Effective preparation strategies for board examinations
It’s that time of the year again, as Board exams for classes X and XII are in the horizons and students as well as parents are working hard to prepare well for the examination.
This year t he exams are scheduled to begin from the third week of February and students due to appear for the exams must be already be feeling the anxiety and stress that inevitably accompanies one of the most important exams they will ever take, the result of which will in impact the evolution of their career and shape the course of their life.
Friendly advice and tips to students and parents abounds on how to prepare for the exams, how to enhance memory and retention capacity amongst others.
There are even readymade schedules complete with minute-by-minute guide on what to do and how to do it depending on the time of the day. However in the midst of abundant advice of all colors and hues, there are some fundamental advice that forms the bedrock of achieving success in the examinations and in life.
Here are some practical tips to help the students prepare more effectively for the upcoming board exam and achieve desired results in the exam:
LEARN TO BE STRESSFREE
It is true that performance in the board exams is a cause for enormous anxiety for students which often leads to stress and sometimes rash action on their part. The immediate and most important outcome of good grades in board exams is that it enables a student to pick up subjects of his or her choice.
At this critical juncture, getting bogged down by skepticism and stress is a real threat.
Cultivate confidence and develop a positive attitude to avoid getting distracted by stress and expectation of family and friends. It is important to remain calm and maintain healthy attitude as healthy attitude builds confidence and positivity. Remaining stress-free boost morale and helps in staying focused.
MANAGE/PLAN YOUR TIME
Time management is an important life skill that plays a key role in preparing for exams and beyond.
Planning a schedule and implementation of the same leads to a more effective utilization of available time. With time management, we can spare time for both studies as well as physical activities. Therefore, the strategy for preparing for the exam should be a perfect blend of learning and revising the syllabus with sufficient time remaining to attempt sample papers successfully.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH
Health is a corollary of getting enough sleep, maintaining a predictable schedule, sufficient physical activity and eating right. Go to bed early and get up early.
Kick start your day off with exercise and a healthy breakfast that will boost your energy and will help you stay active through the day. Mental health is as important as physical health and must not be ignored.
SET TARGETS
Setting practical targets would be immensely helpful for students as one can maintain momentum and achieve the goals. Therefore, by setting daily, weekly, and monthly study targets, one can equally focus on subjects he/she is weak at and understanding them while solving different level of questions. Enrolling for the best crash courses available would be a good way to gain sufficient practice on the subject.
PRACTICE PREVIOUS YEAR’S QUESTION
A good way to prepare for an exam is to know the exam pattern and the kind of questions that could appear in the exam. Attempting previous years questions helps in practicing and revising questions, understanding patterns of questioning that can be expected and introduces students to the time limits they will be exposed to on the day of their exam. Practice taking mock tests as much as possible to be conversant with the examination.
CHOOSE YOUR MATERIAL AND FOLLOW THE PATTERN
Examinations are an art in their own unique way, in that questions are set to certain parameters such as difficulty levels, time required to provide an answer etc. Try to begin with the 5 marks questions and set a time limit to complete that. Questions based on Laboratory diagram are important and must be practiced beforehand. Diagrams carry a good percentage of marks so be very careful while drawing and labeling them.
A GOOD WAY TO PREPARE IS TO KNOW THE EXAM PATTERN WELL AND ANTICIPATE THE KIND OF QUESTIONS THAT COULD APPEAR IN THE PAPER
UTILIZE GADGETS PRODUCTIVELY
Gadgets such as smartphones and computers are often condemned as distractions when one is preparing for an exam and for good reasons. However, that need not always be the case as the right usage of the same can be productivity booster and a handy source of information when necessary. From alarm clock to countdown timers, there are positive ways in which gadgets can impact exam preparations.
Apart from the points mentioned above, there are some basic hygiene that when maintained evokes a positive impression.
Maintaining a legible handwriting, maintaining margins and keeping answer sheets neat and tidy is a practical advice. While they may not add marks, they do induce a positive vibe.