SET Exam Preparation Tips to Ace General English Section
Symbiosis Entrance Test 2025 ( SET )
Admit Card - 25 Apr '25
The General English section of the SET exam is usually easy but is an important section. Read key tips to crack the General English section of SET exam in the article below.
SET General English Preparation: Scoring well in the SET exam’s General English section is not very tough if one is prepared well and has a stronghold on the language. Preparing in a planned manner will fetch you good marks. General English is an important section of the Symbiosis Entrance Test and those who wish to apply for the SET exam 2025 must be well-versed with the SET exam syllabus and exam pattern to be able to fetch a good score in the exam. Read the article below to know some preparation tips and tricks to ace the General English section of the SET exam.
SET 2025 General English: An Overview
As per the past few years' SET exam analysis, the General English section of the SET exam is easy. This section assesses the candidate’s hold on the English language. The section could be scoring as it does not involve any formulae and theorems to remember and solely depends on how well you know the basics. The General English section examines the aspirant’s understanding of basic grammar, vocabulary and use and application of the English language. Look at some of the important points to remember below:
- There are 16 multiple-choice questions in the General English section
- Each question carries one mark
- There will be no negative markings in case of wrong attempts
- An attempt of 10-13 questions with accuracy will be considered a good attempt
Also Read:
SET 2025 General English Syllabus
The questions in the General English section of the SET exam can be asked from the topics mentioned below. Check the following table to know the important topics:
| Important topics for SET 2025 General English Section |
|
|---|---|
| Synonyms |
Antonyms |
| Error Spotting |
|
| Vocabulary and its applications |
Grammar |
| Analogy |
Fill in the blanks |
| Reading Comprehensions |
|
| Idioms and Phrases |
|
| Tenses |
|
Also Read:
| Pronouns with exercises | Subject-Verb Agreement exercises | Phrases Modifiers with exercises |
Best Books for SET 2025: General English
The following is the list of best books for the General English section of the SET exam. Check the recommended books below:
Explore popular BBA colleges for you
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There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.| Book name |
Author/Publisher |
|---|---|
| High School English Grammar and Composition Key |
Wren and Martin |
| Word Power Made Easy |
Norman Lewis |
| Objective General English |
SP Bakshi |
| How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT |
Arun Sharma & Meenakshi Upadhyay |
To crack the General English section, read as much as you can. It is a tried and tested method. Developing a reading habit will be helpful to score well in this section. Make it a habit to read newspapers, magazines, books and novels to strengthen your vocabulary and grammar. Refer to various study materials and help books available online and offline.
Q: Is SET exam difficult?
Q: What is the difficulty level of SET (Symbiosis Entrance Test)?
SET is a national-level entrance exam conducted for admission to various undergraduate courses. SET 2025 will be conducted in the computer-based test mode. The difficulty level of the SET exam is usually easy to moderate. But, a few questions might trick your mind and can be time-consuming. General Knowledge and Analytical and Logical Reasoning are easier than the Quantitative Aptitude section. In 2024, according to the students who appeared for the SET session 1 exam, the SET exam was moderate. The General English section was the easiest of all the four sections. The Quantitative Aptitude section was the toughest and the other two sections were moderate to easy. The overall difficulty level of the SET question paper was moderate. Students who appeared for the SET 2024 session 2 exam said that the overall difficulty level was easy. Again, the General English section was the easiest. In this session, the Analytical and Logical Reasoning section was also easy to moderate. The Quant section was easy to moderate and the General Knowledge section was difficult.
Q: How should I prepare for the SET exam?
Also Read: Best books for SET exam preparation
| Quantitative Aptitude Preparation Tips for SET | Logical Reasoning Preparation Tips for SET |
SET 2025 Preparation Tips to Ace General English Section
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As mentioned above, to ace this section, one needs to have a stronghold over the basics of the language. Reading enough will help you score well in the exam. Check out some of the SET preparation tips to crack the General English section below:
- Develop a habit of reading newspapers, magazines, books, etc. Make sure you read something daily for an hour. Jot down the new and unfamiliar words that you come across and immediately check the meaning of that word. This will help in improving your reading skills and at the same time enrich your vocabulary. The English comprehension skills can be improved with reading.
- Try understanding the root meaning when approaching the vocabulary section. Read about the meanings of prefixes and suffixes and focus on etymology. There are many words that change meanings in different contexts. Study words in terms of their meaning, origin and usage. Focus on understanding the nuances, context, usage, structure and formation of the words and sentences.
- Practicing as much as you can will help in the Grammar section. Begin the SET preparation by studying the fundamentals. Make short note of definitions with examples and regularly revise them. Questions like editing and omitting and word substitution are the most common Grammar questions in entrance exams. Prepare for grammar like Maths. There is no other way of acing questions based on English grammar but by having conceptual clarity of the fundamentals.
- To attempt the reading comprehension passages, develop reading speed. Speed is a critical component of the exam. Reading quickly and carefully is important to tactfully attempt the questions. The passages are usually easy but still require careful reading. Make sure you read the passage first and then the questions. Read the questions twice just to be clear on what is asked.
- Revision goes a long way in preparation for any competitive exam. Attempt an ample number of sample papers and mock tests after completing the syllabus. Practice and read as much as you can. These two will help you get through the General English section with a good score in hand. Even though there is no negative marking, but attempt those questions first which you are sure of. You can always come back to a tricky question and attempt it later. Having said that, another thing to keep in mind is that SET is a time-based exam hence candidates must keep a check on that too.
Q: What is a good score in SET exam?
Previously, the SET exam had 150 questions. They were reduced to 60 multiple-choice questions in the year 2021, and the duration of the exam was also reduced proportionally. Check out the table below to know what can be considered a good score in SET exam according to the previous years' analysis:
| Section | Total Marks | Good Score |
|---|---|---|
| General English | 16 | 12-14 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 16 | 10-12 |
| General Awareness | 16 | 11-12 |
| Analytical and Logical Reasoning | 12 | 9-10 |
Q: How can I crack SET in 3 months?
One can easily crack SET in three months. Here are a few tips:
- Time Management: Calculate the estimate time you are giving for preparations and divide it equally as per the syllabus. Adjust your time and try to solve each question within the prescribed timing. Make a suitable time-table for preparation as per your routine and include short breaks between the longer study periods. Divide the preparation in several steps and complete them one by one.
- Prepare as per Syllabus: Firstly, gather all the information about the officially prescribed syllabus for SET Exam. Each question paper of this exam will contain different sections. Include every single topic of the syllabus in your preparation as per the courses opted.
- Study Material and Previous Year Question Papers: Students can prepare for this exam through the study materials available in the book stores or Internet. Mock tests are also a good way for preparations of the exam. Students can practice the mock test and work on their difficult points. Students can also practice the previous year question papers of this exam. This will help students to understand the type of questions, question weightage and pattern of the exam.
- Maintain Health: A good health is an important thing which is required for a good exam preparation. A healthy mind and body will help you to concentrate on your studies. Take a nutritious diet in preparation time. Include fresh fruits and veggies in your diet and avoid oily and junk food. Practice Yoga and Meditation this will help students to concentrate better in the studies.
Q: How can I crack SET in 6 months?
Q: What is a good score for SET BBA?
In 2024, SET was conducted in two phase, i.e. Test 01 and Test 02. According to the SET analysis and student's relations, the difficult level of the exam is easy to moderate in both the sessions. A good score in SET BBA exam can be subjective but if we look at the analysis, then the following can be termed as a good score in SET:
Section | Number of Questions | Difficult Level | Good Score |
|---|---|---|---|
General English | 16 | Easy | 12-14 |
Quantitative Aptitude | 16 | Difficult | 10-11 |
General Awareness | 16 | Easy-Moderate | 11-12 |
Analytical and Logical Reasoning | 12 | Easy-Moderate | 9-10 |
Q: What is the ideal time to prepare for SET exam?
Aspirants should start preparing for the SET exam at least six months before the test date. SET preparation requires planning thus one must start early. They can also join coaching institutes for focused preparation. Starting early will also help you assess that whether you need to join a coaching institute or not. Divide your preparation into three phases - 1. Covering the syllabus 2. Practicing mock tests, sample questions and 3. Revision.
The SET syllabus includes the following topics:
General English: Parajumbles, Sentence Completion, Grammar, Comprehension Passages, Synonyms and Antonyms, etc.
Logical Reasoning: Tables, Graphs, Pie Charts, Blood Relation, Seating Arrangement, Strong and Weak Arguments, and Syllogism
Quantitative Aptitude: Geometry, Algebra Number System Arithmetic, Mensuration etc.
General Awareness: Companies and Founders, Awards, Books and Authors, Sports, Politics, Current Affairs, etc.
You can read the following SET books for exam preparation:
- A New Approach to Reasoning by BS Sijawali
- Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha
- Multi-Dimensional Reasoning by Mishra Kumar and Dr Lal
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
- High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren & Martin
- How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Arun Sharma
- Class 9 and Class 10 NCERT Mathematics books
- Quantitative Aptitude by R. S Aggarwal
- Manorama Year Book
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 9 hours ago
Hi Jessini,
Could you please clarify which exam you're referring to? Different exams have varied marking schemes and cut-off criteria for Paper 1, Paper 2, and combined scores. Once you specify the exam (like UGC NET, JEE, etc.), I can provide accurate details.
Looking forward to your response!
A
Contributor-Level 9
Answered Yesterday
It is recommended to start the SET preparation at least six months in advance. Students can prepare for the SET exam within six months if they out in enough effort and dedication to clearing and scoring well in the exam. The SET exam is easy to moderate in terms of the difficulty level and can be ea
S
Beginner-Level 3
Answered a week ago
The SET application form 2025 was released on December 6, 2025. Candidates who are interested in appearing for the exam can register on the set-test.org website till April 12, 2025. The application fee payment window will also close on the same day. Candidates must note that the SET application fo
R
Beginner-Level 3
Answered 4 weeks ago
Some of the ways to avoid common mistakes in the SET exam are:
- Students should try to develop a strategic approach by allocating specific time slots to each section during the SET preparation and give priority to the easier questions.
- Students should not underestimate SET mock tests. Students should t
R
Beginner-Level 2
Answered 4 weeks ago
Candidates can only attempt the SET exam twice on the given test dates, i.e. May 5 and May 11. The SET exam 2025 will be conducted on two days (one session each day). Candidates can mention their number of attempts while filling the SET application form. However, they have to pay the application fee
R
Beginner-Level 3
Answered a month ago
Hi Anushka,
To apply for Business & Management Studies through the SET and CUET exams, follow these steps:
Symbiosis Entrance Test (SET):
Registration: Visit the official SET website and register by providing your basic details.
Application Form: Complete the online application form with accurate perso
A
Contributor-Level 9
Answered a month ago
The SET syllabus is not available for download because the SET exam authority, SIU, does not provide any details other than the exam sections related to the SET syllabus. Aspirants who want to appear in SET can refer to the syllabus of other BBA entrance exams similar to SET to get an idea of the to
M
Beginner-Level 3
Answered 2 months ago
Questions on mathematics in the SET exam are based on Class 10 and Class 12 levels. The SET entrance is a popular BBA exam that the students can take after Class 12. The difficulty level of the SET exam is usually easy. The SET question paper is divided into four sections, i.e. General English, Quan
Contributor-Level 10
SET is a speed-based test which is designed to assess a candidate's analytical aptitude, logical reasoning skills, Quantitative Aptitude and English comprehension. It may sound tough, but these are the skills which we are taught in school so there is nothing new to learn. What is required is to brush on these subjects and topics. All you will need is to brush up on the basics and practice the concepts on advance level problems. Students should solve previous years question papers, attempt an ample number of mock tests and be consistent to score well in the SET exam. Having said that, the preparation for the SET exam requires focus, dedication, discipline and diligence. If you can do that, despite being an average student, you can crack the SET exam. SET is one of the easiest BBA entrance exams and a good preparation strategy can help you crack the SET exam with a good score. Generally, the toughest section of the SET question paper is Quantitative Aptitude. But with daily practice and focusing on understanding the fundamentals, this section of the SET exam can be handled easily.