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 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.

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 prepare for ICSE Board Papers

ICSE Board papers are considered to be difficult papers in comparison to the papers set by the other board papers across India. The ICSE Board offers students an extensive variety of subjects to choose from. More emphasis is on literature than any other aspect of learning in ICSE Board curriculum. The ICSE Board is also the generally preferred board by students who wish to pursue their undergrad studies from foreign countries. One of the major reasons for the same is that the curriculum for ICSE Board Papers is more compatible with the syllabus of other Common Wealth countries. 

If you are a student of ICSE Board and you are nervous about your Board Papers after reading the above mentioned facts, you don’t need to worry! Here are some snap tips on how to manage your time and excel in your ICSE Board Papers. 

• The first and most important step for any student of class X intending to appear for ICSE Board Papers is to choose their elective subjects wisely. The subjects chosen by the student should be aligned with the individual career choice and as per the individual caliber. Students should not choose subjects under peer, school or parental pressure. Once subjects are chosen, try sticking to it.
• The next important step is to prepare a customized time schedule. The schedule should be such that it clearly lists down all the activities you perform in a day against the time available. Try to include some variety, as it will help keep away monotony. It is important to clearly demarcate your personal study hours in a day from the time allocated for completing your homework.
• Build in flexibility into your time schedule. Try to adjust your missed study hours during the weekend as a fresh mind allows learning to be fast and effective.
• Prepare a fresh time schedule for exam time. Schedule the difficult subjects first and the easy ones for a later. Schedule your time in such a manner that you complete the syllabus before the exam commences and are able to judiciously use the time available in between the exams for revision.
• While revising, try your hand at ICSE Sample Papers. It provides students appearing for ICSE Board Papers with an idea of the question pattern, instructions, marking scheme etc. In the process these ICSE sample papers equip students with the confidence that is required to perform well in these exams.

In addition to your external assessment exams take your internal assessment seriously, as it carries a twenty percent weightage. A good performance in the internal exams is the key to a good overall score.

CBSE India introduces a common syllabus for Maths & Science!

The Union Ministry of Human Resource and CBSE India are leaving no stone unturned to make lives easy for school students across the various boards in India! The latest stride towards this endeavor is the introduction of a common syllabus for Maths and Science for the students of classes XI and XII across all the educational boards. Therefore, from the academic year starting 2011-12, students from all the boards in the country can look forward to a uniform syllabus!

An initiative like this by CBSE India will ensure a level playing field for all the students while they prepare for their engineering and medical entrance examinations. Hence, while all you students studying in classes XI & XII, preparing for your national level engineering and medical entrance exams from the year 2012, need no longer worry about the extensive syllabi covered by your friend in CBSE or other national/ state board.

A common syllabus is just the first step by the Human Resource Ministry and CBSE India towards a flexible pattern of education that is comparable to the education systems existing in the West. CBSE India also has plans in the pipeline to conduct a common entrance exam for Medical and Engineering courses in India by 2013. If such a plan by CBSE India gains acceptance from all the academic corners in the country, life after class XII is only set to get easier for students.

However, implementation of a common syllabus by CBSE India has also garnered a lot of criticism by NCERT. NCERT is of the view that Council of School Board of Education (COBSE) has no right to push the common syllabus agenda. NCERT believes that the decision to undertake any curriculum revision exercise should rightfully rest with itself as NCERT has been instrumental in all such changes over the past years. It also believes that COBSE is just a coordinating body between the various school boards in the country.

Amidst all this controversy, major stakes are now on successful implementation of this common syllabus scheme for Maths and Science. Success of a common syllabus like this could also spread cheer in the lives of students studying in the Commerce and Humanities streams. Talks are around for a uniform syllabus for various subjects in these streams as well. What more could have students asked for to ensure a smooth and stress-free studying experience!

There are various websites that provide CBSE-aligned learning resources for students studying in classes V-XII. A common syllabus for Maths and Science will also ensure that more students can now seek help from such websites and reap benefits of quality and extensive learning resources.

All students studying under CBSE India can expect a lot of good news in the near future as well.

All the best for the future!

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!

How to prepare for ICSE Board Papers

ICSE Board papers are considered to be difficult papers in comparison to the papers set by the other board papers across India. The ICSE Board offers students an extensive variety of subjects to choose from. More emphasis is on literature than any other aspect of learning in ICSE Board curriculum. The ICSE Board is also the generally preferred board by students who wish to pursue their undergrad studies from foreign countries. One of the major reasons for the same is that the curriculum for ICSE Board Papers is more compatible with the syllabus of other Common Wealth countries.

If you are a student of ICSE Board and you are nervous about your Board Papers after reading the above mentioned facts, you don’t need to worry! Here are some snap tips on how to manage your time and excel in your ICSE Board Papers.

• The first and most important step for any student of class X intending to appear for ICSE Board Papers is to choose their elective subjects wisely. The subjects chosen by the student should be aligned with the individual career choice and as per the individual caliber. Students should not choose subjects under peer, school or parental pressure. Once subjects are chosen, try sticking to it.
• The next important step is to prepare a customized time schedule. The schedule should be such that it clearly lists down all the activities you perform in a day against the time available. Try to include some variety, as it will help keep away monotony. It is important to clearly demarcate your personal study hours in a day from the time allocated for completing your homework.
• Build in flexibility into your time schedule. Try to adjust your missed study hours during the weekend as a fresh mind allows learning to be fast and effective. 
• Prepare a fresh time schedule for exam time. Schedule the difficult subjects first and the easy ones for a later. Schedule your time in such a manner that you complete the syllabus before the exam commences and are able to judiciously use the time available in between the exams for revision.
• While revising, try your hand at ICSE Sample Papers. It provides students appearing for ICSE Board Papers with an idea of the question pattern, instructions, marking scheme etc. In the process these ICSE sample papers equip students with the confidence that is required to perform well in these exams.

In addition to your external assessment exams take your internal assessment seriously, as it carries a twenty percent weightage. A good performance in the internal exams is the key to a good overall score.