NTS NAT Test – Preparation Guidelines – Category One Tests

NTS conducts a variety of tests majorly divided into the following two categories:

• CATEGORY ONE: For candidates having 12 years of education. This category includes the following six types of tests: NAT-IE, NAT-IM, NAT-IA, NAT-ICS, NTS-IGS, and NTS-ICOM.
• CATEGORY TWO: For candidates having 14 years of education. This category includes five types of tests: NAT-IIA, NAT-IIB, NAT-IIM, NAT-IIP, and NAT-IIO.

We will discuss the format of Category One Test and preparation guidelines for these tests.

   Format & Structure of Test

Category one tests (NAT-IE, NAT-IM, NAT-IA, NAT-ICS, NTS-IGS, and NTS-ICOM) have 90 MCQs which are to be attempted in 90 minutes. All the tests have the following four common sections:

1. English Section: Sentence Completion, Analogy, Antonym, Comprehension & Synonym Questions – 20 MCQs
2. Analytical Section: Scenario-Based & Statements-Based Questions – 20 MCQs
3. Quantitative Section: Arithmetic, Algebra, & Geometry Questions – 20 MCQs
4. Subject-based Section: subject specific Questions – 30 MCQs

   Preparation for English Part

The English part assesses a candidate’s grammatical knowledge and vocabulary, particularly with regard to its correct usage. The questions include:

1. Sentence completion with correct usage of a verb, adverb, adjective, conjunction, or preposition in sentences
2. Synonyms and Antonyms
3. Analogy questions
4. Paragraph-based questions (Comprehension)
5. Tense-related questions

The guidelines for preparation are given below:

1. Learn the basic rules of English tenses, as some of the questions are about using the correct form of a verb or auxiliaries in a sentence. Example: He has ______ the glass. (A) break (B) broke (C) broken. Answer: He has broken the glass. Since the helping verb here is ‘has’ third form of the verb will be used
2. Learn the correct usage of commonly used prepositions. All tests have at least two to three MCQs about correct usage of prepositions. Example: Someone is knocking ____ the door. (A) on (B) over (C) at (D) up. Answer: Someone is knocking at the door.
3. Study some good books of MCQs. Most of the ‘synonyms, antonyms and analogies’ questions are taken from those books in the test.

Examples of MCQs for NTS Test - English

1. Choose the correct synonym of “Rapid”:
   (A) Slow (B) Quick (C) Weak (D) Late
   Answer: (B) Quick
2. Choose the correct antonym of “Scarce”:
   (A) Rare (B) Plenty (C) Short (D) Small
   Answer: (B) Plenty
3. Analogy: Book : Read :: Food : ______
   (A) Cook (B) Eat (C) Taste (D) Serve
   Answer: (B) Eat
4. Choose the correct option: She ______ to school every day.
   (A) go (B) goes (C) gone (D) going
   Answer: (B) goes
5. Fill in the blank: He is fond ______ music.
   (A) on (B) at (C) of (D) for
   Answer: (C) of
6. Choose the correct sentence:
   (A) He do not like tea
   (B) He does not likes tea
   (C) He does not like tea
   (D) He not like tea
   Answer: (C) He does not like tea
7. Choose the correct antonym of “Generous”:
   (A) Kind (B) Selfish (C) Helpful (D) Honest
   Answer: (B) Selfish
8. Fill in the blank: They ______ playing when it started to rain.
   (A) was (B) were (C) is (D) be
   Answer: (B) were
9. Analogy: Pen : Write :: Knife : ______
   (A) Cut (B) Eat (C) Hold (D) Throw
   Answer: (A) Cut
10. Choose the correct synonym of “Happy”:
    (A) Sad (B) Angry (C) Joyful (D) Tired
    Answer: (C) Joyful
11. Fill in the blank: She has been living here ______ 2010.
    (A) for (B) since (C) from (D) at
    Answer: (B) since

   Preparation for Quantitative reasoning (Mathematics) 

The quantitative reasoning section includes basic arithmetic questions. While these questions are generally straightforward, they often involve thought-provoking tricks to test analytical skills. The questions cover:

1. Arithmetic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
2. Percentages
3. Ratio and Proportion
4. Simple Algebra
5. Basic Geometry: areas of shapes and volumes of bodies

Guidelines for Preparation:

1. The questions are designed to be accessible for students from all educational backgrounds. They are primarily based on arithmetic concepts from classes eight, nine, and ten.
2. Learn key formulas to solve questions efficiently. Example: To find the sum of numbers from 1 to 100, adding each individually would take hours. Instead, use the formula:
   Sum of numbers = number of terms × (first number + last number) / 2
   Sum = 100 × (1 + 100) / 2 = 5050
3. For geometry, memorize the basic formulas for calculating areas of standard shapes (square, rectangle, circle) and volumes of bodies (cube, cylinder). Occasionally, questions may involve unusual shapes. Such shapes are typically combinations of squares, triangles, and semi-circles. Calculate the area of each individual shape and sum them to find the total area. If a semi-circle is part of the shape, calculate the area of the full circle and divide by two.
4. Understand the Pythagorean theorem conceptually. This is a commonly tested topic. It is used to find the length of one side of a triangle when the other two sides are known. Sometimes, problems involve real-world scenarios where two points form a triangle. Example: If the lengths of a wall and the floor are given, you may be asked to calculate the length of a ladder required to reach the top of the wall. Treat this scenario as a right-angled triangle and calculate the hypotenuse.
5. Master the basics of percentages and ratios. Questions often involve ratios and proportions. For example, if 7 people produce 80 tables in a week, how many tables will 18 people produce? This is a direct relationship: increasing the number of people increases the output. In contrast, some problems involve inverse relationships. Example: If 18 labourers build a house in 30 days, in how many days will 25 labourers complete it? Increasing the number of workers decreases the time required. Always consider the type of relationship when solving ratio and proportion problems.
6. Although the questions are straightforward, they often require clever arithmetic strategies. Example:
   Question: If ¾ of a number is 7 more than 1/6 of the number, what is the number?
   Options: A. 12 B. 15 C. 18 D. 20

   Preparation for Analytical reasoning:

The analytical reasoning section is designed to assess your analytical abilities, mental sharpness, and situational processing skills. In this section, you are presented with a set of facts and rules, and you are required to process the facts by applying the given rules.
Example: Five educational documentaries, namely A, B, C, D, and E, are to be shown to students according to the following rules:

1. A must be shown before D
2. B must be shown before D
3. E must be shown fifth

Questions:
Q.1: Which of the following can be a correct order of showing the documentaries?
(A) A, C, B, D, E  (B) A, C, D, E, B
(C) B, D, C, A, E  (D) B, D, C, A, E
Q.2: If C is shown before E, which of the following statements is true?
(A) A is the first film shown  (B) B is the second film shown
(C) C is the third film shown  (D) D is the fifth film shown
Guidelines for Preparation:

1. During the test, remain attentive and mentally alert.
2. While solving questions, focus simultaneously on both the facts and the rules. Keep both clearly in mind, as students often focus only on the facts or only on the rules.
3. If the rules are lengthy, use short symbols or formulas to represent them. This will help you grasp the rules quickly while analyzing the facts and answer choices.
4. Most questions involve creating combinations of items while following given rules. For example, you may be asked to form different groups of three letters from A, B, C, D, E, and F, subject to rules such as: B and E cannot be in the same group, and any group containing F must also include C. Practice such questions to become comfortable with the approach.
5. Solve practice tests from books to familiarize yourself with the question types and develop effective strategies for tackling them.

   Preparation for Subject-Specific Section:

The subject-specific section of an NTS test varies depending on the type of test, so it is essential for students to know which subject areas are covered for their particular exam. Preparation should focus on understanding key concepts, definitions, formulas, and terminologies rather than rote memorization. For MCQs, students should pay special attention to important dates, names of scientists or scholars, main assumptions of theories, and steps in key processes. Practice questions from relevant textbooks or MCQ compilations are highly recommended, as they help familiarize students with the format and improve speed and accuracy.
For general guidance, the major subject areas included in category one tests are as follows, from where 30 MCQ will be given in the test.

• NAT-IE: Pre-Engineering Group (Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics)
• NAT-IM: Pre-Medical Group (Physics, Chemistry & Biology)
• NAT-IA: Arts Group (Islamiyat/Ethics, Pakistan Studies, General Knowledge)
• NAT-ICS: Computer Science Group (Physics, Computer: Introduction to Computer Skills & Programming Skills, Fundamentals of Database; Mathematics)
• NTS-IGS: General Science Group (Mathematics, Statistics, & Economics)
• NTS-ICOM: Commerce Group (Accounting, Commerce & Economics)

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