Students’ Speak: Comparison Between TISSNET 2019 and TISSNET 2020

By: Aman Kumar

The exam level was moderate but if you have a good grasp of Statistics then you could score more. Because it would be beneficial to score more in Data Interpretation and General Awareness. According to several candidates who appeared for the exam, solving mock tests and past years' papers helps in obtaining a high score in the exam.

Tata Institute of Social Sciences National Entrance Test (TISSNET 2019) was held on January 13 in an online mode. The exam was held in 39 cities across the country in a single session.  There were 100 questions, totally MCQ-based and the time limit was 100 minutes. The questions were of a total of 100 marks, which means each question carried one mark. There was no negative marking. There were a total of three sections, including Quantitative Ability and Logical Reasoning, English Proficiency and General Knowledge.  These three sections were divided into six areas that were General Awareness, Logical Reasoning, Mathematics, Data Interpretation, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension. The number of questions in each of these sections were 30, 30 and 40, respectively.

On the other hand, TISSNET 2020 was conducted on January 4 in the same exam pattern. Moreover, TISSNET 2021, which is scheduled to be conducted on February 20, will also follow the same exam structure and marking scheme. The table below brings the TISSNET exam pattern. 

TISSNET Exam Pattern

Along with the section-wise number of questions, the expected difficulty level is also given in the table.

Subject	Questions per section	Difficulty Level
General Awareness	40 MCQs	Moderate to Difficult
English Proficiency	30 MCQs	Moderate
Mathematical Skills and Logical Reasoning	30 MCQs	Easy
Total	100 MCQs	Moderate

You have to keep in mind that out 30 questions in Quantitative Ability, 14 were directly from Data Interpretation. So, be fully focused on this area of Quantitative Ability. In the General Awareness section, questions were mostly asked from Statistics and Current Affairs. However, in overall comparison, General Awareness questions were too easy when compared to other sections. The exam level was moderate but if you have a good grasp on Statistics then you could score more. Because it would be beneficial to score more in Data Interpretation and General Awareness. And according to many candidates who appeared for the exam, told that if you to score more then be fully concentrated on mock papers in the last month of the preparation of the exam.

TISSNET Cut Off and Difficulty Level

Last year, the cutoffs for the Open category was between 72-76 marks and for SC/STs it was 62-64 marks. In 2019, the difficulty level of questions was moderate. However, General Awareness questions were of easy to moderate and high difficulty levels. On the other hand, in 2020, Mathematical Skills and Logical Reasoning section was the easiest, whereas the General Awareness section was moderate to tough. The overall difficulty level was moderate. 

Now coming to the TISSNET 2021, the exam will also be conducted in a computer-based mode. The total number of questions will be 100. The exam pattern will remain the same as in previous years. 

Preparation Tips for TISSNET 2021

it’s my personal advice to you all that according to previous year’s selection if are able to solve approximately 23- 25 questions in Quantitative Ability and Logical Reasoning then it will be satisfactory for the selection in the next stage and according to many students, Data Interpretation was totally time-consuming. In general, the pattern will be the same for this year too for English Proficiency that is if you are able to solve approx 25-27 questions then the chances of selection will be high (according to the previous year’s analysis). And Majority of questions in Quantitative ability, LR and DI were easy to moderate.

All the best for the examination!

About the Author:

Aman Kumar is an MBA student at Lovely Professional University with experience in marketing, banking, educational management and strategy. Some of the key skills include leadership, team building and strategy-focused work along with problem-handling skills. Experienced in crop residue management, Kumar has worked as an intern at Bihar State Milk Federation (COMFED).