NTS is a reliable testing agency in Pakistan. It conducts tests for scholarships, admissions (bachelor’s to PhD), and recruitment. Its tests are mainly divided into 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.

Good preparation is based on understanding the format of the test as well as guidelines to make preparation, as follows:

   Understanding the Format & Structure of Test

Tests in category one consist of 90 MCQs to be attempted in 90 minutes whereas test in category two consist of 100 MCQs to be attempted in 120 minutes. All the test include the following three common sections with one additional subject different for each type based on their subject.

• English: Sentence Completion, Analogy, Antonym, Comprehension & Synonym Questions
• Analytical: Scenario-Based & Statements-Based Questions
• Quantitative: Arithmetic, Algebra, & Geometry Questions

Verbal part of the test assesses candidates on the basis of their knowledge of grammar and correct usage of vocabulary. The questions consist of:

1. Usage of words e.g. verb, noun, adverb, preposition and conjunction in sentence.
2. Antonyms and synonyms
3. Analogies (word pairs)
4. Paragraph based questions
5. Tense related questions

The guidelines for preparation are as follows:

1. Tenses must be learnt. Some questions are about usage of correct form of verb and auxiliaries according to tense. Example: The kid has _______ a cup. (A) break (B) broke (C) broken. Answer: The kid has broken a cup.
2. Some commonly used prepositions must be learnt. Two to three questions are always about usage of preposition. Example: They were laughing ____ a Joker. (A) on (B) over (C) after (D) at. Answer: They were laughing at a Joker.

Quantitative part includes simple arithmetic questions. It is covered from Maths books of class eight, nine and ten. The questions include:

1. Easy arithmetic, e.g. addition, subtraction, division and multiplication.
2. Percentages
3. Ratio and proportion
4. Simple Algebra
5. Simple Geometry e.g. area of shapes and volume of bodies

The guidelines for preparation are as follows:

1. Arithmetic questions are usually very simple and easy as these are made for all students coming from different educational disciplines.
2. Questions are easy but involve simple tricks.
3. Most of the arithmetic questions have some short formulas. Learn these formulas to solve each MCQ quickly. Example: What is sum of all numbers from 1 to 100? If you start adding all the numbers from 1 to 100, it will take hours. But it has a simple formula.
   Sum of all digits = total number of digits (first digit + last digit) / 2
   Sum of all digits = 100 (1 + 100) / 2 = 5050 Answer
4. Geometry: Learn the formulas of area of shapes and volume of bodies. Each test has many area and volume questions. Sometimes you are asked to find area of an unusual shape. It should not confuse you. Basically such shapes are combination of triangles and squares. You have to find the areas of those triangles and squares and add them to find total area of total unusual shape. There may be a semi-circle as a part of the shape. So find area of the circle and divide by two.
5. Learn Pythagorean Theorem to find length of one side of triangle. Some questions are based on Pythagorean theorem. You may be asked to find length between two points in a given scenario which is basically a triangle. A commonly used question where length of wall and floor is given. You are asked to find the length of ladder to reach to top of wall.
6. Learn the simple basics of calculating percentage as well as ratios.
7. Remember questions are always easy but involve simple tricks. Read the following examples:
   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
8. Most of the questions are about synonyms, antonyms and antonyms. Study a good book for English MCQs (e.g. SAT-I). In most MCQ tests, the questions are taken from such books.
9. Practice available sample test, e.g. from locally available books. Practice helps a lot. You learn much of the content as well as learn test-taking strategies.

Analytical part assesses your analytical and situation processing skills. You are given a set of facts and some rules. You have to process the facts according to the given rules.
Examples: Sajid has to study four books (i.e. English, Physics, Chemistry & Biology) on four different days from Thursday to Sunday. He has to study the books according to the following rules:

1. Chemistry on a day before English
2. Biology is studied on a day after Physics

Q. No.1. Which of the following is correct order of books for four days?
A. Chemistry, Biology, English, Physics
B. Biology, Chemistry, English, Physics
C. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, English
D. English, Chemistry, Biology, Physics.

Q. No. 2. If Sajid studies Chemistry on Saturday, which must he have read on Thursday?
A. English
B. Biology
C. Physics
D. Either English or Physics

Q. No. 3. Each of the following is possible EXCEPT:
A. Chemistry on Thursday
B. Physics on Sunday
C. Physics on Thursday
D. Biology on Saturday

Guidelines are as follows:

1. During test, be alert minded and focused on the question.
2. You should have both the facts and rules retained in your mind to solve questions. Usually we just keep the given facts (data) in mind and give less attention to the rules. You should be focused on both.
3. If the rules statements are too long, better draw some short symbols on the rough paper to easily grasp them while focusing on the facts during the test.
4. Most of the questions are about making combinations of items following the given rules. Prepare such questions.
5. For preparation, practice some available tests e.g. from the books. It will help you understand the nature of question and adopt the basics of such question.

The above three parts (English, Quantitative and Analytical) remain the same in all tests of NTS. However, the subject part is different for each type of test based on its subject area. It is important to study good books for the relevant subject to learn them conceptually. Generally, every piece of information is important for preparation, however, when it comes to MCQs, focus more on the specific information such as definitions, terminologies, dates, names of scientists and scholars, main assumptions of theories and steps in processes.
It is also important to understand which subject areas are covered in the test. The subject areas considered for each test are given below:

Category 1 – For Candidates with 12 Years of Education

Each test has 90 MCQs to be solved in 90 minutes. 60 MCQs are from the above three common areas, whereas 30 MCQs are from the following subject areas in each 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)

Category 2 – For Candidates with 14 Years of Education

Each test has 100 MCQs to be solved in 120 minutes. A varying number of questions are given from the following subject areas as shown, whereas the remaining number of questions are from the above common three areas: English, Analytical, and Quantitative.

• NAT-IIA: Art & Humanities Group (Islamiyat/Ethics, Pakistan Studies, General Knowledge & Current Affairs) – 50 MCQs
• NAT-IIB: Biological Sciences Group (Botany, Plant Physiology, Taxonomy, Environment, Genetics, Ecology, Algae/Fungi, Bryophytes/Pteridophyte, Angiosperm/Gymnosperm, Zoology, Vertebrates, Invertebrates, Chemistry, Islamiyat, Pakistan Studies) – 70 MCQs
• NAT-IIM: Management Sciences Group (Management (Basic), Marketing (Basic), Finance & Accounting (Basic), Economics (Basic), Business Ethics (Basic), Computer Science (Basic), Islamiyat & Pakistan Studies) – 70 MCQs
• NAT-IIP: Physical Sciences Group (Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Islamiyat & Pakistan Studies) – 70 MCQs
• NAT-IIO: Oriental & Islamic Studies Group (Islamic History, Comparison of Religions & Sources of Islamic Religion/Quran & Hadith) – 40 MCQs

   General Tips for MCQs Test

1. MCQ tests have a number of MCQs to be attempted in short time. Therefore, divide the total time by the number of questions to estimate the time available for each MCQ.
2. You should have a wristwatch and keep track of time throughout the test to ensure timely progress.
3. Read each MCQ carefully and quickly.
4. Attempt the easier questions first and leave the more difficult ones for later.
5. Do not spend too much time on a single question, as it may reduce the time available for other, easier questions.
6. If an MCQ appears complicated, eliminate the options that are clearly incorrect. This increases the probability of selecting the correct answer from the remaining choices.
7. Practice sample tests at home under exam-like conditions. This will help you develop effective strategies for attempting MCQs and completing the test within the given time.

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