How To Crack The Entrance

       Friends, what you have read till now, is just the beginning. The most crucial part in the entire process, is to pass the entrance & gain the sponsorship. The entrance of all the companies is similar. First a written aptitude test, then an interview & then a medical. But you have to pass in all the 3 stages to get the sponsorship.But don't worry, I am here to guide you through the entire procedure. Luckily, the aptitude exam does not have negative marking, so chill, relax, & hit your answer when in doubt ;)

       So, about the test, the test contains of 4 sections, each containing 50 MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions), a total of 200 MCQs to be answered in 2 hours. The number of questions may vary from company to company, but the basic structure is the same. The 4 sections are:

1. General Aptitude
2. Professional Knowledge
3. Reasoning
4. English Skills

       Since General Aptitude & Professional Knowledge is a little tougher than the other 2, its better to go for the other 2 first. In this way, you can save time & score more. Usually, number of people writing the exam is in thousands, & people getting selected is even less than a hundred. So the odds of getting selected are pretty less, unless you can bang a great score. People say, that they have contacts, & will easily get selected in the company, but its only after you have passed the written exam, coz a separate organization manages the exam & only forwards the qualified students' list to the company. So, whatever contacts you have, keep them aside & concentrate on the written exam.

       First go for the Reasoning & English Skills section. These are very easy to solve, but if you get confused with some questions, leave them & go for the next, we will see about those questions in the end ;)

       Now start with the Professional Knowledge, the questions will be mainly based on IC Engines, Boilers, Rankine Cycle, Refrigeration & Ship's structure. Now I am here to guide you through the test, not the syllabus, so please guys, if you don't know the Ship's structure & all these basic things, I am sorry to inform you, you are not fit to be a Marine Engineer, so please stop reading & find another job. :(

       Sometimes there will be even numerical on Thermodynamics, but if you are not able to solve it, its okay, even i couldn't solve during my exam ;) Leave the questions that you cannot solve, again, we will see about them later. ;)

       Now start the General Aptitude section, this my friends is the worst section. And guys, keep this in mind, no calculators are allowed in the exam, so you do have to know the tricks in aptitude. Try solving the easy questions & the ones which you have practiced, first. Then move on to the tougher ones, & ya, keep an eye on the clock. Again, leave the questions which you cannot solve, we will see them later ;)

       So, now all the sections are completed, but with some questions here & there remaining. If you have some time remaining, try solving those questions.

       As for the questions which you really cannot solve or guess the answers, mark them all 'C'. According to a research done, using permutations & combinations, the probability of an answer being 'C' is the highest. So never hesitate to mark the answer 'C' when not sure or can't solve ;)

       When you pass the written exam, then comes the interview. Interviews are easy, just turn up to be a decent gentleman, proper formals, with tie & black shoes. If you do it, half of your work is done here itself. Now the interview will be taken by a minimum of 3 people, 1 will be a technical person, 1 HR person & 1 psychiatrist. The technical person will ask you mainly about IC Engines & Boilers. The HR person will mainly ask about activities & hobbies. But the main guy you have to impress in an interview is the psychiatrist. Only on the psychiatrist's permission the company will sponsor you. A psychiatrist will test you for suicidal behavior. When the psychiatrist asks you why you want to join Merchant Navy, tell them just 1 thing, coz you  would like to work with machines rather than on a table, & be yourself, don't take tension ;)

       Once you are done with the interview, its just the medical that stands between you & the sponsorship. Now this is a thing that no one can help you with. If you are not fit, can't help you there guys. Once you are through all these tests, you are good to go. You are just one step away from becoming a Marine Engineer, & that's TRAINING!!!

       Be sure to check my new posts, they will be what happens during Training, & how to survie it & be a Marine Engineer :)