CBSE launches post-results counselling helpline

An important piece of information for those feeling anxious after the results. CBSE has launched a post-results counselling helpline that will be operational from today for students and parents who are looking for guidance pertaining to the Board results.

The tele-counselling helpline is an outreach programme that will also help students and parents overcome the post-result stress.

Students can dial a toll free number - 1800 180 3456 - from any part of the country between 8am and midnight and get in touch with the counsellors. The helpline will be active for the next 15 days.

Cheers!
Team Meritnation

CBSE Class Xth Results to be announced on May 24th

CBSE is going to announce the class Xth results for the year 2012 TOMORROW, May 24th 2012. Students can access their results by logging on to any of the following websites and entering their Roll Number -

• www.cbse.nic.in
• www.cbseresults.nic.in
• www.results.nic.in

As results approach, you might be feeling the pressure getting to you. If you are experiencing sweaty palms, racing heartbeat, nausea or disturbing thoughts, you are not alone! These are all signs of anxiety and in fact, it can be quite normal to feel some anxiety before results and feel those butterflies in your stomach.

Instead of worrying about the results that are not in your hands, you should focus on how you can best utilize the time available. A starting point can be to understand the career options that each of the streams offer after +2.

You might want to try out the Personality Tests on Meritnation to understand your strong and weak areas and the Meritnation Stream Selector to understand your aptitude for various fields.

So, in all, discussing about the stream that you want to get into should be a priority right now over thinking about the results!

Good luck!
Team Meritnation

Meritnation launches Summer Pack!

Utilize your holidays to strengthen your fundamentals in Maths & Science this summer! Meritnation.com launches Summer Pack exclusively for CBSE students of classes 6th to 12th. With Meritnation’s Summer Pack you can now brush up your understanding of important concepts in Maths & Science from topics covered in previous classes, to help build a more thorough understanding of concepts in this class.

The resources in Meritnation’s Summer Pack that includes videos, animations, tests, puzzles & more, has been organized to promote a complete and progressive understanding of all related concepts.

Meritnation.com’s Summer Pack is available absolutely free on purchase of any Meritnation Online Course. Summer Pack by Meritnation.com is available for a limited period only!

So what are you waiting for?! Subscribe to Meritnation’s Online Course now to start studying using the resources in Meritnation’s exciting Summer Pack. We at Meritnation are confident that our latest offering will give all you an edge over your classmates when the school re-opens!

Cheers!

Team Meritnation

Meritnation launches Friends Zone!

Now study together with your friends using Meritnation.com’s Friends Zone. Meritnation’s special feature Friends Zone will help you learn topics better as you share your understanding of concepts with your online Meritnation friends. This will help strengthen your grasp over topics and help you do well in school. With Meritnation.com’s Friend Zone you can-

• Create your own online study group on Meritnation.
• Clear your doubts in all subjects with the help of your online friends on Meritnation.
• Teach & learn difficult concepts together with your friends.
• Discuss & share ideas with your friends on Meritnation to prepare better school projects & assignments

So what are you waiting for? Log on to www.Meritnation.com using your unique username & password and click on the ‘Friends Zone’ tab in the blue band to start studying with your friends on Meritnation now. Needless to say your personal information such as phone number, e-mail etc. will remain confidential and will not be visible to other users.

We at Meritnation hope that you will enjoy using Friends Zone and make the most of it to learn from each other.

Cheers!

Team Meritnation

CBSE notes – A key to secure better marks

There is no one way to study. Some students go through the whole syllabus while preparing for exams while some students choose to just go through the key points. For some scoring good marks in exams is still a dream. The experts recommend preparing notes for each subject as it is an easy way to score high marks in all subjects. There are several good reasons as to ‘why one should prepare notes?’ And the list, believe me goes longer than thought.

 For preparing CBSE notes one has to go through the entire chapter to find out the important concepts in the chapter. An exercise like this also helps in finding out the key points in the chapter. One can go through such notes just before the exam as they consist of key points. It makes revision easy and quick. Reading through one’s own notes helps in understanding and it is commonly believed that writing helps to remember better. Listed below are some important points that one should keep in mind before preparing notes.

• Be precise - While preparing notes one should know which points to include as the key points and which to summarize.
• Use visual cues - For some students it is easy to learn concepts with the help of figures, diagram, and flow charts etc. So while preparing CBSE notes one should always follow the style of learning that suits them and makes topics easy to learn. One can also use simple language while making CBSE notes as it makes learning easy.
• Cover all topics - Notes should be prepared in such a manner that it covers each and every topic, starting from the most important ones to the ones that are least important.

Extracting the important studying material should be done after going through the whole chapter. If the CBSE notes are prepared carefully then nothing can come in your way of attempting all the questions and getting good marks. If the CBSE notes are prepared in the correct manner, then a student need not to go through the whole chapter again at the time of revision.

Last minute revision should be avoided as it does not help improve recall but creates confusion. So it is advisable that students do not wait till the last minute to start revising using CBSE notes. All revision should be completed at least an hour before the examination.

Students who wait for the last few days for preparation, usually end up getting confused. It often results in poor recall at the time of attempting the question paper.

The message is clear for all the students. Start preparing your CBSE notes before it is too late. To walk on the path of success, one should follow the above mentioned points. Scoring good marks will no more remain a dream.

Score high with CBSE model papers

Scoring high marks in exams remains a dream for many. Scoring good marks in exams is not easy. One has to put in a lot of effort to crack each and every question. Practicing using CBSE model paper can be very effective as it helps in evaluating a student’s performance. These papers help know the actual preparation of the students. Also these model papers are prepared keeping in mind the pattern of question paper. Marks to each question are allotted keeping in mind the pattern.

After attempting the model paper, a student can easily identify areas that require more preparation. The CBSE model papers are very useful if they are solved or attempted after completing the complete syllabus.

Students usually end-up thinking that in spite of so much hard work why were they not able to perform better? Solving CBSE model papers is beneficial for those who are about to appear for their final exams. CBSE model papers are designed keeping in mind the present CBSE curriculum. This helps students get a clear idea about the marking scheme and questions. With rising competition in studies, every student wants to give their best and score high marks. Studying with CBSE model paper can be very helpful if taken seriously. There are ample types of CBSE model papers available online that a student can access anytime. CBSE model papers are a good tool to manage time during exams. Time management is very important. CBSE model papers give the student an outline of time available to complete the paper. Usually at the time of exams, students face mental pressure. This often results in poor concentration and lack of confidence. Practicing with the help of CBSE Model Papers can help students manage their time effectively in the examination hall thereby helping them reduce the level of test-taking stress.

Generally students do not keep a check on the time allotted to complete the exam and the word limit. It is necessary to write the answers in accordance to the marks. This helps in saving time from writing unnecessary answer.

Students who are planning to attempt the CBSE model papers must note that the CBSE model papers should be attempted only after completing the whole syllabus. Attempting the model paper before finishing the syllabus won’t be helpful. For positive results, attempt the papers once you are through with the whole syllabus.

Online NCERT textbooks

Online NCERT textbooks! Even imagining something like this about 10 years back would have been difficult. This must surely be the best thing that has happened for students, parents and teachers in a while! The NCERT textbooks online are available for classes I through XII for almost all the subjects. These textbooks available in both Hindi and English languages are in downloadable PDF format.

These online NCERT textbooks come in very handy for students of classes X and XII who wish to start reading the books, during the summer vacations and are sometimes unable to do so due to non-availability of these NCERT books in the stores before the month of July. Further, with online NCERT textbooks the teachers too can refer to textbooks of higher or lower grades for any clarifications, with ease without having to physically scout around for the textbooks. Then, there are those students who are more inquisitive than their peers and are on the constant search for more information on a given topic. It is for such students that the online NCERT textbooks can be a real boon. Now they can readily access NCERT textbooks of a higher grade and read up more on a topic that they may be currently studying. One of the objectives that the NCERT had in mind in making NCERT textbooks available online is to make the teaching-learning process organize itself around meaningfully structured units or sections (of topics) rather than treating the topics in a sequential approach. Doing so, it is hoped, would encourage students to try and comprehend a given topic/subject in its totality and see the inter-linkages within subjects and the interconnectedness of their entire syllabus as a whole.

Online NCERT textbooks have also proved to be very valuable for parents who take a keen interest in their child’s lessons and progress in school as they can now easily access their child’s prescribed NCERT textbooks online from anywhere and read the chapters therein. Parents can thus be better equipped to help them with homework or simply supervise their studies.

The online NCERT textbooks are available on the NCERT website and can be viewed by anyone. Once on the website, you simply have to select the class, the subject and the title of the book and Viola! - the cover of your online NCERT textbook gets displayed on your screen! You have to click on the cover and you get to view the contents page of your online NCERT textbook. From there on, you can view any chapter by simply clicking on it. However, all you students be warned! As you read through the pages of your online NCERT textbook in all its colours on the computer, you may fail notice the time, as reading anything online can be a differently engaging experience after all.

Online education

Online education is often considered as the ‘Gen Y’ way of studying. For Generation Y, online is fast becoming the popular way to study. With broadband connection penetrating to the farthest destinations, the internet is truly going places! Online education attempts to counter the problem of poor quality of education and absentee teachers in schools, right at the outset. However, in spite of numerous benefits of online education, many are still unaware about the scope and benefits of this virtual world of online education.

For all you students out there here is a list of a few benefits of online education. I am sure that these benefits will draw you towards this medium and will also help you make your studying effective.

• The fist and foremost benefit of online education is the ‘anytime-anywhere’ advantage that sit has to offer. With online education, students can now choose to prepare their own study schedules and study as per their own convenience. Gone are the days when students had no option but to regularly attend their classes at tuition centres or schools so as to complete their syllabus within the stipulated time period. With online education, students can now choose to set their schedule sheets.
• Apart from study schedules, online education also enables students to stay in control of their study pace. Online education is a boon for both slow and fast learners. Slow learners can go through their study lessons as many times as they wish to, whereas fast learners can look forward to umpteen practice tests and revisions to further solidify their learning.
• Online education has an added advantage for students studying under the international boards. Finding a good tutor or quality study material is not always an easy task for the Indians studying under the various Indian educational boards outside India. With quality online education coming into play, students can be sure of complete and stress-free study content that will help make scoring great marks in exams easy.
• Online education imparts instructions using a variety of mediums thereby making studies interesting and engaging. Students now can study by reading online study material in text form and support it with video explanations of various concepts using real life/ 2D/ 3D videos and animations. Curriculum aligned puzzles and a variety of online and offline tests that give you instant results are some of the other benefits of online education.  Thus, use of multiple media helps make studies very interesting and learning easy.
• Students can get themselves hooked to online education without burning a hole in their pockets. Apart from low subscription costs, there is significantly no additional or hidden cost involved in online education. By studying online, students can save a lot of money and time by doing away with unnecessary expenses incurred while commuting to and from schools, colleges, tuition centers etc.

I am confident that by now students must realized the benefits of online education. So all you students out there, the next time you face any difficulty while studying, just log on to the internet and surf you way through online solutions.

Tips and Tricks to Excel in ICSE Papers

Scoring well in ICSE papers is no easy thing considering the vastness of the ICSE syllabus! Scoring good marks in ICSE papers really takes a lot of effort. A disciplined study-regimen that includes regular revision sessions and is backed by good health is a pre-requisite to scoring well in ICSE papers.

To help all you students out there who are preparing for ICSE papers or for that matter any other board papers, here are a few tips and tricks that can help you excel in your exams.

• Study regularly! An important secret to scoring well in ICSE papers is to have a consistent approach towards studies. Regular study sessions will help students stay abreast with the overall pace required to complete the syllabus within the given time-frame. When compared to the various other educational boards operating in India, ICSE has the most expansive syllabus for class 10 examinations. As a result many a times students preparing for ICSE papers find handling the sheer volume in so many subjects, a little difficult. As a precautionary step to avoid last moment chaos and to facilitate effective understanding of concepts, students are advised to study regularly for their ICSE papers. Students can also seek help from various websites that provide ICSE curriculum aligned study material. The study material by these websites provide study content in interesting and fun format in order to accelerate the pace of learning.
• Stay in touch! Ideally, students should study all the major subjects regularly in order to excel in their ICSE papers. But keeping in mind the time that is typically spent by most students in extra curricular activities, tuition sessions, relaxation activities etc. leaving them with very little time for self-study, it may be a little unrealistic to be able to touch all the subjects in a day. However, in order to score well in the ICSE papers students are advised not to lose touch with any of the subjects for more than 2-3 days. If students do not study any subject for a longer period, chances are that recall for that particular subject will be far lesser, and as a result they will lag behind. To help students schedule their studies better, a few websites provide online Study Planner. The Study Planner by these websites is an online organizer that helps students stay abreast with their progress and their level of preparation for each chapter.
• Self-study is a must! Self- study does not mean completing homework, but investing time in studying alone with the primary objective of improving grades in school. To perform well in ICSE papers, students should devote majority of the available time to self-studying. This will help in better and instant understanding of the subjects and lead to a speedy memorization of concepts.
• Study with breaks! In order to break the monotony that is usually a result of long study sessions, it is very essential for students preparing for ICSE papers to inject short breaks in-between their study routines. These short study breaks will help the mind to stay fresh and focused for a longer period. As a result studying for ICSE papers will become easier and also more fun.
• Revise using past year ICSE papers! One of the very important tricks to score well in ICSE papers is to test your knowledge using previous year papers and sample papers. An activity like this helps students assess their preparation levels for the final ICSE papers. As students practice using previous years’ ICSE papers, they can also identify their weak areas and evaluate their time management skills and accordingly work upon it. Students can browse through a lot of websites that provide ICSE curriculum aligned practice and model tests to prepare better for their ICSE papers.
• Eat healthy! The last and the most important tip to score well in ICSE papers is to eat healthy and stay fit. Students should try to increase their intake of fresh fruits and vegetables as it keeps both the body and brain healthy. With ICSE papers approaching, students should restrain themselves from eating food that can hamper their health in any way.

I hope all these tips and tricks will benefit students in many ways and will help make scoring good marks in ICSE papers easy. All the best for your exams!

10th CBSE

CBSE 10th class students of the current academic year are among the early beneficiaries of the Continuous & Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) system introduced by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Unlike the students in the previous batches, the students studying in CBSE 10th class have the option of not appearing for the board exams. They can do so by opting for CCE – an assessment system that is based on round-the-year, inclusive evaluation. Under CCE, students are required to take two summative and four formative assessments that may include paper-pencil tests along with other formative assessments tools such as classroom quizzes, projects  etc. However, the students who wish to appear for board exams have to send in their requisition to their respective schools stating that they want to appear for Summative Assessment-II conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education.

Grading Pattern & Assessment System under CCE

As mentioned above, students who have opted for CCE have to appear for summative & formative assessments on the basis of which students will be graded for their performance. The entire academic year of CBSE 10th class is divided into two semesters. For the current academic year, a weightage of 40% is being attached to the first semester where as the second semester carries a 60% weightage. However, from next academic year both semesters will carry equal weightage i.e. 50% each. The grading system adopted by CBSE is based on a 9 point scale. Students who score between 91-100 marks will be awarded grade A1, where as students who score between 81-90, 71-80, 61-70, 51-60, 41-50, 33-40, 21-32 & 20 and below will be awarded grades A2, B1, B2, C1, C2, D, E1 & E2 respectively. With each grade certain grade points are also awarded, for example students who score an A1 grade will be awarded 10 grade points, a student with A2 grade will get 9 grade points so on and so forth. No grade points shall be awarded for grades E1 & E2. Grade points in each subject will be accumulated and a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) will be arrived at.

Exam time-table under CCE

Through the introduction of CCE attempts have been made to engage the students throughout the year in activities that will help strengthen their learning , facilitate better understanding of concepts and will make the entire experience enriching. CBSE 10th class students will appear for Summative Assessment-I in the month of September and Summative Assessment-II in months of February-March.

With Summative Assessment-II a few months away, it is time that CBSE 10th & 9th class students brace up for these final exams. Students who are facing any difficulty in coping with subjects like Maths, Science, English etc and are looking for CCE aligned tests to help them prepare better can seek help from online educational websites. These websites provide CBSE & CCE aligned study content with videos, tests, revision notes etc for CBSE 10th & 9th that can help students understand concepts better and excel in exams.

So just surf through these websites and be sure of a stress-free study ride!

All the best for your exams!