Today, you will learn the 12 smart tips to pass a scholarship test in 2023.
If you are a student looking to pass a scholarship test to…
- Get a scholarship grant
- Support your college education
- Carter for your living expenses and Accommodation
- Pay for per semester tours.
- Settle academic project bills.
Then, this post is for you.
It doesn’t matter if it’s your first time taking a scholarship test.
Or maybe you have taken a ton of it and failed.
This post would help you with the tips to conquer your fears, study and perform excellently in any scholarship test you come across.
In fact, these tips have helped me get 2 Scholarships after taking countless scholarship tests altogether.
So if you are ready to learn,
Then let’s dive in.
Here’s what we would cover in this post.
Table of Content
1. What is a Scholarship Test?
2. Why take a Scholarship Test?
3. Who is eligible to take a scholarship Test?
4. 15 smart tips to help you pass a scholarship test in 2023.
5. Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) on Scholarship Test.
6. Conclusion
(Tap on any of the sections to jump right into it)
Read also: Top 45 Undergraduate Scholarships for Nigerian Students.
Let’s dive in.
1. What’s a Scholarship Test?
A Scholarship Test is a test promoted by scholarship organizations or boards to analyze an applicant’s abilities and talents.
Most organizations look for students who are talented and skillful enough to apply their knowledge and skills in various ways thereby contributing to the progress of society.
In others words, only students who are multi-skilled or experts in a particular field are preferred.
Also, Scholarship tests are one of the core requirements you must have to secure a scholarship grant.
So,
Doing everything possible to pass the test is compulsory.
Remember you are competing against thousands of other applicants, therefore study and prepare.
2. Why take a Scholarship Test?
Most Scholarship boards look forward to evaluating and testing your overall intellectual and rational abilities.
In simple words, no one wants to offer a student a scholarship based on his or her ability to cram and write down a ton of paragraphs during the scholarship test.
You will be tested actively on the past knowledge you acquired in some core areas and subjects (math, English, and spatial/abstract reasoning).
3. Who is eligible to take a scholarship Test?
Only students who had applied for a scholarship offer and have been shortlisted by the scholarship board or team are eligible to take on the Test.
Remember, your scholarship application is going through a rigorous process and screening.
Your grades matter a lot, including the mode of application and precision in following up instructions.
All would be measured and graded.
Once you have been shortlisted to take on the scholarship exam…
Study and practice past questions (do your homework).
4. 12 smart tips to help you pass a scholarship test in 2023.
Remember, it is never too early to prepare properly for a scholarship exam.
You don’t want to wait till the last minute to begin your scholarship preps. Instead, take the bull by the horn (take action now) and ensure you study, practice, and win the scholarship offer.
Did you know?
Contrary to popular belief, knowledge isn’t power; Applied Knowledge is!
You may have all the knowledge in the world about a scholarship test, but lack the discipline to apply what you know.
If you know how to apply the knowledge you had acquired smartly and efficiently, clearly you will be able to conquer a scholarship test in one Go.
I will break down the 12 smart ways to pass a scholarship Test without stress.
#1. Be Scholarship conscious
As the saying goes, “You can’t grow beyond your mindset”.
No matter how hard you try, if you aren’t scholarship conscious-you will never get any. Inevitably as a student staying scholarship conscious is the first step to winning any scholarship in college.
You have to willingly give out time and energy to search for scholarship opportunities within your location or country (it could take approximately 30 to 60 minutes a day).
Compared to the end reward, your effort would never be in vain.
Let’s do the math.
If for every 30 to 60 minutes you spend every day searching for scholarship opportunities, you discover 2 scholarship schemes.
And you do that for 1 Months.
That’s 2 * 30 days = 60 Scholarships in a month.
Imagine how many scholarships you would be able to find, apply and secure in a year?
That’s Massive!
If that doesn’t amaze you, try thinking of how much money you would stack out from winning that many scholarships in a year.
There’s so much benefit you would gain from practicing this routine consistently.
For example, you will learn about the types of scholarships that are released, the companies that offer those scholarships plus the platforms that set up the test questions for each scholarship.
Let’s move to point 2.
#2. Aim for Excellent Grades
Did you know?
Roughly 92.9% of Scholarships are merits based.
Anonymous
That is to say that you will be shortlisted based on your high school or College GPA (depends on the scholarship you are considering)
And that should be beyond just good to being excellent, perfect, and profound.
I feel you need to be grade conscious, even from kindergarten or preschool. And since most scholarship requirements are sadly centered on just A’s and B’s-your grades need to reflect the same.
To add, you need to set realistic goals (especially in terms of GPA), and if you can consistently stick to popping out B’s and A’s go for it.
But if you can’t, go for it regardless (just add more effort and you will come close).
Remember, most scholarship committees look out for candidates that are academically sound and with a hunger for knowledge. And so, having poor grades kills your chances in the long run (irrespective of your background or experience).
PS: A Scholarship test isn’t your regular colleges based test; they assess your level of proficiency and intellect.
So aim to study, learn and secure better grades regardless of your interest (you need this to pass any scholarship test).
Moving on to point 3.
#3. Volunteering gives you an Edge.
I don’t know about national scholarships in Nigeria…
…but international scholarships often based their scholarship criteria on a candidate’s societal impact and activities.
Although this has nothing to do with passing a scholarship test,
Regardless, if you wish to secure a scholarship win, stack lots of volunteering experience.
Join clubs, communities, or societies (at school, college, or even in the church); it doesn’t have to be some big fancy organization.
It could be a small team of 10, 15, or 20 people looking to solve a problem in society.
The more you volunteer for societies and solve problems, the better your chances of securing international scholarship grants.
It could be your driving a ticket to excelling in most scholarship tests or interviews.
So strive to be a young philanthropist by volunteering for communities.
Moving on to point 4.
#4. Focus on productive extracurricular activities.
Although this may not be related to excelling in a scholarship test, it helps make your scholarship application unique.
if you look closely at international scholarships, especially the criteria set, they often require you have social relevance.
Let’s say you are pursuing a scholarship in Chemical engineering to study at MIT.
Having completed courses related to chemical engineering or having taken up volunteering roles in various chemical enterprises gives you an edge.
The more relevant your extra activities (nonacademic roles), the greater your winning rate.
I just want to buttress the fact that having an extracurricular activity (sports, internship, and community philanthropist) indirectly makes your scholarship application polished.
It also boosts your confidence during a scholarship test.
Moving on to the next point.
#5. Always keep a positive Mindset.
You need to develop the right mindset when applying for a scholarship at home or abroad.
Don’t start up a scholarship application because your friends are applying or for some random reason.
Your reason has to be personal.
Spend some time alone, and meditate upon why you truly need a scholarship.
Is it to pay for college? Or maybe to cover tuition?
You ought to state clearly your reasons because your purpose would serve as a drive.
Also for you to score on a scholarship test, you need to be confident that you can actually get the scholarship.
Always be serious, because most scholarships are highly competitive and sometimes regarded as a tight business.
Treat it like a war, more of a life and death situation.
Tons of scholarship awardees that I know (including myself) were serious about the scholarships that applied for.
In fact,
Some went as far as sacrificing their time, energy, and money to get their hands on past questions, study materials, and data subscriptions.
It’s important you take your application seriously because that’s the only way to come clean with a win.
Let’s move on to the next point.
#6. Prioritize your Scholarship goals.
So you have a church activity and a scholarship test clashing like titans.
What do you do?
Do you skip the scholarship test and go for the church activity or do the complete opposite?
If you wager a scholarship offer for any irrelevant activity then you don’t deserve that scholarship award.
It’s that simple and unless a scholarship offer (application or test) is set as a priority, and treated as a battle, you won’t get it.
Remember, there are many competitions for the scholarship offer, so you have to make winning the scholarship a priority.
It should be your major and you have to work towards achieving this goal by studying thoroughly for the test.
You don’t want to let procrastination tear you apart from the scholarship opportunity.
It is advisable to set scholarship goals that are S.M.A.R.T.
Meaning;
Set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound.
For example, you could set out 2 hours to finish off your scholarship applications.
That kind of goal is specific and attainable, or maybe dedicate 1 hour to practicing past questions for the scholarship test.
You see what I mean.
Set goals that are realistic.
Don’t go adding some fictional goals like, applying for 10+ scholarships in 2 hours or, climbing month Everest in 6 minutes.
Dude, that’s impossible.
Make things simple, because most scholarship applications need time and 2hours will not be enough.
You get the point, right?
Moving on to the next point.
#7. Seek Advice from existing Scholarship Awardees.
Talking to someone that has written the scholarship exam and eventually been awarded the grant will help you prepare more actively for the online test.
They will tell you about their experience and what to do to pass the online test.
Most likely, they would help out with past questions on the scholarship test (which proves difficult to get sometimes).
Did you know that most organizers often try to hide the questions from the public?
This is understandable because it prevents easy acing to the scholarship test by candidates.
Pro Tip: Get a tutor to coach and prepare you for the scholarship test.
#8. Discover all about the Scholarship Host.
What you don’t know eventually hurts you; it’s that simple.
Listen, you ought to do your research about the scholarship host.
Especially where they generate their questions, the marking scheme behind the online test, and also the time duration.
It helps a lot, trust me on this!
And if you get everything ready, it gives you the complete secret to passing the amplitude test.
***
So you have done your research…
…and found great information online.
And maybe even discovered the Holy Grail (the secret), but it’s completely useless without practice.
Either you put it to use or it becomes obsolete over time.
You need to process the information gotten and apply it to acing your scholarship test.
It might help you manage your time, and evaluate your options while picking questions based on the marking schemes for each question.
Only then would you see results worth your taste.
#9. Create Study Groups and Attend Tutorials.
When it comes to a scholarship test, only applicants that make it a real business, eventually get awarded.
I mean literally, working out your study plan with a group greatly increases assimilation.
You must go for tutorials (if available) when you have seen the past questions or understand what the online test generally looks like.
See, no matter how smart you are, you won’t be able to learn everything.
In the case where you don’t understand something or can’t understand a specific area, by all means, seek help from people who are competent.
Where you can’t cross over, let other people be your legs or feet.
Remember the goal is to be prepared as you could possibly be, leaving no stone unturned.
And once you follow this tip, you would come to the point where you can ask yourself, “What the f**k will make me fail this online test”?
Moving on to the next point.
#10. Study Scholarship Past Questions.
You might want to consider consulting past online test questions at least 4 to 5 weeks before the actual scholarship exam.
Try to get familiar with the questions, and where they are likely to come from in preparing for the online Test.
If you do this, it makes the process a lot easier.
Although practicing past questions randomly, wouldn’t make much difference.
PS: Check MyScholarshipNg Online Store for Access to 100+ scholarships, job, and Internship Past Questions.
You need to construct an appropriate plan that makes your practice exercise simple and precise.
Follow this pattern:
First: go through the past question papers (if you don’t have a physical copy, a PDF version is usable).
Check out for questions that are repeated over and over again (assign a mark using a pen or highlighter)
Second: you need to search for relevant answers to these questions (the more questions and answers, the better).
Maybe consulting existing scholarship awardees or experts would be your best bet.
Finally, attempt to scholarship past questions as mock exams or tests (remember, doing this only makes the process look easier).
In most scholarship Tests, there are categories of topics picked out from which questions are generated from.
There are numerous topics you can think of, but the 3 core that most scholarship hosts use is listed below:
- Abstract & Spatial Reasoning.
- Current Affairs (history) & General Knowledge.
- Verbal & Quantitative Reasoning.
OK, there you have it.
I will be breaking each of the topics one by one to give you a clear picture.
Let’s dive in.
A. What is Abstract and Spatial Reasoning?
Abstract reasoning, also known as abstract thinking, involves the ability to understand and think with complex concepts that, while real, are not tied to concrete experiences, objects, people, or situations. This type of reasoning involves thinking about ideas and principles that are often symbolic or hypothetical.
also,
Spatial reasoning is the ability to think about and manipulate objects in three dimensions. Spatial reasoning skills are an essential part of art, physical education, math and science.
Looking to improve your Abstract & Spatial reasoning IQ?
Here are sites that let you practice millions of questions all for Free (check them out):
B. What are Current Affairs?
According to Oxford Languages Dictionary, “current affairs are documents that state the events of political or social interest and importance happening in the world at the present time”.
In other words, it’s your tiny history book you never had.
it breaks down the what’s, who’s, and why’s of History (although most facts are summarized).
Let me cut to the chase.
Most scholarship hosts will test your historical IQ.
How well do you know your country’s history?
Ironically, I sucked in this aspect; but I overcame this blockade through dedication and lots of YouTube videos and Past Questions.
See, current affairs are popular in most scholarships test including general knowledge mostly gotten from areas related to tech, software, and GDP.
You need to get familiar with the kind of questions from these areas especially those that pop out from the online tests.
PS: if you suck in history just like I did.
This might help you improve your history and General Knowledge IQ.
C. What is Verbal & Quantitative Reasoning?
A verbal reasoning test assesses your ability to make deductions from text. The format is typically a written passage followed by a statement, and you must decide whether the statement is true, false or that you cannot say.
also,
Quantitative Reasoning is the ability to use mathematics and information to solve real-world problems. Learning about quantitative reasoning may also help in solving nonmathematical problems.
Oops did I forget to mention that your analytical skills would be tested?
You would be confronted with mathematical & verbal questions that test your analytical reasoning like no other.
Take it from me,
The questions you encounter in the Scholarship Test would be far from your regular academic exercises.
You would have to practice quite a lot of past questions to get the hang of it.
Here’s a list of Trusted Sites that provide tons of Qualitative & Verbal reasoning questions (practice as much as you can because it’s somewhat Free)
#11. Learn to be Time Conscious.
Oh, Time!
I didn’t have enough time to prepare and study for the scholarship test.
That’s the excuse most candidates make after taking the scholarship test.
It’s either, they didn’t have enough time to prepare for the exam or answer the questions during the test.
Poor excuses lead to failure regardless.
Listen,
Go ask any scholarship awardee that has passed tons of scholarship tests what the most difficult part is.
They will tell you the most challenging part of any scholarship test isn’t in itself but rather in time restrictions.
Did you know?
Time restriction also means insufficient space for over thinking.
It’s just you and a couple of minutes to answer 20 to 30 questions, surely it can be nerves wracking.
Especially when your future goals depend on a test score, the time duration is always enough if managed properly.
If you are time conscious and flexible, you can complete all tasks at any given time.
But we are humans, and it’s in our psychology to think we are short on time when faced with critical challenges.
#12. Practice until Mastery.
Practice is the key and hard work pays off, but only through mastery do you see true progress.
Obilove Joel
It’s not just enough to practice, and practice, you have to master the art.
Let’s say you do the norms.
You create a study plan, divide it into parts, set specific goals, and even make sure to analyze all the sub-aspects of the questions before answering them.
What would make the key difference?
It’s definitely “consistent practice“.
Practice doesn’t make perfect, it leads to improvement; Improvement that would lead to mastery.
When preparing for a scholarship test especially while practicing past questions; you need to critically analyze each question ( it helps to assist you in gauging your strengths and weaknesses).
Though for your strengths, a thumbs up, but for your weaknesses make efforts to analyze and explain to yourself the mistakes made while answering the questions.
Don’t limit yourself, every mistake counts as a push to mastery.
Your mistakes might be due to the pressure of an exam, lack of knowledge, or poor assimilation of questions.
But,
Whatever the cost, it’s a good thing because there’s always room for improvement.
Work on all the weak sections thoroughly and strive to come out a winner.
5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Scholarship Test.
I am going to cover a few questions that are frequently asked by students about scholarship tests.
So,
Sit tight and let’s jump into it one at a time.
Q1. How should I study for a scholarship Test?
It is recommended to begin studying 2 to 4 weeks before the scholarship test commencement.
This would give you adequate time to prepare a study plan, sort out advice, do your research, and download multiple scholarship past questions.
Q2. What are my chances of passing a Scholarship test?
Your chances of passing a scholarship are high depending on how much you study and practice for the amplitude test.
Passing a scholarship test is simple, you just need to study and do your research.
If you are disciplined and PUSH to study for 1 hour per day, you will excel.
Q3. Will I pass a scholarship test after studying for 2 weeks?
Yes, you can.
In fact, I have done that and I passed the scholarship test and was awarded the grant a few weeks later.
It all depends on how well you study and your rate of assimilation.
Q4. Where can I find current affairs questions for scholarships?
You can get current affairs questions anywhere in the world.
See, the most recommended site to get current affairs questions for any scholarship site is Career power.
But,
if you are a Nigerian, I recommend checking out this latest Current Affair Ebook for 2022.
Q5. What’s the pass mark for most scholarship Tests?
The pass mark for most scholarship tests is within the range of 60 to 80%.
Although some scholarship hosts use the percentile system to gauge the performance of applicants.
Q6. Where do I get scholarship past questions?
You can get various scholarship past questions packages from the MyScholarshipNG bookstore.
Scholarship Past Questions
MyscholarshipNG has created an official online store that contains a ton of Past questions to scholarship, internship & Job opportunities.
If you are looking at excelling in any aptitude test, then you might want to consider getting the past questions (it goes for 1K only)
Conclusion
Remember, that passing a scholarship test is a thing of the mind.
If you ever feel like don’t have the stuff to pass a scholarship Test, then the tips listed above would help you gain some confidence.
PS: Don’t overthink things, it’s just an Amplitude Test.
Now, over to you!
Which of the tips do you like the most?
or maybe you have been practicing some of them for some time.
Whatever the case, let us know in the comment section.
Best Wishes.