Online Studies, the New Way to Study

As a student have you ever considered the option of pursuing online studies? It is not unusual for your parents to frown each time you log on to the internet, as you likely to spend far too much time networking with your friends on the various social networking sites. But I am certain that this will not be the case the next time you log on to the internet, ‘coz this time you will use the internet for improving your grades and not only for connecting with your friends online. Online Studies as an alternative, has been around for sometime in India, but it is only slowly gaining momentum with increasing internet penetration and broadband connectivity. 

Did you know that you can complete an ‘International Degree’ over the internet? Startled? Don’t be. You will get to know many more facts like this further in the article. So let me list down the advantages of Online Studies for you. Picture the following scenarios: 

• Scenario I:- Your body clock allows you to concentrate during the night time the best, but alas! There is no tutor available for help during that hour! There’s no point getting depressed as you can take recourse to Online Studies and learn at your own convenience anytime of the day. 
• Scenario II:- You shy away from asking questions in your class of superlatively intelligent students who sometimes grasp concepts far too fast! Don’t you worry. Seek help from online studies; understand and master concepts at your own pace. 
• Scenario III:- You spend hours at your tuition centre after your school and you wish you were left with some time after school hours to relax. Online studies can grant you your wish! You can complement your school studies with online study modules and learn all that you would in your tuition class, right inside the comforts of your own home and in a more time efficient manner.
• Scenario IV:- You continue to have some doubts on a particular topic even after an hour-long grueling class on the same.  You want to ask the teacher to explain again. Could you possibly risk doing so? The answer is sadly a ‘no’, unless you want to invite the ire of the entire class! However, in the world of online studies you can rewind and replay your entire online study class in any order and as many number of times as you choose to. This flexibility and ease of access to relevant study material helps in immediate clarification and better understanding of concepts.
• Scenario V:- After witnessing your bad grades despite several tuitions, your parents are likely to consider spending any more money on your coaching classes as a complete and utter waste.  Don’t lose heart.  With online studies you can amaze your parents with outstanding grades. And that too without burning a hole in their pockets! 
• Scenario VI:- You wished that you had some videos and animations to help simplify those difficult concepts for you in sciences and other subjects. Viola! Online studies come loaded with multimedia-rich content for a better understanding and that too at a nominal cost, if any.

I am positive that you now have enough reasons to want to experience the benefits of Online Studies for yourself. So what are you waiting for, start surfing!

How to study using previous years’ CBSE papers?

With board exams a few weeks away, it is time to get over with all your final preparations and start testing your knowledge using previous years’ CBSE Papers. Practicing using previous years’ CBSE papers not only acquaints students with the overall examination pattern but also helps them assess their current levels of preparation. 

In view of the benefits of using previous years’ CBSE papers for revision, students should keep in mind the following steps for using the previous years’ CBSE papers effectively:

• The first and foremost step is to finish all conceptual understanding. Before starting to practice from the previous years’ CBSE papers, students should have all their study material and revision notes in place. Students should only plan to practice from these previous years’ CBSE papers once they are confident about their preparation and they think they are cent percent ready to write the final CBSE papers.
• While organizing the previous years’ CBSE papers, students should also simultaneously look out for their respective solution sheets along with the official marking scheme.  At this stage creating a pool of such solution sheets is important. However, students should restrain themselves from reading the solutions at this stage.
• Before starting to practice from the previous years’ CBSE papers, students should aim to create a simulated exam atmosphere around them. Choosing a study corner that is free of any disturbance and well-lit. Students can also choose to ask their parents and friends not to disturb them while writing an ‘exam’. Students should also keep a stop-watch handy, so as to keep a track of the time left to complete the mock CBSE paper.
• With all the required things in place, students can now start attempting their CBSE papers. Students should make sure that once they start writing their mock CBSE paper, they should resist any temptation to look into the solution sheet. Students should focus on completing their mock CBSE papers in time and write quality answers that can fetch them a good score.
• Once students are through with their mock CBSE papers, it is time to evaluate their performance and calculate their score. With the help of the solution sheet and the official marking scheme students can appropriately rate their performance. While evaluating the answer sheet, students should try to act as a strict examiner and not reward marks generously. Doing so will help them raise their own standards of performance.
• Once through with checking the CBSE papers, students can highlight or identify all the topics or areas where they performed poorly. Students should then get back to their CBSE study material and revise those particular topics to strengthen their conceptual base.
• After a few days, students should once again go back to those questions and revise them all over again. They should also ensure that they are cent percent accurate this time around.

Now that all you students out there know how to use previous years’ CBSE papers, scoring good marks will not be that difficult.

Maharashtra State Board

Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has been tirelessly working for over 43 years with the aim to continuously improve the educational standard in the state of Maharashtra. Established under Maharashtra Secondary Boards Act, 1965, Maharashtra State Board primarily conducts two exams i.e. Class 10 Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exam and the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exam for +2 level.

In the last three decades Maharashtra State Board has grown manifold both in terms of quality and quantity of affiliated schools and students studying therein. Through innovations in the syllabus, curriculum and its structure, Maharashtra State Board is continuously striving to provide high quality academic support to all the students in the state of Maharashtra.

Maharashtra State Board conducts the SSC and HSC exams twice in an academic year, i.e. in the months of March and October. Curriculum for the SSC examinations generally include six subjects i.e. three languages (Marathi, English and Hindi), Maths, Science and Social Sciences. After clearing the SSC examination, students need to obtain the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) from the Maharashtra State Board in order to gain admission into junior colleges for pursuing higher secondary studies. 

Students appearing for the HSC examinations under Maharashtra State Board need to choose their area of specialization. Broadly, specializations in the fields of science, commerce and arts are offered to students. While pursuing any specialization, a student is required to study atleast six subjects English is mandatory and a common subject for all specializations. 

The course curriculum for both SSC and HSC examination is based on the guidelines by the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT). 70% of the syllabus under Maharashtra State Board exams is as per the NCERT guidelines and the remaining 30% is as per the regional requirements and situations. 

With an aim to reduce the number of drop-outs after class 10, the education ministry of Maharashtra had proposed a 90% reservation policy for SSC students in junior colleges. Under this proposal, the students who clear class 10 examinations under the Maharashtra State Board will have a better chance of securing seats over the students from other boards. The rationale behind such a proposal is the general perception that the marking scheme under the CBSE and ICSE board is more liberal than the marking scheme adopted by Maharashtra State Board. However, after a strong rebuff from the non-SSC students and parents, this proposal was shelved by the Bombay High Court on the grounds of being unfair and discriminatory as per the   Constitution of India.

With the shelving of this proposal all Maharashtra State Board students who were hoping to have a considerable edge in college admissions over their counterparts from other states will have to contend with a level playing ground for all.

Karnataka SSLC Papers

One of the most crucial examinations that every student studying under the Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala State Boards appears for is the SSLC Papers.  Typically, the final examinations conducted at the end of class X are called the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examinations after which students obtain their School Leaving Certificates.

Now the question is, why should students take their Karnataka SSLC papers seriously and not treat it as just another set of examinations? The answer to this question lies in the fact that it is the scores obtained by students in these Karnataka SSLC papers that determine their future to a large extent! This is because their admissions to junior colleges or schools for pursuing higher secondary studies are based on these scores. The higher secondary admissions are made on the basis of the results obtained by all the students who have applied for a seat in a particular college. Based on the overall results of the applicants a preference list is prepared and the cut off lists are released by each college. Therefore, it is important for all the students to understand that their Karnataka SSLC results are a major determiner for their prospective career decisions. So you see, all you students out— there are enough reasons for you to take your SSLC papers seriously!

Usually the Karnataka SSLC papers are conducted once in a year, commencing from the first week of April; the supplementary examinations for the same are conducted in the month of July. The Karnataka SSLC examinations generally follow the three-language scheme, wherein apart from the vernacular language, a student has to opt for two other languages in addition to Maths, Science and Social Sciences.

Students who are to appear for their Karnataka SSLC Papers in 2010 better gear up, ’coz the date sheet is out. The exams are scheduled from April 1-9, 2010. With the Karnataka SSLC papers approaching it is high time, that all Karnataka State Board students get over with their last minute preparation for all the subjects and have their final revision schedules in place.

The ideal way to begin a revision exercise is to start practicing from the previous years’ Karnataka SSLC papers or the sample papers. An exercise like this will help students assess their preparation levels for their final examinations. It will also help them identify the topics that need some more preparation in order to score better.  Students are also advised not to forget to practice using full length model tests so as to check their real time score before their final Karnataka SSLC papers. Karnataka State Board students can also try their hand at model tests and practice tests available online. A few websites provide curriculum-aligned study content in the form of test papers and revision notes for the students of Karnataka State Board.

While practicing from these model tests, students should try to restrict their answers to the prescribed word limit as it will help them prepare better for their final Karnataka SSLC papers. Ever since the Karnataka State Board has introduced the Question Paper cum Answer Booklet, students get puzzled on how to structure their answers to fit into the available space. Therefore, in order to write complete answers it is always advisable to mentally rehearse the key points to be included in each question and write the answers accordingly.

Once through with the revision exercise from the sample papers, students should keep their revision notes handy for the last minute glances before the Karnataka SSLC papers. Students should make sure that their revision notes are in easy to read language, brief and factually correct. If supplemented with well-labeled illustrations the revision notes can make learning very effective. Along with the model tests and practice tests, various websites also provide Karnataka SSLC curriculum aligned revision notes. The revision notes by these websites keep all the important guidelines in mind to facilitate effective learning.

With all these study tips, studying for Karnataka SSLC papers can be more a smooth and enjoyable activity. Wishing you all, best of luck for your upcoming exams!

A Guide to Preparing Study Material

It is often said that to acquire knowledge one must read. And the credibility of this ‘reading material’ cannot be undermined in the entire knowledge acquisition process. Thus, any material that helps you gain knowledge or helps you understand a concept better falls under the purview of ‘study material’. For example, for a CBSE student all NCERT books, notes taken during classes, CBSE study material on online educational sites are all very important sources of study material. There are a lot of other non-conventional and potentially important sources of study material that we may sometimes tend to overlook. These are  encyclopedias, diagrams, aids developed during study to help memory, and other innovative methods of organizing information such as flash cards, concept maps etc. All of these can be very useful resources along with CBSE study material.

Students often find studying a cumbersome exercise and try to keep away from it. One of the major reasons for this is unavailability of effective CBSE study material. Effective study material is the one that not only enables a student to understand a concept better but also makes learning fun and rewarding.

Effective study material can help students channelize their energies in the right direction to achieve their goals. It motivates students to take charge of their studies and makes them effective task and time managers. Apart from the fact that availability of good study material is a prerequisite, the manner in which the student uses the study material and gains from it defines the level of success he/she achieves. CBSE students can study smart by following these simple steps and transform their existing CBSE study material into an effective one.

The first step is to collect all relevant CBSE study material from various sources. It is of utmost importance to thoroughly go through the prescribed NCERT text books, which introduces and explains all important points about the concept. Apart from the prescribed books, a student should also refer to books and articles both in the library and those available online for additional information and related concepts.  Having thus generated an exhaustive pool of information a student can pick and use relevant material any time in the future. Once such a pool of CBSE study material is created, the second step is to go through the accumulated material and highlight the key points. An important rule to remember while highlighting any study material is to not engage in excessive highlighting! The idea is to highlight sparingly and only the important words and key points. Third and one of the most crucial steps thereafter is to make notes. Self made notes act as a handy tool for effective understanding. Remember to stick to the topic. Here, it is important to use a lot of ‘headings’ and ‘sub-headings’ while making notes. Well organized and logically structured notes or study material are often easy to remember. The fourth and concluding step should include activities such explaining the concept in own words, supporting it with illustrations and diagrams and simple flow charts to explain the process, preparing summaries etc. Re-stating concepts from the study material in your own words and devising your own unique methods to remember difficult terms and concepts is a sure-shot way to mastering the CBSE study material.

So go ahead students; follow these guidelines and organize your CBSE study material in a manner that helps you fare well in exams this time.

K-12 Education

K-12 education refers to the primary and secondary education that a student obtains during his schooling. K-12 education is an abbreviated term used for education from kindergarten to twelfth. The term K-12 education per se is relatively new to India and is generally more commonly used in western countries like United States of America, Canada etc and in parts of Australia. With technology transcending borders, the term K-12 education is fast gaining popularity in other parts of the world as well, with minor/ no modifications. In some countries the term has been replaced with PK-12 or P-12 that means prekindergarten to twelfth or preschool to twelfth. Whatever nomenclature any country adopts, the concept of K-12 education primarily revolves around the education imparted in the school.

K-12 education scenario in India
The constitution of India guarantees a free and compulsory education to all till the age of 14 years.  Imparting quality K-12 education to the largest possible student population across the country has always been a ‘top of mind’ issue for the government. A step forward in this direction has been the amendment of the Right to Education act that make this right stricter than before. Under the Right to Education act, 2009 private schools shall admit at least 25% students from poor families and no seats under this quota shall be left vacant. Through this amendment, government has attempted to ensure that the ideal of free and compulsory education is achieved in the true sense.

Online content provider for K-12 students

Students studying in schools can enrich their studies with the help of curriculum aligned videos and animations made available on he internet by a lot of websites. These videos and animations not only add the much required zing to the monotonous study regime followed by students, but also help them learn beyond what is taught in the books. These videos and animations are supported with quality study material and a variety of tests that help make learning thorough and effective.

The study material available at such websites is in easy-to -read language that makes understanding of concepts easy and quick. After going through the study material, students can also try their hands at curriculum-based interactive puzzles. These interactive puzzles not only raise the involvement of students in their learning process but also help assess their understanding of concepts in the chapter/subject. After going through the chapter, students can check their knowledge levels by practicing from chapter-wise and full-course model tests. This will help students get a clear picture of their weak and strong areas and will allow them to channelize their efforts in topics that require more attention. Once through with preparing for exams, students can also refer to end-of-chapter revision notes for those quick revision sessions before exams.
 

Conclusion
Studying in the right manner and using the correct tools to prepare for exams determines the extent to which students can achieve success during the K-12 years. It is also advisable for students to have a concrete understanding of core concepts so as to be sure of a high scoring academic ride.

Face the challenges of exams with CBSE Sample Papers

When we talk about the dreadful 12th board exams, the anxiety of students and parents remains the same as years back. Boards are the only thing that horrifies students as well as their parents. Due to the cut-throat competition amongst the students, exam pressure has increased manifold in the recent few years. CBSE examinations of standard 12th are one of the most crucial examinations in a student's career. Marks obtained in these exams serve as a parameter for admission in many colleges and are sometimes used as a selection criterion in interviews.

For students, CBSE sample papers can be looked upon as the simplest way to help students get a clear idea about the types of questions, marking schemes etc that can help them to perform well in board examinations.
 

Benefits of solving CBSE sample papers:

Learn to manage your time with CBSE sample papers

Time bound writing skill is the key factor to perform well in CBSE exams.  The students of CBSE board should be proficient in completing the question papers within the allocated time. The students can increase their speed by solving more and more sample questions listed in CBSE sample papers.

Due to poor time management, many students are unable to complete the paper within the given time. The best way to overcome this problem is to solve the CBSE sample papers in a specified time frame. If the students are able to solve the sample papers within the given time interval, they can surely outperform in their exams. Proper time management attained through solving sample papers, boosts confidence levels of the students and also reduces nervousness inside examination hall.

Know your weaker sections and re-test your performance

CBSE sample papers are designed as per the latest question patterns and marking schemes issued by CBSE. Hence, these sample papers also help the students to identify the important chapters and recognize their weaker sections that require more attention. They can find out the weaker areas and can re-test their performance by solving similar questions in the sample papers.

Fight examination phobia

Most of the students in India are nervous during their exams and suffer from examination phobia. This is one of the main reasons for not performing well in exams. Those students who have solved enough sample questions can easily fight back the fears and apprehension and answer the questions with confidence.

Learn smartly with online CBSE Sample Papers and solutions

CBSE sample papers, which are available online, have become the best way to lift up knowledge and leaning ability of a student in an effective manner. Online CBSE sample papers are the digital learning resources which are preferred for their easy accessibility and ample benefit.

These are developed as per CBSE curriculum; mainly for class 10th and 12th. Online sample papers and their solutions are enriched with audio, video, graphics, animations and other multimedia presentations. These help to enhance the interest of students towards learning by creating a fun-filled environment.  Further, since these are available 24x7, students can access the CBSE sample papers and refer to the solutions as per their convenience anytime, anywhere.

Study without stress and perform well in exams with CBSE sample papers.

How to Study Online

If you wish to add some zing to your monotonous study schedule, start studying online. Studying from textbooks has always been the norm for school students; however the concept of online studies is catching up fast. Innovative and multimedia enriched learning tools available online make the entire learning experience interesting and engaging. There are a lot of websites that equip students with the right online study tools that help make studying easy and scoring great marks easier. To ensure effective learning students are advised to refer to only those websites that focus on learning in the correct sequence. Students who are new to the world of e-learning, the following information focuses on the right sequence that is to be followed while planning to study online.

• Before starting to study online, the first step is to take a test that is geared to test your level of understanding of the chapters that have already been covered in school. Such diagnostic tests will help you assess your knowledge of related concepts that are important to obtain a complete understanding of the topic concerned. Such tests will also help you arrive at an understanding of your extent of mastery of the said chapter will enable you to plan your studies for that chapter.
• After taking a diagnostic test, the next step is to go through the multimedia enriched study material available at such websites. To obtain complete conceptual clarity, students should make it a point to go through the study material supported with relevant videos, 2D/ 3D animations etc. Such an extensive exercise at this step will help students solidify their conceptual understanding of the subject and will make them better equipped to take exams head-on.
• To make the most of your online study sessions, after going through the study material the next step is to try your hand at the chapter-wise practice tests. Try to seek help from websites that provide both MCQ and descriptive practice tests. Such an extensive testing exercise will help you test your learning at various levels. Also such chapter-wise tests will help you identify the learning gaps and will provide you ample opportunity to take remedial action to fill those gaps. While taking tests on such e-learning/ online study websites, students should try to resist the temptation of looking into the study material for answers beforehand in order to ensure that the assessment process is thorough.
• After taking all the chapter-wise practice tests, the next step is to take full-length model tests. Such model tests available at e-learning/online study websites help students gain the much required confidence to beat exam-related stress. While preparing for final examinations, students usually witness high anxiety levels thinking about their performance in final examinations. Such model tests will help students gauge their preparation levels and will also allow them to take remediation steps to ensure a high score.
• An ideal online study session should end with a sturdy revision exercise. Students should refer to websites that provide crisp revision notes in printable format that make it possible for student to refer anytime.

Now that all you students know the right approach to online studies, make a note of it to be sure of an enriching study experience.

Get dream marks in Physics in CBSE 12th board

CBSE 12th board exams are one of the most important exams in a student’s entire academic life. Good scores in this exam are often a pre-requisite to securing admission into a good college or course and poor marks may lead to a blemished career. Getting 90%+ in 12th board exams is a matter of prestige for all but getting high marks in PCM (Physics, Chemistry, Maths) group is really a tough nut to crack. The tips to score good marks in Physics are as follows:

Study NCERT books for clearer basics

Students should give maximum importance to Physics NCERT books for a clear understanding of concepts. A thorough understanding of concepts would allow the students to tailor conceptually correct and complete answers. Students should read the Physics chapters thoroughly and highlight or list important points in bullet form. Listing points in bullets would help the students in quick revision before exams. After thorough reading, students should attempt all the end-of-chapter questions listed in Physics NCERT textbooks. Students can also support their answers with neat & well labeled diagrams or illustrations for extraordinary marks.

Students can seek help from various web portals offering free NCERT solutions for Physics.  Before referring to online solutions, students should make sure that the answers are relevant to the NCERT chapters and have no grammatical or spelling errors.

Practice and revision using Physics CBSE sample papers

A complete practice session using Physics CBSE sample papers, model papers and previous years question papers can help the students in scoring exceptionally well in Physics CBSE exams. CBSE sample papers and practice papers for physics are designed as per the latest CBSE syllabus and marking schemes. These sample papers can help the students assess their preparation levels and give them a clear idea about the extent of effort required to solidify the weaker zones in Physics.

After the students are through with the chapters in Physics NCERT, they can solve chapter wise sample questions listed in sample papers. This would assist the students in handling various kinds of questions, customizing answering styles as per the requirements of the question and completing the questions within the specified time frame. Solving a variety of sample papers and model test papers would boost their confidence and they would surely be able to beat exam related nervous tension and anxiety.

Students can find online sample papers and test papers with MCQ and interactive quizzes for complete revision sessions. Effective online revision sessions would help the students to improve their time management skills. 

If the students follow the above mentioned tips, they would surely be able to outperform in their Physics 12th board exam.

Quality NCERT Solutions for an excellent performance

Studying from the right kind of NCERT book solutions and rigorous practice sessions can guarantee students a great performance in their final examinations. Students often commit a common mistake of referring to poorly drafted solutions to NCERT book questions that usually results in their poor performance in school exams. Therefore, students who wish to do well in their school exams and want to be sure of complete conceptual clarity should only refer to good quality NCERT book solutions. These end-of-chapter solutions to NCERT book questions not only test students understanding of important concepts in the chapter but also help them build on techniques related to answering different types of questions. 

How to write solutions to NCERT book questions?

While planning to attempt end-of-chapter NCERT questions it is of utter importance for students to first give the chapter a thorough read. After getting acquainted with the concepts that have been covered in the chapter, students should then tackle all the concepts one-by-one. While going through the concepts, students can then choose to highlight important information and/ or make their own notes for quick revision. After doing so, now comes the time to tackle end-of-chapter NCERT questions. While arriving at NCERT book solutions, students should make a mental note of all the important instructions that have been mentioned. Instructions related to word limit for the answers and marks allotted are important instructions that need to be kept in mind while writing the answers. Students should customize their answer as per the requirements of the question. While writing a solution for NCERT book question, students should make sure that all important points related to the question have been covered in the answer. 

This will not only help students arrive at a complete answer but will also help them fetch good marks. Students should support their NCERT book solutions with explanatory diagrams wherever required.

Free solutions for NCERT book questions!

If students choose not to invest so much time and effort in preparing solutions to NCERT book questions and want to seek help from readymade solutions, the following information might cheer them up. There are a few websites that offer NCERT solutions to end-of-chapter questions absolutely free of cost! These websites offer solutions for Maths, Science, English, Hindi, Social Sciences and Sanskrit. These detailed end-of-chapter solutions are accompanied by explanatory videos that use audio and visual cues to help students understand the concept easily. Apart from the quality NCERT solutions, students can also seek help from other learning and assessment resources available at such websites. The learning and assessment solutions available at such website include study material, interactive puzzles, chapter-wise tests, full-course tests, revision notes and lots more. 

After reading this article, I hope that arriving at good quality NCERT book solutions will not be very difficult. Take cues from the article and try your hand at end-of-chapter questions.

Good luck!

Formative Assessment - The holistic method of evaluation

With the recent initiatives in the area of education reforms Formative Assessments has become the buzzword among teachers and students alike. Under CBSE’s guidelines for a Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation policy for students it has become necessary that teachers build in formative assessments into their evaluation methods.  

The term Formative Assessments refers to an approach to evaluation in which assessment is built into the teaching-learning process wherein evaluation is suitably used to tailor instruction or teaching. This allows teachers to adapt to the needs of different students. Thus, in simple terms it is not evaluation at the end of learning (Summative Assessment) but rather evaluation during the process of learning.  Formative Assessment thus is assessment that is carried out throughout the year by the teacher, either formally or informally. Yet another point of difference between formative and summative assessments lies in its purpose. The purpose of formative assessments ideally should not end in the allocation of grades, unlike the purpose of summative assessments; the goal of formative assessments is to ‘improve’ a student’s performance. 

The key to a good formative assessment system is constant feedback about a student’s progress along with modification of teacher’s instructions in line with students’ learning needs. CBSE in its guidelines for implementation of CCE has listed down a variety of formative assessment tools that teachers may use for evaluating the students in the various subjects both inside and outside the classrooms.  Some of these are – class work, homework, oral questions, quizzes, projects, assignments/tests.  As per the CCE guidelines there will be four formative assessments in a year- two in each term. A total of 40% weightage has been accorded to formative assessments under the new CCE guidelines by CBSE.  

There is a flip side to the manner in which the term ‘formative assessments’ is sometimes interpreted in the schools. Some teachers interpret it as having to conduct weekly tests. This is not a correct interpretation. Formative assessments are meant to aid in the diagnostic or remedial function of assessment rather than evaluating what a child knows. Through effective use of formative assessments it should become possible for teachers and students to modify or re-set their goals in specific subjects. Specifically, a well designed formative assessment system can help the teachers and the students in the following ways:

• It guides the teacher to where the problem lies
• It helps students to identify their own conceptual problem areas
• It provide students with timely feedback and  scope for intervention for improving in the weak areas
• It allows teachers to tailor their instructions to adapt to the needs of different students
• It enables teachers to give specific inputs and feedback to the students and parents.

A lot of businesses have mushroomed overnight that claim to offer formative assessment solutions for students and schools. It is important that as students you exercise caution and discretion in using the same. Companies that have a proven track-record in the education sector and have successfully delivered quality learning solutions to students can be rightfully trusted to deliver a comprehensive assessment solution.

Cracking ICSE Maths Exam

As a student studying ICSE Maths, if you often get worked up at the thought of attempting an ICSE Maths paper, this article could be of use to you!  It is not uncommon for students studying ICSE Maths to feel stressed out due to the vastness of the ICSE curriculum. Owing to the expansive nature of the syllabus, the number of questions and the time available for completing the ICSE Maths exam, it usually gets difficult for students to manage their time.

Students who are preparing for ICSE Maths examinations or for that matter any other exam can follow these quick tips to prepare well and excel.

• Practice! The more you practice your maths problems, the better are your chances of scoring well in your exams. There is no shortcut to excelling in the ICSE Maths exam other than regular and consistent practice. So what are you waiting for, pick up a pen and paper and start working away at your Maths problem.
• Mental Math can be handy! To speed up your Maths skills, try using Mental Maths. All you need is basic knowledge about fundamental mathematical skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Start first with practicing simple one-step problems without pen and paper, and then gradually move on to complex multi-stage problems. Compare your results thus obtained with at each step with the results in the solution table. Mental Maths helps students arrive at solutions faster by increasing their concentration levels and allowing them with practice to speed up the processing time required for most simple calculations.  Don’t get hassled if you fail the first time you try mental Maths; it can take you some time to be 100% accurate in your results.
• Read carefully! While in the examination hall, first read the instructions printed on top of the ICSE Maths exam paper well and then go on to read the entire paper. Mark the questions that you find difficult and do start with the easier ones. Allocate time per question based on the marks allotted and make sure that you are able to stick to this limit.
• Mark out the rough space! To make your paper look neat, tidy and well organized clearly demarcate space for calculations on the right hand side of the answer sheet . This will make the calculations less messy and the answer sheet more ‘reader friendly’.
• Steps do fetch you marks! While attempting the problem, write down all the necessary steps in the answer. Many students who attempt their ICSE Maths paper miss out on writing these steps and in the process may lose marks even if the answer is correct.  
• Keep an eye on your watch! Constantly keep a check on the time left and accordingly approach the other questions. Once you come across the difficult questions, don’t panic but simply try sticking to the time allotted.

So keep these tips in mind this time as you prepare and attempt your ICSE Maths exam and I am  positive that you will score better than your previous exams.

How and when to study from CBSE guess papers

Robust practice sessions using CBSE guess papers can help students fetch their dream score in exams. Students often consider a thorough read of the chapter enough for the final examinations. Undeniably it is important for students to go through the chapter and understand all important concepts in it, but it is also imperative for them to test their understanding of the concepts that they have learned so far. Apart from practicing using the exercises available at the end of each chapter, students can also test their knowledge by trying their hands at CBSE guess papers. CBSE guess paper is a loose prototype of the final CBSE paper and is also considered a sure-shot way to excel in exams. However, it is important for students to know when and how to seek help from CBSE guess papers.

It’s important to go through the chapter first

To start with, students should only start referring to the CBSE guess papers once they are through with giving the entire chapter a thorough read. It is important to first understand and memorise all important concepts in the chapter/s and then start evaluating their understanding levels. A thorough preparation like this before attempting CBSE guess papers will enable students to truly assess their preparation levels for their exams and place them in a better position to identify gaps in their learning.

Follow it up with adaptive/formative assessments

After going through a chapter, students should follow it up by taking adaptive assessments that are geared to assess students’ understanding of concepts in that chapter along with other related concepts. There are a few websites that offer such dynamic adaptive/formative assessments in Maths and Science for CBSE class VI-X. These adaptive/formative assessments are then followed by elaborate performance reports that highlight areas that the student is weak in and also include a custom study plan to fortify learning to every individual student.

Chapter-wise practice tests are important

After going through the chapter, students are advised take chapter-wise practice tests or chapter-wise CBSE guess papers. MCQ and descriptive chapter-wise tests will not only add variety to their learning but will also ensure that students have not missed out on any important concept/ topic in the chapter. Such chapter-wise tests will help students attain a thorough understanding of all concepts in the chapter.

Now is the time to take full course model tests/ CBSE guess papers

After taking chapter-wise practice tests, students should then evaluate their skills related to tackling individual questions, time management etc by practicing using full course CBSE guess papers. Rigorous practice sessions from such CBSE guess papers will help students solidify their preparation for their final exams and will also help them identify flaws in the strategies adopted by them. It will enable students to take timely corrective action so as to be sure of a great score in the final CBSE paper.

I hope that this article will help you learn how to effectively study from the CBSE guess papers for a high scoring academic ride. Following these steps will instil in you the required confidence to help beat exam related stress.

All the best!

How to manage time while preparing for CBSE exams?

Do you fear that dearth of time will be one of the reasons for you not performing well in your final CBSE exams? If yes, then stop worrying. After reading this article, I am confident that you will no longer face time constraint related issues while preparing for your CBSE exams.

To combat time management related problems, it is very important that students preparing for the CBSE exams plan and schedule the available time well in advance. Estimating and planning both the time and effort required to be invested in a particular task helps students stay in control of the situation. Organizing time well also leads to optimization of productivity.

Therefore, in order to score well in your CBSE exams and effectively manage the available time, follow this simple five-step process. These tips will help you manage your time effectively before the final CBSE exams and will also help you score excellent marks in the process.

• Look ahead! While scheduling your studies for the CBSE exams, you should not just selectively plan for exams but for the entire academic year. As a student preparing for the CBSE exam, ask yourself three questions i.e. what are the things that I need to do to score great marks in the exams, what are the timelines for the same and what is the estimated time and effort required to complete these activities. These activities should not just include scholastic but co-scholastic tasks as well. Therefore, while attempting to look ahead for your CBSE exams, first try to gain a broad understanding of the overall studies and co-related activities that are imperative for your holistic development.
• Make plans in advance! Once through with gaining an insight into the effort and time estimation, the next step is to actually sit down and prepare a plan for the whole academic year. Since the preparation for the CBSE exams should ideally begin from the start of the academic session, therefore it is necessary to manage actions for the same right from the start. On a paper set a date for completion against each activity mentioned in the year-long plan. While planning for CBSE exams, leave aside some time for contingencies. Rather than trying to squeeze in activities later on, it is always beneficial to leave some scope for the same beforehand.
• Chalk out specific short-term plans! Once through with formulating a year-long plan for the CBSE exams, the follow up activity should ideally be that of chalking out smaller short-term plans. You should set weekly and monthly goals that will help you work effectively towards meeting the demands of the year-long plan. Try to create plans or goals that are realistic and achievable and will contribute effectively to your ultimate goal of achieving top score in your CBSE exams.
• Prioritizing is important! Sometimes you may realize that you have more on hand than you can actually handle! At such times it is important that you prioritize amongst the given activities. First, spend time to evaluate and then carefully prioritize. Remember that prioritization in haste can often have an adverse impact on your final score in the CBSE examination.
• Review actions timely! Simply preparing plans and blindly following those time plans won’t suffice towards fulfilling your dream of performing well in final CBSE exams and effectively managing your time. You will need to periodically review both the performance of the actions taken and the effectiveness of your plans, and take suitable corrective actions if required.

Now that all you students preparing for the CBSE exams know how to organize time, planning for exams won’t be difficult.

All the best for exams!

How to score well in ICSE Exams?

For students studying under the ICSE Board the mention of ICSE exams can cause considerable anxiety.  With competition levels soaring, ICSE exams are usually the ‘make or break time’ in a student’s life. In order to score well in the ICSE exams students should concentrate on obtaining a thorough understanding of concepts follow it up with repeated and robust revision sessions.

In order to write quality answers and score well in the ICSE exams, students should incorporate the following points in their studies.

• Say no to cramming! Students often consider mindless cramming as a sure-shot and easy way to obtain great marks in ICSE exams.  Some students cram out of habit and some out of necessity (“there is too little time left and so much to cover, where is the time to spend on understanding concepts!”). Whatever the reason, students should try to stay away from cramming and focus on building conceptual understanding. It is very important for students preparing for the ICSE exam to understand that cramming might prove very effective and sometimes yield instant results in the form of good marks, but in the long run it is an absolute waste, as you are sure to forget all that you crammed.  Cramming or relying only on rote memory results only in the short-term retention of concepts and is in fact highly detrimental for subjects such as Science and Maths, where building progressively on conceptual understanding is the only key to better marks.
• Revising is must! It goes without saying that revising is one of the most essential ingredients for performing well in the ICSE exams. Students can reinforce learning by using a variety of revision aids available in a lot of websites. These revision aids will not only make learning effective but will also make scoring great marks in the ICSE exams easy. Students can start their revision sessions using chapter-wise tests along with comprehensive model tests available on these websites. Students can also revise using interactive curriculum-based puzzles that will add the much required zing into their revision schedules. For those last moment revision sessions before the final ICSE exams, students can refer to crisp, easily downloadable, chapter-wise revision notes available on these websites.
• Do not let stress get to you! A little bit of exam-related anxiety can often give the much required push to the student to prepare and perform well at in the final ICSE exams. However, prolonged and high-levels of anxiety can lead to overpowering stress and a poor performance at the final exams. While preparing for the final ICSE exam, students should try to stay calm and study with a single-minded focus towards performing well in the exams. Students should learn and revise as much they can before their final papers and perform some simple stress-busting activities to keep their anxiety levels under control.
• Do not use any unfair means! Students should not indulge in cheating or any unfair means to perform well in the ICSE exams. Students may occasionally tend to get easily lured by these short-cut methods of scoring good marks. Although it may seem like an easy way to score good marks in the examinations, but if any student is caught using unfair means, needless to say, very strict action is taken against the student. In extreme cases, it could even result in cancellation of the entire answer sheet.

So the next time you prepare for your ICSE exams, do keep in mind these easy-to-follow pointers to get better results.

How to prepare for CBSE class X papers

CBSE class X papers are often considered the first set of ‘real’ exams that a student takes during his schooling. Before the advent of the Comprehensive & Continuous Evaluation (CCE), CBSE class X papers were compulsory board exams that all students studying under the CBSE board had to clear in order to get promoted to the next class. However, after the introduction of CCE, these end-of-the-year CBSE class X board papers have become an optional exam that students can take on demand.  Students who wish to change their school or board after class X are required to appear for the CBSE class X board papers /board exams.

Students who opt for CCE are required to take two summative and four formative assessments in an academic year. Apart from these paper & pencil tests, students are also required to actively take part in the year-round formative assessments that test their skills related to public speaking, leadership qualities etc.

Why should students take their CBSE class X papers seriously?
Students who wish to excel in their lives and are aiming for a bright career should take not only the CBSE class X papers but all the exams very sincerely. These exams are not only geared to test their knowledge and understanding in that particular subject, but also their endurance to stand the stress of demanding situations.  If a student is planning to opt for ‘Science’ as a subject of choice in class XII and is required to decide between opting for the medical vs the non-medical streams, his/her performance in CBSE class X papers along with an honest introspection into is strengths and weaknesses can help him make a choice. If he/she has performed extremely well in Physics & Chemistry and has performed relatively poor in Biology and finds understanding concepts in Biology difficult, and further if he is not keen on becoming a doctor or pursuing other fields related to Biology such as Botany, Zoology etc, then ‘non-medical’ Science should be his choice.

Thus, your performance in these exams not only help you in choosing the right career, but they also help students develop basic computation and analytical skills that are essential in day-to-day life. For example, an architect is expected to know how to calculate area of a plot and have a general idea about dimensions & volumes, concepts that are taught in class X (Chapter- Mensuration).

How to study for CBSE class X papers?
Being attentive in the class and engaging in rigorous self-study sessions are a must for any student who aspires to excel in studies. Students should start their studies by giving the chapter a thorough read, followed by solving the end-of-chapter NCERT questions. Students face any problems while trying to solve NCERT questions can seek help from websites that provide free NCERT solutions to the end-of-chapter questions. These solutions are further enriched with high quality videos & animations that explain the concept(s) so as to make learning effective. Apart from these NCERT solutions, students can also seek help from other learning & assessment aids that are available on this website.

So the next time you appear for your CBSE class X paper, you will know how to study effectively. Don’t you?

Happy studying!

How to make quality notes from ICSE books

Preparing the right kind of personalized study notes from ICSE books is an important step towards obtaining a great score in the final ICSE exams. Quality notes from ICSE books not only promote effective understanding of all concepts but often re-kindle students’ interest in subjects they usually consider difficult. Therefore, while preparing notes from the ICSE books it is important for students to keep a few essential points in mind that will help make these notes effective and relevant for the final ICSE examinations.

To help all students studying under ICSE board prepare quality notes, here are a few important pointers on how to go about preparing such notes.

• Before starting to prepare notes from ICSE books, it is important for students to first go through the chapter and highlight all the important concepts, assess their understanding for all the highlighted concepts and then identify the learning gaps. Customizing study notes as per the current level of understanding will help students emphasize on areas/topics that require more attention. Such an exercise will eventually result in a thorough understanding of all concepts.
• While preparing study notes, students should make sure that it is not a word-to-word replication of what is actually given in the ICSE book. Students should try to prepare notes that are crisp and in their own language. This will facilitate a quick understanding and easy recall of all the concepts during the revision sessions. Such an exercise will also help students to optimize benefits from such an extensive note-making exercise.
• Student should also ensure that their ICSE book notes are complete. Students should practice caution that they do not miss out on any important concept/topic in the chapter while preparing such notes. Such comprehensive notes can aid as a ready-to-use booklet for anytime reference.
• While preparing notes from ICSE book, students should structure the notes as per their unique learning styles. For example, if a student is a visual learner and understands concepts faster through visual learning aids, he/she should try to include as many diagrams, illustrations, mind maps etc in his/her notes. He/she can also use colour highlighters to stress on important points in the notes. Notes that are customized as per the preferred learning styles helps students with an accelerated pace of learning.
• If students are not interested in performing such an elaborate activity to prepare notes and want some readymade curriculum-aligned study material/notes, they can seek help from websites that provide such online learning resources. ICSE study material for Maths & Science available at such websites are prepared by a team of highly qualified educationists. These notes are in easy-to-understand language supported with high quality, value adding graphics for a quick understanding. Along with the study material, students can also try their hands at curriculum-aligned interactive puzzles, tests, revision notes etc. to solidify their understanding in weak areas. 2D/ 3D/ real-life videos help students understand concepts much faster and ensure that their learning is permament.

If all you students out there preparing for ICSE exams keep all these essential points in your minds, the notes made from ICSE books will not only make learning fun and effortless but will also make scoring good marks easy.

How can CBSE class X students improve their reading skills?

Huge quantum of syllabus and poor reading skills are the two main reasons that usually force students studying under the CBSE class X to seek resort from cramming. Right from the start, students studying at various levels are discouraged to practice ‘mindless’ cramming and are advised to understand the study material before they actually start learning the key concepts. However, apart from advisory annotations very less is done to actually help students of CBSE class X to improve their reading skills and not indulge in cramming. Ideally, the attempt to improve the reading skills should begin right from the early years of schooling. However, it is never too late for students of CBSE class X to improve their reading skills and score great marks in their board examinations.

Improved reading skills helps students to comprehend and appreciate the text better. It also helps students to effectively churn out the key points from the said text and write answers that can fetch them their dream score, 

Now that all you CBSE class X students out there know the importance of good reading skills, here are a few tips that will help you improve your existing reading skills.

• Keep your reading goals clear! Before starting to read, students should clearly set their reading goals. Pre-assessing the reading needs will not only help CBSE class X students to be more focused while reading but will also help students effectively utilize the available time. While reading a novel, the idea is to read the book from start till end in order to understand the entire story where as in case of a newspaper report the purpose could be to obtain a brief gist of the event. Therefore, the CBSE class X students should understand their reading goals and study accordingly.
• Choose the reading material carefully! While preparing for CBSE class X board papers, students should practice caution while choosing the book for studying. To improve reading skills students should first give the prescribed NCERT books a thorough read. After going through the NCERT book, CBSE class X students should follow it up with other curriculum aligned books by other prescribed publishers only.
• Study as per the desired reading technique! There are basically two key reading techniques, scanning and skimming. Scanning is a process wherein a student scans through the available study material for the CBSE class X board papers and selects portions to study. Whereas, skimming is a process of speedy reading. Under this process the CBSE class X student is required to quickly glance through the available study material so as to grabs an overview of the topic. In order to improve reading skills, students should choose the reading technique according to available time and proficiency level that one intends to achieve from the reading session.
• Take notes!  CBSE class X students who wish to improve their reading skills, should ideally follow up a thorough read of the chapter with preparation of study notes. Self-made study notes will not only help CBSE class X students to improve their understanding of the topic but will also help them learn the art of expressing their thoughts in their own words.  Students can prepare their own revision notes and compare their notes with the one’s available online by a variety of websites for any inaccuracies.

Now that all you CBSE class X students know how to improve your reading skill, take a go at these tips for a great score in exams.

Feature-cum-benefits of E-learning

E-learning is the buzz word among school students these days. High speed broadband connectivity at affordable rates and easy accessibility to high quality curriculum aligned e-learning content has led to this increasing popularity of internet-based learning. Today there are a variety of websites that provide online learning and assessment solutions for CBSE, ICSE, Maharashtra State SSC Board, Karnataka State SSLC Board and Tamil Nadu Matriculation Board. Learning content ranging from study material enriched with animations, interactive puzzles, a variety of tests, dynamic formative assessments to crisp revision notes; you name it and e-learning websites have it all. However, there are a many students who are still not completely aware of all that internet-based learning or e-learning has to offer.

To elucidate on features cum benefits of internet based learning or e-learning to all you students studying under CBSE, ICSE, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Matriculation Board, here are a few points. 

• Customized content as per learning styles:- Internet based learning imparts education using a variety of mediums. As a result, e-learning is well-equipped to accommodate different types of learners and makes available to them unique learning content in the manner that suits them the best. 
• Collaborative learning:- E-learning also allows students to study together, share their experiences, ask questions, share knowledge with their peers etc on the virtual world. As a result, students can use the online learning experience as a powerful tool for learning and problem-solving and also ensure that they excel academically.
• Self-paced learning:- E-learning also provides opportunity to the students to choose their pace while learning. Learners who are slow can repeat their study sessions as many times as they wish, whereas fast learners can sail through their lessons and ensure that they stay ahead of their peers.
• Cost effective:- By subscribing to online study sessions, students get the opportunity to study from quality and experienced teachers without having to incur those high tuition costs. Apart from lower costs, students can also get to save the time and effort spent on travelling to and from tuition centres, schools etc.
• Time saving:- E-learning allows students to study as per their own convenience. Students can log on to their favorite online learning website whenever they get time or in-between their other study/activity sessions and be sure of a stress-free and enriching study experience.
• Stay in control:- Online learning not only allows students to stay in control of their study schedules and the pace with which they choose to study, but also helps them manage other activities besides studies. As a result students are not only in control of their studies, but in effect start feeling to be in control of their life as a whole. 

Apart from all the above features cum benefits of e-learning, the privilege of studying in the comforts of your home makes it an instant hit amongst students. So all you CBSE, ICSE, Maharashtra State Board, Karnataka State SSLC board and Tamil Nadu Matriculation Board students, just surf your way through these e-learning websites and be sure of a smooth and stress-free learning experience.

Happy browsing!

Making ICSE Maths Easy!

The very mention of the word ICSE Maths usually leaves students preparing for the ICSE papers in jitters. This phenomenon of extreme fear of Maths or Arithmophobia is common not only amongst students in India but is prevalent amid students around the globe. It has been observed that due to this fear of Maths, students studying at various levels try to evade studying ICSE Maths for as long as they can. However, keeping in mind the utility of Maths in everyday life students should be encouraged to practice Maths and learn it the fun way.

Here are a few tips making studying ICSE Maths easy and helping students overcome their fear of Maths.

• Regular Practice- Practicing ICSE Maths regularly is the only way out for students to get rid of their fear of Maths. Students should regularly practice concepts by way of exercises that are available at the end of each chapter. These exercises in the ICSE Maths books aim to promote not only conceptual understanding but also help in improving the memory for concepts and formulae that is possible only through extensive practice. To solidify weak areas and score good marks in the ICSE Maths exam, students should be on the regular look out for more avenues that give them the opportunity to practice concepts thoroughly. Apart from the prescribed books, students should also practice from the curriculum-aligned ICSE Maths books by various other authors. There are also various websites that provide elaborate practice material in a variety of formats. Such resources help to promote conceptual understanding by way of rigorous practice through test papers and model tests. Practicing using such material will immensely help students get rid of their fear of Maths ‘coz the only way to beat fear is to face it hard!
• Stress on conceptual clarity- For a subject like ICSE Maths, students just cannot leave concepts in the middle and hop on to newer topics and assume that they can still excel in the subject. In order to excel in ICSE Maths it is imperative to systematically build on concepts from the simpler to the more complex. It is only after strengthening their understanding of the concept and related concepts at all levels that the student should proceed to newer topics. It is important for students to understand that one of the most crucial and inherent feature of a subject like Maths is the interconnectivity of basic concepts at various levels. Therefore, scoring good marks in ICSE Maths is only possible when the understanding of concepts is clear at all levels.
• Maths can also be fun!- Students who find practicing from mundane books tedious can add a lot of zing to their studying routine by practicing using ICSE Maths puzzles, quizzes and animations. Through animated videos concepts are explained in an enticing manner using real-life instances. For example, various animated videos while explaining fractions actually show an object being divided into pieces and through voice-overs the logic is explained in simple language. Students also have the liberty to play these videos as many times as they wish for a complete and thorough understanding of the concept. Once through with the understanding of the concepts, students can test their knowledge by way of ICSE Maths puzzles. Students can even search for ICSE Maths puzzles and videos online, as various websites are dedicated to developing quality educational content for ICSE students to make learning easy for them.

I am positive that after reading this article, you must have identified your own ways to make the understanding and practicing ICSE Maths easy and effective. So go ahead and practice hard!

How to study from CBSE books

Books that are prescribed by Central Board of Secondary Education for students studying under this board are referred to as CBSE books. To perform well in CBSE examinations or for that matter any other school exam, it is very important for students to thoroughly go through the CBSE books. The questions asked in the final CBSE examinations are either directly picked from the end-of-chapter exercises in these books or are based on the NCERT questions with minor modifications. To score top marks and gain the maximum from the learning activity, it is essential for students to prepare quality notes from the CBSE books.

Students can follow this simple five-step process to learn how to prepare quality notes from CBSE books. These steps will help students approach their studies and related activities in the correct manner and will also enable them to score great marks in the final examinations; thereby making their learning activity a thoroughly enriching one.

• The first and foremost step is to thoroughly go through the entire chapter in the CBSE book. This will acquaint students with the concepts, processes and other important information in the chapter. It will also help students to obtain a fair idea of the efforts required to proficiently complete the chapter and related topics.
• After going through the chapter, the next step is to then assess knowledge levels with respect to understanding of key concepts, retention of important information etc. Such an assessment at this level will enable students to work efficiently towards completing their syllabus within the stipulated time period. It will also ensure that students do undertake other important activities related to studies.
• After making an assessment of the knowledge levels, comes the time to prepare notes from the CBSE books. While preparing notes from the CBSE books, students should make sure that they are reproducing word-by-word from it. Ideally, such notes should be based on students’ understanding of concepts. Students should first try to understand the concepts in CBSE books then prepare a list of all important concepts and finally prepare notes for all these concepts in their own language. While preparing such notes students should keep the following points in mind.

• Students should try to keep these notes crisp and to-the-point. It will not only promote effective understanding but will also be useful for quick revision.
• While making notes from CBSE books students should make sure that they are as per their learning styles. Notes according to the preferred learning style will help students learn and process information quickly and efficiently.
• Students should try to support their notes with value-adding illustrations and videos. It will promote comprehensive learning and will also help students score extra marks in exams.

• Once through with preparing notes from CBSE books, students should try to solve questions available in end-of-chapter exercises. A practice session like this will help students identify their knowledge gaps, clear all their doubts and fill those gaps to solidify learning.

Students can also seek help from a variety of websites that provide CBSE-aligned learning and assessment solutions. The learning solutions by such websites include free NCERT solutions, study material, formative assessments, interactive puzzles, tests, revision notes etc. Referring to such content can make learning a thoroughly enriching experience.

All the best!

CBSE board papers

Still not over with preparing for your CBSE board papers? Do not get cowed down by the quantum of syllabus that still remains uncovered. Keep a positive attitude and take the impending CBSE board papers head on! In order to score well in the CBSE board papers adopt the ‘Ready-Aim-and-Fire’ approach. Do not while away the remaining time by pondering over negative thoughts like “I wish I had started preparing early” or “I should have given more attention during my classes” etc. Let bygones be bygones. With a few weeks still in hand, start preparing now and let your marks do the talking!

To excel in CBSE board papers follow this simple three-step process that will help you plan and structure your studies well and make your entire learning activity flow effortlessly.

Step I - Setting Goals! Set short-term goals in the form of daily targets and work towards achieving those goals. In order to achieve your targets in time and make your studying activity more structured, start by preparing your own study schedule. But remember, to not spend excessive amount of time on setting goals and preparing your schedules as you will be left with very little time to actually study for your CBSE board papers. You can also save some precious time spent regularly on preparing daily study schedule, by following a ‘schedule template’. With minor changes in the template, you can use it on a regular basis. To make your schedule template an ideal one for you, remember to prepare it yourself and do incorporate the following points in it.

• Your schedule template should be flexible. Ample scope should be provided for accommodating unexpected activities so as to avoid end minute hassles.
• Your study targets in the schedule should be realistic. Study targets should be such that they can be achieved in the allocated time within the study schedule.
• While preparing your study schedule template try to be specific. Clearly list down what you intend to achieve and in what time.
• Your study schedule template should incorporate essential breaks after regular intervals. Time for sleeping, essential relaxation and leisure activity should be clearly earmarked.

Students who do not wish to use study templates can use the Study Planner. These Study planners are exclusively available online for CBSE, ICSE, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu State Boards. The Study Planner is a tool that helps students organize their studies better so that they can be in control.

Step II - Studying! Once through with setting broad goals, comes the time to actually start working towards achieving those goals. Preparing study notes, revision notes, memorizing etc. are the primary activities that need to be undertaken to achieve the daily targets and score well in CBSE board papers. While studying keep the following tips in mind to make this activity a thoroughly enriching Experience.

• Study according to your learning style. Do not force yourself to study using methods that will anyways slow down your pace of learning and make the over all activity taxing.
• Do not stress on cramming. Lay emphasis on understanding and memorizing the concept and not on brainlessly cramming the study text.
• Incorporate small breaks in your study regime. These small breaks will help your mind to stay fresh and will also help you ward off monotony that is usually a result of long study sessions.
• Practice memory enhancing activities. Try to eat healthy food, exercise both your body and mind regularly and study in ways that will help you boost memory and lead to better concentration levels.

Students can also seek help from websites that provide CBSE aligned study material and other study content so as to make understanding and memorizing of concepts easy.

Step III - Revising! After you are done with memorizing, now is the time to assess your preparation levels before the final CBSE board paper. Come what may, do not skip this essential step if you wish to score well in the CBSE board papers. Here are a few ways on how to make the revision activity interesting.

• Revise using previous year CBSE board papers or sample papers. Practicing from these mock papers will help you get acquainted with the overall paper pattern, marking scheme etc.
• Once through with studying test your recall and write down the important points on a piece of paper. This will help you reinforce learning and will also lead to identification of conceptual gaps.
• Revise using revision notes. This will help you get a quick overview of the entire chapter by highlighting the important points.
• Prepare flash cards that stresses on key points, formulae etc. Flash cards like these will result in an easy recall of difficult points in the chapter.

Students can browse their way through some websites that provide practice tests, model tests and revision notes as per the CBSE curriculum.

Now that all you students know how to go about with studying in the remaining time period before the final CBSE board papers, do not waste anymore time. Just get going!

All the best!

Essential of E-learning videos

One of the most exciting features of internet based learning is the e-learning videos. With high speed broadband connectivity penetrating to of the most interior locations, video based e-learning is soon gaining in popularity. Web-based learning accompanied with e-learning videos not only makes for an ideal virtual classroom, but also help promote an effective, engaging and exciting learning experience. 

Nowadays, there are various universities that offer online degree/diploma courses at the graduation and post graduation levels. To obtain such degrees students are expected to study using the online course material and e-learning videos made available by the university and take periodic online tests for assessment. 

That is not all. There are various websites that provide multimedia enriched e-learning content for students studying in school. These websites can go long way in making the entire studying experience truly enriching and effective. However, while studying from such e-learning videos online students should make sure that they have the following essential elements in it.

High quality content for a thorough understanding

To score great marks in school and to ensure a thorough learning experience, students should only refer to videos that are of a high quality.  The term ‘high quality’ not only refers to the technical aspect of these videos but to the content as well. Studying from e-learning videos that are not up to the mark can hamper a thorough conceptual understanding. Therefore while surfing for e-learning videos, students should be sure that they are not getting swayed by the high quality animations and other effects used in these videos, but should also ensure that along with quality animations the content of these videos is also up to the mark. 

However, students who have a dial-up connection or a low broadband speed cannot fully experience the benefits of e-learning as buffering/ downloading of these e-learning videos can consume a lot of time and can therefore be quite a hassle. 

Logically organized material for a smooth learning experience

A variety of multimedia enriched videos can not only make learning fun but help make it an extremely engaging experience. Along with adding variety to the study schedule, these 2D, 3D and real life e-learning videos impart conceptual understanding in a very simplified manner that help students retain information for a long time. However, bad pronunciation, poorly organized and presented content, incomplete information etc in the e-learning videos not only hamper the pace of learning but can also deter future attempts at trying to understand the concept using online resources. Therefore, while referring to e-learning videos students should make it a point to check it for above mentioned points and only consider learning from those websites that meet the above requirements 

E-learning videos backed by relevant study material for a complete learning

While surfing for e-learning websites that provide curriculum-aligned study videos, students should make it a point to only refer to sites that support these videos with relevant study material. Such a blend of e-learning videos and relevant study material can help concretize understanding and make scoring great marks easy. There are  various websites that provide such chapter-wise learning resources and curriculum-aligned puzzles, chapter-wise practice tests, full length model tests, chapter-wise revision notes and a lot more for students studying under CBSE, ICSE, Maharashtra State SSC board, Karnataka State SSLC board and Tamil Nadu Matriculation Board.

So the next time you want to add some zing to your study schedule, do surf through a few e-learning videos. 

All the best for your exams!

CBSE board papers

The key to excelling in CBSE board papers is to effectively plan and structure your studies in order to make learning activity a thoroughly enriching one. Students usually do not take studies and related activity very seriously during the initial few months of the academic session. As a result, they miss out on some crucial time right at the outset. However, students are expected to complete their entire CBSE board paper syllabus within the stipulated time period as a result the remaining part of the year becomes very hectic and chaotic for students. To avoid such a situation, students are advised to plan and structure their studies right at the start of the academic session. Studying in such a planned manner will not only make it more manageable but will also make learning effective.

To help all you students out there preparing for your CBSE board papers to effectively plan and manage your studies, here are some pointers.

• Students should start their academic year or for that matter any activity they undertake by setting goals. The activity of setting goals helps students obtain a clear idea of the efforts required to achieve their targets. Students should start the activity of setting goals by first deciding on the long-term goals and then supporting them with short-term targets. Long-term goals can be understood to refer to all the major goals that one aspires to achieve. Whereas short-term goals or targets are immediate ‘battles’ that a student aims to win so as to move one notch closer to his/her long-term goals. To score great marks in CBSE board papers students should start their academic year by setting daily and monthly targets and preparing relevant schedules to achieve those targets. To do away with manual managing of studies, students can seek help from online planners available on a variety of websites. These online study planners will help students preparing for CBSE board papers with a series of steps that should essentially be followed to ensure a thorough understanding of all concepts. Not only this, but these planners also keep students updated with their progress in each topic. In case a student chooses to manually prepare his/her schedule, a student should make sure that their schedules are flexible, realistic, specific and incorporate essential timely breaks.
• Once through with setting goals, the next step is to actually start studying for the CBSE board papers. While studying, students are advised to first create a pool of study material from all relevant sources, go through the study material, highlight key points and then prepare their own crisp bulleted notes. Undertaking an exercise like this will help students arrive at study material that can be considered ideal for CBSE board paper. Alternately students can also refer to quality study material available on a variety of websites that provide CBSE aligned study content for board classes.
• The third and the last step is to revise for the CBSE board paper. Students can use a variety of means like flash cards, revision notes, tests etc to revise. While revising for the CBSE board papers, students should not miss out on practicing from previous years’ CBSE board papers.

Following these simple three steps can help students effectively plan and structure their studies for a great score in the CBSE board papers.

All the best!

e-Learning: The new age learning technology

e-Learning is a ray of hope for millions of people across the globe who had deserted their education due to dearth of time and money. e-Learning has brought along a whole new methodology of teaching and learning that is spreading its wings swiftly across the globe. 

In today’s fast, nerve-racking and competitive lifestyle, “Change” has become the order of the day.  So, to keep pace with the contemporary world, education in the 21st century has also attained a new form. Education has now shifted from traditional learning to new-technology motivated e-Learning. Now, study has become web-oriented with the arrival of “Internet” in every home. With the advent of e-Learning, studies have become easier as one need not be present in classrooms physically for fixed hours.

e-Learning is the most popular alternative for home study support as it combines various fields like distance learning, online learning, technology-delivered instruction and web-based training. It is a digital learning experience that offers interactive online support in the form of online lectures, online forums and chat rooms; live virtual classes and online bulletin boards are highly attention-grabbing and learner-centric and very popular with students. 

Traditional Learning vs. e-Learning

It is a well researched fact that learning through audio, video, graphics and animation is more effective than learning through unexciting, lengthy and mundane books.  Human mind is capable of retaining picture, audio and other sensory perceptions for a longer duration than words. Keeping in mind the above mentioned facts, e-Learning study modules are specially designed to deliver specific topics, lectures and techniques that are more interesting, easy to grab and retain. 

Traditional learning is gradually being replaced by web based learning or e-Learning. Some of the benefits of e-Learning over traditional learning are discussed below: 

Unlike traditional learning, e-Learning is not time bound. Students are free to attend the lectures whenever they want and wherever they want. They can enjoy learning as per their convenience and at their own pace. The mentors, tutors and parents can record the live lectures and pass it on to the students when required. 

e-Learning programs offer the facility of online discussions wherein the students can share their views, thoughts and opinions with each other. Through video-conferencing, the students can take advantage of the skill, talent, experience and knowledge of renowned experts and trainers. Further, students can revise the lessons and strengthen their weaker sections easily.

e-Learning provides customized courses to students to satisfy their interest.  It allows the students to choose their preferred courses and establish their own roadmaps. Now, students need not stick to the courses that are offered by board or university under the traditional learning systems. Traditional universities usually take a long time to replace old syllabi with new ones, but e-learning courses always comprise updated course material 

e-Learning reduces travelling and study expenses and provides quality education which is affordable and reliable. With the new form of digital learning, higher education is economical and easy like never before.