IGNOU’s Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Statistics (PGDAST): Frequently Asked Questions

I joined the PGDAST programme in July 2017 and I graduated in June 2018 with a final score of 85%.

My objective here is to answer questions (once and for all) I get asked about the PGDAST programme (offered by IGNOU).

Programme Specific Questions

Q-1. What are the academic prerequisites to excel in this programme?
A. Applied statistics is a term commonly used to name courses for the non-mathematically oriented audience, that teach you how to apply statistical tools for the purpose of data analysis etc.

That’s why this programme is structured in a way that it allows a non-math oriented learner to start from scratch. Even the explanations of concepts in the material offered by IGNOU are lucid and reader-friendly. So there are no prerequisites for this programme. However, a little bit of light reading about statistics won’t hurt. I personally recommend the book Naked Statistics by Charles Wheelan.

Q-2. How relevant is this programme to someone interested in growing in the field of Data Science?
A. I have written another exhaustive post to address this question. I broke down each and every course of the programme and tried to address how it can be relevant to a learner in the data science field. You can check it out here.

Q-3. What are the levels of difficulties of the assignments and the term end exam (TEE)?
A. According to me, the assignment problems were roughly 3 times more difficult to solve than the problems I was asked to solve in my TEE for all the courses. The assignment problems are conspicuously twisted and turned to test the understanding of the learner. However, the problems in the TEE are straightforward and very often they are exact copies of the solved example problems given in the study material.

So if you are able to solve the assignment problems on your own, TEE would be a cake-walk to you. Basically, Difficulty(Assignment) >>> Difficulty(TEE).

Q-4. How hard is it to pursue PGDAST while working in the software industry?
A. It is definitely not hard if everything is planned right. I graduated from college just a month before I enrolled in this programme so it was not hard for me stay late or wake up early on busy days to study.

In my first semester, neither waiting for my admission confirmation nor for the printed material, I started off with the soft copies of the material (more about the material in Q-9) and spent 5–6 hours a week for 3 weeks to consciously skim through the material of the first 4 core courses (MST-001 to MST-004). Then I spent 2 hours a day for 2 weeks to finish the assignments. Overall, I invested about 40 hours in learning and solving assignments in one semester. I even used my free time at work to revise the concepts once in a while (yes, I had no social life!!).

I repeated the same for the second semester and it worked out pretty well for me.

Q-5. Do I have to complete 1 year of study before appearing for the TEE?
A. No. If you are enrolled in the June 2018 cycle, you can appear for at most 4 courses in the December 2018 TEE, given you have submitted the assignments for the same 4 courses. You can appear for the remaining courses in the next cycle i.e., January 2019 cycle.

Q-6. Is it mandatory to attend counselling classes to be eligible to write the TEE?
A. No, and yes. In case of theory courses, it is NOT mandatory to attend the counselling classes. But in the case of lab courses, it is mandatory to attend at least 70% of the lab counselling sessions held at your respective study center to be eligible for the practical TEE.

Q-7. Can I appear for practical lab TEE in my first semester?
A. No. Because one has to complete the first 4 core courses (MST-001 to MST-004) to be eligible for the practical lab TEE.

Q-8. What additional material/books should we read to excel at the PGDAST programme?
A. Honestly, the material provided by the IGNOU is more than enough to score maximum marks in the TEE and also in the assignments. However, the following resources helped me in understanding the proofs and concepts better:
· Khan Academy — Statistics and Probability
· Pen State University Statistic Online Resources
· Discussions on Stats Stack Exchange

Q-9. Where can I find the soft-copies of PGDAST study material?
A. IGNOU maintains a National Digital Repository to store all the material online called eGyanKosh, you will find the material for PGDAST on that website. However, I have compiled all useful resources like the study material, the previous question papers, the assignments, the formulae booklet and the programme guide (must read) etc. and put them all here.

Q-10. How can I get in touch with the other PGDAST pursuers?
A. There is a facebook group named “IGNOU - PGDAST” and you can send a request to join the group here.

General IGNOU Questions

Q-11. Are IGNOU degrees/diplomas recognized abroad?
A. Yes, degrees/diplomas from IGNOU are recognized globally.

Q-12. How to apply for an admission in one of the programmes?
A. One can apply for an admission here.

Q-13. I haven’t received my admission confirmation. What do I do?
A. I applied on June 14th, 2017 and I got my confirmation on September 28th, 2017, just 3 days before the last date of assignment submission. I urge you to trust IGNOU, given you have submitted all the required documents in the right format, and start working on your assignments as early as possible.

Q-14. I haven’t received the study material. What do I do?
A. I received my study material just a week before my TEE in December 2017, so do not depend on the printed material IGNOU promised to send to you. I highly recommend you to NOT WAIT for the printed material and somehow manage with the soft copies of the material available online. You can refer to Q-9 to know more about the soft copies of the material.

Q-15. I enrolled in June 2017 cycle and I haven’t followed up after that, it’s been an year, do I have to apply again to pursue the course?
A. No need to apply again till the Course-Maximum-Duration is elapsed. For PGDAST, the Course-Maximum-Duration is 3 years.

Miscellaneous Tips

• IGNOU ID Card is only valid when it has the stamp of the regional center and the signature of the regional director.
• Try and finish the assignments on your own instead of copying it from someone else as it can help you in understanding the concepts better and it will ultimately help you a lot while preparing for the TEE.
• Do not take the lab courses for granted. Attendance in lab counselling sessions is mandatory.
• Although the material is enough to score maximum marks, I urge the learners to go beyond the material to appreciate the problems/applications better.

Hope this helps. Thank you for reading.

Live and let live!
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