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 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.