The BITSAT or the Birla Institute of Technology and Science Admission Test is the entrance exam administered by the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, a university and an all-India higher educational institution for men and women. Let us look at the BITSAT previous papers which can help aspiring students ace the entrance examination.
BITS Pilani has one campus in Dubai and three in India, in Pilani, Goa, and Hyderabad. The exam entails four segments, with questions from Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics/Biology (for B. Pharma candidates), English Proficiency and Logical Reasoning.
Students can sign up to take the test online on the BITS Pilani website, by registering as a candidate and booking a slot for the exam. Slots are granted on a first come-first serve basis and are administered in select testing centres. Information for tests centres, the deadline for the application, and booking options can be found on the linked website.
The BITSAT will consist of a multiple-choice segment, testing on each of the aforementioned subjects. To ensure you are successful on your exam, practicing from previous exams is highly recommended. Here you can find a compilation of past papers (2008-2009, 2011-2013) and solutions, through which you can test your existing knowledge, fill in the gaps, and double check your work. Since the tests have become web-based since 2013, recent question and solution sets are not available.
Possible Test Components
Based on the BITSAT previous papers from 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013, we found a few common themes and subjects covered. This by no means is guaranteed to show up on the next examination but provides an idea of the information you should familiarize yourself with.
The Mathematics segment in previous exams have covered a combination of algebraic problems, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. In Physics, motion, energy, thermodynamics, and electricity may be covered, amongst other topics. The Chemistry section in the past exams included questions on energy, ionic character, hybridization, and chemical reactions. For English, questions may include reading comprehension, sentence correction and grammar, and questions on synonyms, antonyms and word choice. Lastly, the Critical Thinking and Reasoning segment may see questions such as matching patters, number sequences, analogies, and various inferencing and problems solving exercises.
How will these BITSAT previous papers help me?
As with any such standardized exams, it is most important to practice test taking in order to be successful on the day of the exam. Here are a few tips for how to use these BITSAT previous papers for preparation:
- Practice from the tests as if they were the real exam. This means, time yourself according to the actual test, and complete the practice exam in one go. BITSAT exams are administered for 3 hours, online, and are taken without a break.
- Use the BITSAT previous papers as a diagnostic tool to help you understand the areas of your strength and weakness. This means, after you’ve taken the test, go through the answers to see which questions were tricky or unanswerable. Use online resources to better understand these problem areas, and to master them.
- Use these BITSAT previous papers to work on your speed. You will not need equal time for each segment of the test, as you identify your strong suit. As you progress from the first past paper to the next, working on managing your time for each section so that you can save time for the sections you find more difficult or that which require more of your attention.
Here are some previous years’ BITSAT papers for your reference.
Quick Information
Now that you’ve read through the list of subjects covered under each subject, you’re possibly panicking a little. Don’t sweat it. This is an exam, like any other, and you’ve got experience with those, remember? Below is some important information about upcoming BITSAT exams for the 2018 BITS Pilani admission cycle.
| Event | Date |
| Online tests | May 16-31, 2018 |
| Admissions Applications with 12th marks and preferences | May 1-18th, 2018 |
| The announcement of admissions and waitlist | June 20, 2018 |
Exam information and results will be available online on the BITS Pilani website (linked above). When the results are released, the Merit List will be announced for the admitted students and the waitlisted students in two separate lists.
In the event of a tie, while allocating merit, the following mechanism is used to deliberate and break the tie:
- Mathematics or Biology (for B. Pharm) will be used to break the tie
- Scores obtained in Physics will be used for tie-breaking
- Chemistry scores will be used for tie-breaking
- Total marks for PCM/PCB in the 12th examination will be used to separate
While taking exams, and especially entrance exams seem like a really big deal, it is important to keep calm while preparing and taking the exam to ensure positive outcomes. The information compiled here, and the practice that can be garnered from the BITSAT previous papers will be instrumental in all preparation endeavours!
