JOIN USIf you don’t do well in pre-board exams, for some reason, there is no need to panic, says Payal Krishnan.
What is a reasonably accurate indicator of whether or not you are going to do well in the board exams looming not too far? Yes, you guessed it right. Your performance in the pre boards.
Pre board exams are the rehearsals for the grand finale coming up in March for Class XII students across India. They assess you on the basis of
* How well you have understood the topics taught to you throughout your school life.
* Whether you can complete the paper within the given time and deal with the related anxiety associated with an important exam, and
* Whether you can apply all that you have learnt to the case studies given in the paper. Pre Boards for class XII begin during the month of January. We believe that if you do well in the Pre Boards,( which is usually tougher than the actual exam) you will be able to do well in the Board exams.
If however, you don't do well for some reason! Don't lose heart! This is only the dress rehearsal remember? You can use the results of this exam to find out about your weak areas, identify the chinks in your preparation and can talk to teachers and experts to help you gain confidence in those topics.
In addition, here are some simple tips to help you achieve success in the Pre Board examinations:
* Read the NCERT textbook thoroughly
* Make sure you have read and practised all the examples and are familiar with all possible 'angles' and 'twists' to a concept
* Two Heads are Better than One! Discuss with your friends and discuss questions with your study group. This way all of you can solve each other's problems and help each other understand the tough concepts better.
* When in doubt, always ask - Remember, to try to solve the question yourself first before finally asking the expert for help.
* Practise till you succeed - If you don't have enough questions in the NCERT to practise a new problem you can always go to other study resources made available to you where you can get plenty of practice to perfect the topic.
* Rev up the routine - Study according to a time table and divide your time equally between, reading, testing your knowledge, taking breaks and sleeping well. Do not neglect this routine.* Time is marks - Try to solve previous year's question papers and mock papers within the duration of the time allotted for the exam.
* Divide and score - Distinguish between easy scoring questions and tough time consuming questions. Grab the easier ones first but remember to give enough time to the tough ones too. Also, remember to get your questions numbers right!
* Keep in mind that you have to do all the questions. The tough looking ones usually have a little twist that needs to be untangled with logic. Sometimes, reading the question carefully is enough for you to get your A-ha moment.
* Most students tend to take pre boards lightly, thinking “I will make up for this in Boards”. By doing so you are losing an important opportunity to practise and are putting yourself at a disadvantageous position. Study regularly and you will not feel the pressure.