How to revise for CBSE board examinations?

With the board exams approaching, students preparing for the CBSE board examinations are again feeling the heat. Exam related anxiety has started taking a toll over the young minds. Something that can help students re-store their wavering confidence and can also help them gear up to beat exam-related stress are repeated and robust revision sessions.

In order to make the revision activity for the CBSE board examinations a thorough and effective exercise, students should follow this simple three-step process.

Step I - Organizing the revision notes! The first step while starting to prepare the CBSE revision notes is to collect and organize the existing study material. Students should first collate all the relevant notes i.e. class lecture notes, notes from NCERT books, tutorial notes etc. The second step is to prepare notes by summarizing all the important and relevant points in one place. Students can then further refine this consolidated text to arrive at their ‘ideal’ and complete CBSE revision notes. Students can further prepare flash cards, summaries etc. from the CBSE revision notes to further make their learning effective. In case students do not have ample time to perform such an elaborate activity for preparing the CBSE revision notes, they can also refer to websites that provide CBSE curriculum aligned revision notes. These revision notes are concise and complete summaries of the chapters. The text in these CBSE revision notes are supported by well illustrated and neatly drawn diagrams that aid in better and speedy understanding of concepts.

Step II - Devise an exam strategy! Once through with preparing the CBSE revision notes the next important step is to start revising from these notes. Along with revising it is also very important for students to device an exam strategy that helps to tackle exam related issues. Their exam strategy should answer questions like how to manage time, how to approach the CBSE question paper on the final examination day, how to tackle stress before and during exams etc. This exam strategy will not only help students manage their studies better, but will also enable them to deliver a better performance. It is also very important for students to device a customized strategy for themselves instead of blindly following ready-made strategy templates often handed down by well meaning friends and relatives. Since each student is unique, their needs and priorities too will be unique. It is therefore imperative for students to have an examination strategy that is devised especially keeping their unique motivations, learning styles, and bio-rhythms in mind.

Step III - Revise using previous years CBSE board papers! Once through with revising and formulating an exam strategy, students should ideally end their revision activity for the CBSE board papers with a thorough practice session using the previous years’ test papers. This will help students assess their preparation levels and will also help gear them up to ace the CBSE board exams confidently. Practicing using the previous years’ CBSE papers or CBSE sample papers in simulated exam conditions will help students gain a first hand experience of how it feels to attempt the CBSE board paper. Students can also seek help from various websites that provide CBSE curriculum aligned practice tests and model tests that will help them take their CBSE board papers head on!

Now that all you students out there preparing for CBSE board paper know how to start revising, I am positive that a great report card is out there waiting for you!

All the very best for exams!

Assure good marks in CBSE exams with NCERT solutions

The key to performing well in CBSE exams include studying hard, grasping important & relevant points mentioned in the chapter and retaining these. The candidates appearing for the exams should study in a smart and streamlined manner, so that they are able to translate their efforts into performance.

Most of the questions in CBSE exams are based on end-of-chapter questions from NCERT textbook with slight changes in language or numerical values.  Majority of the students believe that solving NCERT questions is uninteresting and time consuming. But, this is definitely the simplest way to outshine in CBSE examinations. 

How to prepare ideal NCERT Solutions?

Before framing the answers to the questions listed in NCERT textbook, the students should read the chapter attentively and thoroughly. They can underline or note down the important points covered under each topic.  A comprehensive study of the entire chapter would not only help in getting good marks but enhance the conceptual understanding of the students.

Before writing ideal answers, the students should carefully read, analyze and understand the subject of the questions. They should know the difference between ‘Explain’, ‘Illustrate’ and ‘Brief description’ and should answer the question accordingly.  The students should tailor their answers depending on the type of questions i.e. one word, multiple choice, short answers or long answers. Keeping in mind the type of question and marks allotted for each, they should set word limits for every type that would help them in customization of their answers. 

In addition to the above factors, the answers should be simple in language and crisp with no grammatical and spelling errors. 

Proper revision to reassure high scores in CBSE exams

The NCERT solutions should be arranged in an organized manner with the chapter number and page numbers to avoid confusion. Organized solutions would require less time to go through during revision. Further, it would also promote in understanding, grasping, memorizing and retaining the notes effectively. 

Less time? Go for NCERT Online Solutions

When CBSE exams are round the corner, students don’t want to devote much time in forming NCERT solutions. In that case, they can simply find the solutions to their question in various websites offering online NCERT solutions. These solutions are properly illustrated with graphics, videos and animations & apt for preparation in CBSE exams. 

A few points to remember before referring to online NCERT solutions

Before referring to online NCERT solutions, students must cross-check the answers for any kind of inaccuracies. They should ensure that each answer is written as per the demand of the question. While referring to online NCERT solutions, students should also make certain that these solutions are accurate with respect to language and grammar.

By following the above mentioned tips while framing, studying and revising NCERT solutions would definitely assist the students in getting excellent marks in CBSE examinations.

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 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 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.

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!

CBSE Biology

Do you find studying CBSE Biology from textbooks bland and monotonous? If yes, then I have an interesting piece of information that might cheer you up! Now all you students out there need not study CBSE Biology just from your not-so-interesting textbooks as multimedia enriched study content is here to jazz up your studies. Multimedia enriched learning solutions can not only make studying CBSE Biology interesting for students, but can also simplify complex processes and concepts for effective understanding.

Here are a few interesting points that has made multimedia enriched learning solutions an instant hit amongst CBSE Biology students.

• Animations can be fun! Want to learn CBSE Biology by being a live witness to various biological processes instead of just reading about it in textbooks and are you exploring ways of doing the same? CBSE Biology animation can make your wish come true! Through various CBSE biology animations you can not only view various complex biological processes but can also discover some not-so-known interesting facts about the flora and fauna involved. Did you know that a frog has to go through seven stages before he becomes an adult frog? Through a click you can view all these eight stages of the life cycle of Frog from an egg to a tadpole and lastly to an adult frog. So the next time you find studying any concept in CBSE Biology difficult just look out for these animations online and add of the much required zing to your studies.
• Learn better through videos! One interesting feature of multimedia enriched studies is the availability of different types of subject-aligned videos. How about viewing a real-life video of blossoming of Ocotillo flowers? For all CBSE Biology students, real-life videos like this can be a true blessing. Apart from these real-life videos, there are other video that explains concepts in the same manner as the teacher does in a class. Students can go through these videos as many times as they desire in order ensure thorough understanding of the same.
• A boon for auditory learners! How about listening to an audio file of chirping of all the popular birds while studying about ‘Animal Kingdom’ in your school? Sounds interesting! I am confident that through an exercise like this, the interest levels of students for such topics are bound to raise manifolds. Study material supported with audio-video files like this is one of the USPs of multimedia enriched learning solutions. While studying CBSE Biology, students can choose to support their study material with such audio-video files and make learning a lot interesting and fun.
• Low cost! Unlike other mediums like live experiments, researches etc that can also make studies interesting and fun but with a relatively high price tag attached, this medium of studies is available to the students 24x7 at very low cost. There are various websites that make available multimedia enriched CBSE Biology study content at very low prices. Students can subscribe to these websites and make studying complex processes and concepts in CBSE Biology very interesting.

Students can indulge into these multimedia enriched learning solutions and see their marks go up!

CBSE answers for CBSE students

The one thing that can fetch students a great score in their final CBSE examination is quality CBSE answers. It is important for students to understand that the effort to score great marks in the final examinations does not just end with effective learning but should actually spill over into writing quality and complete CBSE answers in the exams. Therefore, it is important for students to also master the art of writing quality CBSE answers so as to achieve their dream score.

Here are a few tips that will help all you students out there to frame quality CBSE answers that can be considered ‘ideal’ and that too with ease!

• The first step towards writing quality CBSE answer starts with a thorough reading of the NCERT chapter. After giving the chapter a close read, the next important step is to highlight or underline all the important points in the chapter. This will help students identify and understand the gist of the chapter along with all the key concepts in it.
• The next important step is to then turn to the end-of-chapter questions and accordingly write their CBSE answers. In order to write quality CBSE answers, it is important for students to closely study the requirements of each question. While analyzing the NCERT questions it is very important for students to read the instruction, subject and other significant information in the question carefully. Doing so will help them write quality CBSE answers for an excellent score in the final examination. While trying to write CBSE answers it is also very important for students to customize their answers for each subject. For example, while attempting CBSE answer for Science, students are advised to write to-the-point answers along with neatly drawn and clearly labeled diagrams. Where as for language subjects like Hindi and English, students have the liberty to expand on the topic and for some questions even use metaphors to explain their thoughts and impressions etc. While writing CBSE answers for Maths, it is however important for the students remember to write all the in-between steps and support it with appropriate diagrams wherever necessary.
• If students are facing a dearth of time and do not wish to spend so much time in framing CBSE answers, they can seek help from the free NCERT solutions available online. These free NCERT answers are aligned as per the guidelines of the NCERT and are supported by relevant illustrations that can make understanding easy. These free solutions not only enable students to write quality CBSE answers but also help them score great marking in the final CBSE papers.

So what are all you CBSE students waiting for, go ahead and use these tips to frame quality CBSE answers for top results in your CBSE exams.

Overcome the "Fear Factor" with CBSE Model Papers

CBSE Papers are generally a reason for growing anxiety and examination pressure among the students. These bring sleepless nights for most of the students. Before CBSE 10th and 12th board examinations, students and their parents experience intense levels of anxiety. The condition was same decades ago and it is still very much prevalent. In comparison to a couple of years ago, stress and pressure today has increased a number of times due to increased competition amidst the students.

CBSE papers require a little more than classroom study including a scheduled method of learning and revision on a daily basis. Sometimes, the students fail to perform well and get good percentage in exams. On other occasions they may get confused and forget the answers. Some students do not attempt all the questions due to lack of time. CBSE model papers are a single solution to all these problems.

CBSE model papers are designed as per the latest CBSE curriculum which can give the students a clear idea about the types of questions and marking scheme. Students should wrap up their final revision for CBSE papers with CBSE model papers. These model papers are available for all the subjects which can help students to improve their answering skills and can also teach them the skill of completing CBSE papers within the allocated time.

Solving model papers before the CBSE papers can help the students analyze their knowledge level, understand concepts and gradually boost their confidence. It also assists them in exploring their strengths and weaknesses. CBSE Model Papers can give the students a much-needed opportunity to work upon the weak links and solidify their concepts.

Occasionally students miss out on answering a few questions as they don’t keep a track of time. Time management problems can be simply taken care of during revision by solving ample number of model papers. Time based model papers are available for various subjects which can help the students in allocating time for each question and answer them accordingly.

When the syllabus is completed, students should practice more and more with CBSE model papers. This would not only help the students to judge their preparation levels but also prepare them to face the CBSE papers confidently. Students can find both solved and unsolved CBSE curriculum aligned model papers on a number of websites for a complete revision session. These online model papers are available anytime anywhere. Further, these websites have query sections where students can discuss their problems related to the subject. These online forums are maintained and administered by experienced and knowledgeable professionals round-the-clock. Attempting ample model papers would assure a complete revision and a great report card in CBSE papers.