Negative Marking

Most universities conduct exams in the MCQ format. Usually, one-third or one-fourth of the weightage for a question will be deducted for wrong answers. So rather than answering everything you think you know, you must find the correct answer.
Some universities have comprehension questions- questions based on a given prose or verse extract; otherwise most questions asked in the entrances are not much analytical. You needn't work out the answers as in science subjects or mathematics. Either you know the answer or you do not know the answer. It is as simple as that.
Then there are tricky questions. Often you might be familiar with the premises of the question-as one of my friends put it, ''you know everything about the question, except the right answer''. In such circumstances, you will be tempted to choose one answer based on your assumptions. Rarely, your choice could be the right one. But remember that even one wrong answer can make or break your chances. So rather than depending on skills of deduction and guesswork, prepare well and make yourself knowledgeable enough.

Not advisable 

There is a downside to this. Sometimes, your guess might be the right answer. Some students have successfully qualified entrance examinations by depending on this strategy. But once you are inside the examination hall, there is no method to verify your answer, other than the knowledge already stored in your brain. But many more had lost their chances due to this.
  So, my suggestion is to attempt questions if and only if you are sure about the accuracy of your choice. 

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Importance of Group Study

It would be beneficial if you form a group of 4-5 friends and study together. The first thing I have to suggest is: do it only if you are comfortable with the idea. If your friends are not as serious as you in preparation, if you get distracted when you discuss things, if you end up spending more time on discussions on other matters rather than studying, please do not do this. And there are some students who always try to discourage others, who don’t share anything they get- updates, resources, etc. Try your best to stay away from such students. But, if you are fortunate enough to form a fairly good study group, it would be beneficial in many ways.

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More resources: Everyone has access to different kinds of resources. You can share them amongst yourselves.

Saves time: Tasks like analysing previous years’ question papers, collecting materials, etc. could be allocated to different members in your group.

Motivates you: It is quite natural that people feel discouraged. You might feel like there are so many topics to be covered, students from all over India write this exam and only a handful get selected, you are not good enough, etc. But you can console and give moral support to each other.

Even if you have a study group, do not have any delusions that it is all that is needed. Self study is the most important factor of any preparation, but group study will complement your preparation.

Writing Entrances Examinations for MA English...

A few years ago, if you had told anyone that you want to pursue English literature, either they would have pitied you or assumed that you want to become a teacher. But the scenario has changed now. Literature courses in general are attracting a great number of brilliant, competent students every year. And career opportunities are no longer restricted to teaching or journalism.

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Most Indian universities consider higher secondary(12th) marks for UG admission, with universities like Delhi University insisting on very high cut offs like 98% and above. But for PG admission, things are different. Almost every university(and in some cases some reputed colleges too) conducts entrance examinations. Sometimes, the marks scored for the UG curse too are taken into consideration, but often it is your score in the entrance examination that makes or breaks your admission prospects.
India is the land of competitive examinations. We have a competitive examination for every other course, job and what not. There are many websites that provides helpful tips for these exams, but curiously, in the case of entrance examinations for MA English students, often, only a single suggestion is given: a thorough knowledge of English literature, various genres and important texts is what is being checked(or different versions of this)
English literature is a vast field. If you want to score good marks in these entrance examinations, you have to prepare in the right manner. For instance, though many topics overlap, students have to take different approaches in preparing for state engineering entrance examinations and IIT JEE. Entrance examinations are not conducted just to know whether the students are proficient in the subject. Various other factors, like your analytical power, time management are also evaluated.
This is a humble effort to provide some guidance for students planning to write entrance examinations for admission to MA English courses of various Indian universities.

Disclaimer

• This blog or author shall not be responsible for any loses occurring from reading or following the blog. 

• This blog aims to provide some guidance for students preparing for entrance examinations for MA English course. This is not a comprehensive resource that covers all areas of preparation.

• Many universities revise their question papers’ pattern and modes of examination. Students should check the respective websites and prospectus for updates.

• In the subsequent posts, I will suggest certain books and give certain tips that have been beneficial for me. Please note that they are not to be followed blindly. These guidelines are only general suggestions. Students are asked to use their discretion and take into consideration their strengths and needs to engineer their study plans.