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!

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.

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.

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.

How can CBSE class X students improve their reading skills?

A vast syllabus and poor reading skills are two main reasons that make CBSE class X students take to cramming while they prepare for their final exams. Right from the start, students are discouraged both by parents and school teachers from ‘mindless’ cramming and are advised to understand the meaning of the text before they actually try to memorize it. The intention is to improve their reading skills. Good ‘reading skills’ can help students read quickly and grasp the meaning from the written text. Good reading skills also helps develop a good command over the language which makes it easy for students to re-write in their own words. However, very little is actually done to improve the reading skills of students in school. Essentially, a focus towards developing sound reading skills should be maintained from the early years of primary schooling. However, it is never too late for students of CBSE class X to build on their reading skills and score great marks in final examinations.

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

• Have clear reading goals! Before starting to read, students should set their reading goals clearly. CBSE class X students should first assess their reading objective/s and then should start reading the text. For example, while reading a novel, one is expected to read the entire sentence carefully so as to understand the story as a whole and ensure that he/she is not missing out on any important link. Where as in case of a newspaper report the objective usually is to gather a gist of the event. Likewise, the CBSE class 10 students should keep in mind the objective of the reading exercise and accordingly set their reading goals. The reading goals for a student could possibly range from quickly completing the syllabus to trying to understand the various aspects of a given topic or problem in detail.
• Choose the reading text carefully! While preparing for your CBSE class X board papers, students should practice caution while choosing the book that they are planning to study from. To improve reading skills students should first give the prescribed NCERT book a thorough read. Since the concepts in NCERT books are explained in a very simplified manner, it can be of immense help to students with relatively weak reading skills to make a framework for the concepts. After going through the NCERT book, CBSE class X students may then follow it up with books by publishers on the topic to gain further understanding of the topic.
• Choose your reading technique! While giving the chapter a read, student can choose the reading technique as per their reading goals. If a student needs to pick up details from the text then he/she may read through the entire text using scanning -a process wherein a student scans through the text in detail and then selects the information to study. Skimming, on the other hand is technique that can be employed when one has to read through quickly and efficiently. Under this technique, the CBSE class X student glances through all the text and obtains a quick overview of the topic. In order to improve reading skills, students should choose the reading technique according to the available time and proficiency level that he/she intends to achieve.
• Take notes!  CBSE class X students, who wish to improve their reading skills, should follow up a thorough read of the chapter with preparing personalized notes of the chapter in their own words. Preparing notebook in own words will not only help the student improve his/her understanding of the topic but will also help them learn how to express their thoughts in their own words.  Students can prepare their own revision notes and compare their notes for any inaccuracies with those made available online by a variety of websites.

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

How to study effectively from free NCERT Solutions?

The one thing that can help students score great marks in the final CBSE examinations is quality NCERT solutions. Students usually find the exercise of writing end-of-chapter NCERT solutions mundane and often try to keep away from it. Writing NCERT solutions with low interest levels can not only hamper the quality of NCERT answers but can also have an adverse effect on the marks obtained by the student in the final CBSE examinations. Therefore, it is very important for the students studying under the CBSE board to practice caution while attempting their NCERT solutions.  To make their NCERT solutions apt for the final examinations, students can also seek help from the free NCERT solutions available online by a variety of websites. These free NCERT solutions will not only help students frame complete and correct answers, but will also help them score great marks in the final CBSE examinations.

However, while referring to these free NCERT solutions it is very important for students to check their NCERT solutions against the ideal NCERT solutions for any inaccuracies. Students should also make sure that their free NCERT solutions have all these essential features to help make their solutions perfectly apt for the final CBSE examinations.

Here is a checklist of the essential features that all you students out there can refer to and ensure that your free NCERT solutions are complete and comprehensive.

• To make the activity of referring to free NCERT solutions quick and smooth, it is very important to first organize the solution sheets chapter-wise and within that page number-wise. To save time and effort, students should only seek help from those websites that provide free NCERT solutions in an organized and systematic manner. This will not only speed-up the process of referring to these NCERT solutions but will also make learning effective.
• While referring to free NCERT solutions available online, students should make sure that each answer is tailored as per the requirements of the question. Studying from NCERT solutions that are not customized as per the instructions in the question can not only hamper students learning process but often can have an adverse impact on their final marks. Therefore, it is very important for students to look out for ‘quality’ NCERT solutions that will make scoring great marks in exams easy.
• For your NCERT solutions to be ‘ideal’ it is very important that the solutions are supported with explanatory videos and value-adding graphics and illustrations, wherever necessary. Neatly drawn and appropriately labeled illustrations and graphics can further promote effective understanding that will enable students write quality answers to score great marks in final examinations.
• Grammatical and language accuracy is a pre-requisite for these solutions to be ideal. While referring to the free NCERT solutions, students should make it a point to check these solutions with respect to the grammar and language used. If students come across any error with respect to the above mentioned fields, it is advisable that students should suspect the accuracy of the solutions in general.

Having listed all the essential points to be kept in mind while referring to the free NCERT solutions, it is advisable that the next time students seek help from any free NCERT solution available online they look for these features and ensure a great score in the final examinations.

NCERT Science Books- Stressing on Sequential Growth

The driving philosophy of NCERT while drafting the NCERT Science curriculum and books has always been to provide students with education material that is ‘true to life, true to child and true to science’. The NCERT has been publishing NCERT Science text books with content that reflects this philosophy.

To make the process of conceptual understanding and learning systematic, NCERT has divided the entire NCERT Science curriculum from grade 1 to XII into various levels. These levels focus on the progressively incremental nature of the knowledge acquiring process that emphasizes a sequential building of concepts. A learning process that is sequential in nature helps students  understand the concepts easily and also leads to a better retention of the studied material as it fits into the knowledge schema that already exists with the child. This helps  students to efficiently master all important concepts particularly in the in sciences and maths.

At the first level, that is the primary level, the focus is on ‘exploration’. Here the students are encouraged to explore the world. Through the various activities and practical exercises in the NCERT Science books, the students are encouraged to gain knowledge through hands-on experience. For example in the primary classes while teaching about trees, the students are asked to collect different type of leaves and prepare a scrap book with the names of each of the leaves.

Once a student passes through the first level the next is the upper primary level. Here the stress is on learning by involving the students in group discussions with peers, performing simple experiments etc. Under the ‘Extended Learning’ activities in NCERT Science books, the students are guided to explore more information about the topics already studied. Once the required information is gathered a classroom discussion following it helps to concretizing the learning and fills the gaps. A group discussion facilitates easy exchange of information. For example, in the NCERT Science book for Class VII an activity in the Chapter ‘Nutrition in Plants’, asks students to visit a greenhouse and observe how plants are raised. They are also asked to collect additional information on the regulation of light, water and CO2 and discuss the same with the classmates.

The next level is the secondary level. Under this level the onus is on learning through advanced modules of learning in NCERT Science books. Various initiatives such as the National Talent Search Exam, National Science Exhibitions etc are also organized to assess the grasp of theoretical principles and their practical applications. For competitions like these, the entire syllabus is based on the NCERT Science curriculum.

Fourth and the last level is the higher secondary level. In this level, Science is promoted and taught as a discipline. Under this last level, Science as a composite subject is bifurcated into three to four different subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology. Students studying NCERT Science take up their respective streams and combinations. The NCERT Science Books for these classes focuses on helping students master each subject individually so that students pursue higher studies in Science and may even take up the field of Science professionally.

NCERT Questions

A study guide can give answers to the NCERT questions but seldom can it do justice to the length and breadth of the syllabus for a given subject! Students often consider writing the solutions to the NCERT questions as wasteful time-consuming and futile activity. However, a thorough understanding of the various aspects of the NCERT questions and its utility can change their existing notions.

NCERT questions are typically the questions printed at the end of the chapters in the NCERT text books. Sometimes, questions by other private publishers based on the content in the NCERT text books may also be referred to as the NCERT questions. The end-of-chapter NCERT questions are made available in array of formats with the purpose to accelerate students’ pace of conceptual understanding. Therefore, while writing answers to the NCERT questions students should try to attempt all the questions since doing so will help them gain a thorough understanding of all the concepts present in the NCERT textbooks and give them the opportunity to assess their understanding of the said topics.

Apart from the overall understanding of concepts in the chapter, most of the problems that are asked in the CBSE board papers too are either from these end-of-chapter NCERT questions or are based on the topics addressed in them. For subjects such as Social Sciences and for some topics in Science these NCERT questions are hot favourites for the examination paper setters. It has been further observed that for application oriented subjects such as Maths and Physics the questions posed in the CBSE board papers may be loosely based on the NCERT questions–often the core concept being tested remaining the same, with variations in the values therein.. Therefore, all the students out there who are preparing for their class X and class XII CBSE board papers better take these NCERT questions seriously!

Students should essentially start tackling these NCERT questions once they are through with the entire chapter. A thorough understanding of the concepts in the chapter will help students frame conceptually correct and complete answers. If possible students should try to support their answers to these NCERT questions with neat and well labeled illustrations. While writing answers to the NCERT questions, students should also stick to the prescribed word limit.

While attempting these questions, students can seek help from the readymade NCERT solutions booklet. However, students should be cautioned to use the solution booklet as a reference book only. Complete dependence on such readymade material could be detrimental for students learning as it could hinder the ability of students to comprehend text and write answers in their own words. While seeking help from these readymade solutions booklets for NCERT questions, students should look for the following factors: clarity in language, , relevance to the chapter, word limit etc. There are various websites that provide free NCERT solutions to the NCERT questions for classes VI- XII.

So go ahead and use these free NCERT solutions to improve your grades.

Wishing you all the very best for exams!

NCERT Online

NCERT goes online! The NCERT textbooks can now be viewed online. Even a decade back something like this would have been difficult to imagine.

The NCERT was set up way back in 1961 by the Government of India as an autonomous organization to assist and advise the centre and state on policies related to education and help in the implementation of the same. Over the years, the council has increasingly taken on the role of the introducing innovations in the field of education in areas of reforms and curriculum framework.

The NCERT online textbooks have made life easier for a lot of students. The availability of online NCERT textbooks has taken the student-focussed educational initiatives of NCERT to new heights. The NCERT as an organization is not new to initiatives in the area of educational technology.  The Central Institute of Educational Technology set up in 1984 is a constituent organization under NCERT that undertakes several technology-based educational initiatives. The knowledge explosion of the last decade has enabled a situation where the knowledge-base doubles every 2-3 years (source: UNESCO “ICT in Teacher Education”). The Council’s decision to introduce NCERT online textbooks can also be rightfully viewed as a first step towards weaving knowledge in a multi-disciplinary fashion.

With the introduction of online NCERT textbooks the Council has made an effort to make the source of learning more flexible than the traditional ones. The driving force behind a move like this may well be the increasing awareness that knowledge does not come from a central source, but that it actually emanates from all around us. The move to make available online NCERT textbooks is a step that recognizes the huge potential of the internet.

As expected, the NCERT online textbooks are a huge hit with both students and teachers. The students can now easily access the textbooks for all classes from class I to class XII. They are free to read these NCERT textbooks online or download them for free, as they are available in PDF format. Each chapter is available as a separate PDF file and can be opened by clicking on the chapter title in the table of contents. With the textbooks going online, students who were previously likely to use ‘non-availability of textbooks’ as an excuse for their poor performance in schools, now had no one to blame but themselves! So, it was time to dig in their heels and study. That is a good job done by NCERT online textbooks!

Cheers!

NCERT Maths Solution

If calculating and arriving at the NCERT Maths solutions is an uphill task for you then this article could make your life easy!  Students studying under the CBSE or for that matter any other board usually find practicing Maths problems a strenuous and challenging exercise. They may even often try to keep away from practicing Maths and calculating NCERT Maths solutions for the end-of-chapter questions for as long as they can. 

Here are a few tips for all you students out there on how to enjoy doing NCERT Maths by learning some fun and innovative ways that can help make the process of obtaining NCERT Maths solutions easy.

• Short-cuts can make your life easy! Students who have still not been introduced to the world of mathematical short-cuts have no idea what they are missing out on. These mathematical short-cuts are nothing less than magic that can do wonders with your ability of doing mental calculations. Within seconds you can perform complex divisional and multiplication calculations and leave your class and teachers awestruck. These short-cuts use some basic and not much popular principles that help in speedy and accurate calculation of questions to arrive at NCERT Maths solution. 
• Vedic mathematics can also help! Vedic mathematics is actually an ancient system of mathematical calculations, where functions are performed on the basis of sutras as propagated in this ancient system. While arriving at the NCERT Maths solutions, students can make use of the short-cuts available in this Vedic system of calculations. Once through with understanding the system of sutras students are also equipped to start inventing and devising their own new ways of simplifying complex calculations. This activity of learning and experimenting with simpler ways of performing complex calculations and arriving at NCERT Maths solution can make understanding and learning activity extremely fun. Apart from simplifying calculations, the interest level of students for a subject like Maths is likely to go increase manifolds.
• Music can make a difference for some! While tackling the Maths problems and arriving at the NCERT Maths solutions, some students choose to play some soft music in the background. Researches have suggested that listening to music before or while studying can considerably improve the pace of processing of information in the brain. Listening to music without lyrics i.e. ambience music while studying helps soothe and relax the mind and thereby enhancing learning. However, be warned! While listening to music works for some, it may not work for others. So do exercise your own honest judgement. 
• Surf for free NCERT Maths solutions! Students studying under the CBSE board can refer to a few websites that provide free NCERT Maths solutions. These free NCERT Maths solutions tackle all the end-of-chapter problems. The free NCERT Maths solutions by these websites not only explain the answer in textual format but are also occasionally accompanied with videos explaining the various steps involved in detail.

Now that all you students out there know how to make arriving at the NCERT Maths solution fun, go ahead and try out these interesting ways.

All the best for your exams!

A Closer Look at NCERT Delhi

CBSE students everyday come across NCERT books for almost all subjects. The last thing that occurs to anyone while flipping through the pages of these text books is ‘to think about NCERT Delhi- as the organization behind the books’! In this article I attempt to take you through a ride that will introduce the various aspects of the organization and try to showcase the vastness of its services.

NCERT Delhi has been working for over for over 48 years in line with its endeavour to provide students with quality educational material. NCERT Delhi was set up by Government of India as an autonomous organization for advising and assisting Central and State Governments on policies and programme related matters in the field of school education.

At present the NCERT Delhi has a host of departments and units, each of which perform their specialized functions. There is a department each for areas such as Elementary Education, Teacher Education, Arts and Aesthetic, Science & Maths, Social Studies & Humanities. The department of Educational Psychology and Foundations of Education under NCERT Delhi conducts an international level counselor training course in addition to undertaking psychological testing and other activities.  Interestingly, the NCERT Delhi also has specialized departments that are dedicated to the Special Needs group and to Women’s Studies! As you can guess, the department responsible for your school textbooks—the Publication department—is only one of the several departments housed within the NCERT!

From the time that it was set up to the present, a period of over four decades, has witnessed NCERT Delhi diversifying into various areas within the field of education. Apart from formulating policies and publishing NCERT Text Books, NCERT Delhi also publishes other material like journals, recreational books for children and non-curriculum based educational books. The National Talent Search Exam conducted by NCERT Delhi is very popular amongst school students. NCERT Delhi also prepares the curriculum for CBSE schools across the world, conducts periodic educational surveys and teacher training workshops. So you see, NCERT really does a lot more than just publishing your text books!

As per the recommendations of the National Curriculum Framework 2005, NCERT Delhi has taken a paradigm shift from a ‘teacher-centric’ design to a ‘learner-centric’ flexible process. Under this shift, efforts are also made by NCERT Delhi to take learning beyond the four walls of the classroom into a wider social context. As a result a host of innovative changes have been introduced in the NCERT text books. Features like ‘Activity and Project’, ‘Did you knows’, quizzes etc are some initiatives in that direction. Changes like these have given a fresh lease of life to the previously ‘not so interesting’ NCERT text books.

So the next time you open your NCERT text books, it will probably be easier for you to appreciate the team effort by the various departments in the organization towards making your school years fruitful. 

Fun-to-learn NCERT Books

I still remember the times in school when I used to line up before the Book Shop to buy a copy of an NCERT textbook. Even in those days a lot of reference and other books were available, but the NCERT Book was a ‘must have’.  And it amuses me to see that the scenario has still not changed much! Even today students queue up before the book shops at the start of each session to be among the privileged early birds to own a copy of the NCERT (prescribed) Books.

A little background about the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is in place. The NCERT provides academic and technical support to Central and State Governments for all matters related to school and education. Each year NCERT comes out with NCERT Text Books for classes I to XII, Educational CD’s, Non-Text Books, a multitude of Journals and Childrens’ Books on a range of topics. NCERT through its host of books, attempts to cover all the essential topics and subjects for students studying under CBSE. 

Time and again efforts are made by NCERT to introduce innovative features in its books that make learning fun and schooling a happy experience. Its recent initiative to make the NCERT (text) books available online is one such endeavour. The latest editions of the NCERT Books for all grades are based on the National Curriculum Framework, 2005. These NCERT Books introduce fun and interactive ways of learning. Many features like ‘Boojho and Paheli’, ‘Extensive Learning-Activities and Projects’, ‘What You Can Do?’, ‘Talk About It’ etc in these NCERT books are some of things that catch my attention as I glance through these textbooks .  Simple practical activities suggested in these textbooks help to weave the concepts into the learners’ everyday experiences and makes learning integral to the entire process. Such an approach makes learning trouble-free and goes a long way to infuse a fresh dose of fervour in the entire teaching-learning process. This is a good attempt is to do away with the practice of tedious bookish learning.  

Additionally, I would also like to point out that the language in the latest NCERT Books is simple to understand and the concepts are presented in a manner that makes for effortless comprehension. The text in the NCERT Books is supported by colourful photographs, cartoons, illustrations, and interesting blurbs that do not necessitate the rote method of learning.

This is not all! Students have yet another very important reason to study from these exciting and fun-to-learn NCERT books—apart from the attractive features in NCERT Books, all the questions in the CBSE board exams are based on NCERT Books, or are built around the concepts in NCERT Books!

Wishing happy studying to all!

How to Write Good NCERT Answers

While writing the NCERT answers, students sometimes adopt a casual approach to this important end-of-chapter exercise. Many also consider it a futile activity. Through their laid-back attitude students, thus undermine the advantages of writing quality NCERT answers.

Many students may not have realized, but their approach to the NCERT answers can make a lot of difference in their final scores. These days, most of the questions in CBSE board exams are either a part of these NCERT questions list at the end of the chapter and/or are based on the concepts covered in these questions. This fact further reiterates the importance of quality NCERT answers.  Apart from the quality, it is important that while writing NCERT answers students learn to modify their answers keeping in mind the specific key words in the questions such as ‘Explain’,’ Classify’, ‘Differentiate’ etc. Certain subject-specific points should also be kept in mind as the student goes about writing the NCERT answers. Here are certain points that need to be kept in mind while drafting the answers for different subjects.

• Maths:- While working on any mathematical problems, accuracy is of utter importance. The answers calculated by the student during the practice sessions should be immediately checked with the available NCERT answer list at the end of all the chapters. Also as you work your way through the questions, your NCERT answers should incorporate all the necessary steps that are essential to arrive at the solution. Usually students miss out on writing the ‘in-between’ steps. This may sometimes result in the deduction of marks. Apart from the questions that are available in the exercises at the back of the NCERT textbooks, students should not miss out on the solved examples at the start of each chapter. An interesting observation is that these solved examples top in some of the examiners ‘must ask’ question list!
• English:- Readymade NCERT answers for end-of-chapter English questions are available by a lot of publishers. Publishers usually write these NCERT answers keeping in mind the learning outcomes a student is expected to achieve in a certain grade. However, it must be pointed out that by simply reproducing these NCERT answers verbatim on your answer sheets won’t fetch you great marks. Examiners look for original use of words and expressions and favour the attempt to explore new ideas. Therefore, while writing NCERT answers in the final examinations, try to be original. Read the chapter thoroughly and write the answers to the questions in your own words. Self-composed, grammatically correct answers will help a student obtain more marks than merely reproducing the readymade NCERT answers from the solution booklet.
• Science:- Before working on the NCERT answers for any of the subjects in Science, achieving a thorough conceptual understanding of the topic in question is very important. Students should lay emphasis on understanding the concept and only then move on to drafting the answers. The NCERT answers to the questions should be accompanied by correctly labeled and neatly drawn diagrams wherever necessary. This will fetch additional marks in comparison to an answer that is not accompanied by any supporting diagrams and illustrations. Sticking to the prescribed word limit while writing NCERT answers is another important point that needs to be kept in mind.
• Social Sciences:- While writing NCERT answers for a subject like History, students usually think that a lengthy and verbose answer is what the examiner is looking for.  However, this is not the case. Precise and complete answers within the prescribed word limits, that cover all relevant points is considered an ideal NCERT answer.

So the next time you write NCERT answers, keep in mind these points. I am positive that these tips will guide you to write better NCERT answers and will result in an improved overall performance in exams.

N-C-E-R-T

N-C-E-R-T. If you are a student, this is one word that is likely to instantly bring to mind images of school textbooks! And that is not surprising, because after all NCERT textbooks are the mainstay of almost all CBSE students particularly those in classes X and XII. It must be pointed out however, that the NCERT textbooks that a student uses today are far more interesting, attractive and reader-friendly than the textbooks that were available around the time that I was in school. So, full marks to the NCERT for at least attempting to innovate and present the content of textbooks in a manner that is most likely to appeal to students!

My purpose of writing this article is not to talk about the NCERT textbooks, but actually to tell you more about the various other things that the NCERT does apart from publishing textbooks, in order to help students learn and optimize their true potential.

Scholarship exam conducted by NCERT

NCERT is a research organization that is dedicated to introducing reforms in the area of education and for bringing about modernization in school curriculum. Among its various initiatives and responsibilities, the NCERT also conducts various scholarship exams. The National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) conducted by NCERT is one such exam conducted by NCERT every year. This scholarship exam was started by NCERT way back in 1963 to identify and nurture talent. The NCERT recognizes talent by ways of providing a certificate and financial assistance in the form of a monthly scholarship of Rs. 500/- per month, continuing right up to higher studies. The NTS exam conducted by NCERT for school students covers Science, Social Science and Maths. An exam that was open to students across all classes earlier, from the year 2010, the NCERT will conduct the NTS exam for students of class VIII only. There are a total of 1000 scholarships that the NCERT gives out every year. The selection process for the NTSE conducted by NCERT is a two-stage process. Those students who qualify in Stage I exam are eligible to appear for Stage II exam. The exam for Stage I will be held in November 2009 and that for Stage II will be held in May 2010. The exam conducted by NCERT comprises a Mental Ability Test (MAT) and a Scholastic Ability Test (SAT) followed by an Interview in Stage II for those qualifying in written exam of Stage II.

Other student-focused initiatives by NCERT…

As a national level organization, the NCERT is mostly involved at policy level matters related to education. Therefore its primary initiatives remain in the area of framing guidelines, introducing educational reforms, issuing directives, conducting refresher and orientation courses for teaching staff and conducting relevant training programs for teachers etc. However, the NCERT does undertake certain activities time and again that are targeted directly to the students. Some such activities that the NCERT undertook in the recent past are organizing an All India photography contest for students and organizing a State Level Science Exhibition for students in the year 2009-2010.

How to use NCERT Maths Solutions effectively

If you had ever thought that Maths is a tough nut to crack, it’s time that you think again because the innovative and fun ways suggested in this article can help you arrive at NCERT Maths solutions without any difficulty. Students studying under any educational board in India can use these tips to solve the complex mathematical problems with ease and make their learning effortless. After going through these tips students will no more keep themselves away from trying their hands at end-of-chapter NCERT Maths questions.

Try shortcuts for quick calculation

While arriving at NCERT Maths solutions, students usually find the in-between calculations tedious and complicated. A small mistake committed at any step can be very frustrating as it can result in a wrong answer. Therefore, students should be very cautious while performing every calculation so as to ensure 100% accuracy of their solution for the NCERT Maths questions. To further reduce the chances of errors and to make complex calculations simple, students should try doing it the Vedic way. Vedic Mathematics is the ancient system of mathematical calculations devised by Swami Bharati Krishna Tirtha during the early years of 20th century. Vedic Mathematics is based on the system of sutras that help simplifying complex mathematical calculations. Here is an example of one of the numerous shortcuts suggested in Vedic mathematics.-

While calculating the square root for any number above 10, the following shortcut can be followed. The square root of 12 is 144. One way of calculating it is 12x12, where as the Vedic way of calculating the same is

122 = (12+2) X 10 + 22

= 14 X 10 + 4

= 140 + 4

= 144

With the same method, let’s try to find out the square root of 13.

132 = (13+3) X 10 + 32

= 16 X 10 + 9

= 160 + 9

= 169

Students can learn many more such easy and quick shortcuts for various mathematical functions and be sure of arriving at accurate solutions for NCERT Maths questions.

Learn with Music

Students who find calculating Maths sums boring and dull can try the same with their favorite music playing in the background and experience the difference. Researches in the past have validated the fact that music can make a valuable difference in the pace with which the brain processes information. Listening to non-lyrical / instrumental music while practicing Maths problems can enhance learning by soothing and relaxing the anxious mind. However, while practicing mathematical problems, a few visual and tactile learners might find such background music distracting. Therefore, students are advised to use their own discretion.

Students studying under the CBSE board can also seek help from various websites that provide free NCERT Maths solutions for classes VI-XII. The free end-of-chapter NCERT solutions available at such websites not only provide answers in textual format, but also support it with relevant videos, animations and graphics for a quick understanding. The objective is to explain the answer and the underlying concept in detail so as to make learning thorough and concrete.

Now that all you students studying under CBSE board know how to make arriving at the NCERT Maths solution fun, go ahead and try out these innovative and interesting ways.

All the best!