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Quest
Sail through exams
PAROMITA PAIN
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It's exam time again and students are cramming . Here are a few tips to make the D-day seem less foreboding...
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Make sure your answers are relevant...
It's that time of the year again when questions like `why exams' insidiously crop up even in the least inquiring minds. Exams, however erroneously, we may feel, do test abilities to organise what we know and what we have been taught.
Tips for time scheduling
Define what is to be done. Make a checklist of the things that you need to do.
Next is prioritising. Some subjects need more practice (like maths) and reading than others.
Try not to study for long hours at a stretch. Space out and alternate learning subjects with practice based ones.
Be confident...
Set aside some time everyday for reviewing what is done.
Study when your alertness levels are at the highest.
Set realistic goals.
Study techniques are important here
Mrs Jayanti, of Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Chennai says, "Leave nothing to chance. Study everything and read all textual matter very thoroughly."
Mrs Subhalaskmi of Aggarwal Vidyalaya, Chennai, says, "Underline the important sentences in the text as that will help answer the objective questions."
Flow charts make learning chemistry, remembering incidents in history; mathematical formulae derivatives and help do better in geography.
The classes held in the days before the exams are important. Teachers give insights for answering questions and predicting important topics.
Research the exam paper well. Especially the question format, the question paper divisions, the maximum marks allocated for each section and plan accordingly.
Mrs Pramilla, Samuel Anderson Girls Day High School, Chennai, says, "The questions papers of the previous years are important indicators of question trends and have to be carefully examined."
Avoid these common mistakes...
Failing to answer questions either because there is no time or the answer is not known.
Take time to read the paper...
Don't write everything you know. Answer the question; write only what the question has asked for.
Use evidence where necessary to support an answer. Subjects like history require dates. Geography asks for drawings.
Illegible handwriting ensures lost marks simply because the examiner cannot read.
R. Harrison, Principal of Christ Church, Chennai, says techniques of answering questions are important and students should elaborate only if they are asked specifically to do so. "Precise answers except in the essay type section is important because the examiner can quickly find what he is looking for. Filling up the pages doesn't fetch marks."
Look at the question paper...
Highlight items like Elucidate, Discuss, Compare and Contrast and Explain. They all seem similar but they don't really mean the same.
Allocate time based upon the value of each question.
Structure your answer with clear introductions, which shouldn't be too long, a body with each new idea in a new paragraph and a proper conclusion.
The day before the exam...
Put the admit card, hall ticket and test board in your bag. Dr.Bhasker, Counsellor, Resource18 advises, "Eat a well-balanced diet and drink lots of fluids. Excessive amounts of coffee may produce confusion and even disorganization of thought processes. It also ruins your sleep.
Helpful sites
ICSE Maths Homepage-replete with free worksheets, topics and samples
Icsemaths.com -- free maths practice sessions
Siliguriinfoline.com -- free solved ICSE and CBSE papers
Indiatimes learning -- contains papers on all subjects
CBSE practice on Sify education
schoolcircle com -- comprehensive education portal (paid site)
The Std. XII Board Examinations Portal -- has matter on
Economics, English, History, Political Science and Sociology (CBSE)
Sneha, Chennai helpline- 044 28115050
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