Simple tips to help increase your Boards percentage.

Board exams are seen as the veritable test of knowledge. Conducted countrywide and taken to be the most widely accepted form of school level certification, the boards rightly deserve the attention it receives.

As the exam dates draw nearer, one common query amongst all students (be it 10th or 12th grade) is how to prepare in order to get a high percentage. Understandably enough, the increased competition all over the country doesn’t leave enough room for a lackluster preparation and the room for error has grown narrower. Thus along with hard work, what students require to do is smart work.

In this article, we will discuss some steps which are easy to assimilate into your daily schedule and can help you to become more focused and success oriented. Also, we will look at the ways a board question paper should be approached and how a student should write his/her answers.

Before starting, the main thing a student should keep in mind is this: one should not be competing against what their peers think is the best score. Not every student gets 99% in their boards. That’s a lofty aim and one which seldom does any good to a student.

If you must, compete against your previous scores, which should be your only focus. This will not only give you a realistic goal to achieve, it also paves a systematic way for better percentage in the future.

Tips to perform better in Board Exams

How to manage time before and during examinations?

It’s imperative to have a timetable which distributes your hours evenly among all the subjects.

• It goes without saying that you must start with your weakest subjects, devote your maximum time to it till you master it. And once you do that, distribute your time to other focus subjects.
• Develop a pattern for each subject and devote regular hours to it every day. Once you do that your memorizing power will develop accordingly and you will get used to studying and being focused for those particular hours.
• Getting more hours in your schedule for studies means cutting out on activities that tend to waste it. This includes extra sleep and social media. A healthy sleep pattern is of 6-7 hours a day, try to stick to it and use those late or early (depends on you) remaining hours to revise any light subject.
• Schedule to study the heavier subjects during the daytime, this helps in better understanding and retention as you are more awake during those hours.
• Self-study helps best, so try and not join any crash courses during the end months as they might confuse more than they help.

What to study?

• It’s understandable that the Boards aren’t the only exam you must be preparing for as most of the higher education courses now require you to give some of the other forms of an entrance exam. Thus your focus should be equally distributed between both.
• But as far as board exams go, NCERT books are your nirvana. Even the application based questions (HOTS) are never outside the realms of the NCERT syllabus. Focus on the first and clear your concepts.
• The syllabus must be completed at least a few months before the exams. Do not think of skipping certain topics because you find it cumbersome.This is generally taken care of by the schools taking repeated pre-boards consisting of the whole syllabus. But nevertheless, a student should aim to finish it themselves through self-study.
• Previous year papers are most helpful for an in-depth preparation. Along with preparing you for different types of questions (according to their marking scheme), it also prepares you to finish papers within a time limit.
• You are as strong as your weakest link, so focus more on the topics you falter at. Strengthening a topic that’s already strong won’t be as beneficial as strengthening one you are most likely to lose marks at.
• Subjects like English (and other languages) shouldn’t be taken lightly as they are helpful in boosting your percentage. Being lighter on theorems and formulas, these subjects are easier to understand, if one gives proper attention to them.
• Even a day a week is enough if one studies it properly. And while at it, try to write answers in a well-defined manner, giving equal attention to all the sections of the paper-be it comprehension, grammar, or literature.

Where to get extra, subject-relevant information from?

While NCERT books are most important for these exams, it won’t hurt your case if you seek other sources for extra information. These could be coaching material or even verified websites.

• You can’t overlook the fact that entrance exams arrive along with the boards. So if you have joined coaching or tuition of any sort, pay attention to that too. Given that it doesn’t interfere with your self-studies.
• Make use of official websites like that of CBSE for the mock tests and to clear your doubts regarding the pattern of the exams.
• Use websites like Dare2Compete for taking quizzes and participating in online competitions related to any subject. This is a fun way to learn new things and revise what you already know, as these quizzes and competitions teach in a non-cumbersome manner. Thus you learn more and remember for longer than a bench and book approach would do.

How to write exam appropriate answers?

Let go of the common misconception that a lengthier answer will fetch you more marks. Keep in mind that the teacher checking your paper will have hundreds of similar papers to check, so they will appreciate a well written and to the point answer.

• Before starting any answer give yourself a minute to understand what the question actually asks for, and form a basic draft in your head. It should be something like this:

1. Introductory paragraph giving general information about the topic asked.
2. The second part of the answer should start right off without beating around the bush. Write what they have asked for and substantiate your answer using diagrams, flowcharts, graphs, etc. This is an important point, one which many students overlook and thus aren’t able to fetch the extra marks for these details.
3. The answer should run with a proper flow of logic.
4. The concluding paragraph should basically be a summary of your answer. Show how your answer stands in accordance with the question.

• Don’t go overboard with fancy language and jargon. Your answer should be written in academic language but should be easy to understand.
• Explain using your own words, mugging up theories and writing them word for word from your textbook doesn’t fetch you any more marks than a simply explained answer would. However, don’t confuse simple language with layman’s language. It should be academic and grammatically correct.
• Try and make your sentences concise. Long drawn answers don’t leave a good impression.
• Don’t write in the language you think in. There is a huge difference between them. Similarly, keep text-message language out of your answers.
• Your handwriting and the cleanliness of your paper fetch you marks, so keep it in order. Try practising your answers in a manner that makes your answer sheet look good. Underlining important sentences, boxing up important theorems and answers, and drawing margins might seem like a boring task, but it helps in boosting your marks.

Final points to keep in mind

• Don’t lose out on sleep. A healthy sleep schedule is of 5-6 hours a day, and you must complete it. Less sleep leads to a fatigued mind that leads to broken concentration.
• Eat well and exercise. Many times due to stress students give up on a proper diet and physical exercise, and this is detrimental to their health. Remember, you will only be able to prepare and perform well if your body is healthy.
• Don’t compare your preparation with your peers. This acts as a demotivate during times of stress. Have confidence in yourself and your preparation.
• Take time off to relax. Go for a walk, to play, listen to music, or indulge in any recreational activity that helps take your mind off the daily grind.
• Do not pick up new topics towards the end of your preparations, especially when the exams are already approaching.
• Group studies with friends and classmates can be beneficial as a student will be able to understand previously vague topics and learn more than what he/she might do sitting alone. A group will inadvertently share notes and studying techniques which benefits all who are a part of it.
• If you feel too stressed out, reach out to your parents, friends, and teachers for counseling. Or call/email the CBSE helpline numbers and email address present on their official website. The CBSE has developed an outreach program where online/ on-call counseling will be provided to students by trained counselors and Principals.

Exams are a part and parcel of life and should be treated so, Board exams are no different. Have faith in your preparation and don’t let panic set in. Prepare in advance so that nothing is rushed by the time your exams arrive and approach each paper with a calm head. And always remember: compete with yourself, not with the world.

Best of luck for your exams!