National exams are an experience many applicants look forward to and fear at the same time. That’s natural, because an important part of your future depends on the results of the exam season.
Success isn’t determined by knowledge alone. It also matters how you choose your subjects, how you divide up your preparation period, and how you handle the exam day itself. In this blog, we’ll talk about exactly these issues, and Alte University will share information that will make the process easier for you to understand.
Start by choosing a program, then narrow down the subjects
A large number of applicants begin preparing by choosing subjects, meaning they first decide what to take and only then think about which bachelor’s program they want to continue their studies in. This order often leads to mistakes, since the combination of subjects is closely tied to specific academic programs.
At universities, applicants are usually admitted based on three subjects. The exception is the medical field, where passing four subjects is mandatory, as well as arts and creative programs, which also include an internal competition.
Accordingly, before marking your subjects, you need to review specific programs in advance. For example, if you’re interested in the bachelor’s program in psychology, it’s very important to find out which third subject Alte University requires and how much weight it carries.
Set your priorities correctly when putting together your ranking list
During registration, an applicant creates a ranking list of academic programs, which means an ordered list of the programs where they want to continue studying.
This matters because the system checks the list in order. For example, if the bachelor’s program in law is your priority, it should definitely be placed at the top of the list so that, based on your scores, the system considers that choice first.
Another important detail is that you can make changes to your ranking list until the day after the appeal results are published. If your exam results change your expectations, you’ll still have a chance to review the list. Still, the exact deadlines change every year. You can get information about this on the website of the National Assessment and Examinations Center.
Divide your preparation period according to the difficulty of the subjects
The preparation period is individual for every applicant. For some, six months is enough, while others need a full year. But alongside the length of preparation, it also matters how your time is divided across subjects.
Initially, which subject requires the most study time must be assessed by you. Special time should be devoted to preparing in mathematics if a computer science program is where you plan to continue your studies, because knowledge of technical subjects matters in this field. Simultaneously, the subjects in which you already feel confident should not be ignored. Although crossing the minimum competency threshold is less doubtful in those cases, your main focus should be placed not only on getting past the barrier, but also on earning the highest score possible.
Reviewing exam tests from previous years is one of the most effective methods. The structure of the test, the types of tasks, and the level of difficulty are almost the same from year to year, so working on real tests will help you not only check your knowledge, but also manage your time better.
Pay special attention to details
Factors not directly tied to academic knowledge often affect the result on exam day. For example, an incorrectly filled answer sheet or a damaged barcode can invalidate the paper, even when you have finished every task correctly.
Remember that examiners grade only the answer sheet, while they view notes on the draft sheet as working material. You must not fold or damage the answer sheet. Writing your first name, last name, or any identifying marks on it is not allowed, as this provides a reason to invalidate the paper.
You must bring your exam card and an identity document with you to the exam. If you wish, you can also bring a black gel pen with a 0.5 to 0.7 mm ballpoint tip.
Bringing in a mobile phone, electronic watch, calculator, or any other technical device is strictly forbidden. If such an item is found, you’ll be removed from the exam without warning, whether the device was turned on or not.
Try to stay calm on exam day
Stress during an exam is a natural reaction that almost every applicant experiences. The main thing is not to let that feeling turn into panic, which gets in the way of thinking clearly.
At the start of the exam, it’s best to look through the whole test so you can identify the types of tasks in advance and set aside an estimated amount of time for each of them. Don’t stay on one question for too long, and if you’re having trouble recalling the answer, it’s better to move on to the next task and come back to the harder ones later.
When the proctor reminds you that ten minutes remain before the exam ends, you should check your work. Ensure that all answers have been moved to the answer sheet. You must also make sure that nothing important remains on the draft paper.
Follow the procedures carefully after the results are published
In the initial phase, the National Assessment and Examinations Center (NAEC) releases the raw scores on its portal, meaning the base points you gained on the exams. During this period, you are able to view and, if required, download digital copies of your response forms. If you are unhappy with the mark you were given, you can challenge the rating in a particular topic. The appeal form needs to be completed online, and the dates for appeal results will be posted on the NAEC website.
After the appeal process is completed, the stage of final results begins. At this point, ranking is done on the basis of scaled scores, and all applicants are distributed across programs according to their competition score. The competition score is calculated by multiplying each subject’s scaled score by the relevant coefficient and then adding them together.
Detailed information about subjects, coefficients, and admission conditions is available in the programs section of Alte University’s website if you want to include one of their programs in your ranking list. You will need to contact the relevant university directly to register and obtain student status once you learn that you have been admitted to business administration or another desired field.
