
SNAP 2018 aspirants, the topper says “Get your basics correct in the first place, learn to be
strong hearted and keep working; you will be through.” Dhrumil finally went on to secure
admission in SIBM Pune.

He further enunciates how he balanced his preparation along with his job, which demanded a
lot of his time. To aid his preparation in the right direction, he took a core-interactive course
at a coaching centre which helped him stay constantly motivated. Dhrumil is of the opinion
that “If you are someone with ample time and enough discipline you don’t need coaching,
but joining coaching will always help you.” Read on for more insights on his SNAP prepara-
tion mantras.

Careers360: What was your SNAP 2017 overall percentile? Apart from SNAP, which other
entrances you appeared for and what were your scores?
Dhrumil: My SNAP 2017 overall percentile score was 99.91, SNAP does not provide section-based
percentiles.
Apart from SNAP, I applied for CAT and XAT, my scores in them were 97.79 and 97.9 respectively.

Careers360: What was your preparation strategy? Please share section-wise strategy in
detail.
Dhrumil: SNAP is an examination where you can play with your strengths but you don’t know which
section will turn up to be a cakewalk and which will turn up to be a nightmare. So for a serious aspirant,
it is mandatory to prepare for all the sections regardless of it being your strength or weakness.

27
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

After giving other entrance exams you are most likely to be prepared with Verbal Aptitude, Quantita-
tive Aptitude, Logical reasoning and Data interpretation.

But SNAP is different with its section on Current Affairs. Now I took this to get a competitive advan-
tage, you need current affairs to crack your subsequent phases of admission process, GD/GE/WAT-PI,
from whichever exam you go through. So it would be better for you if you start preparing for this from
the beginning. I was used to read about latest updates, articles and current affairs during my job when-
ever I would get some free time. I downloaded several news-based applications on my phone, so that I
can be best prepared before this phase arrives. This also helped me in getting better reading speed which
helped me in RCs. Due to this practice, I was ready with the fourth section of current affairs without
any efforts during that precious time.

Careers360: How did you prepare – Self-study or Coaching? Please explain which one you
think is better?
Dhrumil: I took a core-interactive course at a coaching center, which was just a single class per week
course where I revised my concepts and took three mock tests per week from August.
Between self-study and coaching, it totally depends on the what kind of student you are. I was
involved in a very time-taking project at my work and attending coaching classes and mocks at sched-
uled time motivated me to leave office at time, otherwise I believe it would have become difficult.
Competitive environment at coaching helped me in having continuous motivation.

Revision of concepts at a certain interval helped me memorising them. So if you are someone with
ample time and enough discipline you don’t need coaching, but joining coaching will always help you.

Careers360: When did you start preparing for SNAP? Please share in detail your month-wise
preparation strategy for SNAP in terms of 3 months, 2 months, 1 month and last minute
strategy you followed.
Dhrumil: As I told you above Current affairs was a daily habit and hence it didn’t require any special
efforts. But I started preparing for Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, and Data
Interpretation from the month of July. Brushing up the concepts, gaining traction for giving online tests
and that too after a day at office requires time. I remember my first few mocks which I shut down after
few minutes and dozed off. But I was through all those things in the month of September after which I
started preparing seriously.

Strategy with three months left: Go through all the concepts, take about three to four mocks, build
ability to take the test and maintain focus during Reading Comprehension. Don’t focus on scores, this
is not the correct time to do so. Just get an idea about your strong and weak areas. Start preparing on
your weak areas without being lethargic. Most people, as I have observed become over-happy or sad
with their scores and keep doing the same thing that they are good at. But believe me this is the time to
acknowledge your weaknesses and work upon them.

28
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

Strategy with two months left: Start taking mocks more often, you will have ups and downs with every
mock you give, as this requires both speed and accuracy both. But if you have really worked upon your
weak areas you will realise that your score is now not due to your content weakness but due to your
test taking. So start taking mocks with a greater frequency, work on getting right answers in a limited
time. You can go for sectional tests to achieve speed and accuracy. But this time is to improve your
test-taking strategy.

Strategy with one month left: This is the time to give yourself some relaxation. I took a seven-day
long family trip to Hong Kong and China in late October. But yes, continue giving regular mocks, your
regular habit of reading articles and updates, and revising your concepts.

Last minute Strategy: SNAP is a speed-based examination, which asks for 150 questions to be
answered in a span as short as two hours. So it is important that you have very high concentration level
at the time of giving the examination. Avoid anything which distracts you. Overnight study, last minute
mugging up of current affairs, taking a mock is a big no-no for this time.

Careers360: Last year, SNAP was conducted online for the first time. How do you think it’s
different from offline exam? Which method (offline or online) according to you is more conveni-
ent for the candidates?
Dhrumil: Online or offline really does not matter if you are well prepared. Offline examination has
some advantages, for example, you can easily figure out questions of your interest and can start work-
ing on them immediately.
Many a times people miss marking answers in the OMR sheets - online mode is better in this aspect.
Online examination also provides you with the flexibility of changing your answers once marked which
is not possible in a Pen and Paper based exam. A digital clock working at a server which gives updates
in terms of each second is an added advantage. This helps in maintaining transparency across all the
centres of giving exactly 120 minutes without any discrepancy.

So, the benefits of online examination outweigh the benefits of offline examination.

Careers360: How did you balance your preparation with a job? Please share your time table.
Dhrumil: From September onwards, I had mock tests every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from
6.30 PM to 9.30 PM. I used to leave office at 5.40 PM (which was exactly the officially allowed time
to leave) on those three days. I worked on the errors I made in the mock the very same day. During the
other three days I completed all my office work and would leave much later.

After getting home, I used to spend time in giving section tests and revising concepts. Apart from
giving mock and attending a revision lecture at coaching, I used to spend my Sundays relaxing. I used
to sleep at 2 AM during the six working days and yes, my reporting was at 8.40 the office next morning.

29
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

So believe me, you will need a break of one day if you have worked six days seriously.

Careers360: According to you, what is the most important aspect of preparation?

Dhrumil: The most important aspect of preparation is to not get disheartened. You may diligently
prepare every day, give your best shot in the mocks and still not get the desired results.

Let me tell you, this will happen. Accept it and without giving much importance to scores and com-
paring with what others got. Start working on the areas where you went wrong. That way you will be
able to improve upon your weaknesses and get stellar results. Mocks are generally prepared at a dif-
ficulty level a notch higher than actual tests, so getting disheartened because of those scores doesn’t
make sense.

Careers360: What are the best study materials for SNAP or other exams? Please name some
study materials you had referred to during preparation.
Dhrumil: I used the following study materials:
1. RC 99
2. Quantitative Aptitude by Arun Sharma
3. The great book of Puzzles and Teasers, George Summers
And of course, coaching material for basic concepts.

For General Reading, I utilised:

1. Live mint
2. Inshorts
3. Magoosh for GRE
4. T
 he Economist (Though not mandatory, I liked reading it as it helped me build perspectives and
gaining reading speed).

I used to read online mostly, as the exam mode is online and you need practice for reading online. Also
it is convenient to read anytime and anyplace.

Careers360: How does one with non-English background prepare him/herself for the exam as the
mode of the exam is only English?
Dhrumil: I believe I am highly qualified to answer this question. I did my studies till Class 12 in
Gujarati medium. The maximum marks I received in amongst all the section in SNAP was in English.

So, here is the secret. Start working on your basics at the early stages. For developing speed and abil-
ity to read articles, you need to have a basic vocabulary. Try to learn new words from whichever source
you find comfortable (Word Power Made Easy, preparing notes of new words you find in newspaper,
or even movies). You can then prepare them on platforms like Magoosh which are fun way to learn new
words through quiz. Once you have gained a decent vocabulary, it will be very comfortable for you to
read abstract topics and understand them quickly.

30
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

Careers360: What was your exam day strategy in terms of question selection, time management,
accuracy and sectional attempts/cutoffs?
Dhrumil: As I mentioned earlier, SNAP is a speed test. 150 questions have to be answered in 120
minutes. I was prepared for every section but one needs to gauge the level of question within few sec-
onds and decide the strategy accordingly, one needs to mind the risk of getting negative marking of 0.25
too. If there was a question from one of my weak areas and it seemed to be difficult, I left it.

If there was a question from my strong areas and seemed to be difficult, I would leave that too. Irre-
spective of my comfort level, if the question seemed to be easy, I attempted it then and there. You could
risk not reaching an exact answer and still mark the nearest answer if you are sure about your method.
Also for me, Current Affairs and English (due to my reading speed) took very less time so I attempted
them first and gave maximum time to other sections.

Careers360: How do you suggest one should keep his/her calm and confidence during the long and
tiring preparation process for a management entrance exam?
Dhrumil: Take every failure as a lesson. Instead of being disheartened about your low scores you
should be happy that you found new types of questions.
With this attitude during your preparation, nothing will let your confidence down.

Careers360: What is your message for SNAP 2018 aspirants?

Dhrumil: This is like a journey in roller-coaster, you will be frightened when going through it. But
believe me you’ll realise the enjoyment after having completed it.

31
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

SNAP 2017 EXAM ANALYSIS

SNAP 2017 Analysis: Moderate to tough exam with lengthy Verbal Ability and tricky Rea-
soning sections

SNAP 2017 was conducted on December 17, 2017, from 2 pm to 4 pm in comput-

er-based format for the first time. As compared to 2016, the overall diffi-
culty level of the exam was tougher. In terms of sections, General English
and Reasoning sections had higher difficulty level as compared to the other sections.

Giving an overall sectional overview of SNAP 2017 analysis, Career Launcher expert stated,
"The English section was dominated by RC and vocab. The Reasoning section had only one
question on Verbal Logic. Overall, the English and GK sections became much tougher. While
LR continued its saga of incomprehensible question types. Quant turned out to be more
painstaking as compared to previous years."

Highlights of SNAP 2017

●● The exam had 150 questions and 150 marks.
●● There were 40 questions in each section except General Awareness, which had 30 questions
●● Each question carried one mark and there was negative marking of 1/4 allotted marks.
●● There was no sectional cutoff in SNAP 2017.

SNAP 2017 Analysis & Expected Cutoffs

Solving 150 questions in 120 minutes requires the presence of mind and speed. One had less
than a minute per question to solve. The ideal time break-up by a student should have been
as below with the number of attempts that a good student should have made to ensure a call
from the top Symbiosis Institutes.

32
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

SNAP Time Management

Good
No. of Ideal time
number
Section Marks Ques- allocation
of net
tions (minutes)
attempts
General English 40 40 20-22 20-25

Quantitative, Data Interpretation & Data Suf-

40 40 18-21 35-40
ficiency

Current Affairs 30 30 7-9 10-15

Analytical & Logical Reasoning 40 40 18-20 30-35

Total 150 150 67+/-2 120

SNAP Analysis 2017 - General English

The Reading Comprehension questions consisted of two passages which were quite lengthy,
ranging from 1000-1100 words. Each passage carried around six questions. The topics and
question types, as shared by T.I.M.E. experts are as below:

Passage 1: A lengthy passage on “The right to be left alone” or “Privacy” taken from “The
Indian Express”. The questions included Title and Tone of the passage and four ‘specific
detail’ questions.
Passage 2: Another lengthy passage on “The Founding Fathers of Australia: The Story of
convicts shipped to the New World”. There were five ‘specific detail’ questions and 1 Vocab
based question. 

In terms of English Usage questions, vocabulary and grammar questions were very tough.
Fill in the blanks were of easy to moderate level. On the other hand, para jumble questions
were very easy. According to experts, around seven to nine attempts in the section in around
10 to 15 minutes would have been good for this section.

SNAP 2017 Analysis - English

Question type No of questions Level of Difficulty

Synonym/Antonym 8 Tough

FIB (Vocab) 5 Moderate

RC (2 passages) 6X2=12 Easy – Moderate

Para Jumble 2 Easy

Idioms and phrases 4 Moderate

33
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

Question type No of questions Level of Difficulty

Verbal Analogy 2 Easy

Identify parts of speech 2 Tough

Word usage 2 Easy

Sentence correction 1 Easy

Voice Change 2 Easy

Overall 40 Moderate - Tough

SNAP Analysis - Quantitative Aptitude

This section was very lengthy compared to previous year. The number of Geometry, Modern
Maths and Pure Mathematics questions was on the higher side in SNAP 2017. There were
two Data Interpretation sets of easy to moderate level, which were not calculation intensive.
T.I.M.E. expert mentions, "One question was ambiguous (p^q =169) and two other questions
did not have the correct answer options (1. Sale of two FM Radios, 2. DI question on the tech-
nicians and carpenters)." Career Launcher experts suggest that for this section, an attempt
of 28 to 30 questions within 45 minutes duration with 90 per cent accuracy would be ideal.

SNAP 2017 Analysis - Quantitative Aptitude

Topic No of Questions Difficulty Level

P&C 2 Easy-Moderate

Averages, Mixtures &

2 Easy-Moderate
Alligations

Geometry 3 Difficult

Heights & Distances 1 Difficult

Indices 1 Easy

Line Graph 2 Easy

Logarithm 1 Easy

Mensuration 1 Moderate

Number Series 2 Easy-Moderate

Numbers 3 Easy-Moderate

Percentages 5 Easy-Moderate

Pie Chart 5 Easy-Moderate (one question with wrong options)

34
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

Topic No of Questions Difficulty Level

Probability 4 Moderate-Difficult

Time & Work 1 Moderate

Sets 1 Easy

Ratio, Proportion, &

1 Easy
Variation

Time & Distance 1 Moderate

Simple Equations 1 Moderate

Profit & Loss 1 Difficult (Wrong options)

Venn Diagram 1 Easy

SI-CI 1 Moderate

Total 40 Moderate

SNAP Analysis - Analytical and Logical Reasoning (LR)

This section was of moderate to tough level of difficulty and carried few tricky questions.
The number of questions increased and marks reduced; instead of two marks per questions,
each logic had only one mark for the correct answer. This made it difficult for students to
score more in this section. Unlike previous year, there were some set based questions. As
per T.I.M.E. experts, an attempt of 18 to 20 questions in this section would have been ideal.

SNAP 2017 Analysis - Analytical & Logical Reasoning

Type No. of Questions Difficulty

Input-Output Flowchart 1 Moderate
Critical Reasoning 1 Moderate
Number/ Letter series 2 Easy
Direction Sense 1 Moderate
Quant based Reasoning 6 Easy-Difficult
Blood Relationship 6 Easy-Moderate
Missing number 1 Difficult
Analogies 2 Easy-Difficult
Arrangements 2 Easy
Clocks 1 Moderate
Scheduling 3 Easy
Miscellaneous 14 Moderate-Difficult

35
 ALL ABOUT SNAP

SNAP Analysis - General Awareness

This section was dominated by questions from personalities, BA and Science & Technology.
Compared to previous year, the section was tougher. An attempt of 10-12 questions with
60-65 percent accuracy in about eight to 10 minutes would be ideal.

SNAP 2017 Analysis - General Awareness

Topic Number of questions Difficulty

Personalities 7 Moderate

Business Awareness 6 Easy – Moderate

Sports 4 Easy – Moderate

Current affairs- Science & Technology 5 Easy – Moderate

Current affairs-Awards 2 Easy – Moderate

Current affairs-Geography 3 Easy-Moderate

Current affairs-Miscellaneous GK 3 Moderate

SNAP Expected Cutoff 2017 by Experts

Cutoff by Cutoff by IMS Cutoff by

Institute
T.I.M.E. Learning Bulls Eye
SIBM Pune 66-68 75 67+

SCMHRD 62-64 71 64+

SIIB 53-55 NA 58+

SIBM Bangalore 53-55 NA 56+

SITM, SIOM, SCIT NA NA 47+

SSBF, SIMS, SIIB (Energy/Agriculture) NA NA 42+

SICSR, SIMC NA NA 38+

SIHS,SSMS,SSSS,SSMC NA NA 32+

36