Concours FSTS Conakry common mistakes
Concours FSTS Conakry · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
In biology questions, describing an organ or process by its everyday function only ("the kidney filters blood") without naming the anatomical structures, tissue types, and physiological sequence the question asks for, so answers stay at the level of general knowledge.
Candidates prepare from secondary-school summaries and popular science, and never practise converting a familiar idea into precise anatomical and physiological vocabulary under exam conditions.
What to do instead
For each major system (renal, respiratory, circulatory, digestive), build a one-page 'structure-to-function' map: organ, tissue, cell type, molecule exchanged, direction of flow. Practise writing each answer in three sentences using the technical terms, then check against a textbook figure.
In chemistry, writing a balanced equation or a mole calculation directly from memory of the reaction type without first writing the unbalanced skeleton with correct formulas and oxidation states, leading to wrong coefficients or wrong products.
Time pressure and the habit of 'recognising' familiar reactions cause candidates to skip the systematic first step; ionic and redox reactions in particular look familiar but differ in detail.
What to do instead
Adopt a fixed written procedure for every equation: formulas, then balance atoms other than O and H, then O, then H, then charge. Do ten redox and ten precipitation exercises per week using this exact sequence until it is automatic.
In physics, substituting numbers into a formula before converting all quantities to SI units, so results are off by powers of ten (cm vs m, g vs kg, minutes vs seconds).
Formulas are memorised as symbol strings and the unit dimension is treated as decoration; candidates rarely write units during intermediate steps.
What to do instead
Make unit conversion an explicit written line before substitution ('m = 250 g = 0.250 kg'), and carry units through every intermediate calculation. Do a set of exercises where the only task is dimensional checking of the final answer.
In mathematics, starting a multi-step problem (equation, derivative, integral, or geometry proof) without first identifying the type of problem and the method required, then improvising operations that are not valid at that step.
Candidates have practised isolated techniques but not classification, so under stress they apply the most recently revised method regardless of fit.
What to do instead
Before solving, write one line naming the method ('this is a second-degree equation, use discriminant'). Train with mixed problem sets where the first required output is the classification, not the answer.
Treating 'Sciences et Techniques de la Santé' as a single subject and revising only biology, neglecting the physics, chemistry and mathematics components that the general domain also tests.
The label suggests a medical exam, so candidates allocate almost all revision time to biology and discover the breadth of the syllabus too late.
What to do instead
Build a revision timetable weighted by the actual syllabus, with fixed weekly slots for each fundamental science, and track completion per subject rather than per day.
Answering multiple-choice questions by reading only the first plausible option and moving on, without eliminating the others or checking for words like 'always', 'never', 'except'.
Speed anxiety and unfamiliarity with distractor design; candidates confuse recognition of a familiar term with correctness.
What to do instead
Use a fixed routine on every MCQ: read the stem fully, predict the answer before looking at options, then eliminate each wrong option with a written reason. Practise timed sets to make the routine fit within the time limit.
Losing marks on open questions because the answer is written as an unstructured paragraph that buries the key term, rather than stating the definition or result first and then developing it.
Candidates write in the order they think, and markers award points for identifiable key elements; the required structure is never rehearsed.
What to do instead
Practise the 'answer first' format: one sentence with the definition or result, then numbered supporting points. Self-mark past questions against a checklist of expected key terms.
Misreading French scientific instructions and terminology in the exam (for example confusing 'calculer' with 'démontrer', or 'citer' with 'expliquer'), and answering a different question from the one asked.
Scientific French vocabulary is learned passively from reading, not actively, and candidates translate instructions mentally into a simpler task.
What to do instead
Keep a glossary of exam instruction verbs with a model answer of one line each ('citer' = list without justification; 'expliquer' = give the mechanism). Rewrite past-question instructions in your own words before answering.
Managing time badly: spending most of the allotted time on the first long exercise and leaving short, high-yield questions unanswered at the end.
No timed practice under exam conditions, plus perfectionism on the first problem encountered.
What to do instead
Do full timed mock papers with a written time budget per section, and enforce a rule to move on after a set number of minutes on any single question, returning later if time permits.
Memorising definitions and lists without being able to apply them, so the candidate can recite a law or formula but cannot use it in an unfamiliar context or numerical problem.
Revision is dominated by rereading and recitation, which creates a feeling of fluency that does not transfer to application questions.
What to do instead
Replace rereading with active recall plus application: after each definition, immediately solve one exercise that uses it, and use spaced self-testing (closed book) rather than highlighting or re-reading notes.