Mathematics-IV (BAS303) AKTU exam strategy

Focus on Unit 4 (Statistical Techniques II) and Unit 2 (Applications of PDE and Fourier Transform). Together they account for about 59 marks among all questions printed per paper. Unit 3 (Statistical Techniques I) is safest to skim if you're short on time.

Unit priority

Unit 4 (Statistical Techniques II) – Must Prepare, 30 marks avg. Unit 4 (Statistical Techniques II) averages 30 marks per paper — one of the heaviest units in this subject. Probability and Random Variables and Poisson Distribution have appeared in every paper analysed — these are must-dos. Must-do: Probability and Random Variables, Normal Distribution, Poisson Distribution, Binomial Distribution.
Unit 2 (Applications of PDE and Fourier Transform) – High Priority, 29 marks avg. Unit 2 (Applications of PDE and Fourier Transform) averages 29 marks per paper — one of the heaviest units in this subject. Heat and Wave Equations has appeared in every paper analysed — these are must-dos. Must-do: Heat and Wave Equations, Fourier Transform and Inverse, Method of Separation of Variables.
Unit 5 (Statistical Techniques III) – High Priority, 29 marks avg. Unit 5 (Statistical Techniques III) averages 29 marks per paper — one of the heaviest units in this subject. Statistical Tests of Significance and Statistical Quality Control have appeared in every paper analysed — these are must-dos. Must-do: Statistical Tests of Significance, Statistical Quality Control, Sampling Theory and Hypothesis.
Unit 1 (Partial Differential Equations) – Medium Priority, 28 marks avg. Unit 1 (Partial Differential Equations) averages 28 marks per paper — one of the heaviest units in this subject. Lagrange's Linear PDE Method and Higher Order Linear PDE have appeared in every paper analysed — these are must-dos. Must-do: Higher Order Linear PDE, Lagrange's Linear PDE Method, Charpit's Non-Linear PDE Method, Origin of PDE.
Unit 3 (Statistical Techniques I) – Safe to Skim, 28 marks avg. Unit 3 (Statistical Techniques I) averages 28 marks per paper — one of the heaviest units in this subject. Measures of Central Tendency and Curve Fitting Least Squares have appeared in every paper analysed — these are must-dos. Must-do: Measures of Central Tendency, Regression Analysis, Curve Fitting Least Squares.

Topics AKTU keeps repeating

Lagrange's Linear PDE Method: Asked in 6 out of 10 papers. If you prepare only one topic from its unit, make it this one.
Higher Order Linear PDE: Asked in 6 out of 10 papers. If you prepare only one topic from its unit, make it this one.

Short on time?

Among all units, Unit 3 (Statistical Techniques I) is the lowest priority at 28M avg. If you're running low on time, prioritize the top 3 units and give this one a quick read. But even here — Measures of Central Tendency, Curve Fitting Least Squares, Regression Analysis are high-repeat topics. Cover these at minimum to stay safe.

How the paper is marked

Section A: 7 questions × 2 marks = 14 marks. Short definition/concept questions from all 5 units. Prepare 2–3 key definitions per unit — this section is the easiest 14 marks you can secure.
Section B: Attempt any 3 of 5 questions × 7 marks = 21 marks. Choose the 3 questions from units you've prepared most. Don't attempt all 5 — pick your strongest 3 and write them well.
Section C: 5 OR-pairs × 7 marks = 35 marks. One pair per unit — you must attempt all 5. This is where the exam is won or lost. Focus your deep preparation on the top 3 priority units.

Exam-day tips

Start with Section A to build momentum — budget 15–20 minutes max for all 7 questions.
In Section B, Unit 4 (Statistical Techniques II) questions have the highest repeat rate — always attempt that one first.
For Section C OR-pairs, read both options before choosing — sometimes the 'b' option is simpler despite appearing longer.
If you've prepared the VERY LIKELY topics, you can comfortably score 50+ marks without touching any new topic on exam day.
This strategy is built on 10 past papers — the patterns here are highly reliable.