There is a difference between being well prepared and being exam ready. Aakash Chaudhry tells you how to strategise ahead of the Board exams and why to treat Pre Boards as a stepping stone
Many students often question the significance of Pre-Boards and the need to ace it. However, teachers and tutors often emphasise on the preparation for these ahead of the big test. Pre Boards can be equated as a dress rehearsal before the final act. Besides giving students ample time to get their revision done with, Pre-Boards also help students review their weaknesses, analyse their study methods and work on strategies to crack the eventual Board examinations.
Instead of treating the Pre-Boards as another reason to pressurise yourself and accentuate stress levels, students should see this as an ideal opportunity to plan effectively. You can talk to teachers, peers and your seniors about what study plan they follow in the last days after the completion of the syllabus. Getting assessed on complete syllabus viz-a-viz small unit tests is a totally different ball game. A student has to choose wisely between brushing up his strong areas or concentrating on the weak areas. All advices are good but an ultimate personal strategy is crucial to cruise through the Boards.
The syllabus is huge but remember that if you time your preparation right and prioritise what needs more attention, you will be able to cover the syllabus without having to fret later. Realistically take up each subject and go through all the topics and chapters in it. You can also use unconventional tricks to plan your study.
One interesting way to prepare for the exams is to start in the reverse order, that is prepare for the last exam first in a way that the preparation for the first exam begins two weeks before the date. Another important aspect of preparing well for the exams is to study the text book thoroughly. Going through the NCERT textbooks help to clear concepts and sharpen your skills on a topic. There is very little chance of questions appearing beyond the prescribed text book. Don’t skip studying diagrams, tables or graphs in the textbook.
Solving the past 10 years’ questions is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the exam patterns and the popular questions because having studied well and being exam ready are two different things. Having a ready question bank and mock tests can further help you prepare the right questions beforehand. Students should also not ignore important formulae, notes and dates which are important for almost all subjects. It’s a smart idea to write down these points, formulae, theorems, and definitions on flash cards that you can carry along in your pocket or wallet for a quick revision at the last minute.
There are certain chapters in subjects like Physics, Chemistry and Biology which need special attention. In Physics, the key topics include Optics that is worth 14 marks, Electrostatics, Electromagnetics and Electronic devices. In Chemistry, the Physical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry generally marks the bulk of the question paper. Students must make sure they are well versed with formulae in Physical Chemistry and the chemical reactions, processes and preparation of various chemical compounds as questions are sure to be asked from this portion. \\
In Biology, Genetics and Evolution contribute to 18 marks and are hence crucial. Keep the achievable topics in mind while preparing for example, Biotechnology can be learnt easily and has a 10 mark contribution. Remember to go through the text as often as possible, not trying to memorise it but trying to understand the processes.
Another way of equipping yourself for good scores is for students to have target marks which require strong basics. They should get all their doubts solved from the teachers before taking up the exam. Students should be clear with topic wise weightage and should mark their strong fields and weak areas so that they can develop a proper strategy to utilise the available time maximally. Practice also plays an important role in scoring good marks and therefore students should practice important diagrams, tables, illustrations etc in Biology and problem solving in Physics and Chemistry which would help them score higher.
However, before initiating any practice, mastering the subject is more important. During the exam, it is advised to write the descriptive answers in points and give pictorial or graphical illustrations to enhance visibility.
Here’s a quick look into the analysis of the last board exams which will give students a fair advantage of knowing the exam pattern—
PHYSICS
Although the paper was moderately difficult and balanced, it was lengthy which meant that students had to time their answers properly to be able to complete it. Optics and Electrostatics were the most emphasised topics. All questions were from within the syllabus and were mostly a combination of Current Electricity and Electrostatics, Optica and Mahnetism.
CHEMISTRY
The questions were based on the syllabus itself but the paper was found to be lengthy although easy. The paper comprised a lot of reactions and reasoning questions and was mostly concept based with some tricky ones. Organic Chemistry covered a substantial part of the paper compared to Physical or Inorganic Chemistry portions.
BIOlOGY
The questions again were found to be well within the syllabus and in fact featured several predictable ones. Most students who had revised their NCERT thoroughly were able to crack it easily.
Apart from the subject wise analysis, the examinations last year followed a certain pattern based on the marks and length of the questions. The question paper mostly had around 12 short answer type questions with four marks each that summed up to 48. Besides this, the paper had around 7 long answer-type questions each containing six marks that summed up to 42 which made it a 100 marks question paper.
Making a timetable that covers your syllabus subject wise and identifying the testable material from it is very important for complete preparation. Prioritise studying the topics that are sure shot. Don’t get overwhelmed by the time required to study harder topics as this can be balanced by reserving less time for easily doable ones. Mock tests in class and tutorials will also help you define your preparation systematically and assess yourself periodically. Make sure you have a silent, clutter free zone and an environment with minimal distractions while studying. Give yourself ample time to indulge in recreational activities, family and social interactions. Maintain a healthy diet, exercise and sleep well as this will do wonders towards ensuring your good health.
Adopt a positive attitude towards the impending exams and understand that the Pre-Boards are to help you build endurance and confidence in the long run. How well you score in your Pre-Boards can help you understand your future ranking in the actual exam. This probably explains why most schools debar students who don’t pass the Prelims. Avoid getting intimidated by the immensity of the Boards and concentrate on doubling your efforts to sail through the Pre-Boards.
The writer is director AESPl (Aakash Educational Services Pvt ltd)