General Hindi
Syllabus map
Questions usually come from संधि, समास, उपसर्ग-प्रत्यय, तत्सम-तद्भव, पर्यायवाची, विलोम, अनेकार्थी, मुहावरे-लोकोक्तियाँ, वाक्यांश के लिए एक शब्द, शब्द-शुद्धि, वाक्य-शुद्धि, कारक, काल, वाच्य, रस, अलंकार और छंद. Learn the rule first, then identify it in examples. In गुण संधि, अ/आ + इ/ई = ए, अ/आ + उ/ऊ = ओ, and अ/आ + ऋ = अर्. In दीर्घ संधि, similar vowels combine into a long vowel. To identify समास, find the hidden relationship: राजपुत्र = राजा का पुत्र, so it is तत्पुरुष.
Traps
Do not take मुहावरे literally; नाक में दम करना means to harass, not to breathe through the nose. In संधि-विच्छेद, check the spelling of the original words. तत्सम words stay close to Sanskrit; तद्भव forms are changed. In अलंकार, do not confuse अनुप्रास (repetition of a consonant sound) with यमक (repetition of a word in different senses). In वाक्य-शुद्धि, check gender, number, case and verb agreement.
Worked example
Split विद्यालय. It is विद्या + आलय; आ + आ = आ, so it is दीर्घ संधि. Rule of thumb: first split the word, then apply the vowel rule, then name the संधि.