wielding words

Preparing for MICAT isn’t just about solving questions, taking mocks and memorising information.

MICAT is designed to test how you think, communicate, create and observe. So if you want to prepare well, some of the most useful changes you can make aren’t really “study” changes at all.

They are lifestyle changes.

The idea is simple: change what you consume, and you will gradually change the way you think.

Here are a few things I recommend doing when you start preparing for MICAT.

1. Read the newspaper every day

This is non-negotiable.

You need to be on top of current affairs for the General Awareness section, but don’t stop at reading headlines.

Read columns and editorials in newspapers such as The Hindu and The Indian Express. Read opinions you agree with and opinions you don’t. Pay attention to how different writers construct arguments around the same issue.

This helps you develop a bank of perspectives that you can draw from during the Descriptive and GE sections.

And while you’re at it, look at the advertisements.

Read the taglines. Notice the language. Ask yourself why a brand chose those particular words.

You’re increasing your vocabulary without sitting down to “study vocabulary.”

2. Go shopping — yes, really

Go online. Browse marketplaces. Walk through malls. Look at what brands are selling.

Notice taglines, packaging, collaborations, new product launches and how different brands position themselves.

Who is this product meant for? What is the brand trying to communicate? Why does one campaign feel premium while another feels youthful?

MICAT is closely connected to the world of media, communication, branding and marketing. You should start looking at the world through that lens.

3. Read short stories

If you have a creative writing or storytelling section, you need to read stories to write better stories.

Short stories are particularly useful because they allow you to observe how writers create characters, establish conflict, build atmosphere and end a narrative — all within a limited space.

Don’t just read for the plot.

Ask yourself: How did the writer make me feel this? Why did this particular detail matter? Why did the story end here?

That is how reading becomes preparation.

4. Watch English movies — and deconstruct them

Watch movies across different themes and genres. Use subtitles if they help you follow the language more closely.

But don’t just watch.

Deconstruct.

Why was that scene included? Why did the character react that way? What is the central conflict? What does the dialogue tell us about the character? How was tension created?

You’re simultaneously working on language, storytelling, observation and interpretation.

5. Read magazines

Magazines can be particularly useful for building your familiarity with brands, logos, advertising, popular culture and visual communication.

Look beyond the articles. Notice the advertisements, the design, the brand language and the way products are presented.

Start becoming someone who notices things.

6. Be on the right social media

Social media can either eat up your preparation time or become part of it.

Find useful Discord and Telegram groups, follow relevant YouTube channels and keep up with discussions around current affairs, advertising, culture and business.

You don’t have to consume everything.

Just make sure that some of what you’re consuming is making you think.

7. Keep writing

Write letters. Write movie reviews. Write short articles. Write arguments. Write stories.

Write anything.

The point is to make putting your thoughts into words feel natural.

The more you write, the less time you spend figuring out how to write — and the more time you can spend figuring out what to say.

And MICAT is a timed exam.

Speed matters.

8. Consume words more mindfully

This might be the most important change of all.

Don’t just consume literature, films, advertisements, articles and social media passively.

Notice language.

Notice a clever phrase. A strange metaphor. A powerful headline. A good tagline. A beautifully constructed sentence. A surprising argument.

MICAT rewards people who are curious about the world.

So don’t just prepare for the exam.

Build the kind of mind that the exam is looking for.