The AKU Challenge Legacy

Hey guys!

A lot has changed with regards to AKU admissions and the way to go about them.

This blog was originally created by Sohaib Qadri (who has graduated from AKU by now) and was then run by me (Lubaina Ehsan). But, I am going to be graduating soon. So, we have brought in new blood to handle and update this blog from now on.

This blog post is to welcome Mohammad Yasrab.
He's dedicated towards helping out those who are looking for a place to answer their queries regarding the AKU admission process.

Power to you, Yasrab!
Take good care of this blog.

Advice for FSC Students

Hey guys.

This blog post is to answer all the queries we have been receiving with regards to preparation for AKU Admission Test that FSc students are to do.

Well, a few students of an FSc background currently studying at AKU were asked the following questions and their responses were noted.

Question #1. What Books and Resources did you use to prepare for the AKU Aptitude Test?
Question #2. Did you take any tuition or the likes for the Test?
Question #3. Any other advice for FSc Students appearing for the AKU Aptitude Test?

Paras's Response

Hi!
1) I used Sindh board books for chem, bio and physics and SAT 1 books for math and english. Didn't use any specific book for scientific reasoning. Scientific reasoning mostly tests your common sense but it had a lot of time consuming paragraphs. The advice i'll give for this section is to study the other subjects really well so you can do them quickly and have time for this section in the end.
2) I didn't take any tution specifically for the AKU test. The tutions I used to take were for the general MCAT conducted by NTS.
3) Instead of wasting your time trying to study A level books at the last minute, re-read your own books FSc books. However, avoid rattafying them and work on building your concept. The majority of mcqs test the big picture, not the details.
Bilal Mirza's response: 1) Sat 2 barons for basic sciences and fsc books. Maths from Sat official study guide and Barron's. 2) Nope. No tuitions 3) FSc students should focus more on science reasoning and the maths section. Umm... Organic chemistry is very important and most of it is covered in FSc. Students ought to practice physics questions from sat 2 tests. Well, basically, learn to apply the concepts that they have learned.
Noayna's response:

1) Well, the fsc books are more than enough to prepare for the science section but I did go through the practice tests given in the SAT bio/phy/chem books. Maths is fairly easy and its all the basic stuff so I just practised from the SAT book, 3-4 tests per day(for a week) were enough to reacquiant me with maths 😛 Googled practice tests for reasoning on the last day! oh and SAT se english mcqs, along with some random fsc books. 2) No, I didn't. 3) Not really. The test is easy, just remember what you were thought over the two years and practice as much as possible. The more you practice, the lesser are your chances of messing this up!

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Hope this blog post was of help. Feel free to ask any other questions or forward any queries present. Cheers!

Lubaina's First AKU Interview

What did they tell me?
-They told me to be 'Out of the Odd' when I sit for an interview,
-They told me to show the 'spark' that I have which makes me different,
-They also told be to be original, no matter how many interview experiences I listen to or how many times I rehearse the best possible answers, I was NOT TO COPY; I was to get the idea, let it sink in and learn from the interviews of others.

Well, that's what they told me and I am telling the same to you. Read the interviews posted at The AKU Challenge but do not, for even a fraction of second, think about copying the answers because those answers won't be you, they'll be us (Sohaib, Alizeh and I)...

P.S. I won't be going into the lengthy details of the interview, will be writing the prominent questions down only. Despite that, I know this is going to be a VERY long blogpost.

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You can read Sohaib's AKU Interview Experience here.
Guideline for AKU Interviews can be found here.

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First Interviewer: A Paediatric Cardiologist
Level of Nerves: Not Very High
Thoughts: I can do this!
Duration of this interview: 45-50 minutes

Lubaina, this is a different name. What does it mean?
It means Strong (The interviewer looked up for explanation)
I continued: Like a tiny strong brick that supports the other bricks to keep the wall strong and standing.

I was then asked about the jobs of my parents.
I answered accordingly. (Yes, you should know about the qualifications and professional specifics of your parents)

What do you like to do in your free time?

The AKU Application Form - Tips and words of Caution

Assalamualaikum!

The AKU application forms come out in Januaray evry year and cost about Rs.200 each. As far as i remember, you get the forms from AKU directly. Once you open the envelope, you should find one of the most simple and easy to fill college application forms ever (if you compare it to the dreadful DOW/SMU or even US university applications). They will require a few attested photographs and detailed info about your schooling history. One of the most important parts is

Wanna do Medicine? Then be Focused!

Being a medical student requires dedication. Its best to make up your mind that you want to be a doctor before venturing into this path. Why? Its very simple; you’ll be focused. The benefit of this is that you wont be distracted by trying to apply to other universities like NED, GIK, LUMS, MIT, Stanford, etc. Hence, not only will you be able to focus more on your Alevel/Inter studies and ace those exams, you will naturally have more time to