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DQ Labs is the best coaching institute when it comes to help students make their career in the field of architecture, fashion and design.

We provide online and classroom coaching for entrance exams like NATA, NIFT, NID, CEED, and UCEED. We have coaching centres in cities like Bangalore, Pune, Chennai, Mangalore, and Thrissur.

 Visit https://www.dqlabs.in/ for more details.

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DQ Labs Jayanagar NID, NIFT students attending product design workshop taken by faculties from Anant National University, Ahmedabad. 

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DQ Labs students work!!

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https://www.dqlabs.in/images/2017%20Cut%20Off%20-%20JEE%20Paper%202%20(Architecture)%20-%20Closing%20Ranks%20(General%20Merit).JPG

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DQ Labs students visit to Total Environment- Appreciating Architecture, Design and Environment

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Visit to Total Environment exclusively for students of DQ Labs

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NIFT 2018 Topper (All India Rank-2) Sirigowri, student of DQ Labs on Radio 94.3 Radio 1

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Shine with the Star - A chat with our NATA Topper

As NATA exams are around the corner and students are feeling the heat (either ways!) DQ Labs thought of cooling it off with a chilled out interview of their NATA 2017 topper Poornima Subramanian.

She scored a total of 171 marks in NATA 2017 and secured 2nd rank in Karnataka CET. She credits her success to the continuous and regular support provided by DQ Labs, both through their regular classroom coaching and online, through their learning portal, DQ Edge, DQ Blogs and their YouTubechannel.

She is currently pursuing B.Des. at IIT Guwahati and took out some time from her tight packed schedule, to talk to us in order to help you guide better in writing your NATA Entrance Exam.

Nishtha Nautiyal on behalf of DQ Labs brings you a part of the chat.

Nishtha: How did you prepare for NATA?

Poornima: Constant practise is the key to success. I practiced either through mock tests on DQ Edge or reading up the DQ Labs Books and watched documentaries to cool off. Getting my mock tests immediately reviewed and most importantly re-attempting drawing questions with a new perspective was something DQ labs focused on which helped fast-track the preps.

Nishtha: How long did it take you to prepare?

Poornima: I prepared over the span of two years where DQ Labs’ offline course was well spaced out and this helped in avoiding monotony and learning design, parallel to my school curriculum.

Nishtha: What resources did you have? What was the ultimate resource you relied on?

Poornima: DQ Edge’s online database helped a lot for theory studies. DQ mock tests (there were at least a hundred), helped me gain the rhythm to solve papers in time. There were some materials that I procured myself (like books for verbal non-verbal and math, quizzing apps like quizup for G.K) which I read along with the DQ Books, as well as quizzing shows that come on T.V. helped a lot in attempting the aptitude part.

Nishtha: What were your feelings/emotions during the preps?

Poornima: I had a good amount of stress at first but after I found my rhythm I started enjoying the prep because I saw it as a way to break the everyday pattern from my school life. It was something I enjoyed, and with DQ to help you, you have nothing to worry about.

Nishtha: How did you balance your boards and NATA preps?

Poornima: A good timetable! I need a timetable to prioritize my time as I was preparing for design as well. So during boards, design and architecture prep were stress busters.

Nishtha: What things do you think you could/ should change in your preps to get better results?

Poornima: Working smarter rather than harder.

Applying a method of elimination rather than selection in MCQs and working on conceptual ideation in drawing is something that, if focused well within time help achieve good scores.

Also trying to develop aesthetic sensibility which helps me in the long run

Nishtha: What was your exam strategy?

Poornima: exam strategy- to cover as much variety as possible, to always scrap the first few ideas as every second student would have thought of it, to get inspiration from documentaries and films and portfolios

Nishtha: How did you intend to write the exam?

(Both before attempting and while writing the exam)

Poornima: Time management is of the essence. I always try to finish theory within the first hour so that I have enough time to attempt drawing. And mark out few theory questions I can attempt when I get a creative block.

But what I did this time with this pattern was that since I had finished theory in 60 mins., I had 30 mins. to ideate for drawing and come up with a plan.

So, try to finish your aptitude and maths sections within the 75 mins’ time range so that you have atleast 15 mins to ideate.

Nishtha: Were there any roadblocks in the preps? How did you overcome them?

Poornima: I faced many hurdles in terms of creative blocks during/ before drawing, in finding solutions to questions like how to prioritize colouring and shading, how to make guesses in math etc.

How I overcame them- I think, that just gradually happened through mock tests on DQ Edge and I developed a style of my own which worked. For math, I always made this revision sheet that helped with tricks I could use when I would get stuck in certain kind of problems.

Nishtha: How did you feel/ what was going on inside your head while writing the exam?

Poornima: I zone in once the exam begins and lose track of time. It often feels like I'm writing a mock test. But right before the exam I am extremely nervous and right after it hits me that I just completed an exam and the relief is unparalleled

Nishtha: Do you have some tips/ suggestions to students appearing for NATA?

Poornima: Yes! Get good rest before an exam, it's essential for your mind to be active and reflexes to be fast.

Try to make the learning process more long term and not with the purpose of clearing an exam as the learning you get from that is far more applicable when you start off your career.

Think of different ways to learn-quiz shows, apps, T.V. shows, movies, books by designers etc.  

Have fun! It's just another test and you have a 100 more to go.

We hope that this interview helped clear your questions regarding NATA and give you a better perspective of the competition and tips on how to prepare well. We wish you all the best. Feel free to contact us anytime you require help.

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NATA Preparation Tips

Examinations form an indispensable part of an education system, especially India’s. When it comes to clearing or scoring well in an exam, the most important medium is preparation. The better you prepare, the more you increase your scores in the test.

The Council of Architecture, New Delhi, conducts an annual aptitude test for students interested in the field of architecture. The National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) is a national level exam that tests candidates’ drawing and creativity skills. Like any other examination, it is easy to pass and score well in NATA if you plan your preparation time and work accordingly. But, preparation holds massive value. Your results depend on how well you prepare for the exam. Here are some important tips to help you make a proper roadmap to success for NATA 2018. You can also contact the Counsellors at DQ Labs if you need Coaching classes (Physical or online) for NATA 2018.

Acquaint Yourself with the Syllabus

The quintessential step in every preparation schedule is a thorough understanding of the Syllabus. Since the syllabus informs you of the topics and their weight in the exam, it is imperative that you start with a reading of the syllabus. It will provide you with the key details of the examination, such as the number of questions, pattern, duration, and more. Hence, you can start devising your practice time in keeping with the syllabus. You can also get a copy of it printed for a better reference in times of confusion or schedule management. You can also download the NATA 2018 brochure.

Practice and Refine Your Drawing Skills

One of the key requirements to clear NATA is Sketching and Drawing. There are, however, many students interested in architecture who lack the basic minimum aptitude in a drawing. But there is nothing to feel low about. This test is more about skill than about talent. You can always practice and improve upon something you are weak in. You could refer to student drawings evaluated by DQ Labsover the last 12 years.

In order to commence your preparation for NATA, start with practicing drawing and sketching. Move ahead in a leveled manner. Start with the basics and go on to draw intense perspective figures. Once you get hold of the basics, you will easily progress to the level of drawing ability the test requires. It is essential to understand that the exam will test your drawing skills and you have to refine them in order to get placed in any of the NATA colleges.

With more and more practice, you will become well-versed with the techniques of sketching. Avoid the use of erasers and draw boldly without shaky figures. Learn the varied style of drawing once you gain expertise with the basic techniques. You could also attend DQ Labs classroom coaching in Bangalore, Pune, Chennai or Mangalore. They also offer online classes for students who can't travel to their centres.

Nurture Aesthetic Sensitivity

A very significant characteristic of NATA is its emphasis on testing the examinee's creative and aesthetic focus. The second paper of the exam evaluates the candidates' faculty vis-à-vis Visual Spatial Ability, Architecture Awareness, Mental Ability, Mathematics, English & Analytical Reasoning. A crucial part of your preparatory time should be devoted to enhancing these skills. To understand and prepare for this part of the test, you can sign up on DQ Edge and access the free study material.

This paper is an online computer-based examination. Therefore, it is important that you practice equally on screen. Make yourself familiar to and comfortable with the operations of the mouse.

Revise

Every preparation period winds up with a revision session. When you prepare a time schedule for your preparation, start with leaving off a good amount of time for revision. Keep aside a month before the examination to revise the entire Syllabus. It depends on your level of preparation. You can provide more time to revision if you have more time left in hand. Revision is the best way of reassuring yourself of your preparedness along with rechecking your readiness. A single revision session is not the right way to go about it. Revise as many times as possible to properly place the information in your mind.

You can consider the DQ Labs Crash Courses to help you with this last minute preparation. This has helped thousands of students clear NATA and you can be sure to do well if you go through this program.

Practicing Sample Papers is a good way of revising the syllabus. It helps you find the topics you are weak in and facilitates a better revision in those specific areas. Revising more increases your selection rate to NATA colleges.

The DQ Edge

DQ Edge is the (patent pending) testing platform by DQ Labs. This is the only one of its kind in the world which incorporates Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help you formulate a study strategy.

When you use DQ Edge, the platform will analyse your strengths and weaknesses and will give you a shortcut to focus your energy only on topics that you need to improve on. It also suggests topics which have a higher weightage in the exam.

Practice Mock Tests

The best way to finalize your preparation for any examination is to practice as many tests as possible. There are many sample and mock papers available for NATA on the web. You can access question papers and solutions to review your preparation. Solving previous years' papers will give you an idea about the pattern of questions and will help you strategize your time during the exam. You can take time-bound tests to check your promptness.

Taking the Exam

Once you are done with the practice phase, there is the main exam to tackle. All your preparation comes to pay off in these two tests of 90 minutes each. For the examination day, you have to make separate groundings.

Reach the exam hall early - some of the exam centres are located far away from the city and could take you a long time to reach. So plan well and reach early.

Since the exam has no negative marking system, therefore, you can attempt all questions without hesitation. Plan your time according to the number and pattern of questions beforehand. Make backup plans in case you are lagging behind your time strategies.

Do not overlook this aspect of your preparation. All your hard work can come to nothing if you go into the exam hall unprepared about this. This practice is helpful to reaffirm your confidence in yourself.

Lastly, a vital part of this prep time is your health. You have to take care of your fitness, both mental and physical to get through the challenging period of preparation and pass with flying colors. Focus on your diet and take proper breaks between study sessions to keep yourself motivated throughout.

Good luck for your examination. Stay tuned with DQ Labs for examination update on NATA 2018 tips through webinars.