HOW TO CLEAR RIMC EXAM IN FIRST ATTEMPT

HOW TO CLEAR RIMC EXAM IN FIRST ATTEMPT

Colonel Amardeep Singh, SM (Retd)

Director, The Winning Edge Defence Academy

Introduction

1.      The Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) is a residential Public School at Dehradun.  It was established in March 1922.  The RIMC is an Inter Service Category ‘A’ Establishment, recognized by CBSE, administered by the Ministry of Defence, through the DGMT (Army). Apart from CBSE curriculum, the school also prepares cadets for the UPSC examination for entry into the NDA/INA and subsequently the for the Indian Armed Forces.

2.      RIMC has very high rate of selection for the National Defence Academy (NDA) & Naval Academy (NA) exam. The RIMC entrance process is one of the toughest for the given age group. The syllabus is vast and the written exam is a mix of subjective and objective assessment. To clear this exam, one needs deliberate preparation and a long-term strategy.

3.      The five-year period that a cadet spends at RIMC is divided in 10 terms (semesters) of approximately 5 months each. The cadets are distributed in houses and stay in well-furnished dormitories. The campus has all the facilities for academic and extra-curricular activities. The college has an Olympic sized swimming pool, riding area, sports fields, auditorium and well-equipped library and computer lab. The cadets dine in the Cadets Mess. The school has an infirmary to take care of the sick. MH Dehradun is approximately two kilometres from RIMC.

4.      The students study a variety of subjects at RIMC. Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics are compulsory subjects for class 11^th and 12^th. The school has a teacher student ratio of 1:12.5. The emphasis is on Physical Fitness, discipline, communication skills, extracurricular activities and sports which help in all round development of the cadets.

Application Process of RIMC

Eligibility

5.      Admission to RIMC is in class 8^th only. Generally, one vacancy per state is allotted. However, some States which have a large population, have up to two vacancies. (Maximum vacancies per Term are 25). Girl candidates are now permitted to join RIMC. There are 5 vacancies for girls are on All India basis. The detailed information regarding the selection process and eligibility is available on the RIMC Website (www.rimc.gov.in). The general information regarding the age limit is as under :-

Application Form & Prospectus

6.      The Prospectus cum Application form and booklet of old question papers can be obtained from the RIMC, Dehradun. The candidate has to forward a self-addressed slip and DD in favour of “THE COMMANDANT RIMC DEHRADUN” for the amount of Rs 600/- (for Gen), Rs 555/- (for SC/ST). RIMC will send back the material needed by speed post. Online payment system is also available. Along with the form, you get the prospectus as well as old question papers of last 7 years. The notification regarding Application Form is published on National media and internet.

Paper Pattern of RIMC Exam

Time & Marks

7.      The Entrance Exam will be held in June (January term) & December (July Term) as given below:-

Paper Description (Marks distribution can vary)

8.      The Mathematics and English papers are descriptive (subjective) whereas GK paper is objective (MCQ) type. The brief description of the papers is given below :-

9.      English 125 Marks (90 Min)

·       Reading Section                 – 25 Marks

·       Writing Section                  – 45 Marks

·       Grammar          – 55 Marks

Section A: Reading Section

·       Passage (15 marks) with simple questions and also based on vocabulary

·       Poem (10 marks) with simple questions and also based on vocabulary like synonyms, antonyms from the passage itself

Section B: Writing Section

·       Email – 7 marks

·       Article writing (about 120 words) – 10 marks

·       Dialogue completion – 8 marks

·       Letter (120 words) – 10 marks

·       Picture writing (about 120 words) – 10 marks

Section C: Grammar

·       Transformation of sentences like direct indirect, active passive, begin and end with instructions type – 10 marks

·       Synonyms, same meaning different words like upset and sad – 5 Marks

·       Homophones (similar sound different voice) like dear and deer – 5 marks

·       Arranging parts of a sentence in proper order – 5 marks

·       Correct form of verb – 10 marks

·       One word substitution – 10 marks

·       Spelling correction – 5 marks

·       Articles – 5 marks

·       Correction of sentences – 5 marks

·       Idioms and phrases – 5 marks

·       Conjunctions – 5 marks

·       Prepositions – 5 marks

10.    Mathematics 200 Marks (90 Min)

·       Part A – 20 Questions each carrying five marks

·       Part B – 10 Questions each carrying ten marks

Syllabus

•      Algebra

•      Simplification

•      Factorization

•      Division

•      Arithmetic

•      Number System

•      Percentage

•      Profit & Loss

•      Average

•      Data Interpretation

•      Geometry

·       Value of Angles

·       Area & Perimeter

·       Surface Area & Volume

12.    General Knowledge – 75 Marks (60 Min)

•       75 Questions carrying 1 mark each

Syllabus

•      Current Affairs

•      Sports

•      Static GK

•      History

•      Geography

•      Constitution

•      General Science

Recommended books for RIMC Exam/Best Books for RIMC Exam

13.    RIMC is a highly competitive exam. It is better to be thoroughly prepared. The basic books of class seventh and eighth of NCERT are a must. For mathematics book by RD Sharma for class 8^th is strongly recommended.

14.    The English paper has questions on composition, unseen passages, letter writing and grammar. Besides the basic books on grammar and comprehension it is better to go through the commercially available question banks of last 10 years.

15.    GK paper includes Science and Social Studies of class 7^th and 8^th as also Current Affairs of that level. For this the students must refer to the question bank of last 10 years and also keep

themselves updated about the current happenings of at least last one year through newspapers and current affairs magazines. Some books for preparation For RIMC are as follows:

●     Total English Class 10th ICSE

●     Mathematics For Class 8 by R.D. Sharma 

●     Wren & Martin High School English Grammar and Composition Book by Rao NDV Prasada

●     Oxford Student Atlas for India, Competitive Exams by Oxford University Press 

●     General Knowledge by Dr. Binay Karna 

●     Newspaper reading for enhancing vocabulary and grammar

Interview and Results

16.    Candidates who clear the Entrance Exam and figure in the merit list will be required to appear for interview (Viva Voce Test) in the month of October (January Term) & April (July Term). Intelligence and Personality of the candidates will be tested. Minimum pass percentage for the interview is 50% (out of 50).

Medical process for RIMC Exam

17.    Candidates who qualify after the Interview will undergo a medical examination at selected Military Hospital. Only those candidates who are found medically fit will be considered. The details of the medical exams are available on the RIMC website. Final merit list will be uploaded on the website (www.rimc.gov.in).

how to prepare for rimc entrance exam

Preparation Strategy for RIMC Exam

18.    RIMC written exam requires deliberate preparation. I would suggest a two-year model. The child should start focused study from Class 5^th onwards.

19.    It is better to prepare for Sainik School and Rashtriya Military School Entrance in the first year. This will clear the basic concepts as well as psychologically condition the student for competitive exam. The students should appear for both AISSEE (for Sainik School Class 6^th) and CET (for Rashtriya Military School Class 6^th) before appearing for the RIMC Exam.

20.    While preparing for Sainik School Exams, a video or correspondence course for RIMC can be subscribed.

21.    In the second year, students should focus on the RIMC Entrance Exam. First 6 months should be spent in deliberate preparation (first revision) and the next six months should be divided in two slots of four months (second revision) and two months (third revision).

22.    In the last six months, the students should attempt all previous years’ papers, which come along with the prospectus and should solve at least 10 Mock Papers.

23.    Students should make their own notes and flash cards in their own handwriting.

Expert Tips

24.    English

·       Read about 200 to 250 words from English newspapers or any online article everyday.

·       Make a notebook and write five new words that you encounter and form sentences over it, again every day.

·       Check out the list of 1000 most common antonyms and synonyms from the internet. It will really help you to enhance vocabulary.

·       Read the poems prescribed in ICSE class 9th and 10th syllabus.

·       Solve class 9th and 10th class papers of ICSE. It gives you a good number of essay topics, good comprehension and a very good grammar practice.

·       Solve the previous years’ RIMC papers within the time limit of paper.

·       Get your papers corrected by some elder or your teacher.

·       Sincerely take out at least 1½ hour for preparation of English.

25.    Mathematics

·       Go through all the topics for quick revision.

·       Learn squares of natural numbers till 20 and cubes till 15.

·       Revise tables till 20.

·       Part 1 consists of small questions with 5 marks each for which you need to know very basics.

·        RS Aggarwal (CLASS 7 & 8, ICSE) is a good book for practice in mathematics.

·       Part B usually consists of word problems and from figure-based questions. English comprehension skills are a must to score in this section.

·       Practice of previous years papers of RIMC is the best way to score marks in part 2 of the paper.

·       Everyday practice and minimum solving of the previous years’ papers at least 2 times before the exam, makes a good chance to score marks in maths.

26.    General Knowledge

·       RIMC G.K. Paper consists of 3 topics namely –

·       Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology)

·       Social Studies (History, Civics, Geography)

·       Current Affairs

·       Read newspaper everyday and note down the important events. Focus on When, where, Who and How.

·       You can watch weekly news round ups on TV or listen to radio/ podcast for GK

·       Recommended Books

·       Manorama G.K. Yearbook.

·       Lucent’s General Knowledge.

·       To prepare for the remaining sections i.e. Science and Social Studies, the candidate is required to solve previous year papers to get an idea of the type of questions asked, most important chapters/topics of these two sections.

Miscellaneous Points

27.    While the student is preparing for the entrance exam, parents should take care of the following aspects :-

·       Time Table : Prepare a separate time table for competitive exam. This should take into account the current academic activities, tests, festivals etc. 2 hours extra study for 4 to 5 days in a week is sufficient in the first one and a half year. This can be suitably increased as the exam gets closer.

·       Mock Tests : make the student appear for mock tests under exam like conditions. 10 Mock tests in the last six months will help in building the exam aptitude and confidence.

·       Physical Fitness : Encourage the child to play outdoor games. A good physical fitness routine will also help in focusing on the studies.

·       Reduce Screen Time : The students should be encouraged to limit the screen time to bare essential. Parents can help in this by carrying out online search for difficult topics.

·       Medical : A preliminary medical exam is strongly recommended.

·       Positive Push : The stress can be reduced by proper planning. The syllabus should be distributed over two years. The student should be encouraged to compete in a positive frame of mind.

·       Plan B : In case the student is not able to clear the exam, he/she should be encouraged to appear for Class 9^th Exam for Sainik School and Rashtriya Military Schools. Having a Plan B will save effort and money.

·       Seek Help : Most of the parents are not clear about the eligibility, documentation, syllabus and paper pattern. It is better to take help from professionals who have been preparing candidates for the exam.

Final Word

28.    With proper planning and preparation, RIMC exam can be cleared in the First Attempt. It can be achieved by joint effort of parents, students and expert teachers. Adequate information is available in the open domain about the exam and the selection process. Stick to the syllabus and study the previous years’ papers carefully. The key to success lies in starting well in time and consistent effort, aided by correct guidance.