All you need to know about BITSAT - Birla Institute of Technology and Science Aptitude Test

About College

The Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) is an all India Institution of higher education declared as a deemed University under section 3 of UGC Act. The university has 15 academic departments and focuses primarily on undergraduate education in engineering and science. It is one of the most prestigious and the best private Engineering Institute of India.

About Exam

BITSAT is a Computer based Online Test conducted by BITS, Pilani for admission to all the Integrated First Degree Programs of BITS Pilani at Pilani Campus, K.K. Birla Goa Campus & Hyderabad Campus. Every year during the month of May, the University conducts it's Engineering Entrance Examination (EEE) on an all India basis for admission to the Engineering degree program which is offered in the 3 campuses. Candidates clearing the entrance exam are admitted through counseling based upon their ranks in the entrance exam.

Conducted

The exam is conducted by Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS). An expert committee prepares the questions and will ensure that the question sets are of comparable difficulty level, content, question type, etc.

Exam type

Undergraduate Entrance Examination.

Fee

The prescribed fee for BITSAT 2016 is Rs. 2090/- (Rs. 1590/- for female candidates) irrespective of caste. If a candidate chooses Dubai as a test center the application fee for both male and female candidates will be same and will be US$ 50 (or Indian Rs. 3100/-).

Universities considering the scores

1. Tolani Maritime Institute, one of the best marine engineering colleges in India also accepts BITSAT scores apart from its own entrance test TMISAT.

2. NIIT University, in Neemrana, Rajasthan offering B-tech and M-tech programs and founded by NIIT (an Indian Multinational Company) also accepts BITSAT scores.

3. JK Lakshmipat University, Jaipur, providing various undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degrees also accepts BITSAT scores apart from its own entrance test JKLU EET.

Exam Centers

To facilitate a large number of students to participate in this test, the exam will be conducted in 36 centers (major cities and towns) of India as well as 1 center (Dubai) abroad. No request for change of examination centers is entertained once the application is filled.

Type of Exam

Part I : Physics

Part II : Chemistry

Part III : English Proficiency and Logical Reasoning

Part IV : Mathematics or Biology (for B. Pharm)

Syllabus

The BITSAT test is conducted on the basis of NCERT syllabus for grade 11th and 12th. Candidates may refer to NCERT textbooks for contents. The syllabus includes Physics, Chemistry, English Proficiency and Logical Reasoning, Mathematics/Biology. The syllabus for English Proficiency and Logical Reasoning and Biology is elaborated as follows:

Part III: (a) English Proficiency and (b) Logical Reasoning

(a) English Proficiency

This test is designed to assess the test takers general proficiency in the use of English language as a means of self-expression in real life situations and specifically to test the test takers knowledge of basic grammar, their vocabulary, their ability to read fast and comprehend, and also their ability to apply the elements of effective writing.

1. Grammar - 1.1 Agreement, Time and Tense, Parallel construction, Relative pronouns 1.2 Determiners, Prepositions, Modals, Adjectives 1.3 Voice, Transformation 1.4 Question tags, Phrasal verbs

2. Vocabulary - 2.1 Synonyms, Antonyms, Odd Word, One Word, Jumbled letters, Homophones, Spelling 2.2 Contextual meaning. 2.3 Analogy

3. Reading Comprehension - 3.1 Content/ideas 3.2 Vocabulary 3.3 Referents 3.4 Idioms/Phrases 3.5 Reconstruction (rewording)

4. Composition - 4.1 Rearrangement 4.2 Paragraph Unity 4.3 Linkers/Connectives

(b) Logical Reasoning

The test is given to the candidates to judge their power of reasoning spread in verbal and nonverbal areas. The candidates should be able to think logically so that they perceive the data accurately, understand the relationships correctly, figure out the missing numbers or words, and to apply rules to new and different contexts. These indicators are measured through performance on such tasks as detecting missing links, following directions, classifying words, establishing sequences, and completing analogies.

5. Verbal Reasoning - 5.1 Analogy - Analogy means correspondence. In the questions based on analogy, a particular relationship is given and another similar relationship has to be identified from the alternatives provided.

5.2 Classification - Classification means to assort the items of a given group on the basis of certain common quality they possess and then spot the odd option out.

5.3 Series Completion - Here series of numbers or letters are given and one is asked to either complete the series or find out the wrong part in the series.

5.4 Logical Deduction - Reading Passage Here a brief passage is given and based on the passage the candidate is required to identify the correct or incorrect logical conclusions.

5.5 Chart Logic - Here a chart or a table is given that is partially filled in and asks to complete it in accordance with the information given either in the chart / table or in the question.

6. Non-verbal Reasoning - 6.1 Pattern Perception - Here a certain pattern is given and generally a quarter is left blank. The candidate is required to identify the correct quarter from the given four alternatives.

6.2 Figure Formation and Analysis - The candidate is required to analyze and form a figure from various given parts.

6.3 Paper Cutting - It involves the analysis of a pattern that is formed when a folded piece of paper is cut into a definite design.

6.4 Figure Matrix - In this more than one set of figures is given in the form of a matrix, all of them following the same rule. The candidate is required to follow the rule and identify the missing figure.

6.5 Rule Detection - Here a particular rule is given and it is required to select from the given sets of figures, a set of figures, which obeys the rule and forms the correct series.

Part IV: Biology

1. Diversity in Living World

1.1 Biology - its meaning and relevance to mankind 1.2 what is living; Taxonomic categories and aids; Systematic and Binomial system of nomenclature. 1.3 Introductory classification of living organisms (Two-kingdom system, Five-kingdom system); 1.4 Plant kingdom - Salient features of major groups (Algae to Angiosperms); 1.5 Animal kingdom - Salient features of Non-chordates up to phylum, and Chordates up to class level.

2. Cell: The Unit of Life; Structure and Function

2.1 Cell wall; Cell membrane; Endo-membrane system (ER, Golgi apparatus/Dictyosome, Lysosome, Vacuoles); Mitochondria; Plastids; Ribosome; Cytoskeleton; Cilia and Flagella; Centrosome and XXIII Centriole; Nucleus; Microbodies. 2.2 Structural differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic, and between plant and animal cells. 2.3 Cell cycle (various phases); Mitosis; Meiosis. 2.4 Biomolecules - Structure and function of Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids, and Nucleic acids. 2.5 Enzymes - Chemical nature, types, properties and mechanism of action.

3. Genetics and Evolution

3.1 Mendelian inheritance; Chromosome theory of inheritance; Gene interaction; Incomplete dominance; Co-dominance; Complementary genes; Multiple alleles; 3.2 Linkage and Crossing over; Inheritance patterns of hemophilia and blood groups in humans. 3.3 DNA -its organization and replication; Transcription and Translation; 3.4 Gene expression and regulation; DNA fingerprinting. 3.5 Theories and evidences of evolution, including modern Darwinism.

4. Structure and Function - Plants

4.1 Morphology of a flowering plant; Tissues and tissue systems in plants; Anatomy and function of root, stem (including modifications), leaf, inflorescence, flower (including position and arrangement of different whorls, placentation), fruit and seed; Types of fruit; Secondary growth; 4.2 Absorption and movement of water (including diffusion, osmosis and water relations of cell) and of nutrients; Translocation of food; Transpiration and gaseous exchange; Mechanism of stomatal movement. 4.3 Mineral nutrition - Macro- and micro-nutrients in plants including deficiency disorders; Biological nitrogen fixation mechanism. 4.4 Photosynthesis - Light reaction, cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphorylation; various pathways of carbon dioxide fixation; Photorespiration; Limiting factors. 4.5 Respiration - Anaerobic, Fermentation, Aerobic; Glycolysis, TCA cycle; Electron transport system; Energy relations.

5. Structure and Function - Animals

5.1 Human Physiology - Digestive system - organs, digestion and absorption; Respiratory system - organs, breathing and exchange and transport of gases. 5.2 Body fluids and circulation - Blood, lymph, double circulation, regulation of cardiac activity; Hypertension, Coronary artery diseases. 5.3 Excretion system - Urine formation, regulation of kidney function 5.4 Locomotion and movement - Skeletal system, joints, muscles, types of movement. 5.5 Control and co-ordination - Central and peripheral nervous systems, structure and function of neuron, reflex action and sensory reception; Role of various types of endocrine glands; Mechanism of hormone action.

6. Reproduction, Growth and Movement in Plants

6.1 Asexual methods of reproduction; 6.2 Sexual Reproduction - Development of male and female gametophytes; Pollination (Types and agents); Fertilization; Development of embryo, endosperm, seed and fruit (including parthenocarpy and elminth). 6.3 Growth and Movement - Growth phases; Types of growth regulators and their role in seed dormancy, germination and movement; XXIV 6.4 Apical dominance; Senescence; Abscission; Photo- periodism; Vernalisation; 6.5 Various types of movements.

7. Reproduction and Development in Humans

7.1 Male and female reproductive systems; 7.2 Menstrual cycle; Gamete production; Fertilisation; Implantation; 7.3 Embryo development; 7.4 Pregnancy and parturition; 7.5 Birth control and contraception.

8. Ecology and Environment

8.1 Meaning of ecology, environment, habitat and niche. 8.2 Ecological levels of organization (organism to biosphere); Characteristics of Species, Population, Biotic Community and Ecosystem; Succession and Climax. Ecosystem - Biotic and abiotic components; Ecological pyramids; Food chain and Food web; 8.3 Energy flow; Major types of ecosystems including agroecosystem. 8.4 Ecological adaptations - Structural and physiological features in plants and animals of aquatic and desert habitats. 8.5 Biodiversity and Environmental Issues - Meaning, types and conservation strategies (Biosphere reserves, National parks and Sanctuaries), Air and Water Pollution (sources and major pollutants); Global warming and Climate change; Ozone depletion; Noise pollution; Radioactive pollution; Methods of pollution control (including an idea of bioremediation); Deforestation; Extinction of species (Hot Spots).

9. Biology and Human Welfare

9.1 Animal husbandry - Livestock, Poultry, Fisheries; Major animal diseases and their control. Pathogens of major communicable diseases of humans caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses, protozoans and elminthes, and their control. 9.2 Cancer; AIDS. 9.3 Adolescence and drug/alcohol abuse; 9.4 Basic concepts of immunology. 9.5 Plant Breeding and Tissue Culture in crop improvement.

10. Biotechnology and its Applications

10.1 Microbes as ideal system for biotechnology; 10.2 Microbial technology in food processing, industrial production (alcohol, acids, enzymes, antibiotics), sewage treatment and energy generation. 10.3 Steps in recombinant DNA technology - restriction enzymes, NA insertion by vectors and other methods, regeneration of recombinants 10.4 Applications of R-DNA technology in human health -Production of Insulin, Vaccines and Growth hormones, Organ transplant, Gene therapy. 10.5 Applications in Industry and Agriculture - Production of expensive enzymes, strain improvement to scale up bioprocesses, GM crops by transfer of genes for nitrogen fixation, herbicide-resistance and pest-resistance including Bt crops.

Examination Description

The total duration of the exam is 3 hours. All the questions are of multiple choice types. The total questions will be 150 and the maximum marks 450. Therefore, each question carries 3 marks. There is a penalty for every incorrect answer therefore it is safe to leave the unknown question unanswered. The number of question in each part is as follows:

Part-I Physics - 40 questions

Part-II Chemistry - 40 questions

Part-III Mathematics/Biology (For B. Pharm)- 45 questions

Part-IV (a) English Proficiency) -15 questions (b) Logical Reasoning - 10 questions

Scores needed to clear the Exam

The minimum marks requires for admission in any program in any of the three campuses is 258+. Last year 258 was the minimum marks for B. Pharm. course in GOA campus. If one is planning for B.E course then they need to score above 300. If it is able to score more than 350 out of 450 then one can get a good seat in the first counseling.

Preparation Strategy

BITSAT exam comes in the month of May and by the mid of April, JEE-Mains are done. Therefore, take time to clear the doubts and difficulties faced during the exam.

It is always better to know one's own strengths and weakness so that it will be easy to prepare a study plan accordingly. For this reason, analyze the BITSAT pattern and syllabus.

Plan up a preparation schedule and follow the study plan religiously. This is the most important thing to enhance one's own preparation.

Time management is very important therefore learn to manage the time between preparation and revision.

Revising the topics and reviewing one's own self is very important and for this purpose practice a lot of model question papers.

Make sure to thorough all the previous year question papers and prepare your own self for the computerized test to familiarize with it.

During leisure time, practice easy tips and tricks to polish the calculation skills so that most of the time used for these calculations in the examination can be saved.

Spending time to prepare for English Proficiency and Logical Reasoning is very important as this is the most fetching part for scoring high marks.

Plan up a time limit for individual sections/parts as this will help to manage time in the examination.

Important Dates*

Exam Notification - Last week of December 2015
Availability of Application form - 24th Dec 2015 onwards
Last date for On-line submission - 20th Feb 2016
Test center allotment - 25th Feb 2016
Candidates to reserve test dates - 1st March - 21st March 2016
Download of Hall ticket - 15th April - 30th April 2016
BITSAT Online test - 14th May - 29th May 2016
Declaration of Result - 25thth May 2016
Applying for admission with 12th marks and Degree program preferences - 20th May - 30th May 2016
Display of Answer key - 18th - 22nd June, 2016
Admit card and wait list announcement - 1st July 2016
*all the dates mentioned are tentative and so are liable for change

Reference books for BITSAT preparation:

1. A Complete Success Package (With CD): Comprehensive Coverage of NCERT Syllabus for Classes 11 and 12 (English) 4th Edition by Arihant Publication.

2. BITSAT Explorer by One Learn Education.

3. BITSAT English Proficiency and Logical Reasoning Comprehensive Guide to BITSAT Online Test - with Mock Test CD by Disha Experts.

4. BITSAT Class 11th and 12th English text books.

5. 12 Practice Papers BITSAT PB 8th Edition by G K P.

6. Physics - HCV Arihant; objective book and for challenging questions - Irodov

7. Chemistry - Common Physical - RC Mukherjee, Organic - Morisson and Boyd, Inorganic - NCERT and class notes.

8. Mathematics - TMH Objective Maths, for challenging problems - MTG Olympiad questions.

9. For 350+ online tests with instant results and track performance, try the easy - clay6 mobile/web app

Exam guide Link:

http://www.bitsadmission.com/bitsat/bitsat2015_brochure.pdf

Application format Link:

http://www.bitsadmission.com/bitsatmain.aspx?id=2052015

Contact Details:

Website: www.bitsadmission.com
Address: The Admissions Officer, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani - 333 031 Rajasthan
Phone: 01596-242205, 01596-515294/330
Fax: 01596-244183
Email: admnoc@pilani.bits-pilani.ac.in

Extra Questions

1. What minimum/maximum combination of 12th board scores (CBSE or other) should I get, to avail a seat in any one of the BITS campuses?

The candidate should have obtained a minimum of aggregate 75% marks in PCM subjects (if he/she has taken Mathematics in BITSAT) or a minimum of aggregate 75% marks in PCB subjects (if he/she has taken Biology in BITSAT) in 12th class examination, with at least 60% marks in each of the Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics/Biology subjects. Hence, if you score more than 60 and your PCM aggregate is greater than 75% than you are eligible for admission.

2. Will preparation for JEE-Mains be enough to prepare for the BITSAT entrance exam?

If you are a science student in standard 12 giving JEE-Mains, chances are that you would also be giving BITSAT. With serious preparation for JEE-Mains, you don't have to put in much effort to study anything extra for BITSAT. Some topics are different from JEE-Mains but most of the topics are similar to BITSAT. While JEE-Mains is considered to be tough and concentrates more on the problem solving ability, BITSAT is relatively simpler and focuses more on speed and accuracy. Problem solving questions are definitely there in BITSAT, but they are of a much lesser difficulty than JEE-Mains. Also, the topics that are not covered in JEE-Mains but are there for BITSAT are definitely asked, so you should do well to read up on those topics. In addition, a few books for BITSAT are also available, but they are not of much use if you already know the JEE-Mains concepts well.

3. How can I predict the cutoff marks for BITSAT -2016 and does it vary considerably in different campuses?

Based on the previous year cutoff scores, you can easily figure out BITSAT expected cutoff scores for 2016. Students should note that the cut-off scores vary from year to year. The trend shows that the cutoff scores for a particular course at a particular campus vary only slightly.

4. What ranks can I predict for my scores and what is the possibility for higher ranking?

The BITSAT marks vs. rank is based on the past 3-4 years data of the rank obtained by students against the marks scored in the BITSAT exam conducted by BITS Pilani. Candidates who have scored less than 225 in BITSAT exam may not get admission in BITS Pilani, Goa, and Hyderabad. The results declaration will be based solely on BITSAT scores of eligible candidates only. In case of a tie for a rank in the BITSAT merit list, candidates will be given preference in the following order:

Candidates with higher scores in Mathematics will have the higher rank,

If tie is still not broken, Candidates with higher score in Physics will have the higher rank,

If tie is still not broken, Candidates with higher score in Chemistry will have the higher rank.

If there is still a tie between the candidates, the marks of the students in PCM in Class XII board examination will be used as tie-breaker.

5. Is there separate cutoff for separate parts in BITSAT exam?

NO! There is no subject wise cutoff. First, the overall total marks are tallied with other students who have scored same marks because it if highly possible for more than 1 student to get the same marks as many students take-up the test. The marks are checked in the order - Maths, Physics and Chemistry.

6. Currently I am studying12th class. In which way should I prepare for BITSAT? Can I study from home or should I join extra classes to get selected?

It is a common sight of many students joining coaching centers. In the initial few months, they are very enthusiastic but their excitement begins to die out as they try solving Irodov's physics, Olympiad questions, and other hard stuff. That is the point where your rank gets almost decided whether you will be getting ranks under 100,1000, etc. or will even get selected or not.

For this purpose, it is always important to stick to this particular plan as given below.

Put up a rough schedule according to the 12th classes, tuitions (and if going for extra entrance coaching classes).

Build very strong basic concepts.

Never hesitate in learning new concepts

Always analyze your paper and the short comings.

Do not go for too many books as it creates confusion and fear.

Never get stressed out doing too much stuff and therefore take up some form of games for relaxation (definitely never social networking!!)

Enjoy your preparation.

7. Is there a direct admission to Board Toppers without writing BITSAT Exam?

The good news is YES!! There is direct admission for highly meritorious students from all over India. The Institute will give direct admission to first rank students of all the central and state boards to the programme of their choice, irrespective of their BITSAT-2014 score. While the first rank student in PCM stream will be considered for admission to any of the first degree programmes of his/her choice, the first rank holder of PCB stream will be considered for admission to B. Pharm. (Hons.) programme only.

8. What is the total number of seats allocated for each course in different campuses across India?

The facilities of the Institute are pronounced invariably in terms of the ratio of seats allotted between the different programmes (irrespective of the campuses) rather than in terms of a fixed number of seats. The total number of admissions made may vary from year to year. The change in the total number of seats takes place primarily to adjust to the requirements of a highly flexible system which accommodates dual degree. Therefore, it wholly depends upon the no. of students clearing the final iteration.

9. If I do not get selected, will all my efforts go in vain?

"Success is the sum of small efforts put in day in and day out". Therefore, if one does not clear BITSAT exam, all the efforts that they have put in for years will definitely not go in vain as it will bring fruits at the right time and at the right place, in the future.

10. Is there caste-wise cutoff marks in BITSAT Exam?

No!! There is no caste-wise cutoff marks in BITSAT Exam like other competitive examinations. Cutoff is only based on the marks scored in the BITSAT Exam and the ranking thus obtained. The 12th board examination marks are also considered. Apart from this, there are no other criteria under which the cutoff marks are derived.