Santanu Dutta: DAT and interview experience at IISc

Hi,

I found your blog teacupblog lacking specific details about DAT and interview processes at IISc, and I thought it would be great to share the set of questions/pattern as it appeared in this year's admission process.

IISc DAT and Interview Experience (as on 21st April 2016)
Two written DAT papers followed by Interview.

DAT Paper - 1 (9:30 am - 10:45 am)

Part - 1

Five compulsory questions with 2/3 sub-parts. Similar to questions asked in Part 1 of CEED. Series, shapes, colors, logical sequences etc.


Part - 2

10 questions out of which 5 were to be answered. Answering more than 5 would attract penalty.

Questions ranged from Mathematics and Physics from Class 11/12 standard, and were quite simple if only the basic formulas were known. 1/2 question out of the 10 might pertain to basic UG Engg questions. 
Mechanics (Force on Spring), Electronics (calculating potential and current flow in a circuit), Probability (selecting a set of people from a larger group of people), Rotational Mechanics (Angular velocity, acceleration), Area under curves (intersecting area under two curves), Fluid dynamics (pressure and velocity), Stress on Beam, Thermal Conductivity (specific heat) and the like. 


DAT Paper - 2 (10:45 am - 12 noon)

(1) Photograph of a physical object was given. Replicate the same in sketch and shade it with pencil.

(2) 5 basic shapes were given. Draw another object for each of them where that shape is one of the major components. (Example, if the shape is a circle, then the object could be Gandhi glasses)

(3) Two photographs were provided. Identify three problems (difficulties) that can be inferred from them. First was a photograph of people sleeping on kerbs and footpath, the second was a group of very young disadvantaged kids studying together in a cloistered room.

(4) Four items of technological interest were given. Select one of them and write five features of the same. (Example- Google Glass)

(5) Similar to above. We had to write what it is about and where it is used. (Example - 4G Mobile Communications Technology)

(6) Five materials were named. Write their applications and for what quality are the used for in their areas of application. (For example - Activated charcoal is used in filtration because of porosity)

(7) A passage were given in which it described what are thermopigments and how mixing them with normal acrylic colors and painting surfaces could help identify temperature changes (pigments will lose color and provide indication). Consider any one household product and suggest two improvements on them based on the given concept of thermopigments.

(8) Compare between CFL and LED lamps and state which is better and why.

(9) Normal doormats can not be cleaned without damaging them and rendering them unusable for future use. Suggest two design changes to address the issue.

[All questions carried equal marks except Q. No. 1 which carried double the marks]


Interview

Why design?
Why Product Design?
Provide any sample, prototype, sketches, layout, visualizations of products/ tangible objects that you have developed.
Take this small cylindrical rod (of length ~ 4"). What would be its approx. weight? What could be its material? How was it made? How did such a shape and smooth surface achieved? If you were to produce this is large quantities, how would you mass manufacture? Give 10 unique uses of the product.
Tell us why the Odd/Even rule for vehicle movement is bad.