What most students do not know about the CBSE Boards is that they come with some basic tricks and hacks that many of your extremely competitive and focused tuition teachers may have forgotten to tell you. These small things separate those who excel from those who don’t. As you prepare and wind up your syllabus, just keep in mind these 10 things.
1. Devise a bang-on strategy to utilise the reading time to your benefit
Fifteen minutes have the power to can change your paper from incomplete to perfectly finished. Most students merely read their paper in those fifteen minutes, don’t do that. Read in a manner that gives you an edge over others. For example, in the three papers that I scored 99/100 in, while reading, I did not read the whole paper roughly. I only read the questions with the highest marks, chose which one I would attempt and brushed up on the points that I will write in each question. It helped compose my mind to such an extent, that I could write the answers as smooth and clearly as was required.
2. Grab the gist of the questions
What most students fail to do is understand what the examiner is looking for. If he is asking you WHY a phenomenon is happening, analyse properly why it is happening. Telling him WHAT the phenomenon is will not help, in fact only harm.
Easy trick: imagine you are the examiner and you have asked a particular question for 6 marks. Would you simply be looking for a 5 line answer or a proper introduction, content, and conclusion type answer? Put yourself in the shoes of the examiner as you read the questions. It will help you beyond imagination in writing the perfect, crisp and clear answer.
3. Don’t Bullshit (yes, I mean it)
No matter how smart you are with words, the examiner can catch in a blink of the eye when you’re starting to bullshit in your answer sheet. It is the worst option to go for if you know the answer and simply want to increase its length. Better option is to write a crisp and clear answer, maybe draw diagram, or a chart, or present it in such a way that it appeals to the examiner.
If you don’t know the answer, you might as well go ahead with bullshitting, but attempt the answer at last, so the examiner doesn’t form a bad impression of you in the beginning.
4. Understand : Examiners are humans too; like us, they get bored too!
Make your answer sheet as interesting as you can. Use pens and pencils, flowcharts and cycles, explain using diagrams, label them. DO NOT WRITE PLAINLY AND COME BACK. Or else, he or she will give you marks plainly too. The key is to think of what will you do if someone asks you to check 20-100 boring sheets of paper and between them emerges a sheet with short, clear, diagrammatic presentation. You get the edge, naturally.
5. Keep track of time
Take a watch along and do not just keep it, set goals to achieve in one hour, in the next hour and in the final hour. Most students go slow in the first hour and then rush at last. You should rush from the beginning till the end and rest all you want, once you’re out of the exam hall. Take five minutes power breaks if needed. They have proven to increase your productivity and efficiency.
6. Trust your skill, potential, and preparation
Have faith in your preparation. Questions will not come outside your area of preparation. Trust your gut in the exam hall. Write the answer you feel is best suited. Don’t telly or even look at your friends, use your own intuition, it works best.
7. Don’t panic if you can’t remember something
Take a deep breath, relax, leave the question, do what you know best and once you’ve done everything that you know, then try and work that trouble question out. What is important is not to run for say 4 marks alone, but to ensure that the 96 marks answers that you know, fetch you exactly 96 and not less.
8. Sequence of answers does not matter, write in the order of best you know to worst
The examiners have grown comfortable to shuffling between answers. Don’t think that writing in sequence will give you a great impression. If you don’t know an answer very well and still try to attempt it first due to the impression factor, you’re making a mistake,¬† pal. He may acquire an impression that you’re an average student. Go in the order of what you know best. It ensures consistency in the quality of answers and therefore in the consistency of marks too.
9. Remember : You are as good as your health
Have proper breakfast before you leave. Take plenty of water, lemonade or energy drinks to give you the boost you might need. Water refreshes you, keep sipping between your answers. Take a break of 2-5 minutes if needed. Don’t let yourself be sleepy or bored, try and change that, try and be as fresh as you can. It boosts performance in papers.
10. They are not the end of the world
Don’t over stress or freak out. Take it easy on your head, let it live. Boards are no big deal, you think they are because your vision has been narrowed down to one exam that is seen as the benchmark for success. When you will grow up a bit more than you have right now, you will realize the potential of fields that do not care about your board results and you will learn of the greater goals in life.
So stop worrying now, dear reader! Just keep these things in mind, go out there and give it your best shot! I have faith in you all! Cheers!
Feel free to write to me at oshinsharma2000@gmail.com if you have any queries. I will be more than glad to help!
