Cadet College Admission common mistakes
Cadet College Admission · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Losing marks on multiple-choice mathematics by misaligning the decimal point when multiplying or dividing decimals, or by forgetting to convert units (e.g., metres to centimetres) before calculating.
Candidates often rush through arithmetic and treat decimals like whole numbers, and they are not in the habit of writing the unit next to every number, so unit mismatches go unnoticed.
What to do instead
For every calculation, write the units beside each quantity and perform an explicit conversion step before computing. For decimals, estimate the answer first (e.g., 0.3 × 0.4 is about 0.1) and check the position of the decimal point against that estimate.
In English, choosing a grammatically wrong option because it sounds correct, especially with subject–verb agreement (e.g., 'The list of items are…'), prepositions, and articles.
Candidates rely on spoken-language intuition rather than identifying the subject and the verb, and they have not memorised common preposition and article collocations.
What to do instead
Before answering, underline the subject and the verb and check agreement. Keep a personal list of preposition and article combinations from the textbook and revise it weekly. Practise 10 error-spotting sentences daily, writing the correction beside each.
In General Knowledge / Bangladesh Studies, confusing dates and names-for example, mixing up the years of the Language Movement, Independence, and Victory Day, or attributing a role to the wrong person.
Facts are memorised as isolated lists without a timeline, so similar-sounding events merge in memory.
What to do instead
Build a one-page timeline of key events with year and person, and redraw it from memory every week. Group facts by theme (language, war, liberation) rather than memorising random lists.
In Science, giving a definition or explanation that is scientifically imprecise-for example, saying 'plants breathe' instead of 'plants respire', or confusing mass with weight.
Everyday language is used in place of scientific terminology, and definitions are memorised without understanding the underlying concept.
What to do instead
For each term, write the textbook definition and a one-line example, then explain it aloud in your own words. Create a 'confused pairs' table (mass/weight, breathing/respiration, melting/dissolving) and review it before tests.
In Bangla, making spelling errors in common words (e.g., 'বাংলাদেশ' vs. 'বাংলাদেস', or confusing 'ি' and 'ী' kar), and misapplying sandhi or samas rules.
Candidates write Bangla the way they speak it, and they have not drilled the spelling rules and vowel signs systematically.
What to do instead
Maintain a spelling notebook of every word you misspell, writing it correctly three times and using it in a sentence. Revise the basic sandhi and samas types with two examples each, and practise a 10-word dictation daily.
In Islamic Studies / Moral Education, giving a correct-sounding but incomplete answer-for example, naming a pillar of Islam without explaining it, or quoting a hadith without its lesson.
Answers are memorised as short labels rather than as complete concepts, and candidates do not practise writing full-sentence responses.
What to do instead
For each topic, prepare a three-part card: the term, a one-sentence explanation, and a practical lesson. Practise answering in complete sentences, and check that every answer includes the 'what' and the 'why'.
In Written Expression / Composition, writing an essay that is off-topic or lacks structure-no clear introduction, body paragraphs, or conclusion-and exceeding or falling far short of the required length.
Candidates start writing immediately without planning, and they do not practise under timed conditions, so they either run out of ideas or ramble.
What to do instead
Spend the first three minutes writing a skeleton outline: introduction, three body points, conclusion. Write one timed composition per week, then count the words and check that each paragraph has one main idea. Build a bank of 10 versatile topic outlines.
Misreading the question stem-answering what the candidate expects rather than what is asked, such as missing 'NOT' or 'EXCEPT', or ignoring the instruction to give an example.
Under time pressure, candidates skim the question and jump to a familiar answer pattern, and they do not underline key words.
What to do instead
Adopt a fixed routine: read the question twice, underline the command word (state, explain, compare) and any negative words, then restate the question in your own words before answering. Practise with mixed questions where the instruction varies.
Poor time allocation-spending too long on one difficult mathematics or science question and leaving no time for easy marks later, or rushing the composition and leaving it unfinished.
Candidates do not know their own pace, and they treat every question as equally important instead of triaging.
What to do instead
In mock tests, set checkpoints (e.g., 25% of questions in 25% of the time). If a question takes more than two minutes, mark it and move on. Reserve the last 10 minutes for the composition and for checking answers.
Handwriting and presentation problems-illegible answers, no spacing between words, uncrossed-out rough work, and answers written in the wrong section of the answer sheet.
Candidates practise content only and never rehearse the physical act of writing under exam conditions, so they are unaware of how their writing looks to an examiner.
What to do instead
Do at least one full written practice per week on the same type of answer sheet, using a timer. Ask a teacher or parent to mark legibility. Before the exam, check the answer-sheet layout and practise writing the question number clearly for each answer.